MARCH 28, 2006
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Butler Brother's Honda's Doug DeHaan and his mechanic, Paul Perebijnos. |
By Danny Brault
Photos by Allison Kennedy
The Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross Series is reaching a climax and tempers flared last weekend in Detroit. If it's not Ricky Carmichael and Chad Reed fighting over valuable championship points, it's Nick Wey, Michael Byrne and Ivan Tedesco duking it out in a tight race for fourth overall. Everyone is riding well this year and, for the most part, everyone is healthy. That combo is making it difficult for riders to even make it into the main event. Doug DeHaan has been putting in some of his best supercross rides of his career but a mixture of events has kept him from qualifying for the majority of races. Tyler Evans put an aggressive pass on DeHaan in the LCQ and DeHaan fought back. The battle escalated and left both riders on the ground in spectacular fashion. We caught up with the Butler Brother’s Honda’s DeHaan to find out what exactly happened out on the Ford Field track between him and Evans.
RXC: So, Doug, have you traded in your bike yet for some boxing gloves?
Doug DeHaan: Yeah, I’m getting into UFC now. [Laughs]
So what happened in the LCQ in Detroit between you and Evans?
Well, it was pretty much … I don’t know; he got around me somehow and then he screwed up in a rhythm section so I passed him clean. Then he took me high into the berm, pretty much into the bales. Then a couple of corners later, I hit him pretty hard and took him high up into the bales. I mean, it was a block pass but it wasn’t anything dirty, I didn’t think. Then at the end of the whoops, he was coming down the inside real hard. I knew he was going to [make contact] and I knew I was going to get hit so I started braking. And then, I guess, instead of turning left he turned right and took us both off of the berm. He just totally t-boned me. Then he was trying to pick up our stuff and he pushed my bike off of his bike and was acting like it was my fault so I just pushed him. Then we started yelling at each other and a bunch of people came in between us. That was pretty much it.
Has this been an ongoing thing with you and Evans?
Well, we’ve been in a few semis and LCQs together, but I didn’t think there was anything really going on, other than just racing. Anytime you’re around him, he makes aggressive moves. But I mean, aggressive racing is one thing, but all out trying to kill the other person isn’t even racing.
Were you two exchanging words back to the pits?
[Laughs] Oh yeah, all the way back.
Have you heard any word whether the AMA is penalizing Evans?
No. I haven’t heard anything.
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DeHaan (90) chases Tyler Evans (43). |
On to the actual racing. You were riding well all night, but it looked like you were having problems with your bike stalling on you.
Yeah, I don’t know what my deal was. I stalled it a couple of times in that one turn [rutted corner after the finish]. I burned out my clutch a couple of times. I don’t know why I burned my clutch down and then coming into that tight corner, I pulled it in and it wasn’t all the way in and I did that twice. I don’t know if I was being harder on the clutch for some reason or what. Yeah, I wasn’t riding or feeling that great until the LCQ. I wasn’t feeling comfortable, or not really feeling on my game like I have the last few rounds. I just really wanted to place high in that LCQ. I knew [Jason] Thomas and [Nick] Wey were up front, so I knew it was going to be tougher to get in, but I was racing for a Gas Card or some kind of finish. It just added to the whole frustration--the thing with Evans--and it was another last in the LCQ for me. I’ve never had this poor of results. I don’t know when was the last time I finished a LCQ; it’s been a string of not even finishing.
Yes, it seems like there has been a black cloud over you.
I know. But I guess it could turn around.
With the Detroit supercross being so close to your hometown of London, did you have many friends and family come out to watch you race?
Yeah, quite a few. It was kind of messed up; it wasn’t like the normal Pontiac race where you get to see everybody. It was a lot better at Pontiac, it seemed like, with the pits and parking and everything.
Well, good luck this weekend in Houston, Dougie. I’m sure things will turn around for you.
Thanks, talk to you later.
