By Danny Brault
Photos by James Lissimore and Simon Cudby


While Canadian fans were glued to their computers Saturday, watching in awe as Darcy Lange set the fastest practice time and then translated that speed into an amazing second place finish in the Lites class, our roving assistant editor was lucky enough to be watching things unfold live at the Georgia Dome. Danny caught up with Darcy right after his first SX podium. The BC native was—rightfully—on top of the world. Here’s what the three-time AX champ had to say about putting his Pro Circuit bike on the podium.

RXC: Congratulations, Darcy. You rode awesome out there tonight!
Darcy Lange: [Laughs] Thanks. It was pretty intense.

You’re normally pretty quiet and keep your emotions under wraps, but you have to be pumped tonight.
That’s got to be one of the most amazing feelings out there. To be on the podium, to be with some of the best of the best, not starting out in the front—and having to work my way up there. I never knew where I was or what place I got because I was always around someone and there were pit boards hanging out. Then when I came off, I was like, ‘How’d I do? How’d I do?’ I thought I was third, and he [my mechanic] said second. I was like, sweet man! It’s awesome. I just want to thank Mitch [Payton], and Bones [Bacon] and all of these guys for giving me this opportunity. It really gave me the motivation to get on the bike and start riding. We’re just going to go out next weekend and try to better ourselves.

What does it feel like to get that call and be offered a spot on the Pro Circuit team?
When Mitch first called me, he was like, ‘Hey, what are you thinking about doing East Coast?' I said, ‘If you’re asking, I’d love to!’ He then said, 'Okay, get this arenacross championship over with and we’ll get you out there.’ That day—it was just kind of shocking—I was like, man, I need to get my crap together! I had been just doing arenacross and, I mean arenacross is anywhere from 8 to 10 minutes and these are almost 15 minute motos. It’s not too much to step it up, but arenacross is more like a sprint and you need a lot more endurance for supercross. As soon as that happened, I was riding everyday. Just being on the best bikes is reassuring too.

Yes, everyone comments on how well those Pro Circuit KX250Fs work. What exactly makes them so amazing?
Just everything together; you couldn’t put a price on one of those bikes. The amount of hours—they put 100 percent into everything they do. You get on the bike and it’s so smooth and crisp and the suspension—Bones does the suspension awesome. It’s just a good team effort. You can tell by the number of #1 plates they have, just how good they are.

You said to me earlier today, after seeing your lap times in the top three, that you felt nervous because now there was some pressure on you. You must feel relieved that the race is over and you came through.
It’s good. Especially knowing that I have the speed, not starting out in the front and somebody else having a bad start. It was me getting a bad start and working my way up and stalling my bike and still coming back. It’s awesome. I just need to get to Cali this week and work on my starts.

What was going through your head while you were stuck in the middle of the pack? Were you trying to play it safe or did you just go for it?
I just thought, ‘Shit, shit, shit. I’ve got to get up there.’ I just kept plugging away, getting one guy at a time. It actually seems like you’re out there forever. Just after the halfway, I was like 'Man, I thought this race would be done by now'. I could see myself catching Goerke.

And what happened with Ryan Sipes before the whoops?
I went in on him and tried to pass him and we hit. It knocked my hand off the bar and I stalled it.

You seemed to come through the pack pretty easily, and re-passed everyone.
I took a lap to relax and said to myself, Don’t go bonsai.

It was pretty amazing seeing you up there. If you continue to ride like this and stay consistent, you might ... actually sorry, let’s not go there; there are a lot of races left.
It’s a long ways away and we’ll just take it one race at a time.

I saw you were making a few phone calls. Who were talking to?
I had to call Woodsy. My mom, Woodsy and my girlfriend are having a party for me.