5 Minutes with ... Casey Clark

May 23, 2005

By Brett Dailey

Watch for Casey Clark at the Mt. Morris AMA National next weekend.

Pinegrove Pennsylvania’s Casey Clark is back in Canada and hungry for the 125 East title. The 21-year-old turned pro in 2002 and is one of Pennsylvania top racers. In fact he beat Broc Hepler in 2003 at the North East Classic at Broome-Tioga. His best finish in Canada came at round three last season where he went 6-3 for fourth overall behind Donnie McGourty, Simon Homans and Doug DeHaan. Casey is an excellent example of why so many young American riders are attracted to the Canadian 125 nationals. A fast U.S. rider, who may still struggle to find adequate support at home, can find a good ride in Canada and compete for a prestigious title with plenty of magazine and television coverage. His day at the Sand Del Lee Ontario provincial started off great when he won the first 125 Pro moto.

Racer X Canada: What brings you to Ontario?
Casey Clark: Pat [Cyr, of Kemptville Motorsports] invited me up and I had a weekend off before the Mt. Morris [AMA] national so I thought I would come up and try to have some fun.

Who was your main competition here today?
There were a lot of guys going good—Chuck Mesley, Pierce Chamberlain … definitely Gavin Gracyk.

What did you do for the winter?
Actually, it was tough getting bikes and money, as usual … broke motocrosser. But I just trained. I didn’t have bikes so I just trained and did everything I had to do to try to come out 100 percent.

You didn’t have any bikes all winter?
No. I didn’t have bikes until February.

So did you just go to the gym and stuff?
Yeah, actually some people gave me some [exercise] equipment and I put it in my basement. I just worked hard at it.

Are you excited to come up here then and ride for Pat?
Definitely. I want to do a lot better this year with more preparation.

You had a really good round at Deschambault last year. What do you want to improve on from last season?
I need to be consistent. [Donnie] McGourty and [Gavin] Gracyk were consistent and they came out on top. I had a good round but I need to keep it consistent.

How did you like racing in Canada?
It was a lot of fun. It’s a lot easier with someone supporting you—it’s a lot less pressure. I was able to just go out and have a good time and ride.

Is Pat doing a good job with the bikes and the team?
Yes, definitely. This year we had a lot more time to pull it together.

  
Gracyk drove about 10 hours for this race. Did you drive or fly?
I drove up. I was only about a five-hour drive.

Are you racing 125 East only or will you try some 250 rounds?
It depends on how I feel. If my shape is good, maybe I’ll ride both classes at some races. My focus is on the 125 class though.

Who are your sponsors this year for the Canadian nationals?
Yamaha Canada, Kemptville Motorsports, M2R, TCI, Dunlop, SixSixOne, SunLine, Pro Circuit, Renthal, Pro Fuel, Too Trick Suspension

Thanks and good luck at Mt. Morris next weekend.
Thanks!

See you at Gopher Dunes!