NUMBER CHECK with...Killy Rusk
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Author: Andrew Campo |
Number Check
| Wednesday, 06 August 2008 07:03
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Each event there are certain riders who may feel overlooked. And while they may not show up in our daily race reports or videos, they are far from overlooked. Killy Rusk impressed us in Ponca City and did so even more at Loretta Lynn's. We caught up with Rusk, the number 365 Suzuki rider from Aztec, New Mexico, after an outstanding run at both Ponca and Loretta’s for one of our favorite number checks to date.
1. By the looks of your results, you came into Ponca and Loretta’s prepared. What did you do between Oak Hill and Ponca in effort to step up your game?
I have been riding and training like crazy. I also have been out racing as much as possible to improve my starts. My dad and I have been traveling all over just racing different tracks. We also did the Red Bud Amateur Days. It was really cool riding the national track and seeing the pros ride.
2. You have had a pretty successful career to date on minis, but there is no doubt that if you are to have a future in the sport that you will need to make an impression early into your big bike transition. How do you handle that pressure and apply your goals to meet the high standards being set by your peers?
I like the big bikes much better. I think my results show that. I also feel much more equipped on the big bikes. I have been riding them for a year now and I think with the big bike you can be competitive with very few mods. I think things will equalize a little. I think just by challenging myself and having fun everything else will fall in place.
3. Outside of Ponca and Loretta’s 2008, give us some of your career highlights from the past.
Last year I had a moto win at Ponca and a top 5 and top 10 at Ponca. I scored a top 10 at Loretta’s last year and even a holeshot at Loretta’s. I won a WORCS race last year and that was awesome.
4. Take us inside your weeks at Ponca and Loretta’s?
Wow, it all seemed to go by so quick. My starts at Ponca were good but I was having some difficulties staying up right, so really I was battling my own crashing demons. At Loretta’s I was just worried about staying up and being consistent. My starts were pretty good and they were consistent. At Loretta’s it is just matter of getting off the gate. You don’t get to practice too many 42 man starts at local races or even at some nationals. I was pretty happy with the 4th I had on the 125. I think my speed was okay. I just needed to get out of the crashing mind set and not hold back. My dad keeps telling me if raced at my practice speed I could be winning.
5. You are from New Mexico and there seems to be a lack of loamy, rutted tracks, a lot of sand and hardpack, what do you in effort to train for tracks like Ponca and Loretta’s while at home?
When we are at home my dad and I ride the sand washes a lot. We have a 20 mile loop trail out of our garage; we ride a few times a week. Plus we have the local track just a mile down the trail from our house. It is not watered or anything but it helps with jumping, speed and flat tracking, other then that we travel a lot and just live in the parking lots of tracks like Three Palms.
6. Training is key and you proved to have what it takes not fade in the brutal Tennessee heat, what does training program consist of?
This year I ran a bunch. Generally I would run 3 to 4 miles a day. We did not do too much upper body because we were trying to keep my weight down for the supermini. Once we decided not to stay on the minis then we started doing some upper body work. I just got a road bike for my birthday so my dad and I have been hitting the road pretty hard. This fall I am going out to California and start working with Jeff Ward so I think I am going to have a lot of learning ahead.
7. You spend a lot of time in Texas at Three Palms, how do you feel that has helped in your program?
Yeah, we spent around three months there this year. Three Palms is an awesome place. Five tracks, deep sand and two lakes, makes it a great place to train in the winter. I can go out in the morning and ride, when it gets dry my dad can flip a switch and turn on 200 sprinklers. Emil, the owner of Three Palms, is awesome. When we aren’t riding we are having ping pong tournaments or hitting the local restaurants for some crawfish.
8. With '09 fast approaching, what are your plans and will you continue to ride Suzuki?
I hope so. We are riding for Pella Motorworks, a Suzuki dealer out of Otley, Iowa. We really like it there, Kerry has been great. Cole Gress at Suzuki has also been helping us out with some parts. We have been on yellow bikes for a long time so it would be weird to be on anything else.
9. Sponsors play a major role in growing within the sport, what do they mean to you?
I think sponsors are super important in regards to helping any racing family. Cost being so high right now it would be hard without them. I feel like my job is to make sure my sponsors are well represented. I give them as much exposure and press as possible and also represent them with a clean cut professional image. We also have a good website with my dad’s graphics company and we always make sure we have our sponsors well represented on there.
10. Observing the elder classes at nationals, are their certain riders that you watch and learn from?
I always watch the upper classes to see who is going fast and how they approach an obstacle. I also think that by riding with the faster guys it helps me improve my speed. At Three Palms I would like to jump in and ride behind the pros. I even jumped in behind another New Mexican, Ivan Tedesco, one day.
11. I have seen you at select WORCS events in the past, how beneficial are WORCS events in regards to your program?
Long motos! The long races and riding in the woods always helps. You can’t memorize an eight mile course so you have to be able to think on your feet. The atmosphere at the WORCS races is also fun and mellow.
12. What goals have you set for 2009 and will be showing up at Mini O’s or waiting until Whitney?
No Mini O’s. It’s too far and diesel is too high. We will be going to Erv Braun’s Amateur Open in November. That is pretty close for us and I like that race. For '09 my expectations are to be consistent and be at least top three or even win some titles.
13, Who would you like to thank for making your season such a success?
Well there is a bunch of people. A big thanks to Maxxis, Cole Gress at American Suzuki, Kerry at Pella Motorworks, Emil at Three Palms, Bell, Wiseco, Troy Lee Designs, Topar Racing, EVS, Hickman Racing, No Toil, Yoshimura, Renthal, Cometic, Crank Works, Smith and my Mom, Dad, Janey, Nana, Grammy, and Papas. Lastly to Walmart for letting all us gypsies stay in the parking lot.
14. What is the story behind the 365?
Well, I wish I had a story like we ride 365 days year or something, but it was just the number NMA gave me one year and we stuck with it.
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