by Steve Cox
5 Minutes with... Trey Canard
Thursday, September 30, 2010 | 9:00 PM
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PrintIt’s almost appropriate, in hindsight, when you realize that Team USA’s Trey Canard caught fire during the outdoor season on Fourth of July weekend at RedBud. Less than four months later, he lined up in the red, white and blue to take on the world at the Motocross of Nations in Colorado. He won the MX2 qualifier on Saturday, but a fall at the start of the first moto on Sunday, and a poor start in the second moto as well, limited his results. Still, he put in solid finishes for Team USA that would’ve put him third overall in the MX2 class, despite the troubles.
Trey Canard: I mean, you obviously hope for it and dream for it and want to be a part of it. I wanted to be a part of it. There were parts of my season where I was just hoping to be a podium guy and maybe come here and watch. Luckily and thankfully things turned around and I was able to come here and we were able to pull it off. I’m just thrilled with the year; it was unbelievable. To get the championship was really special to me and to come here and represent the United States and just to be here and do this is... I don’t have words.
When you got here Saturday and you knew it was business time, what were you thinking then?
I was ready to go. I was kind of sick of the anticipation, really, because I got here Thursday night and realized we weren’t going to ride the next day – I was going to have to wait another day. I was having a hard time, but it was good because it’s just a different format and it was difficult. I was nervous for sure, Saturday more so than Sunday. I was actually doing really good with nerves Sunday. It was cool. I was happy to remain calm in some tough situations, and I gave it my best, I know that for sure.
Yeah, those tough situations... What was going through your head when you ended up falling in the first turn in the first moto?
I was stuck in a really weird position with Zach [Osborne]. It was weird. I just stayed calm and I talked to him. I was like, "Hey, you need to do this, we need to do that," and he agreed and we got it going.
That’s pretty funny. You crashed with the only other American in the moto, besides Ryan Dungey. You’re lucky you didn’t end up locked up with someone who didn’t speak English!
Yeah, exactly! I’ve known Zach for a long time and he was sorry that it happened, but it’s a racing incident and I was just happy that I didn’t do anything stupid afterward trying too hard. I felt like I rode pretty well. I wasn’t too excited with the way I rode, but I gave it my best. I kind of spent myself a little bit in the first moto, but hey I did the best that I could and that’s all I can ask for.
Trey Canard (2) being chased by Ken Roczen (11) in the MX2 qualifier on Saturday.
Photo: Steve Cox
I know you said you were riding a little tight Saturday, and Ken Roczen gave you everything you could handle. Talk about that young German kid.
Yeah, he’s very mature for his age. I mean, I don’t know him personally, but as far as a racer he’s very smart and he rides a bike really well. It was cool racing him. I had fun with him Saturday. It was unfortunate I didn’t get to race with him Sunday, but it was really cool and I think he’s got a bright future ahead of him and I’m sure we’ll be racing many years to come.
You’ll probably be a seasoned vet in the 450 class by the time he shows up to race 250s here full-time...
Yeah, it’ll be a while, but as we saw today, age doesn’t affect anything. He has really good speed and all the Europeans are very good in motocross and they never cease to amaze me.
Yeah, I remember that from ’07 [when he went to Budds Creek to watch the MXoN]. That’s probably one of the things that sticks out in my mind the most. I just realized it was real and it’s a hard concept to grasp. You know, I’m still not grasping that I won the Championship, so it’s really cool and I’m just happy to be a part of a successful year and I’d like to come back for years to come.
Now, when you’re looking forward to an off-season, it’s got to kind of all be downhill from here, right?
[Laughs] Well, the cool thing is I’m going to a new class, so there’s no pressure of being a defending champ. I’m kind of the underdog again, which is a good position for me. Hopefully, I can have a healthy and successful off-season and get some good overseas races and come into Anaheim 1 strong.
What races are you doing overseas?
I’m doing Genoa, Italy, and Bercy, so it should be fun. I’m really looking forward to going over there and just hanging out and checking it out.
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Canard quote"all the Europeans are very good in motocross and they never cease to amaze me" real talk right there. Canard is a real guy that tells it like it is. What more can u ask of the guy. Kinda like Kyle Regal. I mean its hard to get an AMA rider to admit that.
I tried to get those red boots but I cant find em. I know im a SIDI guy all the way but I wanted to add some color. Also was looking for the yellow ones that Barcia had. I cant find em in USA. Im gonna try to get some in Great Britain Next week. The Europeans usually have that stuff at the store the problem is it cost more for the same stuff over there. Not sure why.
Yea the way Trey showed value and respect to his battle with Pourcel and giving that AMAZING German kid due respect says it all. Trey, your dad is looking down smiling at the young man you have become, not just the racer, the young man you are. I sure have enjoyed watching you blossom and I know he's proud of ya. Keep up the hard work, and respect for your competitors, your gonna sell alot of CRF's and sign alot of autographs.
Canard is a great guy, and fast. He is always a class act. And I dont know what interviews or what you read Dgizzy, but I never heard nothing from any AMA rider that was negative to any Euro rider. They are always respectful. Except for Cairoli, why didnt you comment on that. And no, it wasnt lost in translation either. He was back pedaling bigtime.
He gives credit to them, he had to he got smoked by roczen. Either way good job TC, You will make things fun to watch next year, You were not to far of the pase last year so get to work We want to see some 5 man battles for the win next year in SX. I still reamember him "T" boning RV at the last SX, Funny how you love him anyway BD. Also funny how you "KNOW" that about cairoli when Cox and others who should know more say it was a translation thing.
BillC----I was there at the race, TC did NOT get smoked by Roczen. Trey took everyone to the house SAT including roczen. Then SUN he goes from dead last in a first turn crash to 12th. 2nd moto horrible start again and still pulled off a podium in 3rd. If trey had 2 good starts that day we could have seen him battle with Roczen, then maybe you could have an accurate gauge of where they stand. Coming from last in both motos to 3rd against the best riders in the world is pretty impressive.
johnnyo, good post. I dont know why some guys just wont give riders credit sometimes. Trey did knock off Pourcel this year. If that doesnt show he has killer speed I dont know what will. The only time I remeber Trey hitting RV2 was when RV2 was still on 250's. And I think Trey has definatly gotten a whole lot better in his riding since then. And keep trying to start crap BILLC. just like always. I'm not biting, grow up please. Funny how you all of a sudden want to say Cox knows better when you act like Cox is an idiot all the other times. Boy, you sure flip-flop quickly.
Trey didn't just get tangled with ZO, his throttle was stuck in his chain. So, not only did he come around next to last, he was way back from 38th place. As for Villopoto, really? Move on already
Thats funny bd when someone says so and so was faster than Rd but got a bad start or fell all you say is thats racing, pick better lines, don't ride over your head ect... But when TC gets beat by 30sec out come the excuses!! They both started on the same line so. I never said he did not ride great just point out the Hypocrisy once again on here. BTW Jonny bd said Saturday DOES NOT COUNT but BD over looked that in your post. Also i was told this year that people can ture the fastes lap of a moto in the pack, But TC was 3 sec off Roczens lap... So could he have ran with him?? My money says NO.
Whoknows... Time should not matter...or is bd the Flip flopper??
BillC--were you there on Saturday? Apparently not. He very much ran with Roczen. You really believe you can go as fast going through 26 racers as you can with a good start? As far as Villopoto, whatever, dude. Trey's back wheel slid over, Villopoto cased the double. End of story.
Hehe.. and whats this .. he came from last to third both moto's!. I'm sorry he might of got 3rd in class but he was a long way off 3rd in the race's. Roczen was just on it on sunday, 3 sec's a lap faster than any other 250f in both moto's dont lie, and 3rd and 2nd fastest lap times overall in his moto's is impressive. And the you cant go fast going through the pack is rubish, you cant be baulked every lap. watch the first moto again, KR got help up behind Trey, granted he didnt go down but he was 26th after a full lap was in the books and was still the fastest 250 by a good way. Just saying it was his day that day, like it was rv's a few years back, but rv's was better;). Trey did a good job on the day and got good points. So congrats to TC and all the best for next year. Oh anyone know who his teammate's are for next year?
BiilC seems to always come out here for the same reason - to start **** and (try to) show how smart he is. To you and mx_phreek ... you can go the same lap times whether you're with the leaders or coming through the backmarkers? Really? I'm glad you cleared that up for me (ahem). Not taking anything away from Roczen, but when you only have one race to judge by, and two riders are never anywhere near each other in either moto, you're simply not getting a true indicator. That's one of the problems with trying to judge riders based on this one race. What we DO know is that the only time all weekend that Trey and Ken were together on the track, they had a hell of a battle. Likewise, Dungey and Cairoli were only together during one of the races ... and we know what happened there. And BillC, even though you're constantly arguing with bd (and everyone else), you've conveniently taken his statement as "gospel" that Saturday meant "nothing." It decides where you'll start on Sunday, so while it's the least important of the three races a rider runs, it certainly means something.
I never made any excuses for Canard. If you would pull your head out of your as#, you would have seen on my other posts that I said how great Roczen ran. But I still think Canard ran very well at the Des Nations. Show me where I made any excuse for Canard geting beat by Roczen BILLDO!! So I didnt flip on nothing. And I still cant figure out Canard and RV2 having contact 3 years ago has to do with the Des Nations anyway. Give it a rest. I am done with your dumb as#..
"BillC seems to always come out here for the same reason - to start **** and (try to) show how smart he is" Success on point one; fail on point two.
LOL younguys crack me up!! whoknows, I don't think that, I said I was told that When Grant Smoked RD in the first moto than did crap in moto two people said he was not as fast and should have been able to run faster laps even though he was in the pack.Sef I don't think Saturday means nothing, BD does thats what i said. He!! BD did not even know that when Roczen passed Short that it mattered, he said he is MX2 so it does not matter but it does matter. If you guys can't see the my point on how when RD wins some people don't want to hear any excuses about what happen to someone else, but when someone else like TC gets beat by 30 sec I can't say he got smoked with out getting actacked or hearing well he did good on sat or he got a bad start, When someone says that kind of stuff about someone who got beat by Rd I hear RD is smart, the other guy took a bad line or some other bs. And BD if you still cant figure out Canard and RV2 having contact 3 years ago has to do with the Des Nations anyway... I can't help ya other than this, TC has hit a lot of people the last 3 years but you say he is a great guy BUT SLAM Bt for wht he did... See it now?? Why is it if someone thinks dif from u guys you always say there starting crap.. get a little thicker skin
Boy it would be great if everyone just agreed with what ever the first post was on every thread.... Ahhhhhhhhhh that would be great.... u guys wouyld just love that right... Then we could all sing combaya too LMFAO!!