“THE FASTEST GARDENER YOU’LL EVER MEET”
Interview with Phil Lawrence
Story & Photos by Eddie Graveline
www.motopress.net
“Factory” Phil
Lawrence has been around the sport of motocross for a long
time. He was a So Cal legend as a mini rider and progressed into the
big-time of Supercross and Nationals at a young age. He never won that big
championship, but was a consistent performer and achieved incredible
longevity at the pinnacle of the sport. Phil made a few appearances on Jeff
Emig’s ill-fated Edge Sports Kawasaki team last year, but has basically been
out of the picture since 2000. During his time off, he started his own
business and got some perspective as a result of living life like the rest
of us. A couple of months ago, Phil sort of fell into an Arenacross tryout
with the Factory Suzuki team and has been hitting the tight tracks ever
since. At the Oakland round of the series, he got his first AX victory,
winning on a 250. Afterward, I had the opportunity to spend a few minutes
with Phil and get the lowdown on where he’s been and where he’s going. In
doing so, I discovered a changed man. As a result of recent events in his
life, there is now an unmistakable mix of reverence and appreciation behind
his words. He speaks naturally, from the heart. When talking to him, you get
the sense that he’s got it all figured out now and is happier than he’s ever
been.
Q: Phil, why don’t you fill us in on how
you ended up in the Arenacross series this year?
A: “Basically, I quit
motorcycle racing. I thought I was completely finished. I started a
landscaping company in Temecula (CA) and have just been working. Brad
Hagseth is on the Suzuki team and he stayed with me for a couple of months.
Pedro Gonzales ended up getting injured and it just worked out. They said I
could come in and do a couple of races. I did and they were happy with the
way I was riding. They saw that I can improve. Then they said I could stay
for the rest of the year. Basically, that’s what happened.”
 Q:
Has it given you the desire to come back and do this full-time next year?
A: “Well, like I said,
I was just working for a year and I thought that I’d never be able to race
again. I had been dreaming about it. Honestly, the most exciting part is
that I get to ride 125s again. Back in the day, I always loved riding 125s
and I ride them really well. I haven’t ridden them in years and years. That
was definitely exciting. I’m just taking it race by race, weekend by
weekend. I’m just trusting in the Lord and He’s guiding my path right now.
It seems that everywhere He takes me, doors open up and awesome things
happen, like tonight (his first AX victory). I could have never done it
without Him. I couldn’t have even raced without Him.”
Q: You rode Supercross for years and have a
lot of indoor experience. Did that help you as you started riding
Arenacross, or did you find that this series is specialized and completely
different?
A: “No, it’s not
completely different. Racing Supercross for a lot of years definitely got my
technique down. I think I have pretty good technique and I know how to race.
Toward the end of my career, I went to Australia and raced their Supercross
series, which is almost identical to Arenacross. I did that for two or three
years for Phil Christensen. I got used to that. Right now, I don’t even have
a motorcycle to practice on. I just work during the week and fly in and race
dirt bikes on the weekends. I’m definitely excited when I get here. I can’t
really say it’s hurting me, not being able to ride during the week, but when
I get here I’m just so excited and everything’s totally awesome.”
Q: There are only a couple more weekends in
the series. What is your plan? Will you try to win a couple more or just
have fun and stay safe?
A: “If I got a couple
of wins, that would just be unbelievable. Just one win is unbelievable, to
tell you the truth. I just come in on the weekends, have fun when I’m on the
track and ride as hard as I can. Wherever I end up, I end up. As long as I
try my hardest, there’s nothing else that I can do. That’s my outlook right
now and it seems to be working, so I don’t really want to change it.”
Q: Is it hard to get used to riding both
size bikes every night? I see guys ride a 250 semi, pull off of the track
and walk to the start line where their mechanic is waiting with their 125
for another race, back to back. That has to be tough.
A: “You know, it’s
been a long time since our amateur careers, but in our
amateur careers, we did that for ten years. You rode both classes and you
just got accustomed to jumping off of a 125 and going to a 250. You do it
every weekend in your amateur career, four or five times a weekend. When you
get into the big ranks, you basically stick to one bike, but you get used to
it. It’s not that big of a problem.”
Q: During your years in Supercross, I know
that you would hear things about Arenacross and specifically, what Buddy
Antunez was accomplishing. Was your view of the Arenacross series different
then than it is now that you’ve had the chance to come ride in it?
A: “It’s totally
changed. Being in Supercross as long as I was, you get caught up in it and
don’t see the whole outlook. Honestly, in Supercross, you almost think
you’re too good to come race Arenacross. Being off for a year, working like
a normal man, it’s almost like you come to know the truth. These guys are
awesome riders. They’re having a good time and my hat’s off to every one of
these guys. They do an awesome job and I’m just totally blessed to even come
and race with these guys.”
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