“Hot Rod”
Interview with Rodrig Thain
Story & Photos by Eddie Graveline
www.motopress.net
 Foreign
motocross riders, especially French ones, have had a hard time finding their way
into the hearts of American fans. They are usually quiet and more withdrawn than
the typical Yankee MX racer and some people take that as a snobby attitude.
Unfortunately, a lot of the time, it’s shyness on the part of the rider due to
poor English language skills. Take Rodrig Thain for instance. This is his third
year racing in the U.S. and a lot of people still don’t know who he is. He
started off in ’99 as an FMF support rider and then hooked up with the brand
new KTM Factory squad in 2000. This year, Roger DeCoster and Team Suzuki have
enlisted his services. He had his best Supercross season yet, finishing second
in the 125cc West series and is hoping to improve on some strong outdoor rides
that he had last year. Rod is quiet and shy. His answers to my questions were
incredibly short, but not because he didn’t want to talk. He just doesn’t
speak much English. Don’t hold it against him though, he’s a very nice young
man and hopefully, this interview gives you a little bit of insight into one of
the rising stars of our sport.
Q: Rod, let’s talk about the
Supercross season for a minute first. You must consider this last one to be your
most successful yet.
A: Yeah, second place is very good
for me. I never won a race this year, but I stayed consistent every race. It’s
good. It’s not a very good season, but it’s good.
Q: You’re on a new team this year. Did
that make a difference in your Supercross results or was it a case of just
having another year under your belt?
A: I have a very good bike, I think
the best bike. Team Suzuki is very very good. It’s a big help for me.
Q: Travis Pastrana and Kevin Windham are
your teammates this year. Do you get to ride with those guys a lot?
A: We test together every week.
It’s good for me and good for everybody.
Q: Pastrana and K-dub have drastically
different riding styles. Does that help you see the track from different
perspectives?
 A:
Every rider has a different style. It’s good because I can see the different
things, different position. There are big differences.
Q: Last year you had some good rides and
even podiums in the Nationals. Do you see your results improving outdoors just
like they did in Supercross?
A: My goal is the podium this year.
Last year I had a couple of good races. I had some injuries. I’m ready for
this season.
Q: A lot is said about the disadvantage
that Europeans have when they first come to race the American Nationals because
they don’t know the tracks. Have you found that to be a disadvantage?
A: The first year is very hard
because I didn’t know the tracks. The tracks are very different. They have big
jumps and are rough. Very different.
Q: So what would your goal for the
outdoor series be?
A: To finish on the podium (top three
in the series). That’s my goal.
Q: We got some unexpected rain at Glen
Helen and that brings up another interesting subject; mud. Coming from France,
do you feel that you have an advantage in muddy races?
A: I like that weather. We ride in
those conditions all of the time in France. It’s fun.
Q: Your new boss is “The Man”, Roger
DeCoster. He comes from Europe and the GPs just like you. Does it help having a
team leader that understands your circumstances first hand?
A: Yes, because Roger speaks French
also. My English is very bad. That helps me every time. It’s good for the
testing and everything.
Q: Thanks for your time. Hopefully
we’ll see you on the podium a lot this summer.
A: Yep, okay.
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