Few riders have experienced the highs, lows and longevity of Dean Wilson’s career. From winning the 250 AMA Pro Motocross title as a teenager with Pro Circuit Kawasaki to becoming a mainstay in the fiercely competitive 450 class, the British rider has carved out a 17-year professional career built on resilience as much as raw speed.
Now 34, and managing a knee that has taken its fair share of punishment, Wilson has stepped away from the grind of a full 17-round AMA Supercross Championship campaign in favour of a carefully selected international schedule that keeps him competitive — and enjoying the sport he still clearly loves. From racing in Australia and Brazil to spending more time back home in the UK, it’s a different chapter for the Scotsman, but one he feels is extending his career rather than winding it down.
We caught up with Wilson as he reflects on watching Supercross from the sidelines, the temptation of a potential return to a full-time ride, his championship-winning days under Mitch Payton, the injuries that shaped his journey, and why he’s rooting for the “old dogs” of the sport – including Jeffrey Herlings – as the next generation rises. He also opens up about inspiring future British talent and what life after racing might look like when the time finally comes.
GateDrop: Dean, pretty much your whole professional career, this time of the year you’re full on in the American Supercross vibe, I mean up until last year anyway, what’s it like having this different race schedule and getting to see different parts of the world you’ve probably never been before?
Wilson: It’s really good, obviously I do still wish I was full time but I just have a really really bad knee that just can’t really sustain 17 rounds anymore. What I’ve done is, I’ve made my own select schedule and we race here, I’ll race in Costa Rica and then we do the last 5 US Supercross rounds, Brazil, Australia, whatever else there maybe so it’s a pretty good schedule. We did it last year, it went really well and it’s just kind of created me longevity you know. It’s a good schedule for me, it works and keeps me racing. I’m enjoying it so that’s half the battle.
GateDrop: Obviously you’re British, usually you’d only get to go to Scotland over Christmas, you get to spend a lot more time there, I assume is it nice and also to show the family you know where you’re from?
Wilson: Absolutely, obviously I hadn’t really raced in the UK too much. When I was on 60s we raced quite a bit but to come back and last year was kind of my first time racing a series here which was cool. To be able to show the family where I grew up and the houses I used to live in and go to the places I used to go to as a kid, it’s pretty cool. It’s kind of just a full circle which is honestly really cool.
GateDrop: I think you were at the first 2 rounds of the AMA Supercross, what was it like being there watching, being there as a spectator, was it quite weird?
Wilson: I was watching the first three rounds. It was tough, I enjoyed watching for sure but I still feel like I just got off from Australia and I was riding really well there. I was at a really good spot and then to watch and kind of see where I would be you know, it is tough. I still do feel like I have what it takes to be out there battling for top 12’s which is very strong, I feel like that’s pretty good. That class is just so so stacked, the pace is so fast, they’re all just full on athletes, the level is just so so high. I’m definitely exiting at a pretty good time I think.
GateDrop: What are your thoughts on the first few rounds being there watching live, I mean it’s pretty wide open, you need a good start there this year. Also you seem to be a fan of the sport as well, you seem to enjoy it, a lot of riders just do it because they’re good at it and then go play golf or something but you seem to love it as well?
Wilson: I do love it, even as a kid I watched all the Supercross rounds. Like I said the level is so high in the 450cc class so the top boys that don’t get a start, it’s really going to hurt them. They’re all riding really well, a lot of good bike switch ups for this year and it keeps exciting, it’s good to see Tomac still out there, you know he’s a year younger than me but it’s awesome to see him, Jason (Anderson), kind of more my era and Barcia. I am probably missing a few there but it’s cool to see our generation still out there and mixing it up with the new kids coming up who are really really good.
GateDrop: I believe before the start of the season Triumph had a few injuries and they gave you a call, what can you tell me about that conversation and was there a part of you that was tempted to do it?
Wilson: Well, I actually had a meeting with them during Supercross last year when I was racing for HRC Honda. They booked me in for a meeting and they wanted me for this year to race Supercross but I didn’t pursue it very hard. I really like the schedule I have. Jordon Smith then went to the 450cc and then Jordon got injured so they called me again while I was in Australia. I have a good program, I’m making just as much as if I was racing full time so I’m very grateful to have what I have and can I just go back full time again? I definitely think I could do it, I definitely think I could but like I said I have a bad knee. My foot has to just hit the ground hard enough and then it’s sore for three weeks or so. It wouldn’t have been really worth my while to do it. I’m 34 now, I’ve had a really good run and I’ve enjoyed it. I mean don’t get me wrong I’ve had a lot of ups and downs but it’s been good and we’re just trying to get another year or another two years at this stage. Who knows what can happen, we are just taking it year by year pretty much.
GateDrop: You touched on highs and lows there, probably the biggest high of your career was in 2011 winning the AMA nationals, I mean when you look back to that time when you were racing every week with Pro Circuit and winning races, on top of the world, you must have amazing memories from it…
Wilson: Oh it’s amazing. 2010 was a really good year, rookie of the year and then in 2011 I won the championship. In 2012 I was battling for the West coast championship but got injured. In 2013 I was battling for East coast championship and got injured. 2014 I was battling for West Coast again but made a couple of silly mistakes and then got injured at the first outdoor. I signed with Factory KTM for two years but blew my knee out both years and then I kind of really revived I think in 2017. I started the season as a privateer, I did two or three rounds, then Husky picked me up. I really just bonded and gelled well with the team and I just had a goal of finishing every race and getting into the top ten.
I did that and I got on the podium twice so that was a really feel good year just from where I came from. I mean from there I was on Husky for six years so it was a really good run and now I’m at Quad Lock Honda for four years – going on five years now and he’s treated me really well. We’ve got a good system, good program, I’m enjoying it, I’m still riding half decent so it’s good.
GateDrop: Just on 2011, I mean I think you were 19 when you won that title, probably back then you thought it could be the first title of many but when you look back at it now, I mean how hard is it just to win a race, never mind to win a championship, you’ve probably got a lot of appreciation looking back at it…
Wilson: It’s funny when everything’s going good, you think it will last forever and I’ve really worked hard my whole career. That’s one thing I can say, is that I’ve never left a stone unturned, I’ve always did my training and my riding. I’ve done everything the best I can so that’s something that I can walk away and be like I did my best. In 2011 once I started winning I got the momentum, it started to come easy, I just had the confidence and that’s something that’s very hard to get but once you have it. It’s amazing so it was just hard after that – injuries, injuries, injuries but I fought tooth and nail. Now I’m 17 years as a professional so it’s been alright. I’ve just got one bad knee – I need a knee replacement.
GateDrop: I mean being with the Pro Circuit team, what was that like back then, they were pretty much what Star Yamaha are now and Mitch Payton, even he was talking the other week, he still wants to win real bad, what was it like working with him and being with that team?
Wilson: It was really good working with Mitch, he was kind of like a father figure to me in a way, just the way that we communicated. He would tell me the way it was and we just worked well because that’s how I grew up with my Dad. We didn’t mess about and Mitch didn’t either, he definitely had me crying in his office a couple of times but we worked really well together. He always knew how to put the work in and we just had a bad string of injuries. For Mitch, first off it was a dream come true because I came in kind of after the Villopoto era and got the end of Pourcel so it was cool. To think that I won a championship for him and be on the door is really cool, I wish I won more and it was close a lot of times but you’ve just got to stay healthy.
GateDrop: In the 450 class, you seemed to sort of find your home at Factory Husqvarna, what was it like being on that team and learning from some of your teammates there like Malcolm, did you enjoy that time?
Wilson: It was really good, I went to Factory Husky and that’s where I really just tried to get back on track and stay healthy. It went really well, Jason was my teammate and it was really, really good, we’re good friends and just kept it light, kept it fun, we put the work in, we trained together, we rode together and we just were really good teammates and everything just gelled. The whole team, the crew, mechanics, everyone just got along so well so it was just like a really big breath of fresh air for me. I really enjoyed being there, I was doing the results and it was really good so that was good. I think it was just the last year on the team Mookie was there but that was cool too. It’s been a good ride.
GateDrop: Just on Brits, I mean what Max Anstie is doing it at the minute, he’s a real example I think and obviously yourself, in the future do you hope to see more British talent, I mean it’s tough even in the GPs, do you hope that you can be an example for these kids as well as Max for the future?
Wilson: Absolutely. I would love to see a new generation of kids coming up and chasing that dream. It’s good to see John Slade out there riding the Arenacross and getting his Supercross feet wet – he’s getting the rhythms and getting the flow of it, learning and just kind of being all in, I think that’s really cool. I just wish we had more kids and I know it’s a bit harder here in the UK, I think a lot of kids kind of try to go to the GP route which is good too because you can go and start there and if things are going really well, like the Lawrence’s go to America, the same as Prado and all these guys. I would love to see more UK kids coming up and you know if I can help in any way I definitely would.
GateDrop: On Instagram I’ve noticed you were commenting on Cairoli’s video the other week and you commented on Tom Vialle’s post, so you seem to follow the GPs quite a lot, there’s a lot happening for next year, who’s your money on for the GPs next year?
Wilson: That’s a tough one but I’m just going to go with the OG Herlings. Now he’s an OG. I almost want to say his first pro race was the same as mine in 2009 at the French MXoN. we were really young, I was still in the A class but it was one of our first races. Kenny already raced GP’s at that time but I’d love to see Herlings do it. He’s had a string of injuries and you just root for the old dogs now that I’m one.
GateDrop: Final question, you’ll be glad to know, just on the future, I mean you’re not going to race your whole career, have you thought about what you might do in the future? I know you’re doing some training schools, is that something that interests you and I think you’d make quite a good commentator maybe as well?
Wilson: I’ve got a few options for sure on things I can do, it’s just what I want to do, what I’m going to enjoy, so I don’t know. We’ll see what happens, we’ll cross that bridge when we get there but we do have a few options which is nice and we’ll see, maybe I’ll just be a businessman (laughs). Who knows.
