We caught up with Ian Harrison, a former mechanic to three time world champ, Greg Albertyn, who is now team manager of Red Bull KTM in the States, to get his take on Chase Sexton’s move to Orange, how the adjustment has been and having Liam Everts, son of Albee’s former bitter rival Stefan Everts under the Red Bull KTM tent at the MXoN – things come full circle!
Getting nervous for a new season with a big signing?
I absolutely get nervous, every year you want to do you best, you have a lot on your shoulders, with the whole company wanting you to do great with the new rider but I am happy to have Chase, he has the speed he’s going to do really, really, actually my whole team has had a good off-season, especially AP, this is his third year he’s been really good too. I’m excited to get going, I want to see how we stack up tomorrow night. On the press conference I think there were 15 riders and every single one of the them has a title! The field is stacked so we are going to have to see how it plays out.
Sexton and the new bike
You start off and they love it because it’s all different and then there are things they want to tweak and you change that and if affects something else, you change that and it affects something else! Before you know it you are in a grey area and you are not quite sure and then you backtrack a little bit – but this is pretty common. So we worked through those things and I think in the end he is at a place where he also wants to see where we are at now. Are we perfect? Never. But we keep grinding.
Signing Sexton for long-term success and Jett’s big rival over the next few years?
You can see these riders coming up through the lites ranks, you can see who has huge potential and of course Jett is going to be a phenomenal rider, he has already proved that. I’m interesting to see how tomorrow night is going to go for him too, pretty sure he’s going to be awesome.
Chase has now won this title, this is his fourth year going in, he knows a lot of things Jett doesn’t. He knows how to manage all 17 rounds, and the challenges that come with that and the practice all the time. I think he is in a good spot, and as long as he is happy with his bike, and things go well he should be ok.
Sexton not training with Baker
I probably would bring that up again (working with Aldon if results don’t go well) but he is a proven champion and so you can’t discredit what he did, it must work, he got to the finish line and held the trophy at the end. We are willing to let him keep his programme and see how it goes. Bar that we do have a first class facility in Florida and I am absolutely positive it would be a great place for anybody but we will see how things shake out.
For more from Ian on Vialle, Liam Everts, Stefan Everts and Ian’s career watch below:
Interview: Jonathan McCready
Image: Cudby
