Wim van Hoof has quietly built a reputation as one of the most respected technical minds in motocross, with a journey that has taken him from his father’s workshop in Belgium to the heart of the AMA paddock. Starting out with Diga KTM in 2012, van Hoof quickly found his place in the GP world before becoming a vital figure at the Standing Construct team — a long-standing relationship with team owner Tim Mathys that helped shape his career. Now part of the HRC Honda setup in the U.S., working closely with Jett and Hunter Lawrence, van Hoof reflects on his path through the sport, his passion for engine development, and the differences between racing in Europe and America. We caught up with van Hoof to hear more about his journey, the people who influenced him, and what it’s like to be part of one of the most successful setups in modern motocross.
GateDrop: Wim, can you take us back to the beginning — how did your journey in the GP paddock start with Diga KTM in 2012? Where you nervous before your first role in the GP paddock and how did you prepare?
Van Hoof: I’m already my whole life into motorsports, my family was into car racing and motocross racing before I was born. I grew up in my father’s workshop and started racing by myself in the amateur federation. After some years I preferred to work on the bikes instead of racing. A friend who was at that time close with the team owner from the Diga KTM team introduced me. I know I was not really nervous but for sure it was a new world which was opening. I prepared myself to ask for some info from other mechanics and the rest came by itself.
GateDrop: What made you want to get involved in motocross at a professional level, and how did you land your first job as a mechanic?
Van Hoof: My dad’s childhood friend André Vromans (and they are still good friends) was racing the Motocross World Championship back in the days, he is a vice-world champ. So, we went to many GP races and as a kid watching this racing was already like something special. When I got older and was allowed to walk around in the paddock alone I remember I went always to the Suzuki factory team from Sylvain Geboers to watch them.
GateDrop: Were there any key mentors or figures early in your career who had a big influence on you?
Van Hoof: Yeah for sure I learned from different people. First of all my dad taught me a lot since I was a really young guy because he saw the interest I had. Later on I learnt more from different people who are important in who I am today and I’m still learning. When you have the passion you always want to learn more.
GateDrop: After Diga KTM, you made the switch to Standing Construct which is where you’ve pretty much been ever since. You must have had a great time at the team?!
Van Hoof: Yes, we were like GP number three (I think Fermo IT) during that 2012 season and there was Tim Mathys one time. So I was noticed by him quite quickly. A few races later he had already a proposal ready for me. We became friends and we are still friends. But we made sure to keep the focus on the quality of the team. We had a fantastic time together.
GateDrop: Tim Mathys was the team owner, you must have had a great relationship with him, what as he like to work for?
Van Hoof: Tim is a really good business person who knows what he wants, that’s also the reason why the Standing Construct company became so big and he started this company by himself completely from 0. Later I realized that the company is really important and he spent like almost 24 hours a day on his job. Motocross is a big passion for him, that’s why he started the team back in the days. But because he was so busy he was looking for a person who he could trust to help him as much as possible with the team. Tim is one of the most important people in my career. He knew what I was capable of and he gave me the chance to do it and grow. If you look back to the team, we were running the team with 5 mechanics (2 race mechanics, 2 practice mechanics and me) for 2 riders. That’s one of Tim ’s strong points. Less people is less stress, but you need capable people and pay them correctly. You see now many teams with a lot of people but it’s like one big chaos. If you hear what they get paid… I should stay at home and lie down on the sofa. They better trade two boys for one decent one and it will run much better.
GateDrop: The Standing Construct team closed their doors at the end of the 2024 season, just how disappointing was that for you?
Van Hoof: Yes, it was a decision made quite late because it was not in the plans to shut down the team. Tim is a really correct person but unfortunately not everybody was correct to him. As a private team it costs a lot of money to do a full season in MXGP, way more than is needed. Some people made promises to Tim which they failed to keep after several years. Tim could continue for many more years but too many people are thinking… there is money enough, we just keep taking advantage of him. In one moment you need to realize that the money were you work for so hard you can’t just keep giving away to non-correct people. For sure I was disappointed just like everybody as well as Tim himself. But he made the correct decision, I would have done the same.
GateDrop: At what point did you start focusing more on engine development rather than being a race-day mechanic?
Van Hoof: I had always interesting in engines, already since a little guy. In one moment my Dad traded a prepped Suzuki engine for road racing with three Honda Amigo bikes. Only one was running from the three, I was at that time like ten years old and he told me, you can ride the bike from the moment all three are running… It took some time but made it happen. Some time later I started my first tuning on this historic 50cc Honda Amigo’s. When I got older I made more and more engines ready for Motocross riders in Belgium and later in more in across Europe. Before I started working at the GP’s I knew already my way with the engines.
GateDrop: What were some of the biggest challenges in making that transition?
Van Hoof: To make the transition in the GP’s from a mechanic to engines and mappings is like a different responsibility. Yes, you are nervous the first laps of the free practice… but later on also you get used to it. As you know what you are doing, logical thinking and keep your measurements save you should be fine. For sure, it’s still a mechanical sport and always something can happen.
GateDrop: Over the years you’ve worked with various teams and riders – are there any standout moments or partnerships that really shaped your career?
Van Hoof: You know it’s a sport and always you have people who likes you and then some who are against you and it will be always like this. I learned as a young guy on how to handle this and focus on my job instead of the people. For me it’s not important to work for a good or famous rider because I will do my job always as good as possible for anyone. I always want to keep improving myself.
For sure, Tim Mathys is one of the important people in my career, he gave me the chance to prove myself. I’m really thankful to my family who also gave me the chances because I’m a lot of the time away from home and spent many hours on the job when I’m home. I dare to say I have the best wife I could imagine, she even pushed me to do because she knows it’s my passion. But she’s also working really hard with her own business so that’s a match for us.
GateDrop: How important is the relationship between a rider and a technical specialist like yourself in terms of feedback and trust?
Van Hoof: It is especially important not to be too close with a rider. There needs to be a positive relationship, you need to work as a team but don’t get to familiar with them. In the end it’s your job and also the job from the rider. It is really important to understand and learn the ways of a rider on a professional way to create a better and better bike which suits the rider. When a rider can jump on the bike and he feels like this is my bike, the results always will be better. Every rider is different, some can tell you exactly what they want and others you have to figure out what they want.
GateDrop: What led to the opportunity to move to America and start working with the Lawrence brothers? I remember speaking to Tim and asked him what your plans were at the end of 2024 so it must have all came together quite late?
Van Hoof: At the beginning of 2023 I received a message from Darren (Lawrence) if I would be interested to come over because they were looking for a guy like me. At that time I was still with the Standing Construct team and I told Darren “never say never” but as long the Standing Construct team continues I would stay with the team. I gave my word to Tim, and a word is a word (this is not the case for everybody… ) but Tim is the same, if he promises something he does that and even more. Now when it became official that Standing Construct would close their doors Darren gave my contact to Lars Lindstrom. After that lots of emailing and messages followed. It was never my dream to go to US but now I’m really happy to have made that choice.
GateDrop: What is it like working with Jett and Hunter – how do they approach engine feedback and development?
Van Hoof: I know them since their Suzuki time here in Europe. In 2017 I was working for the factory Suzuki team. Hunter, Jett and Darren are a really professional team together. I still remember Darren came many times when I was checking the data after the moto and then he asked me, what can we do to work on Hunters starts… And that is what I like, they always want to improve and learn more and more. We figured some things out and in the end of the season his starts were there, he even took the holeshot “with a Suzuki” at the MXoN against Osborne on his Factory Husqvarna. But they work not only on the bike, also on their selves. The bike has to be good yes, but they also work really hard on their technique. From the bike they know what they want which is important and from the moment the bike is going into the good direction they show what everybody is seeing. They are really talented and can tell you exactly what they want from the engine and other things.
GateDrop: You’ve worked with a lot of elite talent but what’s it like to work closely with Jett Lawrence, the kid is phenomenal… Also, most people only see the athletes but what are they like as people?
Van Hoof: They are a really nice family. They know what they want and they are really smart. They don’t turn things around but just speak straight the truth. Some people maybe can’t handle that so easy and others can. It is still a job and a job is not always fun, you also need to be serious on the job. For sure it’s always nice and fun after a win and with Jett and Hunter you know the results will be there but I even like the jobs on test days to try and find solutions on the remarks they have. Again, we don’t get to familiar but focus on the job. It’s nice to make some fun when it’s possible but also to be serious and professional when the job needs to be done. That is what this team has, the complete crew.
GateDrop: How different is engine development between the European GP scene and the AMA series?
Van Hoof: There are differences for sure. The engines need to be prepared in a different area comparing the European MXGP’s. You also can see this clear on the data, for sure with the 250’s. But an engine stays an engine, crank, rod, piston. The differences in development are not really that big but just working in a different area and also from rider to rider.
GateDrop: What’s the racing like in USA compared to MXGP? USA seems very intense with the one day format and the tracks are typically faster than euro tracks which makes for intense racing… It’s also nice the riders get paid in USA…
Van Hoof: Yes, the racing in the US is very intense because everything happens in one day. The first Supercross race was crazy for me. It is short sessions in a quick succession. You need to get used to this format. Also with the outdoors because everything is done on one day. We arrive at the track on Friday morning and Saturday night you are already on your way home. It is much better compared to MXGP.
I spend my Sundays on the sofa watching MXGP races when I can. So, here we race only on the Saturday. They have Q1 and Q2, before Q2 they have start practice but from the gates which is more logical compared to MXGP. The sighting lap before the race also from the mesh (gate), the one you choose and after the sighting lap directly behind the gate again and only one mechanic aloud and no wheel change, all much better! There’s no bullsh*t, but just racing. The tracks are all really nice and big, also to watch it is way more nice. Not that farmer field build track because of the money. Yes, the riders get paid like it should be. It’s normal if you do your job you get paid!
GateDrop: Do you find the demands of U.S. motocross and supercross require a different approach to bike setup and engine tuning?
Van Hoof: Supercross is still new for me but from what I saw so far there are some differences engine wise but not big. For sure the gearing is different and the suspension setup, for the rest it’s not that much different.
GateDrop: What’s a typical week like for you now — are you mostly testing, building, or at the track with the team?
Van Hoof: We have test days at the track which are really interesting to get information from the riders. After we do some meetings to discuss what is the most important to work on and then we get on the job. I spend many hours in the dyno room so far.
GateDrop: Do you still follow the MXGP series closely, and is that something you’d ever consider returning? I guess it would depend on Mathys coming back (laughs)…
Van Hoof: I try to follow them for sure. But with the time difference it’s not always possible to watch live. Sometimes we are traveling back from a race. If I can I follow the live, otherwise I check the results or watch the replay. Considering a return to MXGP… like I said before, never say never but so far I enjoy it here in the USA a lot. I’m still in contact with Tim Mathys and he is asking me many things about the races over here. Also, because Valentin Guillod is now racing here and we had some good memories with him at Standing Construct in the past. Tim will maybe will visit one or more races over here when he finds the time. I am not 100% sure but I’m quite sure he will never return to MXGP.
