Tuesday Toolbox: Justin Williamson

Justin Williamson has had a few ups and downs in his GNCC career. The Florida native started out as a privateer at age 16, and worked his way up to a factory KTM ride and the XC2 Championship in 2007. Then, Williamson switched bikes and started to struggle. In 2009, he essentially fell off the map. In Tuesday Toolbox, Williamson tells us where he went (Minnesota to test with the guys at Go Faster) and what he has in store for 2010 (plans for another XC2 Championship).

Justin, you said you have a lot going on this year-how've you been? I'm doing good, just hanging in there.

Let's start with how you got into GNCC Racing. Well, my uncle and dad and all raced together. We always heard about this pro series that roamed the country called the GNCC series. We would hear about it from lots of different people and they all would say, "All the big pros are racing it!"  And then the GNCC series would come down once a year in Florida. So we went and checked it out. It was when GNCC raced in Vero Beach. We went and checked it out and thought it was a lot of fun so the next year we did one and then started to follow the whole series. It was definitely an experience watching Fred Andrews and Mike Lafferty out there tearing it up.

How old were you when you started racing the GNCC series? I was 16. I've been following it for awhile. I hadn't missed any races until this past year when I went to Minnesota. There are a lot of people out there that have gone to them longer, but for me, that's quite awhile.

You won the 2007 XC2 Championship on a factory ride, but you got your start as a privateer, right? That's right. It was just me, my uncle and dad racing together. I was riding Yamahas as a privateer in 2006 and that year I earned national number 12. The last part of the season I had breakthrough ride and I finished on the podium third overall at Wisp with Barry Hawk and Juha Salminen. That was my all-time favorite ride. I got a 4^th and a 5^th overall in the last few races, one in NY. I had some good break out races which put me in the eye of the big factory teams out there.

And then you won the 2007 championship. I won it with the KTM team. It was definitely an experience in my life. It was nice for GNCC to bring in the XC2 class. It helped a lot of young kids struggling in the XC1 class-I was the first one to win that championship. The XC2 class helped every other younger rider coming up through the class like Kailub and Thad.

Your year to defend the title didn't go so well. In 2008 you only got a few podiums. I wasn't getting the results I knew I could get and I think it was more of a relaxing year. I thought it would be easier but the competition stepped up to another level, and I stayed at the same level. I had a few problems with the bike too and that added up to a pretty bad year. There were a lot of races when I was definitely not in the shape I should have been and GNCC racing require 100 percent. If you aren't going to work as hard as you should you might as well stay home.

I've been looking at your Web site and reading your blog, and coming into 2009 you said your goal was to be the XC1 champion. Not to bring up some bad memories, but you only did the first few races and didn't do so hot. What happened? Well, the biggest thing was that I had a change in bikes. I went from the KTM team to GasGas. The GasGas bikes are great bikes and they worked well for me. It just took quite a bit to get used to. I struggled a little bit in the beginning. I didn't have as much testing time before the first round because the deal I lined up was so close to the first race. I was really struggling trying to figure out everything on the bikes before the first few races. I did the first few races and wasn't having the results that I wanted so me and the Go Faster guys, the guys that kind of run GasGas, in Minnesota  told me to come out there and do some testing and training and get some things figure out. I missed the last ¾ of the season.

So you left to do testing in Minnesota then? Yes, and that went really well. I met a lot of guys out there that have been riding those bikes forever. We went out and did testing almost every day and got things figured out with suspension. I got really good and comfortable on the bike. I got to test 2010 bikes and 4 strokes. Now, I'm just really excited to get on the 2010 this year. They are supposed to have a 250F and a 250 2 stroke for me to race on too.

How long were you out in Minnesota testing? I was out there for a good five months. I wasn't really focusing quite that much on racing and performing, I just focused on the bike. We just kind of chilled out and rode all the time. It was nice to have a break and go out there. It was a little bit of a vacation.

Did that trip to Minnesota help you refocus to compete in 2010? No, not really. I've always been a racer in my heart. I don't think I'll ever get out of racing or stop following the GNCC series. I think I needed a break to think, but I think I'll be out there until I can't ride anymore- as long as I have the money and can fund it.

So you had planned to come back all along? Yes, definitely. I mean when I'm away from the GNCC races I feel like something is missing. I'm always like "They're probably on the starting line!" It's definitely weird to not be at the races.

Where are you training? I'm in West Virginia. I love West Virginia. I feel like it's such a good way to train- the terrain is so rugged. There are a lot of really good places to ride and I have tons of friends here. I always have someone to train and ride with.

You're from Florida originally thought, right? How'd you end up in W.Va.? Well, when my uncle and I went on the road-back in 2003, the first GNCC we hit was the Ohio one and when we were coming up we hit a local race just south of Morgantown and did that race.  We asked the landowners if we could stay in the field and ride and train and then go to the GNCC in Ohio the next weekend. So we did! Ever since then we've had those landowners as great friends, and now I'm staying here 6-7 months out of the year. It's some place we go to every year.

You said on your blog on www.williamsonracing.com that you want to be the first 2-time XC2 Champion. Is that a plan for this year? That's my main goal for 2010. Throughout my whole career I've been a consistent rider, I want to bring that back and be on the podium every race. At the end of the year, I want to be the champion. We'll see what goes from there, but I think I can do it. I really have the drive this year. The past few years I just didn't have it. But I've been working hard and training hard.

So where's this new found drive coming from? What's motivating you this year? To be honest, a lot of people say that having girlfriends can be a bad thing, and for a pro racer or any kind of racer, I believe that's true, in some cases. But if you've found the right girl it can be toward your advantage. I think I've found a girl that is very supportive of my career. She's out there when I'm training with my pit board. My new dedication really has to do with that. Adrienne is putting 100 percent into helping me and I should be putting that much effort into it too since I'm the racer.

Competition in the XC2 is really tight right now, and you'll be competing against someone also gunning for his second XC2 championship with Russell. What's your take on competition?
You know, all those guys are awesome riders and good friends of mine.  They're all younger than me and they probably have more talent than me but I want to bring out the best racer in me and be consistent and that's always been my best quality. Those guys are going to be tough for sure.

Ok, Justin. I guess we'll see in a few months where that drive will take you. Anything else you'd like to add? I'd just like to add in that I'm really looking forward to this year, I'm happy GasGas is giving me a second year. Some riders can just jump on and do very well. I'm kind of a slow starter and it takes me time to build up and get comfortable with things. I've got things dialed in now. I love the 450 and I can't wait to get out there at the first race and show how things have been going with me and how these bikes work. I want to show my bosses all these efforts are not a waste.