Tuesday Toolbox: Paul Whibley

Living your dream is one of the greatest feelings you can have,but sometimes that dream can seem like a nightmare. With Paul Whibley's win this past weekend at Ohio's Power Line Park it looks like the 2009 GNCC Motorcycle Champion  may have just woke from his good dream turned bad and this one still may have a happy ending after all.

 

GNCCRacing.com: What's "The Axeman" up to today?

Paul Whibley: I'm driving. I'm actually on my way to the Moose Run which is the last round of the OMA in Illinois. We are headed out a couple days early and we're going to be staying with Ben from G2. The Moose Run should be a lot of fun and I think I should be able to wrap up the championship there. On top of that, it is a little different race format. It has longer laps and we only run two. So it should be lots of fun.

 

It's got to feel good heading into that one with the big GNCC win at The Power Line Park GNCC this past weekend.

Yeah, it's kind of a little bit like it's a monkey off my back I guess you could say. I've always knew I could do it but it's just been a struggle this year. I'm just glad to finally get that win out of the way and it is a big relief.

 

Congratulations on the win this past weekend, I would imagine that this particular win seems like it has been a long time coming?

(Laughing) Yeah, Yeah! After the awesome year I had last year and then we're struggling a little bit this year, it's kind of been frustrating and it seemed like such a long time since we won a race. A GNCC race anyways. Yeah, it's a big relief being back up on top of that podium. The Am Pro Yamaha guys have been working really hard and it's pretty cool to justify all their hard work finally and award them with a win.

 

It had been over a year at the Yadkin Valley Stomp GNCC in North Carolina since you had

actually won a GNCC, did you notice anything different on Sunday morning before the race that would make you feel like, "today is the day things go my way?"

I feel like I have been riding good for the last two GNCCs. I injured my thumb at Unadilla and I started good at Tennessee but I re-injured my thumb that had slowly been healing. I don't think any thing really was different or changed this week, it's just things finally went my way a little bit. We had done a little work to the YZ which helped us get a great start. Getting a good start is definitely big help to getting a good result at the end of the race. It kind of puts you in the right position from the start of the race. Things seemed to go together and click like they did last year. That was the only real difference I think.

 

What about your speed, do you feel like you are riding any faster now than you were in the early rounds of this season?

I think my speed has been the same all year.  I just feel a lot more comfortable on the bike than I did and now that we have made the switch over to the YZ it seems that I have gelled with the bike a little better. It suits my style a little better. In the OMA as well my results improved with the switch to the YZ. I feel comfortable on the bike and back to my normal self.

 

How did things go down this past weekend?

I got up front early and rode at my own pace. (Paul earned the $250.00 Motorcycle USA Holeshot Award) Corey Buttrick was right up front with me right from the start but I got away from him after a little problem with a crash. I think I ended up getting a little bit of a gap over most of the guys on the first lap. I think both Glen (Kearney) and Charlie (Mullins) chased me down and when I pitted for gas they both got around me. I managed to reel those guys in on the following lap and retake the lead from there on to the finish. Glen was putting a lot of pressure on the last lap and he really wanted to win. I know it's pretty tough; he's been working a long time at a lot of races to get that first win. I think I have saw a couple times now where Glen would be in contention for the win and I would be able to hold him off and take the win. He's been working hard and I kind of feel bad for him taking that one away but that's what you got to do sometimes.

 

 

What was the feeling after the race?

A big relief. We knew it was coming and that it was just a matter of staying motivated and focused and moving in the right direction. We are pleased, we've always known we had the speed and I am still training hard I have just to shift my focus a little bit since the championship was out of my reach. I would not have wanted to go home to New Zealand this year for the off season having not won a race this year. Although only winning one or two races was not my goal, it is a step in the right direction after this season.

 

 

What has it been like for you this year after having such a stellar year last year?

It's been a pretty tough year. To be honest with you it is hard to keep, I wouldn't say motivation, but the drive to keep training and pushing yourself. I have still been training a lot but not as hard. I look at myself in the mirror after being beaten down again that weekend of racing and I know there is going to be some long nights aheady thinking about what I got to change to make it work and start winning races again. It pretty demoralizing after the year we had last year winning all 10 OMAs and the GNCC Championship. So the way things turned out this year were tough.

 

 

What was it like for you having won the championship and then switching teams and not knowing really what to expect?

I knew Charlie Mullins from being on the Suzuki team with him and the Am Pro Yamaha guys were all an easy fresh bunch to get along with. Like Randy Hawkins is pretty focused on getting results and he will do anything to help he can in his power to make it all happen. The other guys are great and it has been rather easy becoming part of the Am Pro Yamaha Team. It was disappointment having to leave the Geico Team because J.T. is a good guy and it's kind of a small team. It was tough to leave that team and it was nothing to do with J.T. , he put everything forward he could. It was just that there was no budget from Kawasaki this year for me to carry on there. It was kind of a disappointment on that side of things, but everything has gone well and it's all working out with the new team.

 

Now that you have gotten a win are you starting to feel more positive with this season?

This is season is basically gone for me. I'm positive now for next season I guess you could say. We can go into the off season knowing I still got the speed and I still got the drive and I am still training hard for the come back next year. Josh, Charlie and Corey and the other guys should know I am determined to try and get the championship back.

 

Wow! That is certainly good to hear. I guess that about covers it was there anything you may want to add?

Oh yeah! I have got to congratulate Josh on the championship. He has worked pretty hard on that and even had to come back some after a bit of a rough spot there in the middle of the season. He has definitely worked hard and raced well. So congratulations Josh for that!

 

 

Thanks Paul and good luck at the Moose Run this weekend.

Thank you and I would like to also thank the whole Am Pro Yamaha team. They have been working hard and sticking behind me. It's been a tough season for everyone the way the season has gone. And thanks to all the fans for the support and encouragement all season as well. People are always wishing me well and encouraging me to get back up there. The fans are like trackside support with everyone cheering you on. Just thanks to everyone for the support!