Exclusive: Matt Moss Interview

If you’ve mentioned ‘Toowoomba’ to anyone this week, chances are they’ve responded to you with the names Josh Hill or Jake Moss. Not a lot of love has been steered in the direction of this year’s Pro Open Australian Supercross Championship winner, Motul Pirelli Suzuki’s Matt Moss, which is a shame. Transmoto‘s Kurt Teague caught up with Matt to discuss the 2013 season, his plans to race in the US at the start of next year, re-signing with Motul Pirelli Suzuki in Australia and the events that took place on Saturday night. 

Coming into this year’s supercross season, what were your expectations coming off winning the 2013 Monster Energy MX Nationals MX1 title?

All I wanted was to win. I proved that at the first two rounds up in Darwin, and I felt really confident. After the motocross season, I wasn’t about to line up just to finish in second or third. Even for the motocross season itself, I sure as hell wasn’t lining up to come second or third! We went in there with the mindset to win, and we achieved that. Obviously, we had a few moments where things weren’t looking too bright. We had a bit of bad luck on the start line at Phillip Island’s round, coming together with Daniel McCoy, and that sucked. But hey, I got back up and I finished that race, and that ultimately won me the championship. If I pulled in after that, I wouldn’t have won. It probably would have been Jake that won if things played out in the same way that they just have. Anyway, the year’s been great, and my team’s been by my side 100 percent.

Speaking about the team, what’s the go for next year, mate?

Here’s the news, hot off the press. I’ve re-signed with Motul Pirelli Suzuki for season 2014. I’ve also got big plans to go to America and race the first four or five rounds of the AMA Supercross series over there. Over there, I’ll be representing Team Suzuki Australia with the help of Yoshimura. I just want to get over to the US while I feel like I’m in my prime, and I really don’t want to have an off-season like most will. For season 2015, I might head back over to the US, back for now, my focus is on doing well at the start of next year and winning the MX Nationals and Australian Supercross Championship again in 2014.

Awesome. Let’s talk about Toowoomba’s season finale, shall we? Do you feel as though the spotlight hasn’t really been directed your way, as it should have been? 

Yeah, it’s a shame I reckon. I love having my brother, Jake, out there, and I wouldn’t have it any other way, but I wish things didn’t go down the way they did. The Jake vs Josh Hill thing has hurt a lot of people. The one thing that no one seems to be able to get a grip of is the fact that Jake was hunting down a championship as well. They don’t realise that if Jake passed me that night, he would have taken the title. We were focusing on ourselves, not on each other. I was the fastest all day – in practice I was fastest, in qualifying I was fastest, I had the fastest Heat race and I led all 20 laps of the Main Event. The bottom line is that I was there to win, and I won. Yeah, Josh is fast, and I won’t take that away from him, but if he did get close to me that night, I would have made sure I was travelling a hell of a lot quicker than he was, that’s for sure.

Do you think that there’s going to be a bit of tension in the air between Hill and yourself at A1?

Nah, I don’t think so. He’d be stupid to hold a grudge against me – he’s there for the entire series and I’m only there for the first four or five rounds. I’m sure he won’t want to start a war when he’s got the whole series to worry about. I’d love to head to the US and beat him, though.

It’s the first time in Australian Supercross Championship history that brothers have gone 1-2 in final series standings. That’s got to feel pretty good, eh?

Yeah, it’s amazing. And being twins makes it even better. I don’t think twins have achieved anything like that in the world. It’s only a building experience for Jake and I, you know? We could be going 1-2 for the next couple of years, I feel. I’m feeling good on my bike and Jake’s feeling good on his. We’re good to go.

Thanks for your time, Matt.

Cheers, buddy. Just before I let you go, I’d really like to thank Suzuki Australia, the Moss Institute, my dad, Dan Reardon at Alter Ego Elite, Scott goggles, Campbell Mining (who help my brother out as well), LKI clothing, Mydrade and Luke Bond at On Track Earth Moving.