Monster Energy's Brandon
Currie (Graves/Yamaha) has raced to his second-straight AMA
Supermoto Lites class overall championship, this past weekend in
Sonoma, Calif., completing the XTRM/AMA Supermoto Championship's
first-ever perfect season; 12-0 (6-0 in heat races, 6-0 Lites
class main events).
Currie, 23, from Anaheim, Calif., put it in the books with a
dominant performance at Infineon Raceway, winning both his Lites
class heats and main events in dominant fashion aboard his Graves
Motorsports-prepared Yamaha YZ250F.
With his second title in as many years, along with a 2nd place
runner-up finish in 2006, Currie enjoys the status as the AMA
all-time leading Lites class winner. But not resting on those
laurels, he's quick to point out he is in fact moving up to the
Supermoto class next year. Until then Monster Energy would like to
congratulate Currie and the Graves/Yamaha team and re-visit
Currie's amazing perfect season here in 2008.
Monster Energy: Perfect sweep! Heck, yeah! You're like fellow
Monster Energy racers Carmichael and Stewart of AMA Supermoto now!
Brandon Currie: (laughing) "Uh, yeah...I dunno. I look at it
a bit different. We don't have quite as many races as those guys,
so what I did is not quite as tough. But all in all I thought it
was a good season and something I won't forget."
Monster Energy: Still, going 12-0 in heats and main events in any
top level pro race season is pretty rad. What were your closest
races this year, heat and main?
Brandon Currie: "I'd say my closest heat race for sure was
Shawano, Wisconsin. I almost didn't win. Pretty amazing. Ended up
falling early in the race then passing two people on the last lap
to win it. The closest main event (pauses) probably Connecticut
(New England Supermoto Classic in Hartford). I was racing with
Matt Burton. He got the holeshot and it took me a few laps to get
around him. He stuck right in there with me basically all the way
to the finish."
Monster Energy: What course gave you the most trouble?
Brandon Currie: "Again, I'd have to say Shawano. It's a
big go-kart track. Really fun course, fast and flowy. The dirt
section was a little technical with some big holes in the dirt.
Just tying it together fast through the asphalt section made it
the most challenging course."
Monster Energy: With David Pingree moving up to race the 450 class
this summer you really didn't have a rivalry transpire this year
like you had the past two seasons. What makes this year different
than the others?
Brandon Currie: "I think the difference was I got a trainer
and started working hard during the off season, brought my weight
down. The whole team worked really well this year. Real fun going
to the races and having the best bike out there - everything
clicked."
Monster Energy: Pretty cool having Doug Henry and Mark Burkhart as
teammates?
Brandon Currie: "Me and Mark get along great. Whenever he's
in town (SoCal, Anaheim area) we ride and train together. He's
watches me and helps me get faster. And Doug's always there as
well, watching to see what we can do better and giving us
inspiration. With that the whole team gets along so well you feel
comfortable asking questions and have no problem getting help from
Mark and Doug - and not just with racing."
Monster Energy: Not to foreshadow the upcoming '09 season, but how
close were your times in practice to Burkhart?
Brandon Currie: "Well, when I'm on a 250 and he's on a 450
I'm usually within about two seconds. On a 450 (Currie smartly
pauses) - hard to say. We really don't get to ride 450s much
together."
Monster Energy: So that's for sure going to change next year?
Brandon Currie: "Yeah, I plan on moving up. Don't know
exactly where I'm going, but hope to stay with the Graves team.
Kind of waiting to hear where the schedule's going to take us and
I hope we can get our contracts going and get everything figured
out, start getting ready riding the 450 here soon."
Monster Energy: Talk about how the finals came together. Did you
think they were going to cancel the season after the mess in
Austin (Texas)? Note: The original finals, to be held in
Austin, were cancelled the week of the race and later re-scheduled
for Sonoma last weekend.
Brandon Currie: "That was a big bummer. All of us were ready
to race (at Austin) and we'd already had a month off before that.
So to take another month off - it was hard to train and stay
motivated."
Monster Energy: "So what'd you do to stay motivated?
Brandon Currie: "The racing's the highlight and when you
don't get to race it drags everything else on. But getting to the
final round, everyone was ready to have the championship decided.
I kept working hard and getting my stuff done, what I needed to do
in order to have the confidence to win the championship."
Monster Energy: So what does this second Lites title mean to you?
Brandon Currie: "It means a lot to me, personally, knowing I
was able to go undefeated. Knew I had a good shot at the
championship, but I wasn't planning on having a perfect season.
Took it race by race, but when we got close to the end there I
knew there was a good possibility I could do it. Something you
dream about. First of all having an AMA championship, then my
second was just as cool. Two championships and moving up on a high
note and hopefully leaving my mark of the Lites class for a
while."
Monster Energy: And for your sponsors, what do you perceive it
meaning?
Brandon Currie: "For my sponsors I just think it's great for
them, use it for all the publicity they need. Shows them I put in
my time. Couldn't have done it without them. Monster to Yamaha to
Dunlop to Alpinestars, Oakley - you can't do it by yourself. It's
awesome to get it done for them."
Monster Energy: Speaking of which, do we got you dialed?
Brandon Currie: "Oh, yeah - I've got a Monster fridge at
home. My favorite's the blue stuff." (Editor: Monster Lo-Carb!)
Monster Energy: Finally, we ask this question of a lot of our top
athletes. What advice would you give young Monster Army members
who are stoked with the sport of supermoto?
Brandon Currie: "I'd just say practice. Practice is the main
thing. Get out there and ride, have fun. Don't specifically just
stick to riding supermoto all the time, ride motocross and cross
train. Don't let people discourage you in what you want to do.
Ride hard and chase your dreams."
Monster Energy: Ride on, Brandon! Congrats on your championship
and we hope things get put together here soon regarding your 450
class ride.
Brandon Currie: "Thanks again. Look forward to seeing
everybody from Monster at the Anaheim Supercross."
Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it AMA Supermoto, insane
distance jumping, MX, MotoGP, road racing, off-road, FMX, skate,
MTB, wake, mini bikes, surf, snow, BMX - name it - the athletes
are rockin' Monster Energy more than anything these days. Check
out all the types - Original Monster Energy, Monster Lo-Carb,
Monster Assault, Monster Khaos, Monster's fruit juice hybrid
dubbed "M-80," the party-friendly MIXXD and the
ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream drink line
supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. Brandon Currie digs 'em
- so will you. On the 'Net at www.monsterarmy.com
<http://www.monsterarmy.com>
and www.monsterenergy.com
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