Andrew Short AMA Supercross Interview

We got a chance to interview Andrew Short at Glen Helen Raceway where he was putting some time in on his new KTM 350. Anticipation is high for the start of the 2011 Supercross season and when it all begins there will be many riders appearing on new teams riding new bikes and in new gear. One of the most noted changes is longtime Honda rider Andrew Short making the switch to factory KTM. Short will be riding the new factory-backed KTM 350 SX-F alongside teammate Mike Alessi who originally debuted the 350 during the 2010 AMA Nationals. This will be the first time we see the 350 in Supercross and a first for Andrew aboard a KTM. One thing that won’t change for Andrew is his sponsorship with Fly Racing. Andrew has signed a lifetime contract with Fly and will continue his relationship developing and representing Fly gear. We recently caught up with Andrew to chat more about his KTM deal and Fly Racing sponsorship.

So how has your transition from Honda to KTM been?

For 2011 it’s a big change for me, I was with my previous team for six years. Now I’m riding for KTM Red Bull with new faces, new bikes and challenges making it a fresh start for me. In these past few years I have been consistent with my finishes and I really wanted to go somewhere to better myself. I felt that this team has a lot of experience, knowledge and has been winning in the recent past.

How do you feel about working with Roger De Coster, now that he is KTM’s team manager?

It’s cool to have Roger for a team manager but what I think he brings to the team is a big presence that represents success through hard work. Also with Roger comes a lot of good people that have followed him over and it’s just a big team effort, not just one person. I think that KTM is really pushing forward to be successful here in America and Supercross following all their championships in off-road and enduro. Supercross is kind of the last piece to the puzzle for KTM and they are putting the right infrastructure in the right places. A Supercross title is not something you just buy, you have to earn it and KTM is moving in the right direction. It might take a year or maybe a couple but it’s just really cool for me to be a part of it, I’m only a small part but it’s been a great transition and really fun for me.

You’re riding a 350 in Supercross and a 450 in outdoors, was this KTMs plan for you or something you decided on?

I am riding the 350 for Supercross and initially when I did my deal I was nervous about it but I was nervous about riding a KTM. I have never ridden one and heard they were a little different being a European brand. I was shocked when I got on one, how good it felt and how at home I was with it. My father in-law actually went and bought one, which is what I was riding at first before I met with the team. KTM gave me the option to ride the 350 or 450 for Supercross and we started with the 350.The development went really well since it has a lot of parts and resources available for it already. We got to a good base with the 350 and I decided that we didn’t need to even try a 450 for Supercross and that our best option to be competitive was to race the 350. A lot of hard work has gone into it these last few months and now we just have to go racing and see where we stand against the other bikes.

Recently you signed a lifetime sponsorship with Fly Racing who is one of your major sponsors, can you elaborate on this deal and why you ride in Fly gear?

Yeah Fly Racing is a big part of my deal and I have been with them for a longtime now. I have been loyal to them and they have been loyal to me. I’m big on relationships and surrounding yourself with good people and Fly has always been there for me. Their gear has come so far from what it was when I first started with them, now they’re such a force in the industry and they have given me so many opportunities. It’s cool for me because I get a lot of input from the designers and working with Jerry Lathrop who is the main designer doing all the hard work is a positive thing. I always like to give him a few ideas here and there because Fly is real receptive to the racers perspective in order to improve the gear. They have a lot of bases covered when it comes to appealing to every type of rider from the weekend warrior to someone like me who races competitively.

What type of Fly gear do you race in and what are some of the reasons for choosing the various styles offered?

I like to wear the F2 and Formula helmets and switch them up quite a bit. They are pretty much the same helmet but one has more titanium on it and a different liner. For gear I always wear the Evolution line for Supercross since it’s their high-end line and comfortable to wear. For outdoors I prefer the Kinetic line, its lighter, breathes good and flows a bit better in the hot weather. With gloves I wear F-16 which is an entry level glove but it fits my hands really well and has more padding. I like the padding on my palms where some of the other gloves like the Fly Lite have less padding. Some of the other riders think I’m crazy like Kyle Regal because I like the padding and they prefer no padding. I really think it is personal preference but goes to show that Fly has all the bases covered. I’m happy to be with them and think that Fly has a great group of people over there. They don’t get caught up in just the image factor but are taking criticisms and improving upon the gear which has brought them to forefront of the gear industry.
 
Stay tuned for more Supercross coverage and Motorcycle USA counts down to the season opener at Anaheim on January 8th. And make sure to sign up for Motorcycle USA’s Fantasy SX racing game. It’s free, fun and features exciting prizes, with each round featuring a chance to win a pair of tickets to the Las Vegas Finale. Sign up for Fantasy SX today!