COMEBACK KID:
AUSTIN CAMDEN
Austin Camden didn’t get to do as much racing as he would’ve liked the last couple of years, missing the majority of the 2019 season after fourteenth months off of racing as a result of consecutive injuries. Nonetheless, the rider out of Oklahoma showed up in his home state at The Motoplayground Race at Ponca City to knock the cobwebs off and once he hit the track it didn’t look as though he took that much time off of the bike. Camden performed well in the 65cc (10-11) Limited class, finishing in 3rd place in the second moto in order to earn a 4th place overall. He was able to grab a top ten overall result in the 65cc (10-11) class at Mini Os and stayed busy throughout the winter, grabbing a bunch of wins at various rounds of the Texas Winter Series. All of the racing and seat time throughout the offseason proved to come in handy when Camden showed up on the gate at Spring A Ding Ding, earning two top-five overall finishes at Spring A Ding Ding in both the (7-11) and (10-11) Limited classes. We caught up with Austin to check in and see what he”s been up to besides slayin 'big bass.
What did you do during the few months that there was no racing happening with the coronavirus lockdown happening?
We just took it easy. I did a lot of fishing and I caught my biggest bass ever! 6lbs at the lake by our house.
Did you take some time off of riding when racing was initially canceled and postponed?
I just rode here and there and just focused on having fun on my dirtbike.
What was your riding situation like the last couple of months during the quarantine?
Luckily we have some pretty awesome private MX facilities out here in Oklahoma, so I was still able to get in some good ride days with my buds here and there! Six feet apart of course. (laughs)
What do you like to do for fun and entertainment outside of motocross?
I love fishing and playing golf! There’s a local golf course here in Oklahoma City about ten minutes from my house called James Stewart Golf Club! (laughs)
How did the weekend of racing at The Motoplayground Race at Ponca City go for you last year?
The racing was really good! It was my first race back after over a year off with injuries. We were still learning the new bikes and I really struggled with starts coming from way behind every moto. I was pretty pumped on how many passes I was able to make each moto! Especially my last moto, I was able to make a ton of passes in the first lap and land on the podium at the end of the race!! I really missed that feeling after being away from the sport for so long.
What do you think of the track layout at Ponca?
I loved it!! I’ve won a handful of titles at Ponca! It has always been one of my favorite tracks.
Talk us through your week of racing at Mini Os to end the 2019 season?
The struggle was real at Mini Os. (laughs) I don’t think my dad ever stopped working on my bikes there - we had a lot of bike issues. I did have some really solid motos and had an absolute blast!! Did you know there are bass in those rock quarry ponds in the back? Shhhhh!
What was it like racing the MPG Sidewinder at Gatorback?
SO MUCH FUN!!! I won a couple of motos against the big dogs!
How has it been splitting time between the 65 and 85 this season?
I really like the 85! I can’t wait to be full time on 85s. But I struggle to switch back and forth so we recently decided to focus on 65s through Loretta’s before going back to the 85s.
How did your weekend go at Spring A Ding Ding?
I had an absolute blast at Spring a Ding. The event ran so smoothly and the track was awesome!
What do you think about the Super Regional format for Loretta’s this year and what’re your plans for those?
I’m just happy to be racing! It’s really cool how the industry came together to make it happen! I’m going to do the South Central Qualifier at Three Palms in Texas. I can’t wait!
Do you have any goals and expectations set for yourself going to Loretta Lynn’s this year?
It’s taken a while to get back to full speed after taking fourteen months off with all my crazy injuries. I’ve been riding a lot lately and training with Gregg Albertson which has helped me to get back to feeling 100% again. My confidence is soaring and I look forward to battling for moto wins at the Ranch again this year!
Have you thought about what you’ll do after Loretta’s heading into 2021 in terms of what classes you’ll be racing?
After Loretta’s, I will start focusing on the 85s again! I’m still really small, only 70lbs so we may keep a 65 on hand just in case.