Brady Kiesel recently made the move from the dry California tracks to the loamy soil of Texas. While the move was a family decision, Keisel, now a top intermediate rider, is hoping it will help him propel himself into the upper echelon of his class. This week Brady will take on the nations top intermediate talent in Ponca City, Oklahoma before heading east to Tennessee to do it all over again on the biggest stage in amateur motocross, Loretta's. We caught up with Brady trackside at Ponca to get his take on the next two weeks.
Q: Okay, Brady. Talk to us about Ponca a little bit.
Brady: You know, everything is really sick out there. The tracks a lot better than last year, it's sandy and overall pretty good. All the dirt is starting to get pushed out now so it's a little hard packed. I think the water truck broke so it's starting to get kind of dusty, but I'm used to it having lived in California.
Q: You mention California. You used to live there and are now in Texas. How long have you been in Texas?
Brady: I've been in Texas for about two or three months. Just trying to get used to the heat here. We moved because of my dads work. It's tough having lived in California my whole life and now trying to get used to things in Texas.
Q: How is the transition? Do you feel it's helped you to ride in different climate, on different tracks and with a different rider base?
Brady: It's helped me a lot. I've got the dry stuff figured out in California and now I'm in Texas figuring out how to ride the tacky, sandy, loamy stuff. The heat is also good. I had a tough time at Loretta's last year because I wasn't used to it, so needless to say I'm looking forward to this year.
Q: So you feel like your training down south will help next week at Loretta's?
Brady: Oh, yeah. The climate here is much closer to the same, so it should definitely help. I've also been riding every day with my trainer, Chris, to get everything figured out and I'm feeling good.
Q: Who are some of the guys you ride with down in Texas?
Brady: I ride with Matt Bisceglia a lot. He's finally back from his injury so it's a lot better. I've got a friend to hand out with and someone to ride with, so it's been nice having him back on the bike.
Q: What's your goal for Ponca this week? Will you be playing is safe in anticipation for Loretta's or are you going to hang it out?
I don't think anyone wants to just chill and just figure stuff out. Everyone wants to win at any national. I mean it's pretty much a warm up for Loretta's, but everyone is out here and the competition is tough. You've got to be on your "A" game the whole time and that's all I'm trying to do.
