Gearing Up for Outdoors - Dirt Rider Magazine

Michael Byrne had a strong outdoor series last year with four podium finishes and a fourth place overall in the final point standings. He had a problematic supercross season in 2009 that ended in Daytona with an injury. He's back on a bike and took a moment from his training to talk to us.Pete Peterson: You broke your arm at Daytona. At that point did you focus on the outdoors or did you try to come back for some supercross races?Michael Byrne: At that point I was just trying to heal up as fast as I could. I was hoping that I could get the last few supercrosses but it just didn't figure out that way. I actually only just healed the week of Vegas. It wasn't just my arm, I had a dislocated shoulder and a lot of other damage in there that I had to wait on.PP: So you've actually had less outdoor preparation than the guys that have been racing the supercross series?MB: Yeah, I only started riding the week after Vegas, so I've only had two weeks.PP: How do you feel back on the bike?MB: I feel okay. I feel like I'm still definitely down on strength. My goal is really just to get the first few races out of the way and then just build on that like I did last year. I have no huge expectations for this weekend, just see where I'm at with my shoulder strength-wise and see what I need to work on.PP: Where have you been practicing and testing?MB: I've been in California since after Vegas, so all the local tracks, Glen Helen, Comp Edge, Milestone and Perris.PP: Are you fully capable to set up your bike for the outdoors seeing that you're kind of 'riding weak' right now?MB: The set up, I'm sure, is going to change week to week. The faster I get the more we're going to have to adjust it. For right now it's just what's comfortable for me, and as I gain speed and strength we'll make adjustments as we go.PP: What are you goals for your riding at the end of the series?MB: Just to try to repeat what I did last year. I'm kind of in the same position as last year, coming off an injury, just trying to work and improve each weekend. I had a great series last year, finished fourth, so I'd like to improve on that by the end of the series, string a few podiums together and just be one of the guy's who's in there.PP: Is there one guy you specifically want to be sure you beat this year in the outdoors?MB: It doesn't matter. Once the gate drops you don't have any friends on the track. You just take it week by week, and you're not teammates on the track in this series. Everybody is the same to me when the gate drops.MB: I want to thank everyone from Suzuki and Answer and Bell and everyone who's been behind me, my fiance, just everybody who's had something to do with my recovery and just sticking by me.