After seven months rubbing shoulders with the stars and being a stuntman for the new Mad Max 4 movie, Cody Mackie is coming into 2013 refreshed, rejuvenated, and almost completely off the radar.

MotoOnline.com.au caught up with the New South Welshman as he began his pre-season testing with the Zero Seven Motorsports team to find out what he’s been up to and where he thinks he’ll fit into an MX1 field brimming with talent.

Cody Mackie will return to one of the most stacked premier class fields in many years.

Cody, you’ve been back in the country since November after seven months in Africa. Fill us in on what you were doing over there and how the opportunity came up in the first place.

I received a great opportunity from Stephen Gall to help out as a stuntman for the upcoming Mad Max 4 movie. Without giving too much away it seemed like an awesome opportunity to ride cool bikes in crazy locations and see a great part of the world.

Myself, Gally, Michael Addison and Robbie Marshall went across from Australia and it was an amazing experience. I didn’t realise just how major it was, and I’m glad I did it.

Did you have to “work” most days or was there a heap of sitting around?

We definitely worked hard. In the seven months I only had two weeks off and we’d work five or six-day weeks every week. The amount of riding we did would vary. Some days we’d get picked up, go to a great breakfast, then hit makeup and wardrobe, and go straight on set, but other days we’d sit around on set until we got called up.

Would you ever get back into the movie business? There’s got to be a lot more money in it than racing motocross.

Oh there’s definitely more money and it’s a great lifestyle, but I still want to accomplish a lot of things with racing. If the timing was right, or if I were to retire from racing I’ll definitely chase the movie scene. Not many Australians go down that route except for the likes of Maddo in the latest James Bond movie, but I’d love to do more of it

While you were in Africa did you keep tabs on what was happening in the MX Nationals? How did it feel watching from the outside?

I wasn’t a crazy fan hanging out to see the results, but I still checked regularly to see what was up. I was still in Australia for the first couple of rounds and it was weird not to turn up to the line, but to still be in one piece and healthy! I had the option to race the first couple of rounds but I really didn’t want to get hurt before I flew to Africa and put the whole thing in jeopardy.

That’s fair enough. You still raced a bunch of rounds of the AMA Supercross at the beginning of last year though, right?

Yeah that’s right. I raced the first eight rounds of the AMA and got some good results before I went to Africa. I’m glad I got some half decent results and I think that got my name out there a bit, especially as I had a fairly average MX Nationals campaign in 2011.

Cody Mackie spent time in the US racing for Jeff Ward Racing before heading to Africa. Image: Simon Cudby.

After returning from Namibia you’ve signed to ride for Zero Seven Motorsports this year. How did that come about?

I kept in touch with those guys since the beginning of last year and I know it’s been a big gamble for them to sign me, especially when there are only limited rides and with the time off I’ve had. Hopefully I can prove I’m an investment. But I think the time off has really helped me mentally. I’m in a better place financially and don’t have to worry about battling for $10-20,000 over a year and can now just focus on the racing.

Speaking of racing, you showed up at the Canberra round of the East Coast series on the weekend. How did you feel?

Considering the bike was stock with only a bit of suspension work I’m feeling great. Fitness can always be better, but I finished second to Luke Styke. He’s on top of his game at the moment and I was happy that I didn’t finish that far off his back wheel in each race. If I can gauge my speed off that then keep moving forward, then I feel like I’ll be in a pretty good place, come Raymond Terrace next month.

You’ve picked one of the worst seasons to try and make a comeback with such a stacked field. What are your expectations heading into the season?

It’s weird because I don’t have any expectations of trying to finish in the top five or top 10 or whatever. It sounds cliché but I just want to stay injury free, ride safe and smooth, and learn more about the bike as each round passes. I’m happy to see a return to the longer motos as I think that’s what motocross should be, but I think having points for Superpole is a joke.

Someone could potentially make 50 points by qualifying throughout the season and I don’t agree with that. Having the cash award for the top five is cool, but I’m not a fan of the Superpole points, or the new points structure in races.

Heading into this season, you’re definitely flying under the radar. Do you see that as an advantage?

I don’t know if I’m under the radar or completely off it altogether [laughs]! Having had a year off I have no idea where I’ll be placed myself. I know I’m not on anyone’s minds, because if the shoe was on the other foot and someone else took a year’s break I’d write them off. Now that I’ve done it myself I wouldn’t, I feel revitalised and taking a year’s break from racing has renewed my enthusiasm for the sport for a good couple of years.

Great stuff, thanks buddy. All the best with the testing and we’ll chat to you again soon.

Thanks mate.