The remarkable resurrection and rejuvenation of Dan Reardon has been well publicised this year. The 29-year-old CDR Yamaha racer emerged from retirement to win a race at the second round of the MX Nationals, then won round eight overall at Nowra, and rarely looked out of place near the front of the pack. MotoOnline.com.au caught up with the Queenslander and threw him five tricky questions starting with ‘Why’.

Image: Jeff Crow.

Why aren’t you happy with your final result and general form during the MX Nationals?

I guess all athletes are hard on ourselves and expect to do better for the amount of work and effort we put in and this is no different really. I didn’t know what a comeback is supposed to look like, but I was still hoping to finish with a better result than I did. My comeback year was probably the most unusual championship campaign was ever had and we had some issues along the way. We had some bike issues, unusual events happen with other riders, small injuries and illnesses and I felt like I had to minimise those sorts of things a lot more than any other championship I’ve gone after. At the start of the year I was struck with some sort of virus that I think came from trying too hard to get myself up to speed in such a short period of time. I was in a constant battle to better myself without overdoing it, but I was still doing too much. I would get fatigued really easily and had constant high temperatures. I never got any blood tests or anything, but I think my body was just run down.

Why do you think the returning racers, yourself and BT, are still able to win races in Australia?

Do you want me to be honest? Okay, honestly we shouldn’t be able to. We shouldn’t be able come back into the MX1 class after a couple of years break and still win. It’s easy to say we’re awesome, but that’s not the case. Sure we’re good riders who have definitely done well in the past, and I’m not taking anything away from anyone, but I was definitely surprised and happy that I ended up winning a race at the second round and was a contender for many of the rounds. There wasn’t much consistency to my series as a whole though. I’ll dissect my own riding and can make excuses as to why things happened, but at the end of the day it’s just excuses. My goal this year was to look good on paper as that’s what matters the most when it comes to negotiating deals for rides next year.

Why have you been getting into your shooting and firearms?

I’ve always been passionate about it and I made a new year’s resolution to get my firearm and handgun licence. It’s such a lengthy process and it took about a year to finally make it all happen, but it’s like my yoga and alone time. I have a CZ Shadow 9mm pistol that I use for IPFC events, where you run around with a holster, open doors, shoot targets and change mags – it’s a lot of fun. I also own a Tikka .223 rifle, which requires a whole new technique of shooting. I really enjoy the complications of figuring out yards, the wind and the technical aspect that comes with rifle target shooting, because it’s not just about pulling the trigger. I want to learn and perfect the art of shooting the smaller .223 caliber rifle before I go to a big caliber like a .338.

Image: Jeff Crow.

Why are you looking to return to the US next year?

Because time’s limited and the older I get the more I understand that you have to look after yourself; it’s a very cut-throat lifestyle that we lead and I feel like I’ve done a complete circle with my racing. From the highs and joys of winning to the emotions of being over it, then coming back around to loving it again, I want to make sure my racing years from here on out – as long as my body can take it – are the best experience possible. I feel like I’ve got unfinished business everywhere and I want to make the right decisions, surround myself with the right people and finish my career on a high. I have a really good relationship with GEICO and I do talk to them from time to time. I’ve asked around at what’s available in the US, but it’s the middle of the silly season and there are a lot of fake promises made, talk and disappointment [laughs]. I’m prepared to race wherever this year. If it’s in Australia, I’m happy with that, as long as it’s with a good team. If it’s in the US, then so be it. We’ll wait and see and keep all options open.

Why are people getting excited for the upcoming supercross championship?

I’ve been out of supercross for three years, but I’ve heard some negative things about it the past couple of seasons, with one of the major manufacturers not taking part last year. It’s sad as I’m so passionate about the sport and I had to see it struggle like it has been, but yeah, this year seems different. Having different promoters is cool and they’ll all do the best that they can. I think that’s pushing everyone to make their event as good as possible and it’s kind of snowballing. It’s really encouraging to see some excitement building around the 2015 series. At the moment in Australia, an elite supercross guy isn’t viewed as highly as a motocross guy and I really want that outlook to change. Not every kid wants to race motocross in Europe and we need to build technical, hard supercross tracks for them to ride and gain experience on. If you can’t ride supercross then US teams won’t even look at you, which as it currently stands, is a big roadblock to Australian riders getting contracts to race in the States.