Carson Mumford Interview: Dallas Press Day
February 23, 2024
Image from Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
Mumford is racing the 450 this weekend in Dallas! We asked him about it and more today at press day. How much time have you had on the 450?
Just a couple weeks. Last two weeks I've been like full bore on it but before that I'd like throw a day in here or there. So not a crazy amount of time but enough to feel comfortable.Do you like it?
Yeah, I love it. It's, I'm a pretty big guy on the 250 and pretty tall, kind of heavy so 450 is good. It definitely is too much power sometimes, but I like it.How much of a difference is there? What’s it like jumping back and forth between the two bikes?
I think they both kind of help each other. It's just like riding Supercross and outdoors. I think the more you're a well-rounded rider the better. So I don't mind it. I think it'll probably help me when the 250 West swing comes back around just riding a bigger inertia and heavier bike, you know? So I think as long as I stay safe it'll help me.How many rounds are you planning on doing on the 450?
I'm not sure. I think it's kind of just a weekend thing and just go from there.Let's talk about your 250 West results and season so far. How would you summarize it?
I think I've left quite a bit on the table. I mean I’m riding pretty good on practice. I got a fifth at San Francisco; that was a mud race and then the next mud race I did terrible: I got 15th, I crashed a bunch. Arizona seemed like I was riding more like myself, just didn't end the night with a good result. So yeah, I'm not super happy with it but this is also the longest span of time in my pro career that I've been healthy so I kind of have to just take that as a positive 'cause I know if I stay healthy and enjoy riding the bike by the end of the season I'll check off some more goals.You're showing speed and starting up front.
Yeah, exactly. See I definitely want to be up front. I'm not one of those guys that wants to hide in the back or anything. So yeah, I think just more time, more comfort and just staying healthy is the main thing. If I stay healthy I can build on it next year.I was noticing at A2 and especially in Glendale: seems like you start with speed at the beginning and then you start fading.
Yeah, I think that's definitely been my biggest flaw is just this season I’ve faded a lot. I think that's one of the things that'll help me with riding the 450: longer time and heavier bikes, a little bit of a gnarlier class. This weekend's kind of just trying to treat it like a training tool and just make all the laps and use that to get more bike time. I got pretty sick before the season started so I knew I was coming in a little bit behind and Anaheim 1 I struggled and then it seemed like I started finding some flow and then I think maybe I even found a little bit of speed and when I did that I lost some more fitness; that speed level kind of took the energy from me.Do you think when you start in the front and are sprinting, you ride a bit tight and lose energy for the end?
Yeah, for sure. I think these races that I've kind of faded back, I probably would've done better if I would've got a mid pack start and just rode hard the whole time. When I've started up front I've really just sent myself into the grave, you know, like just really rode my absolute max limit until there was nothing left. I was just basically surviving at the end where if I would've just got a more mediocre start, maybe guys would've not allowed me to ride my full max base and I would've had more at the end.Last question: expectations for your first 450 race?
I definitely want to make the main, other than that, I don't have any goals. I just try to treat it like a practice day: just do a good start and ride with my teammates.
