Podium to Privateer | Cameron McAdoo
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Podium to Privateer | Cameron McAdoo
We all know that this sport is full of ups-and-downs, which prompts our praise of consistency. Whether, it’s related to injuries, race results, or the lack of support; the peaks and valleys of professional motorcycle racing are well recognized. Unfortunately, Cameron McAdoo is well seasoned in this subject, as his three years as a professional racer are littered with high moments, but also inconsistencies and injuries that haunt every athlete. After not being re-signed with GEICO Honda, following the 2018 season, McAdoo found himself sourcing for a bike to race in the 2019 Monster Energy Supercross series. However, another riders pre-season misfortunes gave Cameron McAdoo a fill-in ride under the all familiar GEICO Honda tent for the 2019 Supercross season.
Going into the 2019 season, Cameron had once again felt the uncertainty of a ride but fortunately lucked out of a lesser promising deal. With little pressure and a familiar group of people surrounding him, Cameron McAdoo went on to make the 2019 Supercross season his most impressive series yet. After improving each round, he earned his first career podium at the East-West Shootout at the season finale, in Las Vegas. However, with the once injured GEICO Honda riders now healthy and an already full team, McAdoo finds himself in a very similar situation just short of a year later.
First off, congratulations on your first career podium. That had to feel pretty cool, especially with having done so at Las Vegas…
Yeah, that was a good one, it felt really special for-sure. I feel like I really started to become myself at the last four races, so to make it happen at the East-West shootout was pretty sweet.
With the GEICO Honda riders returning from their injuries, you’re now left without a deal for the 2019 Pro Motocross season. Any word from other teams about open rides, and if not, will we see you put together a privateer effort?
Yeah, the plan is to stay healthy and ready to race if anything presents itself. The whole Factory Connection Honda squad has been extremely generous to me throughout the years, and even now they are giving me a bike to ride this summer and a spot at the shop to work on it. I’ll be doing motos and training with Christian, so if a Factory team calls me up – whether it be on a 250cc or 450cc – I’ll be ready to go back out to the races. Right now, I’m not really in a position to financially put together a privateer effort. And even if I was able to throw something for myself together, our sport is at the point where it’s nearly impossible to achieve the results you’re capable of without having that factory equipment and support, especially in the outdoors.
Let’s rewind a bit, I feel like you have a pretty interesting story of how you got onto the GEICO Honda team…
Yeah, in 2017 I started out with Motoconcepts and had a Supercross-only deal, as the team does not race motocross. I didn’t have a ride going into the 2017 season, so the MCR team basically put together that 250cc program for me. At round three, RJ got hurt and GEICO called up Mike Genova asking if I could fill-in for them. I was contracted with MCR for the full season, but Genova told GEICO that he would only release me from my contract if the team gave me a two-year deal, just to assure the move was worth it for me. I ended up moving over to GEICO the next weekend. It’s pretty crazy that MCR let me go after investing so much into me, especially halfway through the season, but it just shows that they wanted the best for me. My first two years here were a rollercoaster, it just seemed like I was always hurt and never got to race to my full potential. In fact, 2019 was the first SX season where I raced more than three rounds.
This year has been pretty cool for the GEICO Team – with the addition of SHIFT to the team – you guys have been nominated for the ‘Lit Kit’ award quite often. That set you wore at Vegas was pretty sweet and with how well that night treated you, I can only imagine you’re hanging up that set…
Yes, I’m going to shadow box that one. It was so sweet, we had new custom painted Fox V3 helmets, Alpinestars had us in their sick Vegas boots, and the SHIFT gear set was awesome. That’s honestly one of my favorite things about each weekend; coming into the truck and seeing what set-up we’re going to wear is so cool. The guys at SHIFT just kill it, I’ve never not been stoked on a kit.
This past summer, when you were in-between contracts and didn’t really have anywhere to go, Fox was still helping you out, right?
Yeah, following nationals Fox still helped me out. They sent me a few sets and made sure I had gear to wear at straight rhythm and whatnot. They stood behind my back, so it was cool to come back to them when this year’s fill-in ride presented itself.
Recently, we went out to the notorious ‘Sand Track’ in Nuevo, where you rode a 450cc. How’d that go?
That track is insane. It’ll humble you, that’s for sure. Anytime you feel like you’re on it, head out to Nuevo and you’ll be humbled real quick. It was fun to go out there and ride a 450cc with Christian.
You had about an inch of sand packed onto the back of your neck after that first moto…
Yeah (laughs). Your whole back gets caked with dirt, especially on the 450. After touching any part of a berm it felt like a shovel-full of dirt was just spilled on my back.
You mentioned you were open to a 450cc fill-in ride for the summer…
Yeah, for sure. I haven’t heard anything from anyone as of now. I’ve talked to Honda a little and they really want to continue to support me, so I’m going to stay on a Honda for now. Those guys have been nothing but great to me and we have created a really good relationship. If a fill-in ride on another manufacture and with a different team presents itself, obviously, I’ll have to take that. Unfortunately, GEICO just does not have any room for me on the time right now, so I’m going to continue to ride the Honda 450 and see if anything pops up.
I think this team has a pretty cool dynamic, so I know you don’t want to leave that…
Yeah, exactly. Wherever I end up in the future, I’ll always remember this team. Down to the mechanics and the suspension guys here, it never feels like strictly business only. I’ll go out to dinner on a Friday night with my mechanic and even other mechanics here. On Saturdays, I go out in the morning and ride mountain bikes with Shane and the amateur team. It feels like everyone is family here, and that even goes back to the team owners. You aren’t treated like a number here, so it’s a really good vibe at GEICO.
Speaking of the team’s family dynamic; you’re living with one of the teams amateur racers, Carson Mumford. How’s living with that kid?
Yeah, I’m living with Carson right now (laughs). I moved out to Southern California at the beginning of the Supercross season, as I’ve been living in South Carolina for about five years. When I decided to make the move out West, the Mumfords were kind enough to invite me into their place. It’s fun living there with Carson, we have some good times. It’s funny, you mentioned him being a kid and when I first signed to the team in 2017 he was literally a little kid. I hadn’t been out to California in about nine months, and I came back out here to some five-foot-ten guy with a deep voice (laughs). Now he’s like half a man, but I remember the squeaky voice kid on a 150cc still. He has a really bright future, so it’s cool to stay with him and help each other out.
Being that you aren’t lining up at Hangtown, how does your weekly schedule change for this summer?
It doesn’t change much, I’ll basically be doing the same things I would be if I was racing. I’ll be training and riding with Christian throughout the week, I just won’t be lining up to race each Saturday. If I’m not racing by the first couple of rounds, I’ll probably throw in an extra day of riding on my week. When you’re racing each weekend, you’re absolutely wrecked from Saturdays. So I’ll ride 3-4 times a week and just keep on that weekly grind.
