Nova Scotia's Ryan Lockhart is a self-admitted character ... but this season, Lockhart is hoping he can prove to the critics (and more importantly to himself) that he's got a serious side. Lockhart has signed a deal with the Royal Distributing KTM Canada team as their third MX2 rider, along with Eric Nye and Mason Phillips. He's not calling it his last shot, he's calling it his best shot. We caught up with Lockhart, taking a break at his job at the SixSixOne warehouse in BC to find out how he's feeling about his second season on the orange bikes.

RXC: How are things?
Ryan Lockhart: Pretty good, I am just out here working, and I just started riding again last week. I’ve been riding on and off, I was still hurt from all those arenacrosses so I hadn’t really been practicing much, just racing on the weekends. I did that Lethbridge Arenacross and then I sold my Kawi that I had for arenacross and I finally just got a KTM last week so. The weather has been good, right now it’s sunny and probably 12 degrees.

We got the press release saying you were back on an orange bike for 2008. Tell us a bit about how the deal came about.
After the summer was over I really didn’t know what the heck I was going to do for the summer. I really wasn’t too worried about it; I was just going to ride local races and do my own thing. The Nationals didn’t seem like they were going anywhere, and I didn’t have any plans on doing the Nationals actually. My dad sort of started rolling around a few ideas, of me maybe getting back on KTM’s with some help from some of the KTM dealers back home, and so I called Andy White up right out of the blue one day and just said would you be interested? I don’t know if he took me seriously right away but me and my dad put a lot of work into it and it finally just all came together. It took a while, I’ve been working on it now for over two months and it finally came together with the help of my dad, and Larry Northrop from Toys for Big Boys and the crew from KTM. It’s definitely a good deal. I am super excited. Things are already leaps and bounds ahead of previous years, as far as support goes, and I’m part of the team so, it’s going to be good.

KTM has always been interested in having someone who can represent the brand locally. Is that how this panned out?
Pretty much. I have three KTM dealers back home supporting me when I am doing local races and stuff and then I have Andy helping me out for the Nationals. It’s kind of a unique deal. It’s not anyone in particular helping me out, it’s sort of spread out between three or four people and it’s kind of cool. It’s something different so I’m looking forward to it. Andy has been helping me out 100 percent, sending me parts already. I am excited and I feel good on the bike too. It’s going to be good. I had quite a bit of time off this winter. I needed a break. Working has made me appreciate my time a bit more.

You last rode the KTM’s back in 03. How was that season for you?
Things were really good. [Mike] Treadwell was actually the team manager back then. We had a good year but the problem was that was the year it was changing from Barrett Marketing to KTM Canada. It was a bit of a gong show sometimes, since nobody knew who was in charge, but Treadwell did a good job. We actually had an alright year. I won a National that year, so that was kind of cool. We made the best of it but KTM has come a long way since then. I even notice in the bikes. The bikes are night and day from what they used to be. It just seems like everyone is super-organized and it should be good.

They have come a long way for sure. I was actually remembering a series of photos that Jason Griffiths took that year of you pushing your KTM over the finish line at Mission.
That was cool … it kind of sucked my bike broke but I got lots of press out of it. [Laughs]

You gave KTM their first National win at Deschambault in 2003. What do you remember about that race?
I remember that day being the easiest day that I’ve ever raced. I never got tired; I just never had any problems; I never made any mistakes. I think if you asked a lot of people about the first time they won a national, it’s all the same: it’s easy. I just got a good start and picked my way through and before I knew it, the race was over. The problem is they aren’t all that easy. [Laughs] That was a while ago and I figured I would have won another one since then but I am still searching. [Laughs]

Maybe it’s a good omen, then, to be back on the KTM?
I sure hope so. [Laughs]

In the press release, they refer to your experience, natural talent, and personality. Why do you think they pointed out your personality there?
I don’t know. Everybody kind of knows me, I am a bit of a character when it comes down to it. Some people take me seriously, and I guess some people don’t. The people that really know me know that deep down I am serious. The people that don’t know me really well think I’m a bit of a gong show but I just want to show up this year and I want to be serious and I want to show everyone what I’ve got. Mostly I want to prove it to myself. A lot of people have said in the past that I am burnt out, that I don’t have any heart. That’s not the case. I’ve had some bad years but I am still young, I am only 23, a lot of people think I am older than that. It’s part of life, growing up you realize things, and sometimes you have to learn the hard way. I’ve wasted a few years of racing because I wasn’t putting in the effort, but I still want to do it, and I’m going to come out and I’m going to try hard. I am in a position right now where people want me to be around and that’s what KTM has to offer and I’m excited about that. I’ve made some stupid decisions in my career, but finally this is …not my last shot…but this is probably the best shot that I am going to have. I’ve got people behind me 100 percent.

Three MX2 riders under the Royal Distributing KTM tent, Phillips, Nye and Lockhart. Where do you see yourself fitting in?
I like both of those guys. Phillips is definitely a hard trainer so hopefully I can learn something from him. Me and Eric Nye get along good, I’ve known him for a couple of years now. I am pumped to be on the team with those guys, and then Northrop is on the team too so. Me and Norcal, this will be our third year on a team together, we rode with Richmond, OTSFF, and now KTM. I know he’s pumped about it and I’m pumped about it too. We get along great and we like to ride together so it should be good.

Just back to what you said at the beginning about considering not racing the National series, there’s been a lot of talk about shrinking budgets in Canada, how are you feeling about having a deal done now?
I am super relieved. I was thinking this a little while ago—I have always been so fortunate throughout my career that it’s been easy for me to get rides—and this year, basically, nobody was calling. That’s the same for everybody. I’m pumped that I got a ride and I am very fortunate. I appreciate that, and I realize that things aren’t going to be handed to me my whole life. I know a lot of guys are struggling to get rides and it’s tough out there. The whole series is kind of in a low right now and I hope that this year it gets brought back up, and gets back to where it was in 2001/2002, because those were the good years. It’s been going downhill a little bit in the last few years and hopefully, this is the lowest that it gets and it starts coming back up from there. It’s too hard for anybody to try and make a career out of this; it’s not possible. There’s just no money out there, and that goes for everybody, whether you are winning of if you are finishing 10th, there’s just not a whole lot out there.

The nine-round MX2 series has been met with mixed reactions. What’s your take on it?
I don’t know. It’s kind of weird. I didn’t think at first that there would be very many guys doing it and now there are about 10 good guys doing the whole thing. Now it seems like there are more guys in MX2 than MX1. I am not really that huge a fan of it. I kind of thought the East/West thing was sort of unique and sort of different and it brought in guys like Ben Evans and Urquhart, guys who could commit to the series. Now those guys aren’t going to be able to do that. It doesn’t bother me [laughs] but for the guys who don’t have deals, they are just going to be hitting one round here and there, but they won’t be able to commit to the series, which kind of sucks.

So, really the Canadian season isn’t that far off. What’s up with you now and what are you plans til the first National at Ste-Julie?
I’m still going to work for a little while but I’m going to start riding during the week. This afternoon I am going to take off and go riding at this sand track. I’m going to race this weekend at the first BC local race in Mission. I’m hoping to do Toronto but we’ll have to wait and see. I don’t really have anything to gain by riding the SX in Toronto but I’d still kind of like to do it, and I think Andy wouldn’t mind seeing me do it, and I wouldn’t mind getting out and riding some SX. It could be one of those races that could be good for you, but could be bad also. I’m already signed up but I’ll decide in the next week if I am in or not. Then once April hits, we have a couple of arenacrosses on the East coast this year, once in New Brunswick and one in Newfoundland. I’ll do those, then Quebec arenacrosses and the Nationals start right after that.

Looking forward to it. Thanks Ryan.
Thanks.