by: Jared Bolton
Tuesday, July 1, 2014 | 1:15 PM
Cody Collier had stellar 2013 season earning top honors in the morning ATV ranks and the #201 plate. With another great season thus far in 2014, we caught up with Cody to hear more.
GNCCRacing.com: How's everything going today?
Cody Collier: Great! Soccer season just started back up and now I’m not only training for racing, I’m also doing 3 hours of conditioning every night at soccer. Mom says I’m a glutton for punishment (laughs)
I think all racers are! So how have you been spending your summer break so far?
What summer break? I’ve never skipped a beat. I’ve been racing every weekend since Snowshoe and the calendar’s still full up to Unadilla. A few weeks ago I actually stayed the week at Brycen Neal’s house with Braden Henthorn and Adam McGill and did some riding, working out, and just some bro time at the Mafia Concentration Camp. I learned a lot, made gains, saw a lot, maybe too much (laughs), and regardless of whatever you hear or see, Adam keeps things strictly professional.
Do you have any other big plans for the rest of the summer break?
Just the same old, same old. Staying busy with local events and just getting in seat time. I had attended the GNCC University for the last 4-5 years and had learned a lot from my time there. I noticed that GNCC didn’t hold this event this year, so I’ve been trying to work with one of my local series and setting up a mini university the night before one of their events for the youth riders.
How has your 2014 season been going so far?
I can’t complain. 5 out of 9 overall wins this year, even with a breakdown at Snowshoe, which was my first break down in GNCC since Loretta Lynn’s 2012. I’m currently leading the Schoolboy A/B class points, but lost the #201 points lead due to my break down. When the drops start coming into play, things should straighten back out for me. If my good luck comes back and I stay consistent the rest of the season, I should be able to take back the lead in the title chase.
What has been the biggest highlight of the season for you so far?
Grabbing 4 overall wins in a row at Limestone 100, Loretta Lynn’s, Mountaineer Run, and The John Penton. I also reached level 90 in GTA V (laughs)
Level 90 is pretty impressive! What do you hope to accomplish through the last 4 rounds?
The game plan is to lock up my class and the #201 plate again before Ironman, so I can make my XC2 Pro-Am debut since I will turn 16 just before the Ironman. It will be the first race I’ll be eligible to race the 450 in GNCC and I’ll be shooting for the podium there.
What will it take to make that happen?
Just to keep on what I’m doing with consistent rides, keep my head between my shoulders, and to just keep it fun.
Do you have any plans for 2015 yet?
Yeah, I’m skipping College A and going straight to XC2. I’m not sure if this has ever been done before, but I’m going to give it my best shot.
What do you hope to accomplish in the future?
I hope to grab the XC2 title next year, so I can go and play with the big boys in 2016. I know it sounds crazy, but I’m setting the bar high for myself. I know it can be done with all of the great people who support me.
Last season you ended up with the morning overall title, how did that feel?
I’m so proud of myself for achieving what only a select number of other riders have accomplished, but I couldn’t have done it without my great team, and can’t thank my dad and mechanic Matt Pierce, who recently took the Amateur Overall Award in the PM race at Snowshoe, for making sure my bike didn’t have a single break down throughout the entire 2013 season.
What's it like to have beaten out some of the top morning race contenders for that title?
Whenever I don’t get the overall and get second or worse, I get super frustrated with myself and disappointed that I didn’t do better, but when I sat down and thought about my performance after the Big Buck race where Wolfe beat me, I realized that there were 217 people that would’ve loved to have had that second place position. I take beating the other title contenders for granted now, but it’s really a huge achievement to be able to ride with those guys, let alone beat them.
Did you expect to be able to take that 201 plate?
To be honest, at the start of the 2013 season, I never expected it. I expected myself to get 205 or better last season, but when my grandpa started adding up the points, I took the overall lead at the Big Buck when “Super” Dave Simmons DNF’d with mechanical issues, and with solid rides and some luck, I was able to keep the overall points lead all the way through.
Alright, before we wrap this up, who would you like to thank?
I’d love to thank my mom and dad for supporting me, Matt Pierce at Pierce Performance, Terry and Jessica Dodson at Dodson Racing, Papa, Curt Brumfield, GT Thunder, Moose Racing, DP Brakes, Sidi, BNR, TireBlocks, MotoNation, Waynesburg Yamaha, Outdoor Adventures, Spider Graphix, FastTraxx, Spencer Racing Products, Cycra, MCC, RaceDayPix, XCountry Photos, all of the family, friends, and fans for being out there each and every weekend, and last but certainly not least, a big shoutout to Camp Lazy, for not only helping me at the track, but also for being able to get there.