GNCCRacing.com: So Pascal, most of us here in the States don’t know a whole lot about you. What kind of racing did you do in Europe?

I started racing motocross when I was six years old. I raced three years in the FIM Motocross World Championship, from 2011 till 2013. In 2016 I made the change to Enduro and raced the FIM Enduro and SuperEnduro World Championships for two years. Now I am racing here in the GNCC Series.

And how did you get started riding?

My father raced too, so when I was four I got my first bike. My first race I did when I was six years old.

What are the trails and conditions like in the part of Austria you are from?

I live close to the mountains so there we have it really rocky. But very close to my house we have clay similar to the last round in Society Hill. If I want to ride in the sand I have to drive like 3 hours. In general there are not so many places to train around my home for enduro because it’s forbidden almost everywhere. 

That’s a bummer. I know the laws in Europe about where you can ride are much more strict than they are here. Why did you decide to compete in the GNCC series instead of continuing to race in Europe?

I didn’t enjoy racing in the Enduro World Championship so my plan was going back to motocross. But when I won the World Enduro round in Hawkstone Park last year, I got the opportunity from Husqvarna and Coastal Racing to compete at Ironman. The Enduro at Hawkstone is the same 3-hour mode as GNCC, so they thought I should give them a try. When I won Ironman last year I had a lot of fun, so that’s why I decided to do a full season. 

That’s pretty cool, I’m glad you’ve been having a good time racing here. Have you been living in the U.S., or are you traveling over for each round? 

The plan was to stay around 6-7 month in total in the United States. But unfortunately I had to travel a lot the last few weeks because of my injury to my hand from Steele Creek. I had surgery back home because in the United States I couldn’t get the surgery fast enough and then I went back for again for therapy. I am only now flying back to the U.S. for the X-Factor Whitetails GNCC.

You entered the series in a very dramatic way last year with your win at Ironman, and you have consistently been on the podium this season. Are you happy with your performance so far?

Yes and no. Because I won Ironman, I came this year with the expectation to win again. Unfortunately I could not get a win yet and now my injury does not make it easier to be ready, but the team and I will keep working to put our bike on the top!

What are your goals for this year? 

My goal was to win the XC2 championship. But we are at almost half the season now, and I am already far behind in the points. I have also not trained on the bike for four weeks now to recover from my injury, so my chance to win is very small. However, we will keep fighting for good finishes till the last round. 

How long do you plan on continuing to race the GNCCs? 

I don’t know yet, there are no plans for that right now. 

Well, we hope you are able to hang around for a few more years! Is there anything else you would like to talk about?

Yes. I have raced already many different races and championships, but I have to say that the GNCC is one of my favorites. Its impressive how many starters the series got and how big the paddock areas are. All the riders are super friendly and cool to race with too. It is a good place to be.