So these are plans that have been in place for a while but are just happening early because the timing is right?

The time is never right. You never know when exactly, but with my injuries and with the program being able to go there for me right now, then yeah, the time was right. I’m going to get better eventually, but I don’t want to struggle with my neck. It’s tough with the crashes I’ve had. I don’t want to crash again, I want to get to 100 percent and I think I need a couple more months for that. We all know supercross is more dangerous and has more risk than motocross.

Especially on a day like today [Oakland] with all the ruts and mud.

Yes, especially today, but last week we saw guys get hurt too. Tyler Bowers, Jeremy Martin, Weston Peick, many guys. You really have to be on your toes.

So depending on how things go is there a chance we’ll see you back in supercross in 2018, or 2019?

No. We’re moving on to Canada, and we’ve talked about doing some EnduroCross as well. I’m not doing EnduroCross right away this year because it’s so fresh and I want to focus on Canada. But I’ll probably do some eventually because it’s a lot of fun. I think it’d be fun to go that way as well. But there are other races too, like snocross—Rockstar is there as well. There are many things I want to be part of.

"I’m safe, I’m good, and everybody is happy. The team is making it happen. I’d rather try to win there than be scared riding supercross."

So you’re wanting to branch out into all sorts of other sports. You might even be racing snowmobiles!

Probably no snowmobiles, but as long as it’s on a bike and I can do good and represent. I don’t want to go to snocross and finish last and represent Rockstar that way. The goal is, as long as I can go somewhere on the bike and represent them well and do well for myself, that would be amazing.

It’s too bad Husqvarna doesn’t make watercraft!

[Laughs] Yeah, jet skis, boats, we can race anything! But going back to supercross, you won’t see me back. The plan was to go in 2018 and not come back anyway, and we’re just taking that step right now. My results have been so-so and I’ve been sick. I can make the main and get a top 15, but is that enough for me? I don’t think so. Not after winning so many races and winning two 250SX Championships here. Last year and the year before I was top five outdoors, and even that’s still tough. As long as you can fight for the podium, anywhere you can compete, it’s rewarding. We went to Bercy two years ago I think and I finished second and won a main. I talked to my wife and I was like, “It’s been a while since we won anything, and it feels good!” Even though not everybody was there, at least we won something. We did something right, and that felt good.

Your struggle with injuries hasn’t been easy.

No. Being paralyzed and coming back here and winning, then breaking my neck twice last year and almost getting paralyzed in the second injury last year, it was pretty sketchy, right next to an artery. That’s why I made the decision to go to Canada. I’m safe, I’m good, and everybody is happy. The team is making it happen. I’d rather try to win there than be scared riding supercross. I didn’t want to move on, but at some point you really just have to make the decision. I feel like everyone in this sport that’s been there for so long, they love it. A good example would be Mike Brown. You can see he stayed and stayed stayed. It’s tough to get away from this sport because we all love it. It’s the same thing for Chad Reed. We know he’s still good, but at one point he’s going to have to leave.