Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Blake Baggett was an underdog coming into Hangtown. Few people picked him to be “the guy” by the end of the weekend, but he was, going 2-1 for the overall win. We caught up with him after the race.

Motocross.com: You’re normally in a really pissy mood if you don’t win, but you won so you should be in a good mood, right?
Blake Baggett: Yeah, yeah, yeah… I’m good right now. I’m just really hard on myself. I want to win. I know how much pain and effort I put in during the week. And when I don’t win it’s just disappointing. So, yeah, I’m in a good mood.

But you didn’t win the easy way. You couldn’t have gotten a holeshot or something?
No, I definitely had my work cut out for me, and I crashed in the first moto.

Yeah, and you were way back.
I came from ninth up to second. I don’t know; I guess that way I earned it, right? Nobody can say it was given to me or it was easy.

Do you still think people are thinking of Dallas in 2010 when you won the main after half the field fell in the first turn?
Yeah, I’ve still got that. I still remember all the people saying that.
Blake Baggett won his first-ever AMA National overall at Hangtown and leads the points heading into Texas this weekend. (Photo: CoxMX.com)

You’re mad at them?
Yeah. I’d rather show them that, “Hey, look; it wasn’t easy. It wasn’t given to me.”

So, you’re saying you didn’t get good starts on purpose?
No, definitely that was not the plan. I would have definitely liked to have gotten the holeshot and lead all 30 minutes plus two laps, but it didn’t work out that way.

Sometimes it can be a help to be behind because you can pick out lines better…
It’s always easier to start out front, I think. I mean, yeah, in some sense you get to learn. You learn where they’re going. You see where they’re making up time. But in the other sense, now you’ve got to figure out how to pass them. So, if you’re out front you can run good lines or bad lines – as long as you don’t get passed, you’re out front. But, I mean, there were a lot of different ways to do it and, shoot, I feel like I tried every one, every line. I think I hit every rut out there possible and every bump. And then I even rode off the side of the track once, too, down the side over all the yellow things, into the banners, and side-saddle… I don’t know how I saved it.

That’s good. That’s talent.
It was good weekend overall and I’m going to try to carry it into the next weekend.

Last year’s outdoor season was cut short when you got hurt…
Yeah, it was pretty short. I compound fractured my arm, tore my rotator cuff in my shoulder. So, yeah, I was out. I was done.
Baggett didn’t know how the points system works outdoors, but he does now! He’ll have a red plate in Texas. (Photo: CoxMX.com)

Now you’re the points leader, though. How does that make you feel?
Yeah, definitely; points leader. I don’t know how they work their points. Do they do it off moto or off overall?

Are you serious? They add up the points from both motos…
Yeah, but do they give you points off the overall finish? Like 25 for the overall? Or do they give you 25 per win?

No, you get 25 for the moto and then 22 for the other moto in second. So, you’ve got 47.
Oh, so they give you points per moto. Yeah, see, I didn’t even know how they handled the points out here…

How do you not know this?
Eh, whatever…

You’ve got 47 points, and a decent points lead over everyone but Wilson…
We’ll just try to add to that…

You get to run a red numberplate next weekend…
Really?

Yeah. That’s what happens when you’re points leader.
Oh, see, I didn’t even…

It tells the whole crowd that you’re the guy.
Oh, I didn’t even know that.
Baggett celebrates his win. (Photo: CoxMX.com)

Now you know. Knowing is half the battle.
The more we can hang out then I’ll know what’s going on. I’m just out there racing. Yeah, I didn’t know that. Yeah, that’ll be cool, I guess. I don’t know; I’m going to take each weekend, and just try my hardest so that at the end of the year I want to have that number one plate. So, I’m just going to do what I’ve got to do and be smart and at the end of the year let’s hope it’s in my hand.

It’s one thing to win a race, and another thing to do it after passing your way through the top guys. How does this help your confidence?
It feels good. I’ve trained with Tyla [Rattray] and everybody. Our trainer is Aldon Baker and he trains both of us so I know what he does; I know what he’s got. I just went for it, I guess.

Dug deep?
Yeah, I dug really deep.

All right. Well, good job, man.
Thanks!