Spanish rider Joan Cros has been a staple of the American supercross scene for awhile now, always on that bubble battling to make main events. This was one of his tougher seasons, as he only made two mains and even lost a ride with a team around Daytona time. He patched it all together on his own for a few weeks, and then his old buddy Theodore "Bubba" Pauli came calling asking for help. Pauli is both a rider and team owner for The MadParts.com/Big Buildings Direct/Ronnie Prado Building Company team. He suffered a gruesome injury that severed his thumb, which is terrible. Cros was there to help his buddy at the hospital, but Bubba also needed a replacement rider, so he put Joan on the bike and they finished the season together.
The Mad Parts Kawasaki team has had a solid season with riders battling to make the mains. Cros got into the show with a LCQ win in Salt Lake City, a fun ending to his season. Will he return for U.S. Supercross next year? He’s not sure. If this is the end for the friendly Spaniard, at least he got to go out with a main event finish, as he took 18th in the main. That tied his career best.
Racer X: Final race of the year, Salt Lake City. Just kind of take me through getting through the LCQ and then the main event, and what it was like for you.
Joan Cros: That was awesome. It’s been like a super tough season. Those years that everything happens, every day some small things happen and you can never get the job done. Still, even being a rough season, we made some mains. Finishing the season winning the LCQ, that was awesome, man. I can’t be thankful enough to Bubba Pauli and all the Madd Parts family - Madd Parts Kawasaki, Big Buildings, Ronnie Prado Company. They always do an awesome job. I started with them in ’19, it was like just a small group of people creating a team. Bubba is awesome. Look at it now. I’m pretty sure he will have a factory team one day. Pretty happy to be part of that. Super thankful to my family and my wife, everyone, all my friends, everyone that helped me. Earlier this year, I had a rough day, I quit the team [I was riding for] and I had two races that I didn’t have anything, so everyone that helped me on those weeks. Many people sent money for me to go to those rounds! It was awesome. So, I’m really happy to finish the season strong. I was looking for a career best in the main. It didn't happen, I was 18th, but still, super great day. I don't know if I’ll race anymore. So, let’s take some rest and think about it.
Take me through the day as it went, because the track obviously changed a lot. It started slick and then it dried out, and then it got sloppy and slick again. How hard is it to change with those conditions as they go on like that?
Yeah. The track was rough. When it’s like this, normally I’m pretty good. The only other main I did this year was in Indy. So, when the track is difficult, I’m not a guy that’s super crazy and risks a lot. So, when the track is technical, I’m a little bit more comfortable. I really liked it, honestly, when it was like muddy in the heat race. I was eighth for all moto and I cross-rutted the last lap and [Aaron] Plessinger and [Logan] Karnow passed me. But then we won the LCQ, so it was good. The track was rough. They didn’t prep all the track before our main, so that was kind of like, tricky. But it’s the days that you can see the skills from the guys too. The other guys, I think they did good, too.
You said this might be your last race. If it is, how do you reflect on what you’ve been able to accomplish here in the USA?
I’m so happy. I was good when I was on 85s and 125s, but we didn’t have money. So, 2017 I had like $10,000 saved for the summer and I was like, ‘Okay, I’m going.’ We just booked flights. My friend came with me. We rented a car. I was with Rockstar in Europe in Spain. So, Bobby Hewitt [former Rockstar Husqvarna Team Manager] gave me his own bike because they told him, so, he had bikes obviously for me. He was like, ‘You can use this 250.’ That was from him. I went directly to San Diego, it was my first one ever. I went there like a Thursday. It was raining, so never tried the bike, nothing. No free practice. My first time ever in America. His bike is a stock bike. I made the night show, and in the next race I was like sixth in the LCQ. So, then I met Bubba [Pauli] and he picked me up for the remainder of the season. Since then, we started to grow and grow. Last year was really good. We did a lot of mains, so it was so nice. I’m really happy. Always giving my best. You know that for the privateers it’s not easy.
