Lukas Platt has established himself as one of the top privateers in the ADAC MX Masters in recent years. Over the past two seasons, the 25-year-old from Gummersbach has impressed with a number of top-five results against many established professionals, despite the fact that he is regularly to be found working as a carpenter’s assistant during the week. For 2022, he asked himself: “If not now, then when?” He consequently put together a package that would allow him to become a professional Motocross rider. He also changed bike manufacturer in the DW-Racing team, giving us plenty to talk about.
Lukas, how would you sum up your 2021 season?
Lukas Platt: “On the whole, I am happy, considering the certain constraints we were faced with. I had a big crash in Dreetz, which meant I was struggling with a painful back until the end of the season. As a result, I was hardly able to train during the week. My goal going into the season was the top ten. I narrowly missed out on that in 12th place, but was only a few points off tenth, even with the zero in Dreetz. I am also happy with third place in the Open DM.”
Which race was your personal highlight?
“Definitely race two in Tensfeld, where I was classified fifth when Tixier was disqualified after the race. However, sixth place would also have been great.”
A very good result against the professionals, when you consider that you were still holding down a normal job during the week.
“Last year, I was working part-time with a 75% contract. That allowed me to set off to the races on Friday afternoon and to do a bit of training on the bike during the week. For that, I would like to say another big thank you to Tischlerei Fischer, where the boss is a Motocross rider himself. Given the workload, I am very happy with the way I have developed in recent years. That has now changed for this year.”
There have been a few changes for you this winter. Can you tell the fans a little bit more?
“I hung up my carpenter’s clothes on 1st January 2022 and turned professional. After the final race of 2021, I worked very hard to find sponsors, in order to be able to secure the necessary financial and material means. The material alone is a totally different beast when you are riding four or five times per week, instead of two or three, as I was doing previously. I am now focussing fully on Motocross. One big advantage of this is that my body now has time to recover between events. I had previously worked eight hours a day, which meant I was underway for ten hours in all before I was able to start doing any sport. That often took me really late into the evening. Then the same programme the following day, and straight to the races on Fridays. Now I can do my job as a sportsman during the daytime and have the evening off to recuperate from 16:30.”
How difficult was it to put together a financial package that allowed you to take this step?
“I am able to cover the basic financial costs thanks to bigger sponsors, like KFZ Zirfas and investment advisor Raimund Sauer, himself a former Motocross professional. Another important factor is that the DW-Racing team now receives a lot of support from KS Performance Austria, which leaves the team with a little more money left over, which can then be invested in the project. And my family also supports me in this regard.”
That takes us nicely to the next change: You are still riding for the DW-Racing Team, but have switched to a Fantic bike and now have KS Performance Austria on board as a partner. How did that come about?
“The KS guys contacted me over the course of last season and invited me to test and familiarise myself with a Fantic. After the final in Reutlingen, we organised a test and I was immediately impressed by the Fantic. We also got on immediately with the people, and the father-son duo brought a lot of positivity to the team.”
Who and what is behind KS Performance Austria?
“It is a two-wheel workshop, KS stands for Kurth Schuster. As KS Performance, they have been involved in chassis and engine tuning for many years. Kurt is the father, but his son Erwin is also behind the initials KS. Erwin used to ride in the ADAC MX Masters himself and also tried his hand in the MX3 world championship. However, he was faced with the same circumstances as I have been until now – he had to work during the day, which made it tough against the full-time professionals. That is one reason I caught their eye as a privateer. They were looking for a good advertising vehicle and decided they would rather support someone like me and try to help me make it into the top ten than they would support a rider who is already finishing in the top three, because then any top results would be put down to the rider and not the bike. They know from their own experience what they are talking about.”
So, we’ve dealt with the financial and technical side of things. How is your training looking?
“I have been working with Stephan Nüsser from SNDC since 2013. He goes through my performance diagnostics with me and then puts together my individual training plans accordingly. We can now work more intensively and, with this in mind, I have invested more in my training infrastructure.”
With these new circumstances, what are your goals for 2022?
“We will start in the ADAC MX Masters and the Open DM. Firstly, I want to stay injury-free, in order to be able to finish in the top ten of the overall standings in the ADAC MX Masters. I want to be in the top three again in the Open DM, although we don’t yet know exactly who I will be up against.”
Do you have a plan regarding how long you are going to try your hand as a professional?
“The package is initially in place for one year, but I would like to give it a go for at least two years, in order to build on the experience I gain this year. The majority of my sponsors have already indicated that they would like to support me for that time, but we must first wait and see whether this step actually brings the benefits we are hoping for. There is no guarantee that I will be any faster, just because I no longer have to go to work. I must obviously raise my game. Financially, my monthly fixed costs are covered, so I then make my money through prize money.”
Is this a dream come true for you?
“Definitely. I never thought that I would be able to make a living from this. That makes it even greater that I am able to give it a go now. Nobody can take this time and these experiences away from me. At home, I have a shelf with trophies on it, including one from Tensfeld where I won a race in the ADAC MX Youngster Cup in 2017. I still can’t believe that, even now! It is super to have all these experiences. At least I will never have to ask myself what might have been if only I had given it a go. I am just going for it and will see how it works out. I am a qualified carpenter, have worked as an assistant, and can always fall back on a job in the trades, so I don’t need to worry if it does not work out in MX. I enjoy carpentry, but would be daft to turn down this opportunity.”