At 34 years of age, Max Nagl is by no means long in the tooth, as he demonstrated emphatically in last season’s ADAC MX Masters: he claimed by far the most race wins and only a failure to pick up points at one round, due to an injury suffered whilst practicing, cost him the title. He brought the season to a successful close with three race wins at the finale in Reutlingen. In an interview, he reveals why he is now considering an assault on the ADAC MX Masters title on a 350 cc bike.
Max, how would you sum up the 2021 season? Max Nagl: “2021 was a good year for me. I won nearly every race I rode in. The cooperation with the Krettek-Haas-Racing-Team was perfect and was great fun for everyone. We would obviously all have liked to have won the title, but I had to miss the race in Dreetz due to a stupid injury, and missed out on all those points. Even though I won nearly all the other races, there was no recovering from that. Despite this, the season was still really enjoyable.”
With eight race wins to your name, you won far more than your rivals Tixier (3), Genot (2) and Koch (1), who all also ride in the Motocross World Championship. What is the secret to your success? “I still train just as intensively in the winter and during the season as I used to do when I was a factory rider in the world championship. I have always said that I will only start if I am still 100% fit, physically, and can still win races. The standard in the ADAC MX Masters is very high – Jordi Tixier has been MX2 world champion twice, and Adam Sterry, who joins the series this season, is another fast rider who has won races in the MX2 World Championship. You have to train properly and really go full throttle if you want to beat these guys. That is not easy, but I still want to do it, and so continue to invest a lot of time and effort in my training.”
As motivated as you are to win, you also seem to be having a lot of fun racing. “That is true. When I rode in the world championship, there was only one way and you found yourself in a tunnel. I now try to find a good balance between enjoying life, both with my son and my friends, and still training professionally and eating healthily. To do this, I always keep one day of the week free. I don’t train on that day, but instead do something with my mates, go off on the bike with my son Mason, or something similar. This gives me a very good balance.”
Is there anything new for the 2022 season, or are you sticking with what is tried and tested? “Everything is still the same. I am still riding for the Krettek-Haas-Racing-Team, which is the best team I have ever had. I will be riding a Husqvarna again, with support from Husqvarna Deutschland, to whom I am very grateful for the bikes and the material. However, I am currently considering whether to start on the 350cc bike instead of the 450cc. I will do some testing on it now. The 350cc bike will either be my training bake at home, or my race bike for the ADAC MX Masters.”
How did that idea come about? “Last year, I had a 250cc four-stroke bike for training, as well as my 450cc bike. I am also looking after a few younger riders as a trainer, and wanted to have the same bike for this purpose, not a more powerful one. That allows you to battle even better. Plus, the small bike is also great fun, as it is so light and agile, as well as making a nice change. This year, I just fancied trying out a 350cc. Who knows, perhaps I will change the engine size from race to race. Apart from the engine, the bikes are absolutely identical, which makes it straightforward to switch.“
What makes the Krettek-Haas-Racing-Team so special? “The Haas Racing team comes from the Czech Republic and belongs to Vaclav Haas, against whom I actually rode many years ago, in what was at the time the Inter DM. By that point, he was coming towards the end of his career and I was just starting out. When I brought my world championship career to an end, he asked me whether I would be interested in racing in the Czech Republic. Back then, I didn’t know what was awaiting me, but I very soon noticed that the team has high expectations of itself and wants to perform like a factory team. The Haas family has its own business, which means they do not need to make any money through the team. And that is what makes it so special: they run the team out of pure passion for Motocross racing. That means there is not as much pressure and stress in the team as is often the case in other teams. For that reason, I am the only rider in the team: more riders generally means more issues (laughs). Krettek is a company from Viersen, which manufactures on a large scale. What started out as one of my small sponsors has now become a big one. We ‘clicked’ pretty quickly and were on the same wavelength. In Krettek, I am pleased to have a partner that does not come from the sport, as that pond has pretty much been fished to death. The boss, Guntram, is a complete Motocross nut. We have a good relationship and do a lot together outside of Motocross. Together with the Haas team, we have put together such a good package that we have named the team the Krettek-Haas-Racing-Team. As everyone in the team gets on, the atmosphere is as good as it should be in a good partnership, and everyone benefits from each other.”
In which championships will you race in 2022? “The focus is on ADAC MX Masters. I may ride one or two races for the team in the Czech Republic, but definitely not the whole Czech championship. I have enough work with the guys I am looking after during the week.”
What is your goal for 2022? “The current world championship riders - Jordi Tixier, Tom Joch and Adam Sterry - will provide stiff opposition. By the time I line up for the first ADAC MX Masters race, they will already have a few races under their belt and be up to their high standards, while I will only have been able to practice up to that point. That will not be easy for me, but my goal is still to win the title in the ADAC MX Masters. I also want to win as many races as possible. However, as we saw last year, you can only win the title if you make it through the season without any injuries. So, my first task is to get through the season in one piece.”
Which race are you particularly looking forward to? “I hope we still have the full calendar. I am looking forward to the season-opener in Dreetz, because I have never been there before and always enjoy racing at new tracks, as it is always a new challenge. I also really like riding in Fürstlich Drehna, and Holzgerlingen is always cool too. I have heard that they are modifying that track, so I am intrigued to see how that works out. And, as I live in the sand, I like anything sandy – like Tensfeld.”
Finally: How long are you planning to continue riding professionally? “I said I would continue as long as I am still enjoying it, and as long as I still have what it takes to win races. As soon as one of those is no longer the case, then I will stop. At the moment, I feel good and am also physically fit, so I will definitely be continuing. I have no problem waking up in the morning and going training. While I am still hungry, why would I stop?”
