Brad Baker Interview: Campaign To Bring Ice Racing To Winter X Games [EXCLUSIVE]

by UInterviewJanuary 27, 2014, 12:00 amNews >

Taking some time off from his busy X Games schedule, Grand National Champion motorcyclist, Brad Baker, spoke to Uinterview about his racing career so far and his dream to have Ice Racing named an official Winter X Games sport for 2015.

Brad Baker On Ice Racing

For the Winter X Games, Baker participated in a closed ice race with 2012 Grand National Champion Jared Mees and his wife, Nicole Mees, who is also a top flat track racer, sponsored by Harley-Davidson. The race was filmed and edited into a promotional video to air during the games to raise awareness of the sport.

“We’re really just pushing to try to get ice racing to be a part of the X Games, to be a medal competition, so if that happens for next year this will be training for a big time, but the main goal is to get ice racing a part of the X Games,” Baker explained.

With the help of Harley-Davidson, Baker promoted the use of ‘#XGIceRace,’ which viewers were encouraged to use throughout the Winter X Games. On Sunday, Jan. 26, ESPN chose its favorite tweets and read them on air. Baker also revealed to Uinterview that he would be more than proud if the campaign was successful in getting Ice Racing into the 2015 Winter X Games.

“I’m young and I want to try to help grow the sport of flat track and now ice racing especially. Trying to get ice racing involved in the X Games would be amazing as a part of that,” Baker said.

Baker, 20, is the youngest rider to win the Grand National Championship and he is more accustomed to flat track racing – that is on land, not ice. Despite the unfamiliar terrain, Baker spoke confidently to Uinterview about the sport, and suggested that the added risk was part of the thrill. Though Baker also assured Uinterview that each rider put fenders on their tires so as to minimize the risk of injury.

“It’s about the same risk factor really [as flat track], other than if you fall down in flat track or road race you don’t got buzz saw tires coming along to run you over, so that’s probably more of the risk factor on it, which actually makes it quite a bit more intense really,” Baker said.

Baker Hopes To Be Best Flat Track Racer In History

Already an accomplished athlete, Baker told Uinterview that he hopes to continue to reach for the stars, and dreams of being the most decorated flat-track rider in history, surpassing current titleholder Scotty Parker. Parker has won nine Grand National Championships in his career and was working with Baker to promote Ice Racing with Harley-Davidson.

“I want to try to beat his [Scotty Parker] record and become the all-time best flat track racer there ever was. I’m only 20 and I got one out of the way, so if I have a long healthy career, that’s not out of the question. I just want to retain number one as much as I can, have fun and just try to help out the sport as much as I can,” Baker told Uinterview.

You can read the entire Baker interview here.