Five Minutes with Dillon Zimmerman
- Updated: July 13, 2011
Photos by Raustyn Hurst
 Name: Dillon Zimmerman |
Dillon Zimmerman is a West Coast Pro Racer that has made a name for himself after capturing the 2009 Pro Am WORCS Championship, The likeable Team Motoworks / Can-Am rider has since proved that he’s certainly a contender to win a Pro Championship as well. We thought we would get to know Dillon a little better and see how things are going for him this season.
How has your 2011 WORCS season been going, have you been doing better or worse than expected? Are you competing in any other series this year?
I’ve had my ups and downs this year. I had an injury the day before the Primm, NV race so I had to drop that race and it really hurt my points, but I don’t give up. I’ve been doing therapy for my shoulder and it has gotten a lot better. I will be doing the WORCS series and hopefully a few AMA races.
Would you change anything about your race program thus far?
No way, I hope it doesn’t ever change. The Can-Am Motoworks team has been treating me great and I can’t thank them enough for everything they do.
You seem to be getting very noticeably better each and every round of the series. Are you training harder than ever or something? Does it come easy for you to get faster, or is it a constant battle to progress?
Thanks for noticing! I have been hitting it really hard. I put together a pretty good program, and it has been helping me without a doubt. Plus I think just being on the Can-Am Motoworks team has also helped my results. Getting faster comes a lot easier when you have an awesome team and great teammates around you. We all really work well as a team. Everyone sincerely wants to help each other out. It’s great!
Have you met your goals or expectations in your Pro career? Besides championships what are some of your goals?
Last year I met my goals, which was to finish with a top five. Considering it was my first pro year. I felt that was realistic. This year my goal is pretty simple, it’s to get on the box, but that’s easier said than done, there is a lot of competition this year. I’m training as hard as I can to accomplish this year’s goal.
What would you say separates you from other racers?
I feel I have a lot of heart and determination for this sport. I’ve been doing this since I was 5 years old and I still absolutely love it.
How did you get your start in ATV racing?
My dad raced and I thought it was cool just watching him start his bike in the yard. He got me a Suzuki 50 and I loved it, I’ve been riding and racing ever since.
How long have you been racing? What is your favorite style of racing, and is that what you are fastest in?
I’ve been racing for 11 or 12 years, I don’t really have a favorite style, I like it all. Motocross and off-road is what WORCS is and it’s kind of a toss up to choose which I like more. But I will say I’m not a big fan of the trees.
How did you get your spot on the Motoworks Can-Am team? What department would you like to be a part of if you decide to work for Motorworks / Cam-Am full time someday?
When I was a privater I started racing the WORCS and Johnny (the owner of Motoworks) saw that I was doing well. He was looking to add a Pro Am rider to the team and lucky for me I caught his eye. I would like to build Motoworks exhausts it’s cool seeing all the testing that goes into their exhaust systems. They really put a lot of work into their products to make sure they’re the best exhaust systems out there. I think it would be fun to be a part of this kind of commitment.
What other roles do you play for Team Motoworks Can-Am besides racing?
I help with marketing of Motoworks and DWT products, along with testing of all their new products.
Do you feel you have advantage over your opponents with your program, or do you feel like sometimes the pressure makes it actually harder?
I feel I have an advantage because I have really good bike and I ride with the best of the best – not everyone gets to do that, but at the same time there is more pressure than there used to be when I was privater. But the longer I’ve been on the team the less pressure there seems to be. It was just all new to me at first but now I’m use to being expected to do well.
You were recently out at the Friday Night Lights (FNL) ATV Series at Milestone MX in Riverside, CA. How did you like that kind of racing?
Yes I’m glad I went. I loved it, it was a blast! I think it’s important that the sport has some interesting new kind of events like this. I would love to see more of this kind of thing in the future. It’s really fun to race a low-keyed race like. There’s no pressure or worries – just a ton of fun.
Do you have a desire to go out and earn a college degree, do you feel it’s important now days?
Yes furthering my education is important, but at this point in my career it’s not in the cards, not yet anyway.
Is there anything else you would rather be doing right now with your life?
Well it would be cool to be an astronaut, but other than that this has always been my dream and I’m loving every second of it.
Thank you for spending a couple minutes with us, and good luck with the rest of the 2011 season. Is there anyone you would like to thank?
No problem
, thanks for talking with me. I can’t thank my parents and family enough for supporting me and getting me to where I am. Johnny at Motoworks has also gotten me and my family where we’re at today and I can’t thank that man enough for all he’s done for me and many others. I also want to thank everyone at Can-Am, DWT, Fox Racing Shox, Holtz Racing along with all my other sponsors and supporters. It has been an amazing experience and I can’t wait to see what the future holds.
Be sure to check out Dillon’s new website:
DillonZimmerman49.com