Sean Bailey

Words and photos by BrownDogWilson

I made the trek out to StarWest in Perris, CA the other day and I ran into my good friend Sean Bailey. If you are wondering if his last name is in any way related to another Bailey who used to scoot around the track pretty well himself, yes he is the son of David.

He's a great guy, and someone who's done a good job of flying under the radar given the prevalence of the family name. After a few months off the bike, nursing a back injury, it was great to see him at the track again. I'm not sure if he was just born with good form, or if it is from a lot of practicing, but Sean is one of my favorite riders to shoot because he always makes my shots look good with very little effort on my part.

Anyway, we had the chance to chat for a bit. The following is what he had to say about his health, turning pro and what he's been up to lately.

What's up Sean?

Hey! Tonight is my first time back on the bike after a few months of resting my back. The last time I was out here I flat landed pretty hard and compressed my spine and without going into details, it hurt. We saw the doctor a few days ago and he cleared me to ride so hear I am testing it out.

Click here for more photos of Sean Bailey riding at StarWest.

A little while back you raced your first pro class race! How was that?

Yeah, I raced REM at Glen Helen, it was awesome, I wasn't nervous at all! I was sitting at the line and kind of said to myself, "Ahh, I am finally here!" The first moto I tipped over in a corner, lost the lead and ended up second. The second moto I was in the lead but then I hit neutral and got passed, but then something happened to the other guys and I ended up winning the moto and getting the overall! I felt really good about the day as a whole. My dad didn't have a lot to say which means I did well and that is always a good thing.

I know you had planned on doing all of the Amateur Nationals this year, but things didn't really go as planned right?

I wanted to race all the amateur nationals this year but I got hurt or sick at the worst times which didn't allow me to ride most of them. After that I just said the heck with it, "I am going pro!"

With your last name, you have done a good job of flying under the radar, how have you managed to do that?

This year that has been really easy, I have spent more time on the couch than I have on the bike! (laughing) Seriously, I don't really have any results and I haven't been out there much. That is one thing that is cool about our sport, people tend to treat everybody as if they were a friend of theirs. When we are at the races, my dad generally will speak with a lot of people, but I just ride my races and relax in-between. I guess I need to start winning some races before anybody will recognize me. I am not really flashy or very talkative, so that probably has a lot to do with it too.

Click here for more photos of Sean Bailey riding at StarWest.

People probably think you were born with the "golden spoon" in your mouth. What do you think about that?

I have had great support from Honda and FOX over the years and of course my family. I have also obviously been exposed to great coaching, but even with all of that, I still had to ride the bike. My dad has been great and never pushed me too hard to ride. I actually didn't start really riding until I was 12.

What class are you going to ride?

I am going to ride my 450. I am a little to big for the 250's to be competitive, and I have been riding the 450 for a while now and I really like my bike. (Sean is 6'2”)

What are your goals for the next year?

I want to try and be ready for the outdoor season if I can. I am just going to work hard and see where I end up.

It is great to see you out riding again Sean!

Thanks.