IIn the column #Watdoejijnou MXMag.nl looks at what former top motocross riders are doing today. Their family life and their current work. How do they look back on their careers, the highs and lows. This month we have former ONK manche winner Michael 'No Mercy' Das.
MXMag: Briefly introduce yourself:
MD: “My name is Michael Das, I am now 42 years young, married and we have two beautiful daughters together.”
MXMag: What do you do for a daily living these days?
MD: “I sold the family business 'Auto Das' four years ago and I have been manager there for the past three years. Over the past year I have taken more time for my family and also more time for our cross-country youngest daughter Kyshara. I am still active in the car trade, but I am still busy with everything from early to late. I do have more time for the fun things such as motocross training days, fitness training and kickboxing lessons. I was also approached about the H.A.M.C. in Sint Isidorushoeve to assist in the KNMV RTC project.”
MXMag: How do you look back on your motocross career?
MD: “It was a great time that I wouldn't have missed! In retrospect, I have to honestly admit that I quit far too early, at the age of 20. I feel like I didn't get the most out of it. After I stopped, I hardly ever went to a circuit, but when I rode a corn cross for fun about 5 years later, it was still so easy that I started riding on weekends as a hobby. In the second season I managed to win the ONK MX3 and also scored even more GP points. I also finished 3rd with Team Netherlands during the European Motocross of Nations together with Marc de Reuver and Marcel van Drunen.”
MXMag: The highlight of your career?
MD: “Without a doubt the titles, the victories and the World Championship points in the 125cc and MX1. I have managed to win several Dutch youth titles and also the International youth weekends. Was the first Dutchman to win a German Supercross (Stuttgart) and managed to score well in the European Championships, but due to bad luck in the last race in Cingoli I saw my title chances lost while I was 2nd in the standings.”
MXMag: The low point of your career?
MD: “That was a lower leg fracture that meant I couldn't play sports or drive for about 24 months. The fracture would not heal and that was during my first year of 125cc, which immediately put me at a disadvantage compared to my contemporaries.”
Best motorcycle ever ridden?
MD: “That was the De Berk Racing Honda that my mechanic Steve Strik always had ready for me at the top of its game.”
MXMag: What is your view on the current motocross world?
MD: “I think that the media attention that our sport is currently receiving in the Netherlands can finally be called satisfactory. That is of course due to the performance of the Dutch riders! Furthermore, it is great that he has the Scheveningen beach race in the Netherlands, this is very good for the sport because it attracts a wider audience. Yet I must admit that I don't like everything when I look at the FIM World Championship. I miss the 'old' charm of qualifying on Saturday and fighting for the last bit to qualify or qualify better. In my time, 30-40 riders could go home on Saturdays because they weren't fast enough. Now there are 30 or less behind the starting gate. The riders who managed to qualify were able to collect a nice compensation that allowed them to cover the costs. Now you have to pay a lot to be allowed to ride, so the starting gate is almost never full anymore! I also miss the variety of the circuits, the GP circuit has become one-size-fits-all. Where are the circuits like San Marino where the rubber was on the track like in the road race! It has all become more professional and the design is great, but the downside is the costs for an organization. The entrance prices are very high, making the threshold for enthusiasts increasingly higher and you will certainly not attract new curious visitors. Furthermore, I believe that the level of youth cross-country in the Netherlands is high, which does not go unnoticed in the rest of Europe given the participation in the ONK youth from other countries!”
MXMag: Thank you Michael!
MD: “Of course you're welcome.”
By: Steven van Kempen/KEMCO
Photo: Own archive
