Vince Friese is arguably one of the most underrated riders in supercross. He races hard, he never backs out of a fight, and by their own admission, his opponents are afraid to overtake him. He rarely gets the credit he deserves, but thanks to his uncompromising, and at times, controversial, racing style, Friese has also become one of the most polarising figures of the sport.
After contending for consecutive championship titles, Friese is back in the FIM World Supercross Championship for 2024, and has his sights locked on his ultimate goal: becoming a WSX World Supercross champion.
The journey has been long for the Missouri-born racer, but in every high and in the face of every low, his determination, commitment to riding, and competitive drive have been unquestionable.
But when a divisive figure rises to prominence in sport, myth and legend blur with fact and reality. A person becomes a persona – no more than a character in a play. That leaves us questioning who a person truly is away from the spotlight. So, who is the real Vince Friese?
“I avoid social media and the limelight a little bit, but I’m a different person with the helmet on, that’s for sure,” Friese tells Laurette Nicoll in WSX’s exclusive YouTube series, The Inside Line. I’m competitive off the bike, but I’m not a killer off the bike like I am when I’m on the bike. The few people who get to know me get to see me in a different light, but I’m pretty mean when I get on a motorcycle.”
Truly understanding the mind of any sportsperson is a rare prospect, but in Friese, his focus and desire to win are more than mere personality traits. He has a naturally competitive attitude – it’s instinctual.
“I’ve always had that focus when it comes to race time,” he explains. “I think in WSX, it’s been magnified a little bit because I’m racing for wins every weekend. In the American supercross, I’ve had that same mindset and caught a lot of people by surprise by beating riders that are maybe paid 10-times more than what I am, and beating them consistently on what people think is lesser equipment, even though I believe I have the best motorcycle in the sport. I’ve always had that, but it’s been magnified in WSX which is awesome for me and my team, but I haven’t been in the limelight that much for people to see the personal side of me – they just see me on the bike. I’m competitive pretty much everywhere I go and in everything that I do, but on a motorcycle is the most competitive you’re going to see me.”
Friese started his third season in WSX in October and put his racing style on full display at the WSX Canadian GP in Vancouver, securing good starts, bagging holeshots, and racing every single lap like it’s his last. In 2024 his goal is the same as it was in 2023, and even in 2022. He wants to come out on top in the series’ premier WSX 450cc class by winning a World Championship title.
“I believe in WSX as a rider,” continues Friese, who has represented MotoConcepts Racing in the championship since 2022. “I like the way WSX takes care of the riders, the team likes the way they take care of the teams, and we’re putting our effort in there. MotoConcepts have told us that WSX is the main focus, and for me, it’s been awesome. I make more money at WSX than I ever have in the American supercross, so we’re going to keep focusing on that and try to win a championship. Right now, my main focus is on weekend wins but doing that will mean being in the title fight at the end. In the last two seasons we’ve been right there coming into the last race, and it would be awesome to get it done. I’ve dreamed about that, and it’s a big goal of mine and the team. We came up a little short [in 2022 and 2023] but we’ve been close every time. If we keep sticking it in there, keep fighting hard and with the team giving me their best, I think we’re going to get it done.”
By his own admission, Friese acknowledges that he can turn almost anything into a source of motivation, be it on the practice track between events, or in the heat of a WSX SuperFinal. But why does he do it? What does he have to prove?
“I don’t feel like I need to prove myself to anybody else, but to myself, I do,” he states. “I feel like I’m capable of getting it done in the premier class, so I feel like there’s more to prove to myself. I don’t care too much about anybody else – I’ve done this for so long now that I don’t think I have much to prove.”
Friese is right. While he’s regularly viewed as the underdog in WSX, time and time again, he has beaten some of the best riders in the world, including two-time series champion, Ken Roczen.
It’s with this dedication that Friese puts himself in the fight and ensures that he ends up in title contention coming into the final race of the season.
“I know that people are surprised that I’m there [at the front] and able to battle with Kenny [Roczen] and Eli [Tomac] at these races,” admits Friese. “Any other team, any other rider, they don’t expect me to compete at that level, and you would think that they would because it’s been years now.
“I would understand if it was five years or so ago, but for the last three years I’ve been a consistently top guy and they all seem to think that they’re going to beat me, but I enjoy coming out and proving them wrong.
"I think a lot of people still see me as that guy who couldn’t make a main event from 10 or 15 years ago, and they just don’t want to believe that I’m better than them now. And that’s been cool for me – there’s not been many riders in the sport who have progressed in that way, from not being a main event guy to a podium guy, and I’ve bridged that gap slowly but surely over a lot of years. A lot of them still don’t want to believe it, but we’re here and we’re a threat every time we’re out there.”
But alongside being the underdog, Friese has also become a polarising figure. His will to win has sometimes spilled over, leading some of WSX’s more controversial moments in recent seasons.
Friese is aware of his reputation. He knows that while many love him, just as many hate him, and that’s something he doesn’t read into. It just doesn’t bother him, and outside of the paddock, that shows.
The difference between Vince Friese, father, husband, and recreational golfer, to Vince Friese, supercross rider and stadium warrior, is stark. The transition is jarring to see.
“Everything I do, I want to do it to the best that I can, and racing is the main thing that I’m focused on,” he says. “I’m super competitive, and I know that if I’m going to do something, I’m going to do it right. I think my reputation is fair. The way that I ride is going to bring opinions out of the fans, and there are a lot of ways you can say that I’m polarising, but it is what it is, I guess. I’m not unaware of my reputation. I know it, and I don’t read too much into it.”
“I like to think that’s what you would want out of a professional athlete that you’re paying to go to battle every weekend,” continues Friese. “Do you want to have a guy who will roll over for the guys behind him, or do you want him to fight for every position?
“I’ve been lucky to have the team behind me for a long time, and I’m naturally that guy when I put a helmet on. I’m competitive, but I’m lucky to have those guys supporting me. They like the fact that I’m competitive, and that I race hard. Why would I not fight for every position and try my hardest when I’m on the track?
“I know a lot of riders don’t like it – they like to use me as a crutch or an excuse if they have a bad night, and like I said earlier they don’t think I’m as good as them. If I beat them, they like to find an excuse. It’s definitely earned me a reputation, but that doesn’t phase me at all. I just like racing dirt bikes.”