Ducati MotoGP racer Jack Miller lifts a wheel on his Desmosedici racing bike
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If you endorse Malcolm Gladwell’s idea that it takes 10,000 hours to truly master a complex skill, then Ducati MotoGP racer Jack Miller had a serious head start when he took his first motorcycle ride at the age of 3.
Jack Miller rode his first motorcycle before he turned 3 and has not stopped since
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This early exposure led to an early passion for two-wheeled, motorized devices. And this passion, combined with supportive parents and a laser focus on constantly improving his craft, earned Jack Miller his first MotoGP ride at the age of 20. At 23, he joined Pramac Racing, a Ducati-backed team, and last year, at 26, Jack became Ducati’s official factory rider for the 2021 MotoGP season. His next race will be on October 3rd in Austin, Texas.
We recently spoke with Jack Miller about why he became a motorcycle racer, how he trained between races, what victory meant the most, and what Ducati represents in the hyper-intense realm of MotoGP.
Jack Miller has signed up as a Ducati factory rider for the 2021 MotoGP season
RUDY CAREZZEVOLI
What’s the best part about being a motorcycle racer?
I’ve always been drawn to motorcycling. I’ve been riding a motorcycle since I was around 3 years old, actually I wasn’t quite 3 years old, and there was just something to it. Every chance I got as a kid was all I wanted to do. Thank goodness I grew up on a farm and could literally sneak out of the house, jump on my bike, and disappear. It just gave me a sense of freedom.
And as a kid you don’t really think about growing up and actually growing up and getting a job. But with the help of my parents pushing me a little more, they saw how much I loved the sport and said, ‘Hey, you have to indulge and get involved’ because they obviously saw more in me than I did to this one Timely, and they understood that you can turn it into a job. I look back on those times and think thank god they did because I feel like the happiest person in the world. I am able to do this and have been a professional for almost 10 years now. It was a fantastic job that took me to places in the world that I never thought I would go. Everything from motorcycling. That’s the only thing I took with me naturally. I can’t kick or throw a ball that well. I think it should just be like that.
The focus on competitions and victories led Jack to ride at MotoGP level
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When did you know you wanted to ride a motorcycle?
As a kid, as soon as I started riding, I had an older brother and I would race him and already beat him. And I wanted to find someone who could race, but we had no idea about motorcycle racing, so Dad figured out how to get in there and it just started like that. I just wanted to ride my bike with other kids who love to ride bikes. I grew up with motocross and always wanted to be a pro, but as a kid it’s a dream. They understand that it is so far from reality.
They couldn’t really script it. It all happened so naturally, nothing was ever enforced. We were just about to find our way because we didn’t really know where to go with it. Just having the surrender to be able to do something and focus and know that you have to work for it and that things are not easy. Besides, I don’t like to lose. Monopoly or whatever, I don’t like to lose. I’m one of those people who, when I can’t win, find a way to figure out what to do.
Training between races includes cycling and motocross riding
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How do you train to stay on top of your game?
I used to run a lot, but I found the bike about 5 or 6 years ago and spent many hours on it all week. In between and riding various other motorcycles, regardless of whether I ride motocross dirt track or these smaller racing bikes, because we can’t ride a MotoGP bike for the week. We are fortunate to have the Panigale V4S with Ducati and that has been a great tool for us to train on. Getting as close to a MotoGP bike as possible and that helps a lot. The biggest thing is cardio and weight so the bikes have been a great tool for me.
Jack’s win this year in Jerez, Spain is his more rewarding win – so far
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What has been the most rewarding achievement of your career so far?
The most rewarding win this year should be dry in Jerez. Something I’ve worked so many hours, countless hours for. And through so many ups and downs – injuries, things like that. And I did something unconventional, where I switched directly from Moto3 to MotoGP, and I had a lot of doubters, a lot of people write me off. I had a win before but it was wet and it’s still a win, it’s on my résumé but there is always a question mark. There was no question mark that day. All the boys were there – I was the best man on the track, and afterwards the flood of emotions went through you. All the ups and downs, if you wanted to give up, you forget them all and know ‘we made it’.
Joining the Ducati factory team meant getting one of these Ducati racing suits
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What is Ducati’s motorcycle experience?
Most of all, it has a sense of class. The prestige of it. It’s Ducati. Everyone knows what Ducati is. When people think of the fastest or the fastest bike, they think of Ducati. It’s elegance. It’s great. The crème de la crème – nothing is spared, everything is only the best of the best. And it’s just a phenomenal experience, whether it’s a Panigale or the MotoGP bike. And it was a great honor this year and I always dreamed of getting this red leather suit. Just being able to hang it up in my house and say, “Hey, I was a factory Ducati rider”. You don’t even think about that because it seems so absurd. But being part of that brand is just great.
The look and sound of the Desmosedici create a unique experience for drivers and spectators
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And Ducatis just sound so different. The Desmo system creates a completely different bark. And right now, with the V4, you know a Ducati more than any other bike. And you can hear it, it’s aggressive and one of those things like a Ferrari pulling away. There is just something that makes the hair stand up on the nape of the neck. The sound. The history. It’s a mega-corporation to be associated with.