Fans of the sport are spoilt nowadays, as there is so much racing each weekend. The FIM Motocross World Championship has grown in stature in recent years, thanks in part to the coverage that Lewis Phillips of MX Vice has brought to the series. MotoOnline.com caught up with Lewis to discuss what it is like to cover such a global series and why grand prix riders are so incredibly open when discussing their issues on and off the track.

Tell us a bit about your role and how you got involved in the industry?

I’m the editor at MX Vice, so I’m in charge of all of the content and the direction that part of the business heads in. I also look after media relations for some manufacturers, seeing as I’m at every event and have proven myself. Things like that just come up whenever you are so invested in something! I’m one of the few people who get to go to every round of the FIM Motocross World Championship, which is insane when I think about it. I used to dream about travelling around Europe to cover motocross races! Put simply, my priority is acquiring the stories that I know that the fans want. How did I get into the industry with MX Vice? There was luck involved, as well as tenacity on my side. I got involved when MX Vice was only just starting out. I randomly stumbled across their social accounts and the top post was an advert for contributors. I was still in school at that point, but thought that I would give it a shot. What did I have to lose? It took me six months to actually get a reply – I sent some desperate messages in that time. From there, I worked for free for two years and then worked my way up the ladder.

Seeing as you put that much effort into chasing an unpaid job, you must have known that this is the role you wanted?

I’ve wanted this since I was seven years old. Seriously! I used to write reports on races that were happening around the world, then print them out and keep them in a binder. They never went anywhere – I just loved it. I have honestly never considered doing anything other than this; I never had a back-up plan in my life. It actually scares me when I look back and think that, because the chances of me being in the position that I am now were so slim. All of my college courses were based around being a journalist in motocross! Crazy.

Is being involved in the sport exactly what you imagined? Have you slot into the industry in the way that you imagined?

Starting with the second point, I have grown a lot since I got this job. I believe that is normal though, right? Working somewhere is always going to shape you as a person and change the way that you view things. It is quite funny because I was horrifically shy when I first started. I honestly thought that would be the thing to kill my career. I have really come out of my shell since taking on this job though. I host podcasts, regularly appear on other shows and have been on live television. I’d have refused to do any of that ten years ago. Being involved in the sport is a lot like I imagined. Learning things first and being trusted to break stories is still such a rush – it really means a lot to me. I think the biggest shock to me, once I got to peek behind the curtain, was that a lot of the riders are willing to laugh and make jokes at their own expense. I certainly do not think that is the case in other major championships. It is probably a weird answer to fire back with, but it is the thing that I tell everyone. You would not believe just how ‘normal’ a lot of these people are!

Is it easier than you thought to get scoops and access then, bearing that in mind? It sounds like riders are quite open with what they are thinking about.

Oh, yeah, certainly. There is no doubt that it is much easier to pry some information from stars than I ever would have thought – that comes when there is a level of trust thought. Like everyone, I get told stuff that I cannot share and it is almost like a little test. I have never blown one of those experiments and thus I was welcomed into the circle of trust! There is definitely some pressure with that stuff. It is almost like treading a fine line between right and wrong all of the time.

What has been your biggest success whilst covering the FIM Motocross World Championship, in your opinion?

I think that my rider interviews have definitely helped me make a name for myself. I have been able to get some really insightful interviews and show each guy in a different light. Some of the stuff that I have gotten on record over the years still surprises me to this day! I think that my interviews have done a lot for making Jeffrey Herlings, Jeremy Seewer and Pauls Jonass a lot more popular than they were previously. I take a lot of pride in that – I think that shows that I am having a positive impact on the industry!