SJ: So turning to this season, you weren’t at the first CEV race at Portimao. What happened?

DC: We wanted to go to the first round in Portugal but there were some things that got in the way. The team said that they’d prefer that I come to the second round where we’d be more prepared and have a better chance when everything’s ready. And also I have to go to school and everything.

It was also a bit of a late agreement with the team, and having more time to deal with sponsorship [seemed like a good idea].

SJ: Which team will you ride with in the 2015 CEV?

DC: It’s Promoracing run by Dani Devahive. The team has been running for several years and has been very successful. I have a lot of faith in them because Dani has worked with several great riders. He’s worked with the Espargaro brothers and the Vinales brothers, so he definitely has a good reputation.

SJ: My understanding of young riders coming into the CEV series is that most of the time they need to bring sponsorship money to the team. Has it been difficult to find sponsorship money to support your desire to race in this championship?

DC: It’s very difficult.

Adrian Costilla, Daniel’s father, had some comments on this topic: AC: At this point Daniel is only one step away [from GP racing]. And it has been difficult because when we went to the British Superbike Motostar series it was affordable for a family, but when you switch to the Junior World Championship it’s four times as expensive. So we’ve been struggling to get the sponsorship, which is very difficult to get here in the United States. The kids from Europe, they get banks, or insurance companies paying for everything, but we have none of that here in the US.

SJ: Coincidentally, yesterday I spoke with Gabe Hernandez about his coming season in the Red Bull Rookies Cup. From Gabe I learned that you had applied to the RBRC and been invited to the Selection Event as well. Was it your plan to do the CEV and the RBRC seasons together if you’d been picked for the Rookies?

DC: I applied thinking that if I did make it, that’s another option I’d have for 2015. I was hoping to do both, but the main plan has been to compete in the CEV Junior World Championship.

SJ: Assuming that you’ll begin the 2015 CEV season with the second race at Le Mans, what are your goals for a near-complete season? It sounds like you’ll be on a team that’s competitive, but which may not have a factory bike for you.

DC: My goal is of course to be doing the best that I can, but as far as a target, to be in points scoring positions, and then from that point on to become more competitive, become more confident in myself and the team so that we can start putting in better results. I know the bike is fairly competitive, even though it’s not factory, but it’s a good bike with a really good team. It’s going to be really hard, as I haven’t ridden any of these tracks, and it’ll be a bigger learning curve than it was in the British Superbike series – the intensity and competition will be higher in the Spanish championship. So mainly my target is to be competitive and just do the best I can.

SJ: Will you be moving away from home as you did for BSB, or will you be commuting from California for the Spanish races?

DC: I’ll be staying in Spain. From the second round on I’ll be living there with a trainer and a Promoracing teammate who races in the Moto2 category. I’ll be living with them.

SJ: So this will be the first time living on your own, away from your family?

DC: In the beginning my dad will go with me for a couple of weeks, but then he’ll have to come back to the US. I’ll stay there and my parents will come to visit.

I did live away from home in England, but yes, this will be the first time without my parents there to rely on and count on. It’s just going to be me living with my roommates but it’ll be in a different country, a completely different language, it’s almost like I have to grow up a lot quicker. But I’m excited to see things moving toward pursuing my dream to make it to MotoGP.

SJ: How long have you had this dream, this goal of making it to MotoGP?

DC: Oh, I’d say when I first started riding a bike, watching on TV and seeing Valentino Rossi, Dani Pedrosa, those riders and those bikes, I knew this was what I wanted to do. Pursuing that dream is definitely difficult but I hope that with time it’ll become easier. Where I’m going now is that one step closer to the Moto3 World Championship, then the Moto2 World Championship, so I’m very close to my dream now and I hope I can do my best to make that dream a reality.

Our sincere thanks to Daniel and his family for sharing his story, and our best wishes for a successful 2015 CEV season.

To follow Daniel’s progress, watch 2015 Respol CEV coverage on Youtube (Round 1 is available with English commentary, so let’s hope this continues), and keep an eye on Daniel’s Facebook page and his website.

Photographs: ©2015 by Kevin Hipp – All Rights Reserved