Race of Champions

Brian Deegan makes the switch from dirt to pavement at the 2011 Race of Champions. Gallery

ESPN.com: How was your first experience at Race of Champions?
Deegan: It was cool. I got to drive with a lot of big name drivers and it's just an honor to be a part of that group. It's pavement and a super tight course -- like Go-Kart racing -- and everything I have ever done has been on the dirt where you can get a little crazier. It was definitely a tough, tough race.

What was the hardest part of the race itself?
Switching from different car to different car, because every car was totally different. They turned different and shifted different. The track was slick with just no traction and it's really narrow, so it's really hard not to hit the walls. That's the main thing.

Did you damage any cars throughout your practice and racing?
Not too much. I definitely side-swiped the wall a few times, especially with the bigger Stock Car.

Well what was the funnest car to drive out of that lot?
I would say probably the Audi R8. Because it was so fast.

You have been around a lot of stars, but which one of these drivers impressed you most?
There were a few of the guys that I had never really heard of that are just really good drivers, but (DTM Touring car champion) Mattias Ekstrom, he was really good and of course Vettel and Schumacher were the fastest guys. Then (Le Mans champion) Tom Kristensen's another good guy. They are all champions.

Photo by: Melissa Eickhoff"I would say the Audi R8 was the funnest to drive, because it was so fast," says Deegan.

Did you pick up any lessons you could take away and bring to your own racing?
Oh yeah, that's why I came over. That was the main thing, just to come and try to learn. I studied them and there are a lot of different driving styles out there. I definitely learned about car control. I just watched all these other guys drive.

You think you would want to switch to more pavement racing?
I definitely feel natural on the dirt and the pavement is just a different deal. This didn't really fit my style of driving at all, so I don't know if it is something I would want to pursue.

What was it like to be Travis Pastrana's teammate for a change?
It was cool. After a whole career of competing against Travis to be on the same team, representing America. We had a good run going for a little while when Travis was typical Travis (laughing) you know, going for it. Spins out and crashes into the wall and almost rolls the car. At that point was when we just said "screw it" and started going nuts.

What about defending your X Games gold medal? Are you going to get more rally car seat time? Any thoughts of competing in WRC like Ken Block?
I'm going to race a couple of Rallycross races in America and get more equipped with the car. I am sure it's just going to keep getting harder every year. I wouldn't mind going to Europe and competing in RallyCross, since that seems like ot would fit me better and Europe is where the best guys are. Stage rally? That's not really my deal. Rallycross is just how I grew up racing supercross and motocross. You go out and race. You can pass people, run into them, stuff them, cut them off. It's a strategy you know? That's why I don't like timed racing, I like full contact.

Photo by: Melissa EickhoffTeam USA in the International Lobby: Deegan (left) and Pastrana (right).

Do we get to see you do any FMX in the future?
Right now I am just having fun racing cars and trucks. We will have a Metal Mulisha monster truck at Monster Jam in January and I am going to drive that a few times. I love riding and the guys will come ride over at the house and once in a while, if I have a minute, I will put the gear on and go hit ramps. I still do all the flip tricks, but it's just for fun now. I'm going to work on Step Up and if I am feeling good, come X Games time, I wouldn't mind doing Step Up. I like that event. Dirt bikes are something I will always do. That's what I love doing, but right now it's just hard finding the time.

You must spend a lot of time outside your race career working on Metal Mulisha too.
Yeah, that's a full-time job. Mulisha's growing so fast and you have got to stay on top of it. There are so many different directions and avenues it is going. That's the main reason why I came over here to Europe -- because I feel Mulisha should be blowing up over here. I have had fun here in Germany and everyone has been nice and been good to me so this was a cool opportunity and I met a lot of cool people. But next year it would be nice if we had time to prepare and had a shot to win this thing!