This story was written in June of 2008, finally decided to share it.
"It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt"
How true that statement can be and although the majority of us may have heard this from our parents it never really held much weight until now for me. I don’t have to tell anyone that the world we live in is a dangerous place. Every single day people lose that roll of the dice with fate and well crap happens...to paraphrase another well known cliché.
In racing the possibility of injury is a way of life, it really isn’t a question of if but rather when and how bad. When bad things happen the family of the sport really shines through as without fail your friends and people whom you may not know any more about than the number on their jersey pitch in and help. I recently helped a young girl who was at an open practice load her boyfriend’s bike as he was being loaded up for transport. As I pushed the bike over to his truck the folks pitted around them who immediately knew something had happened, came over and like a swarm of bees had everything loaded up. I went to give her the keys but she couldn’t drive with the stick-shift so we decide that parking it by the track office would make him feel good and then she could ride with him to the ER. As we drove over she remarked that she didn’t spend much time with him at the track and was surprised at how everybody came over and was so nice to her, asking how she was and helping out. I explained to her that it was just how it was with racers and their families, we all know it sucks to crash and we also know that someday it will be our turn in the barrel. How soon I would get a chance to be right about that one, as not too long after that practice day our barrel rolled in.
It was just another typical race day for us at Winchester Speedpark as we got ready to go for round 4 of the series, it rained the night before but beautiful blue skies greeted us in the morning so it looked like practice would be muddy but the track would shape up to be mint for racing. Jake gated up for his heat race feeling good about the day, he had run a solid fourth in his first outing on the 2008 SX layout and expected to do well again. The gate dropped and he reacted well off the line coming off the start running top five, as the pack rounded turn two Jake had only a handful of guys ahead perfectly set up for the double that would separate the pack a bit allowing him to run smooth laps to work his lines and get a great gate pick for the main....except that didn’t happen.
As soon as Jake left the face of the jump I knew something was wrong because he kicked his left leg out and twisted at the top of the bike. When he came down it looked like he flat landed then bounce-rolled over the next jump off the side of the track and went down. I didn’t really think it was going to be too serious as Jake would most likely get up any time now and remount to finish his heat, pissed at himself for not doing better.....except that didn’t happen either.
As I walked to the corner of the mechanics area to get a better look I saw a track ref pulling Jake’s bike up off him and kneeling down but instead of helping Jake stand up he began vigorously waving for the EMT’s to come over and I felt the bottom drop out of my stomach. At this point everything took on that surreal quality that life sometimes has as it got real quiet for me, I couldn’t really hear the bikes still racing around the track anymore but I was suddenly aware of the wind from the trees behind me. I watched them racing to Jakes side flags waving all over the section as multiple riders had gone down. I stood tensed at the edge of the rope separating me from the track waiting to see how Jake was when I noticed the red flag was now also waving and my stomach found a new low as I knew this meant someone wasn’t getting up, turned out it was my someone.
After the track was cleared I was waved over and I sprinted across the track as fast as I could which was really no match for the way my mind was racing. It was scary to see Jake at the center of a full on exam, head and neck being supported as they prepared to put him on a back board. I knelt down and told Jake I was there for him as he occasionally cried out in pain and the medics did their job. The scariest moment for me was as they ran through the standard various questions to see if he was OK and asked “Jake can you move your foot?” and he said “No” I can’t begin to describe to you all how I felt at that point and even as I write this it is going to make me cry again, I just couldn’t believe I heard him say that.
Then he said “Something is under it.” One of the medical bags had been put down just below his boot and his foot ended up resting against it. At which point the EMT said “Just wiggle your toes, can you wiggle your toes?” And he said “Yes” I almost laughed in relief at that point as that is just so Jake, no matter what he has to give the correct answers to the exact question. Well they back-boarded Jake and we headed for the ambulance as they got me up to speed on what was going to happen, we would be going to the local ER and from there would decide what Jake needed. Once Jake was secured I took off to get the truck to follow behind the ambulance at no point during any of this did I see Jakes bike or any of the gear they took off him but as I ran back to the pits our family descended. “We’ll take care of your stuff just go” and go I did without a second thought knowing Jake and I would be well taken care of in the hands of our extended family and that the folks who loved the sport we loved would be thinking about us and feeling our pain.
As we sped along the highway my eyes grimly focused on the twin back windows of the ambulance in front of me, pulsing lights almost hypnotic after a few miles and I began to play the blame game in my head.
“I shouldn’t have told him to be aggressive on that jump, he could have waited a lap....it’s all my fault.”
What if he has permanent damage? What if he needs surgery?....it’s all my fault”
“What the hell was I thinking even getting him into this.....it’s all my fault”
Sing along with me if you know the words.
At that point I had what some folks describe as a moment of clarity and a line from some old western movie whose name escapes me just popped into my head pushing all of the other scattered worries away.
”Sometimes you just have to roll with what life throws you”
So I just sort of told myself to stop and began to focus on the things that I knew lay ahead now that life had thrown us this little curve. Thankfully I can say that everything ended pretty well for Jake that day after a full round of testing, pokes, prods and scans he was determined to have fractured his L-1 vertebrae but there was no nerve damage or complications. It was definitely going to hurt for a bit but he would recover and be back to race another day.
Am I scared about what will happen?
Hell yeah; but that is a part of life and no matter what we do there is no way to keep the bad things in life at bay. When you grab hold of life and shake it for all it is worth sometimes things happen that you don’t expect. I believe it really is the testing of our mettle that shows us how strong we are, even when we would rather not see it.
After all is said and done it isn’t about how hard you fall but how hard you try to get back up that matters the most.
And so the games begin again......
Showing posts with label racing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label racing. Show all posts
1/3/09
Fire in the Game.
Well here we are on the verge of the 2009 Supercross season and there is a little fire in the game again this year. Chad Reed has the number one plate to defend and although he looks fit and happy on the yellow bike he also has a lot of weight to carry. The always outspoken Aussie has continued to have a prickly relationship with a portion of the US SX fan base and will need to lay down some wins this year to solidify his position as one of the sports elite. Personally I like the guy from what I see and read from him, he is a straight shooter that will tell you what he is thinking. Sometimes it is exactly that candidly, passionate stance which has raised the ire of the fans but I think that’s unfair to count that as a negative. If training and riding with Rockstar/Makita Suzuki teammate RC has had any effect on Reed’s confidence then we may see a very dangerous guy under the 22’s helmet because if history has proven one thing it is that James Stewart’s only weakness was Carmichael’s ability to put him under pressure.
So what will we see out of James this year? Everybody seems ready to give him the championship before the gate has even dropped once and I have to say that seems like a smart bet. Stewart looked smooth and unstoppable at Bercy but only took the win at the US Open after Reed bobbled on night two. There is no question that giving James an open track is a recipe for a blow out so look for Reed to take a page from RC and apply constant steady pressure. If Reed can run James’ pace early and often without it putting him on the ground then we have got a game my friends.
Kevin Windham is returning after possibly his strongest season in SX since his days on a two-stroke 125 and if he is in his groove again look for K-Dub to take a win again this year and be a player on the podium more than that. Honda teammates Davi Millsaps and Andrew Short will also be fighting for a spot on those crowded 3 steps and both can be counted as possible contenders for a win depending on how the game goes up front. Millsaps needs to bring the fire he brought to take the win at Atlanta and Short needs to start out this year fighting as hard for a win as he finished it last season. Villopoto makes his move to the 450 class this year to high expectations and some large boots to fill. So far he has been playing it very low key and putting in massive amounts of time on the test track prepping. I think this kid is going to ride smart start taking some podium spots in the Supercross class towards the end of the season and indeed may even be the spoiler for the championship race.
Team Yamaha has some rebuilding going on with Broc Hepler and Josh Hill both looking to put in strong rides, hopefully Hepler can make it through the season without injury as that has really been the only thing keeping him down. Joe Gibb’s will also be flying the colors for big blue and with Cody Cooper and a very motivated Josh Grant they should be not just a very viable team to look for on the podium but an indication of the future of racing.
Now on to the Lites;
The Lites class has been the place to find the fighting and scrapping for the past couple years and this season looks to be a repeat of that trend. The West Coast field is about as stacked as it can be so I am just going to talk about the obvious.
My pick for the West Coast title battle is going to be Ryan Dungey versus Trey Canard with Jason Lawrence throwing in the unknown element that is his calling card. Dungey let himself be beat last year by his own mistakes more than anything else.
Did J-Law get in Dungey’s head?
Absolutely yes but don’t look for that to happen this year and I also don’t expect that Ryan will make the same rookie mistakes that cost him the title last year. That brings us to the other guy on the line running a number one plate Geico Powersport/Factory Connection’s affable and determined returning East Coast champ Trey Canard. Look for this kid to be the one who can run Dungey hard, be patient when he needs to and take some wins when it counts. Trey is who I want to pick to win it but I think Dungey has got the fire this year and has something to prove before he leaves the Lites class.
All of which brings us to Lawrence, the guy with a question mark running just under that number one on his plate.
What can we expect from Jason? Well who the heck knows….
The kid has got some talent but the struggles with “outside influence” kept him from really showing his ability. If Jason has been working hard he can definitely get it done but the long run hasn’t proven to be his strong suit and I don’t expect that if Dungey has consistency issues it will be Jason who is there to take advantage, the field is too strong this year.
Austin Stroupe will be the banner rider for Mitch Payton this year so he has got a fair degree of pressure on his shoulders to bring something to the table. Brett Metcalfe made a surprising jump from under the Pro Circuit Kawasaki tent to run with the other powerhouse for the Lites class at Geico/FC Honda along with Dan Reardon who I think will run strong through the series. Martin Davalos has put in some solid rides over the past couple seasons but has yet to have that break out ride to take him to the next level time will tell if that is going to change this year.
Best quote to sum it up so far comes from Kevin Windham;
“Reality is there’s going to be a lot of guys hunting for three spots and the podium isn’t getting any bigger.”
Now let’s drop the gate and see who comes out on top.
So what will we see out of James this year? Everybody seems ready to give him the championship before the gate has even dropped once and I have to say that seems like a smart bet. Stewart looked smooth and unstoppable at Bercy but only took the win at the US Open after Reed bobbled on night two. There is no question that giving James an open track is a recipe for a blow out so look for Reed to take a page from RC and apply constant steady pressure. If Reed can run James’ pace early and often without it putting him on the ground then we have got a game my friends.
Kevin Windham is returning after possibly his strongest season in SX since his days on a two-stroke 125 and if he is in his groove again look for K-Dub to take a win again this year and be a player on the podium more than that. Honda teammates Davi Millsaps and Andrew Short will also be fighting for a spot on those crowded 3 steps and both can be counted as possible contenders for a win depending on how the game goes up front. Millsaps needs to bring the fire he brought to take the win at Atlanta and Short needs to start out this year fighting as hard for a win as he finished it last season. Villopoto makes his move to the 450 class this year to high expectations and some large boots to fill. So far he has been playing it very low key and putting in massive amounts of time on the test track prepping. I think this kid is going to ride smart start taking some podium spots in the Supercross class towards the end of the season and indeed may even be the spoiler for the championship race.
Team Yamaha has some rebuilding going on with Broc Hepler and Josh Hill both looking to put in strong rides, hopefully Hepler can make it through the season without injury as that has really been the only thing keeping him down. Joe Gibb’s will also be flying the colors for big blue and with Cody Cooper and a very motivated Josh Grant they should be not just a very viable team to look for on the podium but an indication of the future of racing.
Now on to the Lites;
The Lites class has been the place to find the fighting and scrapping for the past couple years and this season looks to be a repeat of that trend. The West Coast field is about as stacked as it can be so I am just going to talk about the obvious.
My pick for the West Coast title battle is going to be Ryan Dungey versus Trey Canard with Jason Lawrence throwing in the unknown element that is his calling card. Dungey let himself be beat last year by his own mistakes more than anything else.
Did J-Law get in Dungey’s head?
Absolutely yes but don’t look for that to happen this year and I also don’t expect that Ryan will make the same rookie mistakes that cost him the title last year. That brings us to the other guy on the line running a number one plate Geico Powersport/Factory Connection’s affable and determined returning East Coast champ Trey Canard. Look for this kid to be the one who can run Dungey hard, be patient when he needs to and take some wins when it counts. Trey is who I want to pick to win it but I think Dungey has got the fire this year and has something to prove before he leaves the Lites class.
All of which brings us to Lawrence, the guy with a question mark running just under that number one on his plate.
What can we expect from Jason? Well who the heck knows….
The kid has got some talent but the struggles with “outside influence” kept him from really showing his ability. If Jason has been working hard he can definitely get it done but the long run hasn’t proven to be his strong suit and I don’t expect that if Dungey has consistency issues it will be Jason who is there to take advantage, the field is too strong this year.
Austin Stroupe will be the banner rider for Mitch Payton this year so he has got a fair degree of pressure on his shoulders to bring something to the table. Brett Metcalfe made a surprising jump from under the Pro Circuit Kawasaki tent to run with the other powerhouse for the Lites class at Geico/FC Honda along with Dan Reardon who I think will run strong through the series. Martin Davalos has put in some solid rides over the past couple seasons but has yet to have that break out ride to take him to the next level time will tell if that is going to change this year.
Best quote to sum it up so far comes from Kevin Windham;
“Reality is there’s going to be a lot of guys hunting for three spots and the podium isn’t getting any bigger.”
Now let’s drop the gate and see who comes out on top.
2/19/08
March on Atlanta
So far the Lites class riders have provided some of the best racing and certainly the most dramatic turn of events in the 2008 season. The frenetic pace that is set by the shorter series length has definitely shown how quickly fortunes can turn and provides a chance to see some great breakout rides. With the approach of the Atlanta race on Feb 23rd it seems like it’s time to cover a little preview ground. I am particularly looking forward to the start of the East Coast rounds since it will my first chance to see the spectacle in person as my son and I will be making the trip south.
Jumping right in with the Pro Circuit squad you have Ryan Villopoto who is of course the odds on favorite or at least was. With the wrist surgery announced at Anaheim he has suddenly become an unknown at least for the opener and I honestly don’t know how he will do in SX this year, his skills are obvious but I think a lot will depend on how well he heals.
Branden Jesseman; who has gotten the ride to replace the injured Pourcel has shown he can ride at the front with last years Orlando win, now he just needs to keep healthy. Jesseman has set the bar high saying at the press conference before A-3 “I expect myself to be on the box every weekend. If I’m not I feel I’d be very much a disappointment”, that has got to be music to Mitch Payton’s ears.
The Torco Race Fuels team will be headed by Josh Grant now a perennial Lites rider who has just never really had a good run at a championship without injury. Josh will be joined by the talented young Okie Trey Canard. I am going to go ahead and make a another pick from the Factory Connection and Honda backed squad as my dark horse contender by saying I think Canard will run steady and be in it for the Top 3 in the long haul. The capable and poised young rider showed stamina in the outdoors as well as great focus and looks to be ready to do some damage in SX.
MDK/KTM is coming to the east coast rounds loaded for bear with Martin Davalos who has certainly got the SX skills but had some bad luck in last years west coast rounds. Matt Goerke is my pick out of the three to make some things happen, I have seen some practice video and Matt looks to be ready to make some noise. Can fellow MDK/Lites Ryan Sipes stay healthy?
Now for this edition of how the Ben turns; with Ben Townley hurt is Ben Coisy for real and can he make some noise ala Pourcel in 07. Coisy certainly looked strong in smuggled footage from the Honda test track breaking the news on DV12.com in early February. The real question is going to boil down to how much time has he had to prepare and is he comfortable on US soil?
Looking at the Boost Mobile/Yamaha of Troy East Coast effort I would expect Ryan Morais to try and follow last year’s strength and consistency and definitely come out charging after last years near championship run. How about Tyler Bowers? The lingering question for me will be; is Bowers too big for the Lites bike? We saw him last year at the Boo Koo AX final and he was killing it on the 250F but as Josh Hill has proven some guys just ride the 450 better and SX may be the difference that affects Bowers speed.
Kyle Partridge will be running with the flag for Team Solitaire and I think we could see a breakout ride from this kid at least once during the season and I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he came out swinging at round one.
Another new kid on the SX block is Rockstar/Makita Suzuki recruit Nico Izzy, after watching Izzi grow up as a dominant mini riding force on DVD it will be interesting to see how he flexes his muscles as a pro.
Phil Nicoletti and Kyle Chislom are heading up the effort for Extreme Lites and both of these young riders can ride top five on a given night the question is will they be able to sustain that kind of pace. Unknowns coming into 2008 include Amateur standouts Sean Hackley and Blake Warton, I know that Hackley had some injury issues last year and I flat out don’t know what Wharton is up to now.
So that is how I see it at the outset of the East Coast rounds, let’s wait a few weeks and see how my crystal ball has worked out.
Now I'll move on to the Supercross class and with that train coming into the ATL station I only have one thing to say;
Kevin Windham has found his happy place and that ladies and gentlemen is a very dangerous occurence.
This is a guy that has snapped a couple winning streaks by a guy named Ricky that used to run the table a whole lot and I think before all is said and done we are going to see K-Dub on the top step again in 08.
While some may say that the Houston victory was a freak event I have to think that knowing all it takes a bad start for Chad to struggle will only feed the fires that 14, 15 and 118 have been stoking on Reeds heels.
Now all Reed really has to do for the Championship is ride smart and he could clinch it getting second every night from here on out.......we all know that is not going to happen. Chad wants to make a statement with the wins and that could allow the kind of mistakes that we usually don't see out of the L&M Racing pilot.
One thing is for sure, for a series that is supposed to be so boring.....it is starting to get real interesting.
Jumping right in with the Pro Circuit squad you have Ryan Villopoto who is of course the odds on favorite or at least was. With the wrist surgery announced at Anaheim he has suddenly become an unknown at least for the opener and I honestly don’t know how he will do in SX this year, his skills are obvious but I think a lot will depend on how well he heals.
Branden Jesseman; who has gotten the ride to replace the injured Pourcel has shown he can ride at the front with last years Orlando win, now he just needs to keep healthy. Jesseman has set the bar high saying at the press conference before A-3 “I expect myself to be on the box every weekend. If I’m not I feel I’d be very much a disappointment”, that has got to be music to Mitch Payton’s ears.
The Torco Race Fuels team will be headed by Josh Grant now a perennial Lites rider who has just never really had a good run at a championship without injury. Josh will be joined by the talented young Okie Trey Canard. I am going to go ahead and make a another pick from the Factory Connection and Honda backed squad as my dark horse contender by saying I think Canard will run steady and be in it for the Top 3 in the long haul. The capable and poised young rider showed stamina in the outdoors as well as great focus and looks to be ready to do some damage in SX.
MDK/KTM is coming to the east coast rounds loaded for bear with Martin Davalos who has certainly got the SX skills but had some bad luck in last years west coast rounds. Matt Goerke is my pick out of the three to make some things happen, I have seen some practice video and Matt looks to be ready to make some noise. Can fellow MDK/Lites Ryan Sipes stay healthy?
Now for this edition of how the Ben turns; with Ben Townley hurt is Ben Coisy for real and can he make some noise ala Pourcel in 07. Coisy certainly looked strong in smuggled footage from the Honda test track breaking the news on DV12.com in early February. The real question is going to boil down to how much time has he had to prepare and is he comfortable on US soil?
Looking at the Boost Mobile/Yamaha of Troy East Coast effort I would expect Ryan Morais to try and follow last year’s strength and consistency and definitely come out charging after last years near championship run. How about Tyler Bowers? The lingering question for me will be; is Bowers too big for the Lites bike? We saw him last year at the Boo Koo AX final and he was killing it on the 250F but as Josh Hill has proven some guys just ride the 450 better and SX may be the difference that affects Bowers speed.
Kyle Partridge will be running with the flag for Team Solitaire and I think we could see a breakout ride from this kid at least once during the season and I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he came out swinging at round one.
Another new kid on the SX block is Rockstar/Makita Suzuki recruit Nico Izzy, after watching Izzi grow up as a dominant mini riding force on DVD it will be interesting to see how he flexes his muscles as a pro.
Phil Nicoletti and Kyle Chislom are heading up the effort for Extreme Lites and both of these young riders can ride top five on a given night the question is will they be able to sustain that kind of pace. Unknowns coming into 2008 include Amateur standouts Sean Hackley and Blake Warton, I know that Hackley had some injury issues last year and I flat out don’t know what Wharton is up to now.
So that is how I see it at the outset of the East Coast rounds, let’s wait a few weeks and see how my crystal ball has worked out.
Now I'll move on to the Supercross class and with that train coming into the ATL station I only have one thing to say;
Kevin Windham has found his happy place and that ladies and gentlemen is a very dangerous occurence.
This is a guy that has snapped a couple winning streaks by a guy named Ricky that used to run the table a whole lot and I think before all is said and done we are going to see K-Dub on the top step again in 08.
While some may say that the Houston victory was a freak event I have to think that knowing all it takes a bad start for Chad to struggle will only feed the fires that 14, 15 and 118 have been stoking on Reeds heels.
Now all Reed really has to do for the Championship is ride smart and he could clinch it getting second every night from here on out.......we all know that is not going to happen. Chad wants to make a statement with the wins and that could allow the kind of mistakes that we usually don't see out of the L&M Racing pilot.
One thing is for sure, for a series that is supposed to be so boring.....it is starting to get real interesting.
2/3/08
Scenes from the house that McGrath built.
Well some of the biggest news out of A-3 wasn’t what happened on the track but rather what didn’t happen. Broc Hepler was a no show on the start line after his string of bad luck continued with Broc sustaining a broken thumb in practice. Ivan Tedesco has apparently not shaken off his bad juju with the new team as he suffered a broken hand that takes him out for the near future. Completing the weekend’s no luck trifecta was Grant Langston who is fighting some kind of an issue with blurred vision that sidelined him as well. These are three guys who have had some great rides over the years but just can’t seem to shake the specter of bad luck; all I can say is there must be an army of black cats and broken mirrors following this crew around.
So what about some of the things that did happen on the Anaheim dirt?
Well in heat one of the Lites going into the final turn Torco Race Fuels pilot Dan Reardon got a lesson in why you don’t leave the door open with Jason Lawrence on your back tire. Boost Mobile’s J-Law gave Reardon a chance to sample the soil and then the Aussie rider pulled a desperation move not seen since the days of Ryno when he tried to push his bike over the finish jump in this case however the effort was unsuccessful. The first season in the AMA series for Reardon has been a brutal education as he has had to take to the long road to the main event a few times after getting caught up in some unfortunate tangles during heat racing action. At the final Anaheim it came down to the last couple turns in the LCQ as Arenacross veteran Jeff Northrup gamely held onto the final transfer but finally gave it up allowing Reardon to squeak into the main.
Red Bull Honda’s Davi Millsaps continued his strange attraction to the tuff blocks although this time it was in his heat race and didn’t cost him nearly as much as his close encounters with those track markers in the past.
Working class hero Joe Oehlhof has been getting himself to the races on a shoestring budget after team issues right before the start of the season. The fine folks at Wonder Warthog racing have been helping Joe get to the gate thus far but things went horribly bad for Oehlhof in the LCQ when his bike grenades in the air over a big triple sending him down hard. Joe was able to get back up and walk the crash off but the real disaster for him might be with his ride, being a full-on privateer with just one bike to run this might spell the end of his season.
The man in control of the points thus far Ryan Dungey seems to have lost some of his momentum and Lawrence has picked it up as the gate drop for the Lites main saw Makita Suzuki’s golden boy on the ground while Lawrence ran away for the lead. Austin Stroupe grabbed the holeshot and kept a strangle hold on the second spot for the duration. Pro Circuits Brett Metcalfe battled with Kyle Cunningham and Billy Laninovich on his way to the final podium spot while the other two rounded out the top five. The wheels came completely off for Dungey on lap 6 when Wil Hahn crashed hard and Dungey slammed into his bike, Hahn came away with the worst of it with a possible wrist injury while Ryan took a tweaked bike around the track to try and salvage some points. With Dungey only able to struggle back up into thirteenth the points race has been turned on it’s ear as Lawrence is now up to within eight points of the leader and Metcalfe’s right on Dan Reardon with two points separating the battle for third overall.
The Supercross class main started out with the usual suspects out front as Reed put his San Manuel Yamaha to the holeshot line first with Windham and Millsaps right behind him. K-Dub wasted no time in putting the pressure on Reed in the early laps but was not able to make it stick and had Millsaps pushing hard behind him. As they crossed the mid-point in the race Davi was finally able to get around Kevin but the battle between to the Honda riders allowed Chad to run out the gap at the front of the pack. Monster Kawasaki’s Tim Ferry just keeps on plugging away and put himself around Windham as well to lock down the third spot. Davi Millsaps has really stepped up his game and it looked as though the nearly identical lap times for the two might have allowed him to challenge Reed for the win but Chad was able to use his considerable experience picking through the lapped traffic to hold the top spot on the box. Tim Ferry was fired up on the final lap as he made a run at Millsaps for the second spot but Paul Carpenter got in between them forcing Ferry to back it off. Red Dog was pretty fired up and got in Carpenters face after the checkers to let him know exactly how he felt about it.
For the overall points picture things are looking rosy for Chad Reed as he has now opened up a 26 point gap over second place Windham as Ferry proved that fighting for every point is the way to go taking over the third spot for the season tally.
So what about some of the things that did happen on the Anaheim dirt?
Well in heat one of the Lites going into the final turn Torco Race Fuels pilot Dan Reardon got a lesson in why you don’t leave the door open with Jason Lawrence on your back tire. Boost Mobile’s J-Law gave Reardon a chance to sample the soil and then the Aussie rider pulled a desperation move not seen since the days of Ryno when he tried to push his bike over the finish jump in this case however the effort was unsuccessful. The first season in the AMA series for Reardon has been a brutal education as he has had to take to the long road to the main event a few times after getting caught up in some unfortunate tangles during heat racing action. At the final Anaheim it came down to the last couple turns in the LCQ as Arenacross veteran Jeff Northrup gamely held onto the final transfer but finally gave it up allowing Reardon to squeak into the main.
Red Bull Honda’s Davi Millsaps continued his strange attraction to the tuff blocks although this time it was in his heat race and didn’t cost him nearly as much as his close encounters with those track markers in the past.
Working class hero Joe Oehlhof has been getting himself to the races on a shoestring budget after team issues right before the start of the season. The fine folks at Wonder Warthog racing have been helping Joe get to the gate thus far but things went horribly bad for Oehlhof in the LCQ when his bike grenades in the air over a big triple sending him down hard. Joe was able to get back up and walk the crash off but the real disaster for him might be with his ride, being a full-on privateer with just one bike to run this might spell the end of his season.
The man in control of the points thus far Ryan Dungey seems to have lost some of his momentum and Lawrence has picked it up as the gate drop for the Lites main saw Makita Suzuki’s golden boy on the ground while Lawrence ran away for the lead. Austin Stroupe grabbed the holeshot and kept a strangle hold on the second spot for the duration. Pro Circuits Brett Metcalfe battled with Kyle Cunningham and Billy Laninovich on his way to the final podium spot while the other two rounded out the top five. The wheels came completely off for Dungey on lap 6 when Wil Hahn crashed hard and Dungey slammed into his bike, Hahn came away with the worst of it with a possible wrist injury while Ryan took a tweaked bike around the track to try and salvage some points. With Dungey only able to struggle back up into thirteenth the points race has been turned on it’s ear as Lawrence is now up to within eight points of the leader and Metcalfe’s right on Dan Reardon with two points separating the battle for third overall.
The Supercross class main started out with the usual suspects out front as Reed put his San Manuel Yamaha to the holeshot line first with Windham and Millsaps right behind him. K-Dub wasted no time in putting the pressure on Reed in the early laps but was not able to make it stick and had Millsaps pushing hard behind him. As they crossed the mid-point in the race Davi was finally able to get around Kevin but the battle between to the Honda riders allowed Chad to run out the gap at the front of the pack. Monster Kawasaki’s Tim Ferry just keeps on plugging away and put himself around Windham as well to lock down the third spot. Davi Millsaps has really stepped up his game and it looked as though the nearly identical lap times for the two might have allowed him to challenge Reed for the win but Chad was able to use his considerable experience picking through the lapped traffic to hold the top spot on the box. Tim Ferry was fired up on the final lap as he made a run at Millsaps for the second spot but Paul Carpenter got in between them forcing Ferry to back it off. Red Dog was pretty fired up and got in Carpenters face after the checkers to let him know exactly how he felt about it.
For the overall points picture things are looking rosy for Chad Reed as he has now opened up a 26 point gap over second place Windham as Ferry proved that fighting for every point is the way to go taking over the third spot for the season tally.
2/1/08
DVD Review - Velocity 2
Velocity II
Released by RS Films
-5 Stars-
Velocity; \və-ˈlä-sə-tē, -ˈläs-tē\
Function: noun
Meaning: quickness of motion : speed
The release of Velocity II by young Filmmaker Robb Swiatek may have gotten by you if you are not lucky enough to be around the New England MX scene. One thing is for sure, miss out on picking up this excellent study of a season in the life of some of the northeast’s best riders and you will be the one who is left behind. From the opening scenes of frosty winter weather sending the serious riders southward in search of softer dirt till the ending sequences, back in the dead of winter at the Boo Koo US Open of Arenacross Velocity II brings home the heart and soul of why Motocross gets in your blood.
The release of Velocity II by young Filmmaker Robb Swiatek may have gotten by you if you are not lucky enough to be around the New England MX scene. One thing is for sure, miss out on picking up this excellent study of a season in the life of some of the northeast’s best riders and you will be the one who is left behind. From the opening scenes of frosty winter weather sending the serious riders southward in search of softer dirt till the ending sequences, back in the dead of winter at the Boo Koo US Open of Arenacross Velocity II brings home the heart and soul of why Motocross gets in your blood.
Swiatek, or “Robo Robb” as he has been referred to during his tenure as one of the tireless shooters for last seasons Racer X Motocross.com shows spreads the focus wide on this release. Shifting through the gears at local NESC races to sessions with veteran riders like John Dowd and Tony Lorusso, showcasing the pressure cooker of the New England Regional Championship and the craziness of the Transworld MX Masters of Mini events. What really shines through in this film is the grassroots of families that have raced for generations and riders who do it just for the love of the sport.
So what separates this film from the myriad of other offerings cropping up now that everyone has a video camera and a computer editing program?
The film is beautifully shot throughout, paired with an excellent but unobtrusive soundtrack and it really brings out the dedication that both the riders and filmmaker have for their craft. There is a balanced mix of riding and interviews that paces the film well and keeps the viewer interested and engaged throughout the entire 80 minutes.
I think what I like best is the films ability to show the human side of the riders, the work, dedication and effort it takes along with the silliness and fun without ever declining into the “Jackass on wheels” format that so many new films have a tendency to.
Superbly shot and edited with the focus squarely on the subject at hand Velocity II puts RS Film and Robb Swiatek firmly into the same realm of industry standards like Troy Adamitis and gets a Five out of Five stars on my scale.
Velocity II is available for sale online, purchase and preview clips at;
http://www.videoxsports.com/velocityii.html
For more info on RS Films and additional trailers
1/28/08
After the flood
Well San Francisco was not quite as much of a shake up as some had predicted it would be but there were definitely some riders whose fortunes changed a bit in the rainy aftermath of the round four.
Jason Lawrence finally shook off the funk he has been in to get the top of the box for the first time in the West Coast Lites series. The Boost Mobile Yamaha of Troy pilot took control of the race from the starting laps and after battling with Monster Energy/Pro Circuit’s Metcalfe early was able to minimize the mistakes to hold the lead. Rockstar Makita Suzuki's Ryan Dungey had all kinds of issues but was able to salvage a 7th place finish and get some all important points. The shortened main event must have seemed extremely long for some of those guys, Yamaha’s Broc Hepler in particular struggled at the start and then had to try and claw through the pack in the mushy San Francisco soil. So now that Jason has shaken that big monkey off his back we may have an even more tooth and nail battle coming into the final Anaheim round. Meanwhile Motosport Outlet’s Tommy Hahn hung on and got the best finish of his young career and Metcalfe continued his steady progress. As we look at the overall points standings guess who has snuck up the ranks to the second spot? Aussie Dan Reardon who has been my pick for the underdog candidate all year long just keeps doing his job quietly. The more the front runners battle and encounter their problems the more I like Torco Honda Reardon’s steady approach.
The Supercross class main didn’t fair much better weather wise but the sun certainly shone briefly for Tim Ferry as the Monster Kawasaki pilot finally got himself a good start. Maybe that is the key for Red Dog, a little extra water on the track at the start is what he needs. L&M Racings Chad Reed suffered early in the evening with rear brake issues during his heat race that had to be rather unnerving. What surprised me were his comments about how this was something they “have always had trouble with”; I mean come on Yamaha, work that issue out. Although Chad didn’t get the best start he was able to run mistake free and hold down another win.
Personally I don’t get why so many folks have taken a dislike to the guy but if you read any of the message boards he is a frequent whipping boy. I suggest all of you Internet experts put down the Cheetos and find another hobby if you don’t like Chad because until Stewart can shake off his bad luck streak Reed is at the top of the podium to stay.
Davi Millsaps pushed his Honda to the limit and beyond a few times in an effort to redeem himself after having to pull of in the A-2 round. Even though he sampled the west coast mud repeatedly Millsaps gamely pushed ahead, this podium finish may just be the harbinger of better things to come for the Red Bull rider.
Kevin Windham may just have a horseshoe hidden somewhere on his Torco Race Fuels ride because his totally sideways, pancaked jump off the track should have spelled disaster but K-Dub calmly re-entered the track and kept on slogging through the muck. San Fran was not good for the Makita Suzuki squad as Alessi had his problems and Vuillemin ended his night early with knee issues. Hopefully DV is not hurt too badly and will be able to come back next week especially since he was just coming back to form after last summers horrific crash. Big props go out to Jacob Marsack for carrying the privateer flag high and snagging fourth place on his Bad Boy Energy/ Hammerhead ride.
Jason Lawrence finally shook off the funk he has been in to get the top of the box for the first time in the West Coast Lites series. The Boost Mobile Yamaha of Troy pilot took control of the race from the starting laps and after battling with Monster Energy/Pro Circuit’s Metcalfe early was able to minimize the mistakes to hold the lead. Rockstar Makita Suzuki's Ryan Dungey had all kinds of issues but was able to salvage a 7th place finish and get some all important points. The shortened main event must have seemed extremely long for some of those guys, Yamaha’s Broc Hepler in particular struggled at the start and then had to try and claw through the pack in the mushy San Francisco soil. So now that Jason has shaken that big monkey off his back we may have an even more tooth and nail battle coming into the final Anaheim round. Meanwhile Motosport Outlet’s Tommy Hahn hung on and got the best finish of his young career and Metcalfe continued his steady progress. As we look at the overall points standings guess who has snuck up the ranks to the second spot? Aussie Dan Reardon who has been my pick for the underdog candidate all year long just keeps doing his job quietly. The more the front runners battle and encounter their problems the more I like Torco Honda Reardon’s steady approach.
The Supercross class main didn’t fair much better weather wise but the sun certainly shone briefly for Tim Ferry as the Monster Kawasaki pilot finally got himself a good start. Maybe that is the key for Red Dog, a little extra water on the track at the start is what he needs. L&M Racings Chad Reed suffered early in the evening with rear brake issues during his heat race that had to be rather unnerving. What surprised me were his comments about how this was something they “have always had trouble with”; I mean come on Yamaha, work that issue out. Although Chad didn’t get the best start he was able to run mistake free and hold down another win.
Personally I don’t get why so many folks have taken a dislike to the guy but if you read any of the message boards he is a frequent whipping boy. I suggest all of you Internet experts put down the Cheetos and find another hobby if you don’t like Chad because until Stewart can shake off his bad luck streak Reed is at the top of the podium to stay.
Davi Millsaps pushed his Honda to the limit and beyond a few times in an effort to redeem himself after having to pull of in the A-2 round. Even though he sampled the west coast mud repeatedly Millsaps gamely pushed ahead, this podium finish may just be the harbinger of better things to come for the Red Bull rider.
Kevin Windham may just have a horseshoe hidden somewhere on his Torco Race Fuels ride because his totally sideways, pancaked jump off the track should have spelled disaster but K-Dub calmly re-entered the track and kept on slogging through the muck. San Fran was not good for the Makita Suzuki squad as Alessi had his problems and Vuillemin ended his night early with knee issues. Hopefully DV is not hurt too badly and will be able to come back next week especially since he was just coming back to form after last summers horrific crash. Big props go out to Jacob Marsack for carrying the privateer flag high and snagging fourth place on his Bad Boy Energy/ Hammerhead ride.
1/18/08
Anaheim Two; 80’s throwback, 08 throw down.
Coming into Round 3 of the series the folks at Live Nation are mixing it up and so are the guys out there racing which is all good news for the average Supercross fan. Early word out of the teams has it that no one is really going to rock the 80’s look on the bikes but I would look to the gear sponsors for a different answer on that one. Heck the guys at No Fear were a year ahead of the trend already with the retro looking gear for the Honda boys. Word on the interview trail has it that Rick “Too Hip” Johnson is going to one up everybody on the hipster front with the whole clan going Bad Boy for the event. I also hear that certain #4 will be making an appearance for a couple turns around the arena, not to race but rather to greet the faithful. It would be awfully nice if Ricky brought out a machine that uses pre-mix to run that little session on but we will have to take a wait and see on that one.
We do know that any fan in attendance at this race will have the best shot at seeing more the legends of this sport together in one place than any other in recent memory and that is going to be awesome. In the run up to the event there has been a lot of circulation of the famed “Battle Royale” video between RJ and Bailey and as good as those laps were in the edited version I found something entertaining in the full version of the race. Johnson was way out front, running away with it when he got held up by a lapper. The very same complaint that we hear about so much today is what actually set up the last half of that race as the epic battle it has become known for. Now granted Burnworth looked a little more interested in holding RJ up than he did Bailey, only fair considering the slam he got at the start of the race from Johnson. It just sort of made me smile to see the “greatest SX race” being set up by a grudge from a lapped rider.
So far the absolute knock-down drag out action has been in the SX Lites class with both rounds so far delivering the goods with tightly packed battles and hyper-speed paced racing. The Rockstar/Makita Suzuki backed Ryan Dungey has been doing everything right so far and I don’t think you are going to see this kid back it down until the last checkered flag falls with him as the 08 West Champion. Coming into round three I think the rider with the most to prove right now has got to be Yamaha’s Broc Hepler. I think that Broc was absolutely right to take his time with recovering from the serious concussion he suffered but it has got to weigh on him now as he tries to make his mark on the West Coast series. Torco Honda backed Jake Weimer will have to try to keep his momentum rolling after possibly the best bounce back of the New Year with last weeks win. Boost Mobile’s Jason Lawrence is another rider who has got to come out and make a statement soon before this lightning quick Lites series passes him by. So far my pick for the dark horse contender on the West Coast still stands with Daniel Reardon who has put in some solid rides so far and is just outside the top three below Brayton and Lawrence in overall points so far. If Reardon can get a breakout ride this weekend we will have yet another turn of the screw in the West Coast Lites standings.
Now how about the Supercross class?
Coming into the second visit to Anaheim last year Monster Energy Kawasaki’s James Stewart was already rolling like a fright train while San Manuel Yamaha backed Reed was 10 points down and sitting in third because of the scratch taken away by a part-time player Ricky Carmichael. This year we have a whole different ball of wax going on and for my money this is shaping up to stay a tight race for a few more rounds to come. We saw Reed putting pressure on Stewart early in the race at Phoenix but ultimately it was too slick of a surface for the kind of push Reed needed to force a costly mistake out of James. Not to mention the fact that Stewart didn’t seem to rattle one little bit under the firestorm Reed put on him in the opening laps. Barring some kind of incident like James had at A-1 Chad is going to have to bring it hard if he wants to keep #7 from building momentum.
The question is “what does a guy have to do to get some respect around here”?
The guy asking that question……Torco/Honda’s Kevin Windham.
If you listened I to the DMXS radio show on January 16th you heard an interview with K-Dub where they talked about his being left out in the wind at the Anaheim 1 press conference with no one asking the seasoned veteran a single question. In classic Windham style though his answer to the issue…”well if I get my butt on the podium and do my job, then maybe you guys will want to talk with me again.” No complaints, no excuse and mission accomplished at round 2. It is a thing a beauty to watch Windham ride when he is in the flow and I hope we get to see it for many more rounds this year.
The Factory Honda/Red Bull racing bosses have got to be leaning on the awning that shelters Davi Millsaps, Andrew Short and Ivan Tedesco looking for a podium finish from somebody soon.
The big discussion coming into this week centered on the “86 Replica” track design and how it would affect the racing of modern Supercross machines piloted by riders who have advanced the sport light years ahead of where it was in those bygone boogie down Eightie’s nights. Well the early report from one source has the prediction being “don’t expect the track to look the same” as it is becoming readily apparent that while “old-school” may be cool the 08 bikes are running roughshod over yesterdays track design.
I hope the riders and the fans all get a healthy dose of fun for the A-2 round as it is sorely needed in this hyper-serious time but we certainly ain’t in Kansas anymore Dorothy and the wind that is blowing change into the world of AMA Supercross is definitely going to shake the house.
Now where did I put my parachute pants?
We do know that any fan in attendance at this race will have the best shot at seeing more the legends of this sport together in one place than any other in recent memory and that is going to be awesome. In the run up to the event there has been a lot of circulation of the famed “Battle Royale” video between RJ and Bailey and as good as those laps were in the edited version I found something entertaining in the full version of the race. Johnson was way out front, running away with it when he got held up by a lapper. The very same complaint that we hear about so much today is what actually set up the last half of that race as the epic battle it has become known for. Now granted Burnworth looked a little more interested in holding RJ up than he did Bailey, only fair considering the slam he got at the start of the race from Johnson. It just sort of made me smile to see the “greatest SX race” being set up by a grudge from a lapped rider.
So far the absolute knock-down drag out action has been in the SX Lites class with both rounds so far delivering the goods with tightly packed battles and hyper-speed paced racing. The Rockstar/Makita Suzuki backed Ryan Dungey has been doing everything right so far and I don’t think you are going to see this kid back it down until the last checkered flag falls with him as the 08 West Champion. Coming into round three I think the rider with the most to prove right now has got to be Yamaha’s Broc Hepler. I think that Broc was absolutely right to take his time with recovering from the serious concussion he suffered but it has got to weigh on him now as he tries to make his mark on the West Coast series. Torco Honda backed Jake Weimer will have to try to keep his momentum rolling after possibly the best bounce back of the New Year with last weeks win. Boost Mobile’s Jason Lawrence is another rider who has got to come out and make a statement soon before this lightning quick Lites series passes him by. So far my pick for the dark horse contender on the West Coast still stands with Daniel Reardon who has put in some solid rides so far and is just outside the top three below Brayton and Lawrence in overall points so far. If Reardon can get a breakout ride this weekend we will have yet another turn of the screw in the West Coast Lites standings.
Now how about the Supercross class?
Coming into the second visit to Anaheim last year Monster Energy Kawasaki’s James Stewart was already rolling like a fright train while San Manuel Yamaha backed Reed was 10 points down and sitting in third because of the scratch taken away by a part-time player Ricky Carmichael. This year we have a whole different ball of wax going on and for my money this is shaping up to stay a tight race for a few more rounds to come. We saw Reed putting pressure on Stewart early in the race at Phoenix but ultimately it was too slick of a surface for the kind of push Reed needed to force a costly mistake out of James. Not to mention the fact that Stewart didn’t seem to rattle one little bit under the firestorm Reed put on him in the opening laps. Barring some kind of incident like James had at A-1 Chad is going to have to bring it hard if he wants to keep #7 from building momentum.
The question is “what does a guy have to do to get some respect around here”?
The guy asking that question……Torco/Honda’s Kevin Windham.
If you listened I to the DMXS radio show on January 16th you heard an interview with K-Dub where they talked about his being left out in the wind at the Anaheim 1 press conference with no one asking the seasoned veteran a single question. In classic Windham style though his answer to the issue…”well if I get my butt on the podium and do my job, then maybe you guys will want to talk with me again.” No complaints, no excuse and mission accomplished at round 2. It is a thing a beauty to watch Windham ride when he is in the flow and I hope we get to see it for many more rounds this year.
The Factory Honda/Red Bull racing bosses have got to be leaning on the awning that shelters Davi Millsaps, Andrew Short and Ivan Tedesco looking for a podium finish from somebody soon.
The big discussion coming into this week centered on the “86 Replica” track design and how it would affect the racing of modern Supercross machines piloted by riders who have advanced the sport light years ahead of where it was in those bygone boogie down Eightie’s nights. Well the early report from one source has the prediction being “don’t expect the track to look the same” as it is becoming readily apparent that while “old-school” may be cool the 08 bikes are running roughshod over yesterdays track design.
I hope the riders and the fans all get a healthy dose of fun for the A-2 round as it is sorely needed in this hyper-serious time but we certainly ain’t in Kansas anymore Dorothy and the wind that is blowing change into the world of AMA Supercross is definitely going to shake the house.
Now where did I put my parachute pants?
1/15/08
Through the Valley…….No Shadows.
Well the Phoenix round has run and it is really turning into an old school slugfest in both classes. How fitting that we should be running the 80’s throwback night as they head to Cali again for A-2. Your two fastest guys in the big bike class tied in the points looking to make a statement and take the momentum on through the first part of the series.
Kicking off the night for the Supercross class in heat one Factory Yamaha’s newest member Josh Hill showed he has earned that move up to the 450 taking the holeshot and running very strong. There didn’t seem to be as much luck for Hill in the main but I am going to predict that there will be no shortage of chances to watch Hill at the front of the pack soon enough. Heading into the main it was pretty clear that the famously hard surface in the valley had been well baked by the sun and throttle control was going to be way more important than willingness to crack it open. In particular the flat sweeping turn after the mechanics area looked vaguely similar to Vegas’ Thunder Alley by the time they dropped the gate for the final time of the evening. The number looked the same but the bikes brand has been changed as Mike Alessi took the holeshot just edging out Stewart at the line.
Alessi has been impressive to me, very good at adapting to the racing in the 450 class along with a new team. Not to mention that Mikey has been put in the unenviable position of constantly being referred to as “Carmichael’s replacement” under the Suzuki tent. Every time I hear that in an interview I just cringe for the guy, those are some boots I wouldn’t want to be fitted for if it were my first year on the RMZ450. An encounter with a tuff block early on ended his try for the podium but he rode the whole race dragging that afore mentioned tuff block’s cover which is a feat in itself. Meanwhile out front James and Chad were in the process of hammering it out as fast as they could at pretty much the same insane pace. I have to admit I was surprised when Reed went for the throat on lap three as they entered the split section Chad blazed the inside on the option and pushed it in on Stewart, taking the inside line in the following turn to briefly get a wheel ahead on James. The close racing didn’t seem to fluster Stewart though and he seemed able to wick up the speed enough to get away. The mistakes by both riders in the option section on lap four is what I think made both riders think twice about over riding the track and throwing away too many points.
The racing behind them for third was excellent as well and what do you know……Kevin Windham stepping it up to hold off Short and Tedesco for most of the main. Not bad for a guy who is “washed up” according to the internet experts.
Grant Langston on the other hand just can’t seem to catch a break on the big bike indoors. The disastrous bike failure he experienced in the main could just be enough to take the wind out of Grant's sails and end his hopes for even a top five finish for the year.
Now on to the real fight for the evening in the Lites class main event.
It has been a long time since we have seen so much action, passes and re-passes bringing multiple lead changes in a race like we did in this one. I can’t actually say “seen” yet as I was a web cast spectator but Weege and Holley make it pretty easy to “see”. Coming into this round I honestly thought that we were going to have a Dungey/Lawrence re-match but Broc Hepler and Jake Weimer had a different idea. Weimer’s holeshot set him up right where he needed to be after Anaheim’s less than stellar run and the Torco Honda rider made the most of it.
Dungey and Hepler battled to the front then the Suzuki pilot made some big mistakes and let Broc and Jake take the battle forward. Hepler promptly lost the back end allowing Dungey and Weimer to continue to press each other hard. It was a precursor to the battle we would see in the Supercross class as Weimer gamely held the lead and Dungey attacked with neither rider able to push too aggressively on the hard packed surface. To his credit Dungey never settled in and had Weimer not shut the door on him pretty forcefully on the final time through turn four he might have captured the win.
Meanwhile it was Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Brett Metcalfe showing why Mitch Payton was right to keep the faith, working hard inside the top five and eventually scoring that final podium spot. Jason Lawrence seemed to have issues with ramping it up to his obvious speed potential in the main and smartly settled into fifth while Aussie Daniel Reardon keeps adapting to the US racing style with a solid top 10. Once Reardon gets comfortable on the new soil I think he will be a podium contender as well and sitting in Fourth overall right now could even put him in position as the dark horse contender heading into Seattle.
The real winners in all of this Lites class madness are of course the fans like me, it is awesome to be this excited about the racing from week to week. The East-West shootout should be an absolute barnburner and if Reed can keep up his push forward and stay on Stewart we might just see things in the SX class go down to a battle in Vegas like we had in 2006.
The X factor going into A-2 has got to be the old-school track layout and personally I couldn’t be more psyched for a change in the program right now. A good healthy shot of fun at a time when things are getting dead serious…..now if we could only get a two-smoker on the line for that main event the picture would be complete.
Hey, I can dream can’t I?
Kicking off the night for the Supercross class in heat one Factory Yamaha’s newest member Josh Hill showed he has earned that move up to the 450 taking the holeshot and running very strong. There didn’t seem to be as much luck for Hill in the main but I am going to predict that there will be no shortage of chances to watch Hill at the front of the pack soon enough. Heading into the main it was pretty clear that the famously hard surface in the valley had been well baked by the sun and throttle control was going to be way more important than willingness to crack it open. In particular the flat sweeping turn after the mechanics area looked vaguely similar to Vegas’ Thunder Alley by the time they dropped the gate for the final time of the evening. The number looked the same but the bikes brand has been changed as Mike Alessi took the holeshot just edging out Stewart at the line.
Alessi has been impressive to me, very good at adapting to the racing in the 450 class along with a new team. Not to mention that Mikey has been put in the unenviable position of constantly being referred to as “Carmichael’s replacement” under the Suzuki tent. Every time I hear that in an interview I just cringe for the guy, those are some boots I wouldn’t want to be fitted for if it were my first year on the RMZ450. An encounter with a tuff block early on ended his try for the podium but he rode the whole race dragging that afore mentioned tuff block’s cover which is a feat in itself. Meanwhile out front James and Chad were in the process of hammering it out as fast as they could at pretty much the same insane pace. I have to admit I was surprised when Reed went for the throat on lap three as they entered the split section Chad blazed the inside on the option and pushed it in on Stewart, taking the inside line in the following turn to briefly get a wheel ahead on James. The close racing didn’t seem to fluster Stewart though and he seemed able to wick up the speed enough to get away. The mistakes by both riders in the option section on lap four is what I think made both riders think twice about over riding the track and throwing away too many points.
The racing behind them for third was excellent as well and what do you know……Kevin Windham stepping it up to hold off Short and Tedesco for most of the main. Not bad for a guy who is “washed up” according to the internet experts.
Grant Langston on the other hand just can’t seem to catch a break on the big bike indoors. The disastrous bike failure he experienced in the main could just be enough to take the wind out of Grant's sails and end his hopes for even a top five finish for the year.
Now on to the real fight for the evening in the Lites class main event.
It has been a long time since we have seen so much action, passes and re-passes bringing multiple lead changes in a race like we did in this one. I can’t actually say “seen” yet as I was a web cast spectator but Weege and Holley make it pretty easy to “see”. Coming into this round I honestly thought that we were going to have a Dungey/Lawrence re-match but Broc Hepler and Jake Weimer had a different idea. Weimer’s holeshot set him up right where he needed to be after Anaheim’s less than stellar run and the Torco Honda rider made the most of it.
Dungey and Hepler battled to the front then the Suzuki pilot made some big mistakes and let Broc and Jake take the battle forward. Hepler promptly lost the back end allowing Dungey and Weimer to continue to press each other hard. It was a precursor to the battle we would see in the Supercross class as Weimer gamely held the lead and Dungey attacked with neither rider able to push too aggressively on the hard packed surface. To his credit Dungey never settled in and had Weimer not shut the door on him pretty forcefully on the final time through turn four he might have captured the win.
Meanwhile it was Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Brett Metcalfe showing why Mitch Payton was right to keep the faith, working hard inside the top five and eventually scoring that final podium spot. Jason Lawrence seemed to have issues with ramping it up to his obvious speed potential in the main and smartly settled into fifth while Aussie Daniel Reardon keeps adapting to the US racing style with a solid top 10. Once Reardon gets comfortable on the new soil I think he will be a podium contender as well and sitting in Fourth overall right now could even put him in position as the dark horse contender heading into Seattle.
The real winners in all of this Lites class madness are of course the fans like me, it is awesome to be this excited about the racing from week to week. The East-West shootout should be an absolute barnburner and if Reed can keep up his push forward and stay on Stewart we might just see things in the SX class go down to a battle in Vegas like we had in 2006.
The X factor going into A-2 has got to be the old-school track layout and personally I couldn’t be more psyched for a change in the program right now. A good healthy shot of fun at a time when things are getting dead serious…..now if we could only get a two-smoker on the line for that main event the picture would be complete.
Hey, I can dream can’t I?
1/11/08
Aftermath
Well the hype and craziness surrounding Anaheim 1 has come and gone, the storms pounding the western US spared us a total mud fest and it looks like we are finally going to have some good racing in both classes for the new season.
Chad Reed had the look you normally see reserved for kids on Christmas morning after putting his L&M Racing ride on the top of the box at Saturday night’s opener. Although having Stewart go down in turn one didn’t hurt Reed I think the difference this time was that he never backed off his pace and let Stewart catch up. There is no doubt that the rutted and slippery track made it a little more difficult for James to blaze through the pack and reel in the leader as we have seen in the past but there is more to that fact as well. Since both riders had to deal with the same slip n slide track surface and the laptimes they had stayed pretty similar throughout the race one could argue that we are seeing a stepped up and ready to fight Reedy this time around. The other difference this time around is the fact that James looked like a much more mature rider. Running in second had to gnaw at the Monster Kawasaki pilot but as the old saying goes you don’t win the championship at A-1 but you sure can lose it there. I think that was the smartest ride we have ever seen James put in and if that fact is any indication of how the “new” Stewart is going to run this season there is a good chance he will repeat as the SX champ. Having said that I can guarantee you that Chad is going to do everything in his power to try and make sure that doesn’t happen. Let’s face it the guy doesn’t want anymore second place trophies, he probably isn’t worried about where his next paycheck is coming from so effectively Reed has nothing to lose. That go for broke attitude is going to make Chad a very dangerous man this season and I am going to put my head on the chopping block here and say you will see him on the top of the podium again this season.
Factory Yamaha’s Grant Langston seemed to struggle all night to find his groove and was plagued by little mistakes throughout the heat and main. Meanwhile Tim Ferry playing the part of the crafty vet put in another solid ride once again making the investment by Team Green seem all the more worthwhile.
The Red Bull Honda team didn’t get off to the start that they were hoping for with virtually every member of the team in that freight train crash in turn one so I would look for some real fire out of those boys when the gate drops in Phoenix. Millsaps and Short both put in respectable rides to finish 7th and 8th respectively while Tedesco struggled in the main. Kevin Windham looked strong and put in the kind of mud ride that everyone seemed to expect, even though he was collected in the melee at the start K-Dub rode solid to storm through the pack.
The 2008 season re-build for the Makita Suzuki squad went fairly well with Vuillemin putting in a steady top 10 and Alessi just missing top 5 after a late race pass by Windham. Mike struggled early in the evening taking the long road to the main but it looked like a more mature Alessi this time around and I think Mike will be consistently near or in the top five week to week.
One rider that team manager Roger DeCoster has got to be smiling about was Lites winner Ryan Dungey the man who is the odds on favorite for the title this year. The youngster that was famously plucked from the amateur ranks to land a full factory ride last year is proving to be the real deal by running a rock solid pace all night long. The “thread the needle” pass that Dungey put on race leader Jason Lawrence was absolutely brilliant and seemed to put enough mental pressure on Lawrence to force him into a mistake a few turns later. Having said that don’t think I am counting Jason out just yet. Putting in the fastest lap of the night in both classes does make a statement and I think you’re going to see a fired up J-law come main event time in Chase Field. Justin Brayton had to be happy with his performance taking the final spot on the box and we haven’t seen the last of the MDK/KTM pilot on the podium this season. Brayton was solid and consistent all night which could make the difference in the championship when all the points tally at the end. Daniel Reardon acquitted himself pretty well in the main after rocky start to the night going over the berm in the his heat race, you can bet that he is going to be looking to take one of the spots on the Phoenix podium. Making your debut in SX has got be a pressure cooker for any young rider and Austin Stroupe made sure that everybody on hand knew he could stand the heat by running a solid 5th. Looks like some of the good mojo from that #51 Pro Circuit ride is rubbing off on Stroupe and I wouldn’t be surprised to see more of the same out of him all year.
So now we head indoors for round 2 and it looks like the kind of track that is going to make for some high speed battles at the front of the pack for both classes. The ultimate winner in all of this looks to be the Supercross fans that will be tuning in to follow 08’s racing action.
I would like to take this opportunity to send out my condolences to Gavin Gracyk and his family on the loss of his father Gary. ALS is one battle that has no winners and this has got to be a very dark time for Gavin and his whole family, my thoughts and prayers go out to them.
Donn
Chad Reed had the look you normally see reserved for kids on Christmas morning after putting his L&M Racing ride on the top of the box at Saturday night’s opener. Although having Stewart go down in turn one didn’t hurt Reed I think the difference this time was that he never backed off his pace and let Stewart catch up. There is no doubt that the rutted and slippery track made it a little more difficult for James to blaze through the pack and reel in the leader as we have seen in the past but there is more to that fact as well. Since both riders had to deal with the same slip n slide track surface and the laptimes they had stayed pretty similar throughout the race one could argue that we are seeing a stepped up and ready to fight Reedy this time around. The other difference this time around is the fact that James looked like a much more mature rider. Running in second had to gnaw at the Monster Kawasaki pilot but as the old saying goes you don’t win the championship at A-1 but you sure can lose it there. I think that was the smartest ride we have ever seen James put in and if that fact is any indication of how the “new” Stewart is going to run this season there is a good chance he will repeat as the SX champ. Having said that I can guarantee you that Chad is going to do everything in his power to try and make sure that doesn’t happen. Let’s face it the guy doesn’t want anymore second place trophies, he probably isn’t worried about where his next paycheck is coming from so effectively Reed has nothing to lose. That go for broke attitude is going to make Chad a very dangerous man this season and I am going to put my head on the chopping block here and say you will see him on the top of the podium again this season.
Factory Yamaha’s Grant Langston seemed to struggle all night to find his groove and was plagued by little mistakes throughout the heat and main. Meanwhile Tim Ferry playing the part of the crafty vet put in another solid ride once again making the investment by Team Green seem all the more worthwhile.
The Red Bull Honda team didn’t get off to the start that they were hoping for with virtually every member of the team in that freight train crash in turn one so I would look for some real fire out of those boys when the gate drops in Phoenix. Millsaps and Short both put in respectable rides to finish 7th and 8th respectively while Tedesco struggled in the main. Kevin Windham looked strong and put in the kind of mud ride that everyone seemed to expect, even though he was collected in the melee at the start K-Dub rode solid to storm through the pack.
The 2008 season re-build for the Makita Suzuki squad went fairly well with Vuillemin putting in a steady top 10 and Alessi just missing top 5 after a late race pass by Windham. Mike struggled early in the evening taking the long road to the main but it looked like a more mature Alessi this time around and I think Mike will be consistently near or in the top five week to week.
One rider that team manager Roger DeCoster has got to be smiling about was Lites winner Ryan Dungey the man who is the odds on favorite for the title this year. The youngster that was famously plucked from the amateur ranks to land a full factory ride last year is proving to be the real deal by running a rock solid pace all night long. The “thread the needle” pass that Dungey put on race leader Jason Lawrence was absolutely brilliant and seemed to put enough mental pressure on Lawrence to force him into a mistake a few turns later. Having said that don’t think I am counting Jason out just yet. Putting in the fastest lap of the night in both classes does make a statement and I think you’re going to see a fired up J-law come main event time in Chase Field. Justin Brayton had to be happy with his performance taking the final spot on the box and we haven’t seen the last of the MDK/KTM pilot on the podium this season. Brayton was solid and consistent all night which could make the difference in the championship when all the points tally at the end. Daniel Reardon acquitted himself pretty well in the main after rocky start to the night going over the berm in the his heat race, you can bet that he is going to be looking to take one of the spots on the Phoenix podium. Making your debut in SX has got be a pressure cooker for any young rider and Austin Stroupe made sure that everybody on hand knew he could stand the heat by running a solid 5th. Looks like some of the good mojo from that #51 Pro Circuit ride is rubbing off on Stroupe and I wouldn’t be surprised to see more of the same out of him all year.
So now we head indoors for round 2 and it looks like the kind of track that is going to make for some high speed battles at the front of the pack for both classes. The ultimate winner in all of this looks to be the Supercross fans that will be tuning in to follow 08’s racing action.
I would like to take this opportunity to send out my condolences to Gavin Gracyk and his family on the loss of his father Gary. ALS is one battle that has no winners and this has got to be a very dark time for Gavin and his whole family, my thoughts and prayers go out to them.
Donn
1/4/08
Let's Dance.
Well the curtain is about the come up on the 2008 AMA Supercross series and it looks to be a stellar year in two-wheel competition. The Supercross class boasts some fast new talent as well as being stacked with some of the usual suspects with the exception of one certain #4 bike but it just may be that absence which serves to make the series interesting.
So why don’t I dig right in with the big bore class and see what you all think.
There is no doubt about the fact that Monster Energy/Kawasaki’s James Stewart is the odds on favorite to repeat as the SX champ in 08, last year the only rider to consistently give Stewart a run for his money was that #4 guy. Now there are many who say that it was exactly that pressure which caused the bobbles that Stewart had and others that insist it was Carmichael’s presence that drove Stewart. One thing is for sure the upcoming title is James to lose and we are going to get to see if the time spent off after his abbreviated Motocross season training with Aldon Baker gives James the edge he needs to keep that number one plate. There were plenty of races last year where Stewart and Carmichael brought out the best in each other but there was one rider on the track who clearly didn’t feel like taking part in the love fest.
Which brings us to the #22, team San Manuel/Yamaha’s Chad Reed. The last couple of SX seasons have not exactly been what Chad was looking for results wise. Even though there are plenty of people that wouldn’t mind having the skills to run his pace, myself included, that hasn’t been good enough to get it done for the championship. Reed took a lot of flak on the message boards and in the bench racing sessions for his decision not to run the outdoor series but if you saw him racing at the US Open it may very well have been the best thing for him. That night in Vegas was the unveiling of Chad Reed 2.0 and if you ask me it is a whole different rider piloting that 08 YZ450F, Reed was riding hungry and not afraid to shake things up to get what he wanted. I think the fireworks are going to start early and continue throughout the year, Reedy has decided that consistency is nice but the man who rolls the dice is the one who comes up a winner.
Another rider who has had a stellar year is fellow Yamaha pilot Grant Langston, fresh off an outdoor title and looking better than ever it may very well be GL8 who throws the monkey wrench into everybody’s plans. Langston is one of those riders who just thrives on the pressure and is also definitely not afraid to get aggressive to make a pass when it counts. Grant has had a lot of success in the lites class and now that he has had a taste of the top spot in the big bore series you can bet he won’t want to stop climbing the steps of the podium. Joining Langston in the Team Yamaha semi is very capable young Josh Hill making his step up to the SX class as well. Not sure what to expect out of Hill as of yet but if his past result are any indication we should be seeing him under a factory tent for some time to come.
Moving on to the Makita/Suzuki camp brings us to a team that is in transition, the last few years have been pretty good for Roger DeCoster and his crew but this year is going to be one for rebuilding. Bringing it to the line for 08 with a brand new EFI powered RMZ450 Suzuki has a one-two punch of young rider and crafty vet. David Vuillemin is bringing his considerable bag of knowledge and testing expertise to the table which when combined with the factory equipment he has been sorely missing in the last couple seasons should add up to some podiums. DV12 is a guy you just cannot count out no matter what and with the weather predictions for A-1 leaning towards the moist end of the scale we just might see the always personable Vuillemin scoring a spot on the box. Then you have the number 800 ride of Mike Alessi making his AMA debut in the Supercross class. Personally I think Alessi is another rider who you are going to have to watch because you just never know what will happen with him once the gate drops. Alessi struggled in the Lites class during his first outdoor season and then to make matters worse he had to spend last season battling with his long time nemesis Ryan Villipoto. Mike has always seemed to be more comfortable on the big bikes and there is absolutely no question about his desire to win so I will go ahead and say it now, you will definitely see Mike Alessi on the podium in 08.
Team Honda is due for some good luck this year as the past couple SX/MX series have been sorely lacking in red bikes on the podium. Hopefully Davi Millsaps can put the bad luck behind him and deliver on his extremely promising talent. The Duke has recovered from some inner ear problems that sidelined him for the end of 07 and I am sure he would like to shake the bad luck and let his riding do the talking. Ivan Tedesco will be bringing it hard as he makes his SX debut for Honda and is another guy that has to have been frustrated by his recent spate of injuries and looking for redemption. Hot Sauce showed his skills at the outset of last year but the gremlins hounded him right off the bat and he never found his rhythm. Then there is Shorty, the man with the biggest smile in racing Andrew Short. The outdoor season was pretty good to Andrew and he continues to build his skills and comfort on the big bike, when Short is on he is a threat to win so here’s to hoping he keeps it all moving in the right direction.
The era of the SX only contract has come for one of the smoothest riders in AMA history as 08 will see the Torco Race Fuels/Planet Fitness Honda of Kevin Windham beginning to wind down his career. K-Dub is unfortunately a little too hot and cold to be considered a threat for the title but you can bet he will be consistently in the top 5 and with his superior skills in the mud you just never know he may just repeat his winning ways from the 05 opener.
So those are the major players in the Supercross class, yea I know there are many more dogs in the hunt but these are the big dogs and they are bound to make the most noise.
The kids are alright.
So far everyone seems the think that the real action is going to be in the Lites class and since A-1 kicks off the West Coast series lets take a quick look at the contenders.
Team Yamaha’s Broc Hepler has endured a couple of rough years due to injuries and if he can avoid the problems that have sidelined him in the past it may finally be his year to walk home with it all. Broc is a smart and patient rider with all the bike skills he needs and some great factory equipment under him so keep your eyes glued to the blue.
For my money though Makita/Suzuki wunderkind Ryan Dungey is looking like the odds on favorite to take the West Coast title. His debut season was marked by some incredible ups and downs and if not for some bad luck he could have spent a lot more time on the box. Dungey is a quiet, determined, smart rider and when you add the fact that Johnny O’Mara has been coaching him in the last couple months that spells trouble for anyone lining up next to Dungey.
Speaking of trouble….The Yamaha of Troy ride of Jason Lawrence will be bringing his unique brand of excitement to the gate for the West series and is another rider with the skills to shine on any given night. The only drawback to the 338 is his tendency to lose focus on the task at hand. Jason has blazing speed, reads the track well and is certainly not afraid to rub a little paint if need be but just doesn’t seem to have the consistency to take a number one plate. Maybe this year will showcase a newer more mature J-Law which is all he needs to put him over the top.
The dominant force in the last few seasons for the Lites class has been the venerable Pro Circuit crew and this year they are going to be a threat again. Brett Metcalf had been having his issues with injuries in 07 but if he is healthy then Metcalf is another rider that has the skill, desire, fitness and attitude to go all the way. Joining him under the PC tent will be rookie SX Lites rider Austin Stroupe and if his amateur career is any indication you can expect big things for Austin. I am not sure how well he will adjust to the hectic pace of the Lites class but you should certainly see him on the podium this year.
Running out of the Torco/Planet Fitness Lites rig this year you have Aussie phenom Daniel Reardon and returning alumni Jake Wiemer. I really haven’t seen very much out of Reardon yet but his reputation precedes him and after speaking with Factory Connections Ricky Z I have to say watch him this year because he may be the dark-horse contender. Jake Weimer is fresh off a great ride in Vegas and looks poised to run at the front of the pack on any given weekend.
So those are my picks for the major players going into 2008, I am not going to run down the East Coast Lites yet as they have a little time before the first gate drop so we will wait on that.
No matter how you slice it we should be looking at some great racing this year out of both classes and with the possibility of rain I can’t wait for Saturday nights racing to get underway.
Add to that the live broadcast on Speed for round 1 and you have the makings of a great way to kick off the fight. So set the Tivo, chill some beverages and rain or shine get ready for the fireworks…….crank up the music boys and let’s dance.
So why don’t I dig right in with the big bore class and see what you all think.
There is no doubt about the fact that Monster Energy/Kawasaki’s James Stewart is the odds on favorite to repeat as the SX champ in 08, last year the only rider to consistently give Stewart a run for his money was that #4 guy. Now there are many who say that it was exactly that pressure which caused the bobbles that Stewart had and others that insist it was Carmichael’s presence that drove Stewart. One thing is for sure the upcoming title is James to lose and we are going to get to see if the time spent off after his abbreviated Motocross season training with Aldon Baker gives James the edge he needs to keep that number one plate. There were plenty of races last year where Stewart and Carmichael brought out the best in each other but there was one rider on the track who clearly didn’t feel like taking part in the love fest.
Which brings us to the #22, team San Manuel/Yamaha’s Chad Reed. The last couple of SX seasons have not exactly been what Chad was looking for results wise. Even though there are plenty of people that wouldn’t mind having the skills to run his pace, myself included, that hasn’t been good enough to get it done for the championship. Reed took a lot of flak on the message boards and in the bench racing sessions for his decision not to run the outdoor series but if you saw him racing at the US Open it may very well have been the best thing for him. That night in Vegas was the unveiling of Chad Reed 2.0 and if you ask me it is a whole different rider piloting that 08 YZ450F, Reed was riding hungry and not afraid to shake things up to get what he wanted. I think the fireworks are going to start early and continue throughout the year, Reedy has decided that consistency is nice but the man who rolls the dice is the one who comes up a winner.
Another rider who has had a stellar year is fellow Yamaha pilot Grant Langston, fresh off an outdoor title and looking better than ever it may very well be GL8 who throws the monkey wrench into everybody’s plans. Langston is one of those riders who just thrives on the pressure and is also definitely not afraid to get aggressive to make a pass when it counts. Grant has had a lot of success in the lites class and now that he has had a taste of the top spot in the big bore series you can bet he won’t want to stop climbing the steps of the podium. Joining Langston in the Team Yamaha semi is very capable young Josh Hill making his step up to the SX class as well. Not sure what to expect out of Hill as of yet but if his past result are any indication we should be seeing him under a factory tent for some time to come.
Moving on to the Makita/Suzuki camp brings us to a team that is in transition, the last few years have been pretty good for Roger DeCoster and his crew but this year is going to be one for rebuilding. Bringing it to the line for 08 with a brand new EFI powered RMZ450 Suzuki has a one-two punch of young rider and crafty vet. David Vuillemin is bringing his considerable bag of knowledge and testing expertise to the table which when combined with the factory equipment he has been sorely missing in the last couple seasons should add up to some podiums. DV12 is a guy you just cannot count out no matter what and with the weather predictions for A-1 leaning towards the moist end of the scale we just might see the always personable Vuillemin scoring a spot on the box. Then you have the number 800 ride of Mike Alessi making his AMA debut in the Supercross class. Personally I think Alessi is another rider who you are going to have to watch because you just never know what will happen with him once the gate drops. Alessi struggled in the Lites class during his first outdoor season and then to make matters worse he had to spend last season battling with his long time nemesis Ryan Villipoto. Mike has always seemed to be more comfortable on the big bikes and there is absolutely no question about his desire to win so I will go ahead and say it now, you will definitely see Mike Alessi on the podium in 08.
Team Honda is due for some good luck this year as the past couple SX/MX series have been sorely lacking in red bikes on the podium. Hopefully Davi Millsaps can put the bad luck behind him and deliver on his extremely promising talent. The Duke has recovered from some inner ear problems that sidelined him for the end of 07 and I am sure he would like to shake the bad luck and let his riding do the talking. Ivan Tedesco will be bringing it hard as he makes his SX debut for Honda and is another guy that has to have been frustrated by his recent spate of injuries and looking for redemption. Hot Sauce showed his skills at the outset of last year but the gremlins hounded him right off the bat and he never found his rhythm. Then there is Shorty, the man with the biggest smile in racing Andrew Short. The outdoor season was pretty good to Andrew and he continues to build his skills and comfort on the big bike, when Short is on he is a threat to win so here’s to hoping he keeps it all moving in the right direction.
The era of the SX only contract has come for one of the smoothest riders in AMA history as 08 will see the Torco Race Fuels/Planet Fitness Honda of Kevin Windham beginning to wind down his career. K-Dub is unfortunately a little too hot and cold to be considered a threat for the title but you can bet he will be consistently in the top 5 and with his superior skills in the mud you just never know he may just repeat his winning ways from the 05 opener.
So those are the major players in the Supercross class, yea I know there are many more dogs in the hunt but these are the big dogs and they are bound to make the most noise.
The kids are alright.
So far everyone seems the think that the real action is going to be in the Lites class and since A-1 kicks off the West Coast series lets take a quick look at the contenders.
Team Yamaha’s Broc Hepler has endured a couple of rough years due to injuries and if he can avoid the problems that have sidelined him in the past it may finally be his year to walk home with it all. Broc is a smart and patient rider with all the bike skills he needs and some great factory equipment under him so keep your eyes glued to the blue.
For my money though Makita/Suzuki wunderkind Ryan Dungey is looking like the odds on favorite to take the West Coast title. His debut season was marked by some incredible ups and downs and if not for some bad luck he could have spent a lot more time on the box. Dungey is a quiet, determined, smart rider and when you add the fact that Johnny O’Mara has been coaching him in the last couple months that spells trouble for anyone lining up next to Dungey.
Speaking of trouble….The Yamaha of Troy ride of Jason Lawrence will be bringing his unique brand of excitement to the gate for the West series and is another rider with the skills to shine on any given night. The only drawback to the 338 is his tendency to lose focus on the task at hand. Jason has blazing speed, reads the track well and is certainly not afraid to rub a little paint if need be but just doesn’t seem to have the consistency to take a number one plate. Maybe this year will showcase a newer more mature J-Law which is all he needs to put him over the top.
The dominant force in the last few seasons for the Lites class has been the venerable Pro Circuit crew and this year they are going to be a threat again. Brett Metcalf had been having his issues with injuries in 07 but if he is healthy then Metcalf is another rider that has the skill, desire, fitness and attitude to go all the way. Joining him under the PC tent will be rookie SX Lites rider Austin Stroupe and if his amateur career is any indication you can expect big things for Austin. I am not sure how well he will adjust to the hectic pace of the Lites class but you should certainly see him on the podium this year.
Running out of the Torco/Planet Fitness Lites rig this year you have Aussie phenom Daniel Reardon and returning alumni Jake Wiemer. I really haven’t seen very much out of Reardon yet but his reputation precedes him and after speaking with Factory Connections Ricky Z I have to say watch him this year because he may be the dark-horse contender. Jake Weimer is fresh off a great ride in Vegas and looks poised to run at the front of the pack on any given weekend.
So those are my picks for the major players going into 2008, I am not going to run down the East Coast Lites yet as they have a little time before the first gate drop so we will wait on that.
No matter how you slice it we should be looking at some great racing this year out of both classes and with the possibility of rain I can’t wait for Saturday nights racing to get underway.
Add to that the live broadcast on Speed for round 1 and you have the makings of a great way to kick off the fight. So set the Tivo, chill some beverages and rain or shine get ready for the fireworks…….crank up the music boys and let’s dance.
12/20/07
New England Regional Championship 2007
Third Annual Factory Connection/ Dirt Wurx
New England Regional Championship.
September 1st-3rd 2007, Winchester NH
New England Regional Championship.
September 1st-3rd 2007, Winchester NH
All images of the 2007 New England Regional Championship are courtesy Buckley Photos. http://www.buckleyphotos.com/
If you are into motocross in New England and don’t know about the New England Regional Championship I have one question. What kind of rock is it that you’ve been under?
For the third year now motocross racers from New England and points beyond descended on the rich loamy soil of Winchester Speedpark to throw down everything they have in the hopes of walking away with a championship. Track owners Dave and Suzanne Boisvert gave this year’s riders a new challenge with a freshly added sand whoop section along with throwing plenty of power robbing wood chips into the mix for the 3 day, 3 moto formats. This year saw special guests Ashley Fiolek and Travis Preston doing a little exhibition riding and signing autographs while Leticia Cline flew in to cameo on the 30 second board as well as hand out some huge trophies.
Kicking off the festivities as the sun set on Friday was an evening of pitbike racing on Winchesters challenging Supercross track, no holds barred racing with some of the usual mini-madness. The folks from Tucker Rocky broke out the T-Shirt gun…..a great time was had by all. Saturday morning dawned and it was back to business, racing fired off with the 125 Expert class and they did not disappoint the crowd lining the fences. Craig Dube got off the gate quickly, carved the inside line through the start and came away out front on his way to the win. Moto 2 was a typical strong showing for the Suzuki of Dowd taking the early lead and running the table from start to finish. The stage was set going into the final moto with Dube and Dowd having both posted a win only this time it Marshall coming out with the holeshot. Dowd was charging hard to overtake Marshall going into the sand whoop section on lap 3 when the unthinkable happened; Dowd’s left hand lost the bars sending him down hard and out of the race. From that point on all Dube had to do was run a smart second and he brought home the 125 Expert championship.
John Dowd holds off the attack of Robbie Marshall.
Craig Dube carving smooth lines.
One of the bigger classes of the weekend was the 125 amateur with heat races on the first 2 days and only the 40 best getting to run day three. Great thing about that is you can have 2 riders coming into the final moto with a perfect 1-1 and all the confidence in the world. Michael Hacia had returned for day 3 after a bone-jarring crash on day 2 in another class left him briefly out cold. While Drew Torrance pushed his Team Green ride out front briefly at the start by the time they completed the first lap Hacia had worked his Manchester Sportscenter Honda into the lead pulling away for the final win and the 125 B title.
New Englands own AJ Catanzaro and Jimmy DeCotis had a rude awakening for Rockstar Suzuki’s Nick Desiderio who made the trip down from his Jersey home. These three young riders spent the weekend in close quarters racing at the front of the pack in the 85-A, Supermini 12-15 and the Schoolboy 2-stroke classes. Catanzaro just couldn’t seem to find his groove on the starts and Desiderio had his share of bad luck in the Schoolboy class with moto 2 ending after his engine grenaded. It was DeCotis who was the picture of consistency guiding his Yamaha to a near perfect 8 wins out of 9 motos on his way to all three titles.
Jimmy DeCotis ran his #3 Yamaha at the top of the podium all weekend.
It seems like every year at the Regional we have seen at least one rider lay down an epic ride; there is just something about this level of competition that brings it out. This year it happened on day two for the Open A/B class. Justin Rando was on the gas into the first turn when he got collected in a small tangle up and found himself last. While people were still talking about the crash Rando had gotten on the gas and came across on lap 1 already running 16th. When he came around for lap 2 in 6th I thought that the trackside system must be wrong……but it wasn’t and Rando just kept charging. Heading into lap 5 there was Justin Rando cruising the 90 left hander over the finish line out in front on the way to the win after starting the race on the ground dead last. There is just something about this race that makes a rider raise the bar even within themselves, all for the wonderful but fleeting feeling of being the first one to see that checkered flag.
Photos by;
For the finest in Motocross Photography and more.
http://www.buckleyphotos.com/
http://www.buckleyphotos.com/
10/9/07
Links for some more Cycle News posts.
The indoor motocross arena Mototown USA in Windsor CT hosted a series of SX races over the winter of 2007.
http://www.cyclenews.com/events/ShowStory.asp?HeadlineID=2171
Mototown photos courtesy Tom Ferriter
http://www.cyclenews.com/events/ShowStory.asp?HeadlineID=2252
Here are links to the final weekend of 2006 Arenacross I covered for Cycle News.
http://www.cyclenews.com/events/ShowStory.asp?HeadlineID=2270
http://www.cyclenews.com/events/ShowStory.asp?HeadlineID=2274
http://www.cyclenews.com/events/ShowStory.asp?HeadlineID=2171
Mototown photos courtesy Tom Ferriter
http://www.cyclenews.com/events/ShowStory.asp?HeadlineID=2252
Here are links to the final weekend of 2006 Arenacross I covered for Cycle News.
http://www.cyclenews.com/events/ShowStory.asp?HeadlineID=2270
http://www.cyclenews.com/events/ShowStory.asp?HeadlineID=2274
9/6/06
The worst of all four letter words.
The worst of all four-letter words.
So I am sitting on a stool in my basement staring at the inanimate object in front of me and just hating it. I mean really hating it with the white hot intensity of a thousand suns and wondering what in the heck I was thinking getting involved in a sport that required me to be a mechanic. I have never in my life had my hands inside the engine of anything two-wheels or four, when I was in my early 20’s I was learning how to work a crowd fronting rock bands. If you want to know how to handle a lackluster biker bar crowd on a Wednesday night I am your guy, taking apart engine components and re-assembling them successfully is not my strong point. It is funny because the very word that was on my mind as I was sitting there was to be the subject of some controversy in a conversation I would have on the track.
“Your son is using four-letter words out there on the track.”
This came to me as I was standing in the fenced spectator area at Winchester Speedpark watching Jake slog through another of the endless early spring mud races for 2006. Our friend Barry Stacy was working the track and had come over to where I was standing to deliver this bombshell. I couldn’t believe it what could he have possibly said, I have never even heard him utter anything remotely close. As long as Jake has been alive I have been painstakingly careful about watching my language. Not that I don’t have my own share of colorful vocabulary words as do we all, reserved for those wonderful moments we all encounter throughout our lives. I am certainly no saint but I just always thought it was better not to use that kind of language in front of Jake indeed I have been pretty successful with just a couple exceptions. The mountain bike versus the Jeep incident immediately pops to mind but that is a long story and nobody needs to hear about me losing a battle of wits with a canvas top. So you can imagine what was running through my mind on hearing the news that Jake was spewing out four-letter words during a race. My mind was literally racing with possibilities if you will forgive the pun but I put on an admittedly weak smile and asked Barry a reluctant question. “What is up, did something happen out there…..what did he say?” I replied with more than a little dread. “He got stuck in the mud coming out of the turn up the hill and he told me “I can’t do it!” was the begrudgingly funny reply.
Can’t…..as in “I can’t” which although I will admit is better than what I thought he might have said and restored my faith in my decision to bite my own tongue frequently but it was still troubling.
Jake has always had a pretty good attitude towards what happened on the track and this year especially we have been to some races that have tested his patience with the ups and downs of racing. I on the other hand have been getting a crash course in the ups and downs of being an 85cc mechanic something which I am not sure that I have handled with the same optimism.
We decided this year to get out and ride a little earlier with Jake running on the bigger bike it seemed smart to not wait for the season to start before we hit the track. We did a trip down south to The Landing MX as well as running one of the venerable Jack Frost series races which had the distinction of being the first race we have ever gone to when it was snowing.
This year Jake also decided that he wanted to run the Loretta Lynn’s qualifier at Southwick to see what it was like to line up with the real big guns in New England. Except that while practicing following the race at Middleboro we noticed that the right-front fork had rivulets of greasy liquid stranding down to the bottom which I actually knew from previous experience meant that the fork seal had gone. OK that was no big deal we are sponsored by Factory Connection, they would certainly be at the Loretta’s qualifier weekend and since Jake wasn’t racing Saturday it should be no problem. Except that I had to take the fork tubes off so they could do it, which I found out at the track that Saturday. Suffice it to say that although the unnamed national hotel chain we stayed with probably doesn’t normally have a guest use their room as a garage it was that or nothing. After only a few missteps and one instance when the front brake pad fell out onto the carpet causing Jake and I to look at each other while he intoned a somber “that isn’t good” all was re-assembled and ready for race day. So the following morning in practice Jake was heading down the sweeping turn out of the woods as I watched from the mechanics area when he was suddenly bouncing and pitching over the bars the bike following him over and rag dolling him to the ground. As I sprinted down the side of the track towards where he was lying motionless on the ground with the medical workers knelt down next to him one thing kept running through my mind like a freight train “I screwed up the front brake and it locked up on him”.
Well all’s well that ends well as they say, Jake was fine albeit a little sore in the knee from getting tossed, the brakes did not lock up on him he just got a bad bounce down the hill and went on to run a pretty respectable couple motos, one of only 3 novice riders in a field of fast A&B riders.
Well things go along fine and then the bike starts to develop a bit of a late spring cold, acquiring a coughing pop and in general not running right. The general consensus was that I should take off the carburetor and clean it out to make sure that wasn’t the issue. “It’s easy” was the usual advice I would get as I laughed to myself, thinking that they obviously didn’t know who they were talking to.
Which brings us to where this story began as I am sitting there hating the carb and muttering to myself “I can’t do this.” That’s right the very same four letter word that Jake had finally been frustrated enough to let slip from his mouth after a month of mud racing had come all too easily out of mine. It was at this point I remembered a conversation we had when Jake was trying to work up to jumping some bigger obstacles and one double in particular, I told him there came a point where he just had to hook onto someone that was doing it and go for it.
“Dad I can’t jump that though”
“You mean you can’t jump it…yet.”
Well he laughed and we agreed that was the way to look at it and now he can jump that double, so I sort of laughed to myself and decided to get going on fixing the carburetor.
So from now on we have a deal there is no can’t do it, there is only can’t do it yet…
Oh and by the way it wasn’t even the carburetor after all but with “a little help from my friends” as the song goes at least I got a chance to take my own advice and stop using that four letter word.
So I am sitting on a stool in my basement staring at the inanimate object in front of me and just hating it. I mean really hating it with the white hot intensity of a thousand suns and wondering what in the heck I was thinking getting involved in a sport that required me to be a mechanic. I have never in my life had my hands inside the engine of anything two-wheels or four, when I was in my early 20’s I was learning how to work a crowd fronting rock bands. If you want to know how to handle a lackluster biker bar crowd on a Wednesday night I am your guy, taking apart engine components and re-assembling them successfully is not my strong point. It is funny because the very word that was on my mind as I was sitting there was to be the subject of some controversy in a conversation I would have on the track.
“Your son is using four-letter words out there on the track.”
This came to me as I was standing in the fenced spectator area at Winchester Speedpark watching Jake slog through another of the endless early spring mud races for 2006. Our friend Barry Stacy was working the track and had come over to where I was standing to deliver this bombshell. I couldn’t believe it what could he have possibly said, I have never even heard him utter anything remotely close. As long as Jake has been alive I have been painstakingly careful about watching my language. Not that I don’t have my own share of colorful vocabulary words as do we all, reserved for those wonderful moments we all encounter throughout our lives. I am certainly no saint but I just always thought it was better not to use that kind of language in front of Jake indeed I have been pretty successful with just a couple exceptions. The mountain bike versus the Jeep incident immediately pops to mind but that is a long story and nobody needs to hear about me losing a battle of wits with a canvas top. So you can imagine what was running through my mind on hearing the news that Jake was spewing out four-letter words during a race. My mind was literally racing with possibilities if you will forgive the pun but I put on an admittedly weak smile and asked Barry a reluctant question. “What is up, did something happen out there…..what did he say?” I replied with more than a little dread. “He got stuck in the mud coming out of the turn up the hill and he told me “I can’t do it!” was the begrudgingly funny reply.
Can’t…..as in “I can’t” which although I will admit is better than what I thought he might have said and restored my faith in my decision to bite my own tongue frequently but it was still troubling.
Jake has always had a pretty good attitude towards what happened on the track and this year especially we have been to some races that have tested his patience with the ups and downs of racing. I on the other hand have been getting a crash course in the ups and downs of being an 85cc mechanic something which I am not sure that I have handled with the same optimism.
We decided this year to get out and ride a little earlier with Jake running on the bigger bike it seemed smart to not wait for the season to start before we hit the track. We did a trip down south to The Landing MX as well as running one of the venerable Jack Frost series races which had the distinction of being the first race we have ever gone to when it was snowing.
This year Jake also decided that he wanted to run the Loretta Lynn’s qualifier at Southwick to see what it was like to line up with the real big guns in New England. Except that while practicing following the race at Middleboro we noticed that the right-front fork had rivulets of greasy liquid stranding down to the bottom which I actually knew from previous experience meant that the fork seal had gone. OK that was no big deal we are sponsored by Factory Connection, they would certainly be at the Loretta’s qualifier weekend and since Jake wasn’t racing Saturday it should be no problem. Except that I had to take the fork tubes off so they could do it, which I found out at the track that Saturday. Suffice it to say that although the unnamed national hotel chain we stayed with probably doesn’t normally have a guest use their room as a garage it was that or nothing. After only a few missteps and one instance when the front brake pad fell out onto the carpet causing Jake and I to look at each other while he intoned a somber “that isn’t good” all was re-assembled and ready for race day. So the following morning in practice Jake was heading down the sweeping turn out of the woods as I watched from the mechanics area when he was suddenly bouncing and pitching over the bars the bike following him over and rag dolling him to the ground. As I sprinted down the side of the track towards where he was lying motionless on the ground with the medical workers knelt down next to him one thing kept running through my mind like a freight train “I screwed up the front brake and it locked up on him”.
Well all’s well that ends well as they say, Jake was fine albeit a little sore in the knee from getting tossed, the brakes did not lock up on him he just got a bad bounce down the hill and went on to run a pretty respectable couple motos, one of only 3 novice riders in a field of fast A&B riders.
Well things go along fine and then the bike starts to develop a bit of a late spring cold, acquiring a coughing pop and in general not running right. The general consensus was that I should take off the carburetor and clean it out to make sure that wasn’t the issue. “It’s easy” was the usual advice I would get as I laughed to myself, thinking that they obviously didn’t know who they were talking to.
Which brings us to where this story began as I am sitting there hating the carb and muttering to myself “I can’t do this.” That’s right the very same four letter word that Jake had finally been frustrated enough to let slip from his mouth after a month of mud racing had come all too easily out of mine. It was at this point I remembered a conversation we had when Jake was trying to work up to jumping some bigger obstacles and one double in particular, I told him there came a point where he just had to hook onto someone that was doing it and go for it.
“Dad I can’t jump that though”
“You mean you can’t jump it…yet.”
Well he laughed and we agreed that was the way to look at it and now he can jump that double, so I sort of laughed to myself and decided to get going on fixing the carburetor.
So from now on we have a deal there is no can’t do it, there is only can’t do it yet…
Oh and by the way it wasn’t even the carburetor after all but with “a little help from my friends” as the song goes at least I got a chance to take my own advice and stop using that four letter word.
All about the pride.
Labor day weekend 2006...The second annual New England Regional Championship series.
I knew before I even stepped foot on the property at Winchester Speedpark that the 2006 New England Regional Championship was going to be something incredible. You might ask yourself how I was able to ascertain this information; could I possibly have psychic powers? Nope it was when we rounded the final bend in Route 10 and looked down the road at an incredibly long line of vehicles waiting to make entrance to the park well in advance of the scheduled gate opening. That was a 2 and a half long mile of RV’s, trucks and trailers loaded down with bikes, equipment and eager racers to be exact. After sorting out my employment status with the fine representative of Winchester New Hampshire’s law enforcement community we squeezed into line on pit road and made our way in to survey the scene.
I wrote that last years Regional was like driving into the pit area at any pro national and this year was even bigger not to mention the fact that it already looked to me like the pits were as full as the previous year and there was still that pesky massive line of people awaiting entry. We staked our claim to a parking space as our base of operations for the weekend and got busy checking out how awesome the place looked and who had come to throw down for the weekend. It was pretty much a who’s who of New England racing from the perennial crafty veterans John Dowd, Pat Barton and Mike Treadwell to some of the fastest up and coming young guns like Mike Sottile, Matt Fisk and Honda’s newest poster boy Justin Barcia. Making the trip to the New Hampshire hills for the first time were Pennsylvania’s Ronnie Stewart along with New Jersey’s Nick Desiderio and Ryan Blizzard. Stowe Mass’s Robby Marshall was supposed to be off running the Outdoor Nationals but had some issues with his race bike so he loaded his practice ride into the pick-up and came out to play too.
The racing kicked off with the 125 Youth A class and it was New Hampshire’s own Cory Eaton who came away with the holeshot as Marshall struggled from a near last place start managing to salvage an impressive third while Ronnie Stewart went on to take the moto win. The rest of the weekend belonged to Marshall though as he took wins in moto’s two and three to snap up the class championship.
The first day of the weekend went off without a hitch but as night fell Mother Nature decided to make things a little interesting for day two and poured what felt like a foot of rain down on the assembled racers. To say that the second day’s motos were a whole different type of racing would be an understatement but incredibly the competition was just as fierce as any sunny day. Marshall had his podium hopes dashed in the 125 expert with a DNF in the muck even the Junk Yard Dog struggled a bit in the 250 class moto and had to settle for third that day. Dowd was pursued all weekend long by another young standout, Litchfield New Hampshire’s Chad Charbonneau but Chad couldn’t seem to get around Dowdy most of the weekend although not for lack of trying. Don’t feel too bad for John though he swept every other moto win for the weekend in the 250, 30+, 40+ and 125 classes in some cases against those same kids who weren’t even walking when Dowdy started racing. By the end of the race order on Sunday the track had deteriorated into a rutted swampy mess but still the racers took their gate drops and slugged it out as best they could. As my son Jake rolled off at the conclusion of his moto which was 31 out of 33 that day he summed it up best, after he spit out a mouthful of mud he muttered “that was NOT fun Dad”.
As day three dawned the sun actually peeked out in the morning and we were greeted by an impossibly good looking track. The crew from Winchester working alongside the men from Dirtwurx had indeed pulled a rabbit out of their hat and brought the track back into fine form. Possibly the most competitive class of the weekend was the 125 Amateur having had so many riders entered that there had to be 3 divisions to qualify for a spot on the 40 rider gate for the final day. Going into that gate drop you had Ryan Blizzard, Mike Sottile and Connecticut native Josh Clark bring in 1/1 scores and hoping to bring forth a holeshot on the way to a trifecta for the class. Rocketing off the gate to the first turn and spoiling everyone’s plan however was local favorite Greg Davis who put on possibly his best ride of the weekend in that moto and snagged a second place finish. It was Sottile however who worked his way into the lead by lap 2 and never looked back while Clark took a respectable 4th and Blizzard struggled to recover from a bad start having to settle for a 7th place finish.
In the Supermini classes Matt Fisk took advantage of Justin Barcia’s only stumble of the weekend on lap 3 of the final moto in the 12-15 class to win after both entered day three with 1/1 scores from their division races. Meanwhile in the Supermini 7-11 Nick Desiderio battled fellow Jersey boy Luke Renzland all weekend to come away with the top spot on the box.
I could really go on and on about the fantastic racing we were treated to during the 2006 Regional weekend but there were a few stand out moments that really sum it all up. For me the word that best describes why everyone showed up to put it all on the line is pride.
Pushing it as far as they could and in some cases pushing it too far for no other reason then to say that they gave their all. In the Four Stroke Open class it was Mike Correa pushing it so hard into the finish turn midway through moto 3 that he overshot the turn, climbed the side of the finish line jump slamming into the post holding up the finish banner and knocking the crossbar bolts off which brought the bar crashing down. Correa ended up on the side of the hill facing the wrong direction, promptly jumped back on his bike and took off to finish his race. Then you had Robby Marshall who with no hope of a championship after DNF’ing his second moto of the 125 class due to the mud still put it all out on the track trying to dive under the Junkyard Dog in the final turn before the finish. Marshall flew into the inside line of that final turn at an impossible speed showing Dowdy a wheel but couldn’t hold it and put himself on the ground. Robby picked it up and finished 2nd but his pride wouldn’t let him just settle for it so he rolled the dice hard trying for that win. The best example for my money though also came in the final moto for the 125 expert class. Billy Ainsworth wasn’t having his best weekend and going into the first turn it got even worse as he got held up behind some riders who tangled, crossing the finish line on lap 1 he was running 22nd. Pride had to have kicked in hard because Ainsworth proceeded to blaze through lap 2 laying down the fastest lap of the weekend, an insane 1:38 which was a full 12 seconds faster than Dowd who was leading the moto. When Billy crossed the finish line on lap 2 he had moved from 22nd to 8th, passing 14 of the fastest riders in New England on one lap…..pride is the only explanation for that kind of drive. It isn’t about the trophies or the contingency; it is all about looking yourself in the eye and knowing you have done your best. So what will the 2007 Regional Championship bring? I don’t know but I do know that I will be proud to be a part of it and wouldn’t miss it for the world.
I knew before I even stepped foot on the property at Winchester Speedpark that the 2006 New England Regional Championship was going to be something incredible. You might ask yourself how I was able to ascertain this information; could I possibly have psychic powers? Nope it was when we rounded the final bend in Route 10 and looked down the road at an incredibly long line of vehicles waiting to make entrance to the park well in advance of the scheduled gate opening. That was a 2 and a half long mile of RV’s, trucks and trailers loaded down with bikes, equipment and eager racers to be exact. After sorting out my employment status with the fine representative of Winchester New Hampshire’s law enforcement community we squeezed into line on pit road and made our way in to survey the scene.
I wrote that last years Regional was like driving into the pit area at any pro national and this year was even bigger not to mention the fact that it already looked to me like the pits were as full as the previous year and there was still that pesky massive line of people awaiting entry. We staked our claim to a parking space as our base of operations for the weekend and got busy checking out how awesome the place looked and who had come to throw down for the weekend. It was pretty much a who’s who of New England racing from the perennial crafty veterans John Dowd, Pat Barton and Mike Treadwell to some of the fastest up and coming young guns like Mike Sottile, Matt Fisk and Honda’s newest poster boy Justin Barcia. Making the trip to the New Hampshire hills for the first time were Pennsylvania’s Ronnie Stewart along with New Jersey’s Nick Desiderio and Ryan Blizzard. Stowe Mass’s Robby Marshall was supposed to be off running the Outdoor Nationals but had some issues with his race bike so he loaded his practice ride into the pick-up and came out to play too.
The racing kicked off with the 125 Youth A class and it was New Hampshire’s own Cory Eaton who came away with the holeshot as Marshall struggled from a near last place start managing to salvage an impressive third while Ronnie Stewart went on to take the moto win. The rest of the weekend belonged to Marshall though as he took wins in moto’s two and three to snap up the class championship.
Robbie Marshall carves a tight off-camber turn.
Image courtesy http://www.buckleyphotos.com/ do not reproduce.
The first day of the weekend went off without a hitch but as night fell Mother Nature decided to make things a little interesting for day two and poured what felt like a foot of rain down on the assembled racers. To say that the second day’s motos were a whole different type of racing would be an understatement but incredibly the competition was just as fierce as any sunny day. Marshall had his podium hopes dashed in the 125 expert with a DNF in the muck even the Junk Yard Dog struggled a bit in the 250 class moto and had to settle for third that day. Dowd was pursued all weekend long by another young standout, Litchfield New Hampshire’s Chad Charbonneau but Chad couldn’t seem to get around Dowdy most of the weekend although not for lack of trying. Don’t feel too bad for John though he swept every other moto win for the weekend in the 250, 30+, 40+ and 125 classes in some cases against those same kids who weren’t even walking when Dowdy started racing. By the end of the race order on Sunday the track had deteriorated into a rutted swampy mess but still the racers took their gate drops and slugged it out as best they could. As my son Jake rolled off at the conclusion of his moto which was 31 out of 33 that day he summed it up best, after he spit out a mouthful of mud he muttered “that was NOT fun Dad”.
As day three dawned the sun actually peeked out in the morning and we were greeted by an impossibly good looking track. The crew from Winchester working alongside the men from Dirtwurx had indeed pulled a rabbit out of their hat and brought the track back into fine form. Possibly the most competitive class of the weekend was the 125 Amateur having had so many riders entered that there had to be 3 divisions to qualify for a spot on the 40 rider gate for the final day. Going into that gate drop you had Ryan Blizzard, Mike Sottile and Connecticut native Josh Clark bring in 1/1 scores and hoping to bring forth a holeshot on the way to a trifecta for the class. Rocketing off the gate to the first turn and spoiling everyone’s plan however was local favorite Greg Davis who put on possibly his best ride of the weekend in that moto and snagged a second place finish. It was Sottile however who worked his way into the lead by lap 2 and never looked back while Clark took a respectable 4th and Blizzard struggled to recover from a bad start having to settle for a 7th place finish.
Justin Barcia airs it out on his Honda ride.
In the Supermini classes Matt Fisk took advantage of Justin Barcia’s only stumble of the weekend on lap 3 of the final moto in the 12-15 class to win after both entered day three with 1/1 scores from their division races. Meanwhile in the Supermini 7-11 Nick Desiderio battled fellow Jersey boy Luke Renzland all weekend to come away with the top spot on the box.
I could really go on and on about the fantastic racing we were treated to during the 2006 Regional weekend but there were a few stand out moments that really sum it all up. For me the word that best describes why everyone showed up to put it all on the line is pride.
Pushing it as far as they could and in some cases pushing it too far for no other reason then to say that they gave their all. In the Four Stroke Open class it was Mike Correa pushing it so hard into the finish turn midway through moto 3 that he overshot the turn, climbed the side of the finish line jump slamming into the post holding up the finish banner and knocking the crossbar bolts off which brought the bar crashing down. Correa ended up on the side of the hill facing the wrong direction, promptly jumped back on his bike and took off to finish his race. Then you had Robby Marshall who with no hope of a championship after DNF’ing his second moto of the 125 class due to the mud still put it all out on the track trying to dive under the Junkyard Dog in the final turn before the finish. Marshall flew into the inside line of that final turn at an impossible speed showing Dowdy a wheel but couldn’t hold it and put himself on the ground. Robby picked it up and finished 2nd but his pride wouldn’t let him just settle for it so he rolled the dice hard trying for that win. The best example for my money though also came in the final moto for the 125 expert class. Billy Ainsworth wasn’t having his best weekend and going into the first turn it got even worse as he got held up behind some riders who tangled, crossing the finish line on lap 1 he was running 22nd. Pride had to have kicked in hard because Ainsworth proceeded to blaze through lap 2 laying down the fastest lap of the weekend, an insane 1:38 which was a full 12 seconds faster than Dowd who was leading the moto. When Billy crossed the finish line on lap 2 he had moved from 22nd to 8th, passing 14 of the fastest riders in New England on one lap…..pride is the only explanation for that kind of drive. It isn’t about the trophies or the contingency; it is all about looking yourself in the eye and knowing you have done your best. So what will the 2007 Regional Championship bring? I don’t know but I do know that I will be proud to be a part of it and wouldn’t miss it for the world.
12/14/05
First annual New England Regional Championships showcases area’s best racing talent
The first annual NE Regional Championship has come and gone but the bench racing and reminiscing will definitely go on all year. The idea for this series was born out of years of talk between racing friends Ricky Zielfelder from Factory Connection and Dave Boisvert co-owner of Winchester Speedpark. Why is it that New England is the second largest center for MX racing in the country but had no way to decide who the fastest racers were from the multiple organizations racing there? The Labor Day weekend of 2005 was marked as the date and the Winchester Speedpark Motocross track was the spot. Owners Suzanne and Dave Boisvert had everything in order and the weather could not have been more perfect. Rolling into the pits on Saturday morning I was amazed at how the Winchester Speedpark track had transformed from the one I am so accustomed to seeing week in and week out to one that looked like the home of a national. Cruising along the vendor row I was just blown away at how much it felt like walking through the pits/ vendor areas for our annual trip to “The Wick”, it was flat out awesome.
The format for the 3 day weekends race was a single moto for each class each day, 3 motos to determine the overall in each class. The first gate drop for the weekend was the 125 Expert Class and it was to be an indicator of how the racing would go for the entire weekend. The lead changed 3 times in the first 2 laps and the battles ran deep throughout the class. Chad Charbonneau has been running up in the Canadian national series and posting some very good results and he continued to show his skills throughout the weekend. The Litchfield New Hampshire native ran his Cernics.com/Factory Connection Hondas around like he was on rails smooth and scary fast going 1/1/1 in both the 125 and 250 expert classes. You can definitely expect to hear big things from Chad Charbonneau in the very near future, think Factory big and you can quote me on that.
Taking the top spot on the podium in the 125 Youth A class was Maine’s Craig Dube although in the final moto of the weekend it almost slipped away when hard charging Justin Rando pushed the issue crowding his Yamaha in through a very tight inside line with room for just one sending Dube to the ground and almost knocking him off the top of the podium. Dube remounted to take third giving him a 1/1/3 for the overall win with Rando running 2/2/2 for the second spot. Wareham Cycle Center/American Suzuki rider Mike Picone put together a 3/3/1 to snag the final podium spot. I lost count of the number of times I saw racers pushing it hard in the final turn before the checkered flag to move up one more spot but undoubtedly the best one of the weekend had to go to Michael Sottile. An unfortunate mechanical DNF in moto 1 took him out of the running for a title but in the second moto of the 3 the Kawasaki mounted Sottile was relentless sticking a wheel in at the very last turn and taking the win by .006 seconds. It was a smooth and consistent weekend from the Keene Motorsports backed Kawasaki of Matt Fisk who took the overall win in the 85 A 10-14 with a 1/2/3.
Fresh off of winning 2 85cc titles at Loretta Lynn’s and looking just as sharp was Monroe New York’s Justin Barcia. With a perfect record for holeshots and 1/1/1 finishes in both the 85 A 7-13 and Supermini 7-13 the FMF/Honda backed Barcia was unstoppable. Now lest we forget that Amateur motocross is more than just the 125 young guns and Mini classes I have to mention a New England motocross road warrior who richly deserves the attention. 39 year old Pat Barton can be found on any given weekend mixing it up on the MX tracks of New England, from Maine to New York racing for longer than some of those new “phenoms” in the minis have been alive. The Troy Lee Designs backed Barton swept all 3 motos in the 25+ and 35+ classes then took 5th overall in the Four-Stroke Open class. For good measure Barton was on track for a podium in the 250 Expert with a 3/5 going into the final day but got tangled with another rider at the start of the moto, fighting back to finish 14th gave him a 6th overall. That’s 4 classes with 2 sweeps and top 10 finishes in the rest, can you say competitive?
So you get my point? There was so much going on over the 3 day holiday weekend that you would have needed a full week to take it all in. Oddly enough, for me the whole New England Regional experience was summed up during the sight lap practice on the foggy Monday morning of the final day. Although the weather during the race days was perfect, clear blue skies breezy and warm, during practice on Sunday it was a little foggy but it burned off quickly and practice was accented by a low layer of fog that the bikes rolled through like a rock and roll stage set. Monday was a different story as the fog hung low and late, almost as if Mother Nature was reluctant to let the weekend come to an end. As the riders lined up for the sight lap practice and started off I was struck by what a perfect metaphor that was for the sport of Motocross, the truly solitary nature of racing. All the factory rigs and RV’s in the pits, fans and families lining the fences and the bright banners of the starting area were left behind. One by one the riders made their way out onto the track and heading out towards the back section they disappeared into the mist all alone. Soon enough they would wisp back into view only to promptly turn and disappear again. Faint glimpses of rider and bike through the heavy morning air like the mythical ghost riders. All on their own plunging headlong through the unknown until they reemerged to roll off the exit gate coated in mud and none the worse for the wear. Then again maybe I think too much
How long is it until the next New England Regional? Only 360 more days, I know I’ll be there.
The format for the 3 day weekends race was a single moto for each class each day, 3 motos to determine the overall in each class. The first gate drop for the weekend was the 125 Expert Class and it was to be an indicator of how the racing would go for the entire weekend. The lead changed 3 times in the first 2 laps and the battles ran deep throughout the class. Chad Charbonneau has been running up in the Canadian national series and posting some very good results and he continued to show his skills throughout the weekend. The Litchfield New Hampshire native ran his Cernics.com/Factory Connection Hondas around like he was on rails smooth and scary fast going 1/1/1 in both the 125 and 250 expert classes. You can definitely expect to hear big things from Chad Charbonneau in the very near future, think Factory big and you can quote me on that.
Taking the top spot on the podium in the 125 Youth A class was Maine’s Craig Dube although in the final moto of the weekend it almost slipped away when hard charging Justin Rando pushed the issue crowding his Yamaha in through a very tight inside line with room for just one sending Dube to the ground and almost knocking him off the top of the podium. Dube remounted to take third giving him a 1/1/3 for the overall win with Rando running 2/2/2 for the second spot. Wareham Cycle Center/American Suzuki rider Mike Picone put together a 3/3/1 to snag the final podium spot. I lost count of the number of times I saw racers pushing it hard in the final turn before the checkered flag to move up one more spot but undoubtedly the best one of the weekend had to go to Michael Sottile. An unfortunate mechanical DNF in moto 1 took him out of the running for a title but in the second moto of the 3 the Kawasaki mounted Sottile was relentless sticking a wheel in at the very last turn and taking the win by .006 seconds. It was a smooth and consistent weekend from the Keene Motorsports backed Kawasaki of Matt Fisk who took the overall win in the 85 A 10-14 with a 1/2/3.
Fresh off of winning 2 85cc titles at Loretta Lynn’s and looking just as sharp was Monroe New York’s Justin Barcia. With a perfect record for holeshots and 1/1/1 finishes in both the 85 A 7-13 and Supermini 7-13 the FMF/Honda backed Barcia was unstoppable. Now lest we forget that Amateur motocross is more than just the 125 young guns and Mini classes I have to mention a New England motocross road warrior who richly deserves the attention. 39 year old Pat Barton can be found on any given weekend mixing it up on the MX tracks of New England, from Maine to New York racing for longer than some of those new “phenoms” in the minis have been alive. The Troy Lee Designs backed Barton swept all 3 motos in the 25+ and 35+ classes then took 5th overall in the Four-Stroke Open class. For good measure Barton was on track for a podium in the 250 Expert with a 3/5 going into the final day but got tangled with another rider at the start of the moto, fighting back to finish 14th gave him a 6th overall. That’s 4 classes with 2 sweeps and top 10 finishes in the rest, can you say competitive?
So you get my point? There was so much going on over the 3 day holiday weekend that you would have needed a full week to take it all in. Oddly enough, for me the whole New England Regional experience was summed up during the sight lap practice on the foggy Monday morning of the final day. Although the weather during the race days was perfect, clear blue skies breezy and warm, during practice on Sunday it was a little foggy but it burned off quickly and practice was accented by a low layer of fog that the bikes rolled through like a rock and roll stage set. Monday was a different story as the fog hung low and late, almost as if Mother Nature was reluctant to let the weekend come to an end. As the riders lined up for the sight lap practice and started off I was struck by what a perfect metaphor that was for the sport of Motocross, the truly solitary nature of racing. All the factory rigs and RV’s in the pits, fans and families lining the fences and the bright banners of the starting area were left behind. One by one the riders made their way out onto the track and heading out towards the back section they disappeared into the mist all alone. Soon enough they would wisp back into view only to promptly turn and disappear again. Faint glimpses of rider and bike through the heavy morning air like the mythical ghost riders. All on their own plunging headlong through the unknown until they reemerged to roll off the exit gate coated in mud and none the worse for the wear. Then again maybe I think too much
How long is it until the next New England Regional? Only 360 more days, I know I’ll be there.
Southwick, Party of One Thousand...
Originally published in Volume 42, Issue # 29 of Cycle News, 7-27-2005.
copyright CycleNews Inc. Cannot be re-printed without permission.
Doug Henry making Southwick look easy.
Photo courtesy www.tomofarrell.com
There has been an awful lot of motocross racing history made on the sandy soil of Southwick’s MX338 and some legendary riders have emerged to carve out their own place in MX history. What was supposed to be the second part of the Winchester Speedpark and NEMX membership challenge series has come to be called the MX version of the “Perfect Storm” and resulted in the largest racer turnout ever in the long history of the track. Race cancellations for 2 other large New England race organizations, NESC and NEMA, coupled with outstanding weather to bring a total of 1,007 riders.
The combined crews of WSP and NEMX did a bang up job, keeping an army of riders rolling on and off the start gate as well as scoring what must have seemed like a million bikes.
There is nothing that completes a trip to “The Wick” like watching local hero Doug Henry rail through the deep sand, impossibly low and smooth. Now maybe it was the weather or maybe it was a scouting trip for the upcoming national race where Troy Lee Designs backed Henry usually makes an appearance to steal a holeshot or 2. One thing is for sure when the 30+ Expert riders lined up there was a very familiar #19 YZ250 rolling up next to them. Everyone including this writer thought that a Henry holeshot was a forgone conclusion but apparently no one told Todd Richotte. The Suzuki rider shot to the front of the pack in Moto 1 and it wasn’t until well into lap 2 before Henry was able to get around going into the “gravity cavity” section near the finish line. Moto 2 was a more of the same with Richotte taking the lead for most of the shortened moto and Henry working his YZ250 smoothly through the sandy lines to take the lead with half a lap to go.
Being that New England has long been a hotbed for MX racing it should come as no surprise that the local Womens racing action features some great competition. As it turns out the top 2 riders for the day came to the track in the same rig and not just because they are Team Suzuki/ Bettencourts/ Pro-Action/ Thor teammates, they are also sisters. 15 year old Angela Crowley and 13 year old Katelyn spent the day at the front of the pack in the Womens class splitting the holeshots and even trading off first place finishes. Angela took the holeshot in moto1 but it was Katelyn passing her to win. In moto 2 the sisters Crowley switched off and Katelyn got off the famous Southwick starting pad quicker but Angela passed her on lap 2 for the moto win and first place overall.
copyright CycleNews Inc. Cannot be re-printed without permission.
Doug Henry making Southwick look easy.
Photo courtesy www.tomofarrell.com
There has been an awful lot of motocross racing history made on the sandy soil of Southwick’s MX338 and some legendary riders have emerged to carve out their own place in MX history. What was supposed to be the second part of the Winchester Speedpark and NEMX membership challenge series has come to be called the MX version of the “Perfect Storm” and resulted in the largest racer turnout ever in the long history of the track. Race cancellations for 2 other large New England race organizations, NESC and NEMA, coupled with outstanding weather to bring a total of 1,007 riders.
The combined crews of WSP and NEMX did a bang up job, keeping an army of riders rolling on and off the start gate as well as scoring what must have seemed like a million bikes.
There is nothing that completes a trip to “The Wick” like watching local hero Doug Henry rail through the deep sand, impossibly low and smooth. Now maybe it was the weather or maybe it was a scouting trip for the upcoming national race where Troy Lee Designs backed Henry usually makes an appearance to steal a holeshot or 2. One thing is for sure when the 30+ Expert riders lined up there was a very familiar #19 YZ250 rolling up next to them. Everyone including this writer thought that a Henry holeshot was a forgone conclusion but apparently no one told Todd Richotte. The Suzuki rider shot to the front of the pack in Moto 1 and it wasn’t until well into lap 2 before Henry was able to get around going into the “gravity cavity” section near the finish line. Moto 2 was a more of the same with Richotte taking the lead for most of the shortened moto and Henry working his YZ250 smoothly through the sandy lines to take the lead with half a lap to go.
Being that New England has long been a hotbed for MX racing it should come as no surprise that the local Womens racing action features some great competition. As it turns out the top 2 riders for the day came to the track in the same rig and not just because they are Team Suzuki/ Bettencourts/ Pro-Action/ Thor teammates, they are also sisters. 15 year old Angela Crowley and 13 year old Katelyn spent the day at the front of the pack in the Womens class splitting the holeshots and even trading off first place finishes. Angela took the holeshot in moto1 but it was Katelyn passing her to win. In moto 2 the sisters Crowley switched off and Katelyn got off the famous Southwick starting pad quicker but Angela passed her on lap 2 for the moto win and first place overall.
12/13/05
Interview with Rich Winkler; owner of Dirt Wurx.
The following interview was conducted in June of 2005 with Rich Winkler from Dirt Wurx, the largest and most well known builder of MX and SX tracks in the world. When this interview was conducted Rich was hanging out at the Winchester Speedpark complex during planning for the first New England Regional Championship.
How long have you been interested in Motocross, did you ride as a kid?
Oh yeah, I guess my first motorized vehicle was a lawnmower engine powered mini-bike, a Rupp Roadster. It was one of those with the pull starter and that was about 1969, I was 11 or 12 years old when I started. Then I graduated up to the bigger bikes and eventually I was a number 1 ranked 250 rider in District 2 which is now District 34 and then I rode 2 years as an AMA pro.
Was your family into racing as well?
No, not really. I have a brother and a sister my brother rode sort of recreationally but never really got involved in racing. Racing is different now then it was back then, most of the time the more serious riders, the guys in their late teens early 20’s came pretty much in their own vehicles. The phenomenon you see today with the whole families and the motor homes was just starting as I was sort of tapering down my racing. I mean my folks came and watched me race a few times but it wasn’t like the family effort it is today.
Still ride to this day
Oh yeah.
Do you do any riding competitively?
Yeah I try to get out to a half a dozen or so races a year, plus 40 class. I rode 6 or 7 races here on the WSP MX track last year plus a few in District 34.
How did your riding and racing transition into building tracks?
Well, when I was riding as a pro it became pretty obvious I wasn’t going to make any money doing that. (Laughs) I started to look around for something to do that would be inside the motorcycle industry and somehow I got a resume to Mike Goodwin, the original SX promoter. At that time I didn’t even realize there was such a thing as a promoter; I thought the AMA put the races on. I didn’t set out to do it but I must have sort of hit him at the right time and they offered me a job as what they called a “Production Manager”. So I went to work originally as an employee of Goodwin and then later on for Pace who was the forerunner of Clear Channel. At that time I did primarily the operations side of the events much more than just the tracks, it was setting up the ticket takers and finding out how many ushers we would need, everything from the amount of fencing we would need for the pits to how many porta-potties for the night. That is how it started and then eventually CE Altman from Pace and I sat down and discussed the quality of the race tracks from one event to another. At that time the quality of the tracks varied greatly some tracks cost times more than others and some of them were frankly horrible.
We just started to think that there was a value to standardizing it, trying to make it cost similar and have the track quality be similar from week to week so that’s how it got started.
When was this happening?
About 1991, we did it for a year before we actually named the company Dirt Wurx. That first year things were still sort of spread out Pace only had about 5 rounds of these events. The rest were promoted by people like Bill West and Mickey Thompson. So that first year or two we all had regular jobs too, we built the tracks but then we would have to come home and do something else. It wasn’t until the third year that we got the whole series and then it started to be viable to make a living doing it.
What is the basic process of designing tracks for the upcoming season, do you do them all at once?
Today the tracks are all designed at the same time which is a necessity because of the internet. People want to be able to buy their tickets ahead of time and they want to be able to show the whole season online. Clear Channel wants the tracks done no later than September and in fact they are pushing for them before that. They would really like them now and it’s what June? Once they have them the track layouts are provided to the factories and the AMA for a look see and when everybody is happy with them they send out packets to the factories and Privateers. That is the positive, the fact that everybody gets to see the track ahead of time, the negative is that it can be a little close to the past season which makes it kind of hard creatively. Coming up with new stuff can be tough because your mind is still in the mode of the tracks from before and then when we do come up with something that we like if it works great but if it doesn’t…we may have put that in say 3 more tracks later in the season. In the old days we used to do the first 5 or 6 drawings and submit them, then after the Daytona break we would do the rest. By the time we got to the Daytona break we had a lot of input from the riders and a lot better feeling for where we wanted to go. In a way I kind of like that better, I mean I understand why it has to be done all at once but I like the way we used to do it when the second half of the season had a little modification.
How much of the track design is dependant on the venue?
It’s not so much a restriction because of the venue but there are a lot of constraints when you build these tracks. As a track builder reading peoples opinions on internet chat boards and such, there’s tons of criticism of the tracks the design and such, a lot of armchair quarterbacks. What people don’t realize is that there are a lot of other factors, were not in a field here and we have a lot of finite restrictions. There is X number of square footage, there is a concrete floor we can’t go below and the there are sight line restrictions as well. We can go too high with some of the stuff because people on the other side of the stadium will complain that they can’t see. There are certain things that are required the promoters expect there is going to be a triple jump on either side and at least one set of whoops and I mean you get down to where your sort of stuck with how you lay the track out on the floor. You get some creativity with the rhythm sections and stuff but you know quantities of dirt, manpower, time, budget numbers can limit you as to what you can do. My opinion is that the look of SX is kind of stale, it’s always the same, jumps piled up on the flat you know. We are looking into some different things, structural Styrofoam and some other fillers where it would make it feasible economically and time wise to put some changes into the tracks. Hopefully for 2006 we will see some new stuff.
How much do you take “the fan experience” into consideration when building the newer tracks?
In my opinion that is 50% at least, maybe more. Let’s face it motocross is more popular now than ever before, most of that is being driven by the popularity of SX both live and on television. SX popularity is fan driven the reason SX is popular is because relatively uncommitted fans can see it very easily as opposed to having to go out to say Unadilla or Southwick. If you want to go see an outdoor national you have to be really into it where as Supercross is much easier to take in. The problem is you try to build a track with a balance between what the fans want, what is best for them to see and what is challenging to the top riders. The top riders right now Ricky, Chad, Bubba and Windham are on a level one rung higher than even the other factory riders so it is very common to hear that the tracks are too easy. Yet we are trying to build a track for these guys and like 60 or 70 other riders so it is a little tough. If we built a track that was brutally challenging and edgy for say Ricky and Chad, 50% of the other riders would be Trials riding around it and that is not what the fans paid to see. The fans pay to see racing not an obstacle course so it’s a knife edge to make something that challenges those top guys but looks flowing and fast at the same time. It’s tough. The whole idea, the whole theory that the track can determine the race outcome I just don’t believe it. I wish I could build a track that would make every race epic. Reality is that this is racing you know, why are human beings interested in sports? 90% of football games are pretty boring, we watch it because we want to see that 10% that’s epic. That is what sports are about.
What are the logistics for taking the whole circus on the road?
I think the outsider would be surprised what goes into it. Not counting the race teams just the people putting the race on, there are 6 semis plus our half a semi rig on the road each week. The work that goes into putting that thing together and then tearing it down for the next city, it’s very common to have a 90-100 hour work week. I feel really proud of our guys, our crew for putting it together every week. Also the production crew from Clear Channel they are a dedicated hardworking bunch of people. That’s another reason I like some of that internet trash talk, they talk about CC like it’s some evil empire and you know what…who knows maybe at the very top levels of the executive offices they may be right...(laughs) I don’t know. I do know that the people there working every week are just like you and I, they love motocross and they want to be there. The work their asses off so it’s tough to see that type of trash talk when I am there every week looking at this group of people that are breaking their stones to put on something that they can be proud of. They don’t have anything to do with the high end negotiations with the AMA or what Howard Stern can say or not say, they just want to put on a good show.
What is the off season like for you?
We get a lot of pressure towards the end of the Supercross season with people interested in having us build tracks so maybe we don’t pay enough attention to that plus about 50 percent of that is just tire kickers. So sometimes when SX is over we have a little lull because either we didn’t do our homework enough or some of the people that we talked with were a little flakier than we expected. Towards the middle of the summer we will do a lot of Amateur tracks like here, private practice tracks and things then towards the beginning of the fall our regular events start up again. In real life the stuff we do with CC is like 65 percent of the business with the rest being public riding areas or tracks like this.(WSP) That smaller percentage of the business is a much easier dollar to earn, I enjoy coming out and doing this stuff. Obviously it’s not as lucrative but it doesn’t have to be, a couple or three of us can take out the rig and do a small track and it’s not a big time pressure which makes it more enjoyable. The general reaction when we quote numbers to people for smaller track jobs is shock that it’s so reasonable. That’s the reason that I want to be involved with things like that and the big event at the end of the summer. (New England Regional Championship) There is just a huge interest in that kind of thing now, whether it’s a public riding area or private tracks. It is getting tougher to find places to ride these days.
What is the biggest challenge with building Amateur tracks?
My own opinion and I’ll be the first to admit I’m probably not in the mainstream but I don’t believe that amateur motocross needs gapped jumps of any kind. This WSP Motocross track is a perfect example, it was totally flat when we started, beyond flat and we have built it up to give the rider the feeling that they are negotiating terrain. There are some things to jump but there is nothing on this track that really has a penalty if you don’t make it. I see some amateur tracks that are intimidating to me, I mean I’m admit I’m an old guy now but I raced professional MX and I see some things that scare me. I just don’t think that kind of thing belongs on an amateur track. It’s almost like a moral issue for me; I don’t want to see some kid in a wheelchair because he forgot to switch his gas on and cased a big gap. SX is a little bit tougher the current track layout for WSP is about as far as I would go with an amateur SX track. Most of the stuff over there is step ups or step downs with different smaller jump put in front of it so even the younger riders can at least jump onto or off of something. I forget that I am old guy while most of these riders are young kids and they like to jump. I just think that for me since like 1969 motocross has been my whole life and a lot of the things that make me a person come from motocross. It’s individual, there are no excuses and it teaches you your strengths and weaknesses. I have a ton of respect for motocross and the things that it has done for me. On the other hand you have got to be realistic and the reality is that motocross is not town soccer or Pop Warner football; this is a very dangerous sport. At a Little League baseball game your probably not going to end up in a wheelchair, you can end up that way here. So as a track builder it has always been my philosophy that you have to take that into consideration. Build it so it is fun, it’s challenging, it’s athletic but it’s not the X games You just don’t need it, motocross can be fun without that kind of crazy stuff.
How long have you been interested in Motocross, did you ride as a kid?
Oh yeah, I guess my first motorized vehicle was a lawnmower engine powered mini-bike, a Rupp Roadster. It was one of those with the pull starter and that was about 1969, I was 11 or 12 years old when I started. Then I graduated up to the bigger bikes and eventually I was a number 1 ranked 250 rider in District 2 which is now District 34 and then I rode 2 years as an AMA pro.
Was your family into racing as well?
No, not really. I have a brother and a sister my brother rode sort of recreationally but never really got involved in racing. Racing is different now then it was back then, most of the time the more serious riders, the guys in their late teens early 20’s came pretty much in their own vehicles. The phenomenon you see today with the whole families and the motor homes was just starting as I was sort of tapering down my racing. I mean my folks came and watched me race a few times but it wasn’t like the family effort it is today.
Still ride to this day
Oh yeah.
Do you do any riding competitively?
Yeah I try to get out to a half a dozen or so races a year, plus 40 class. I rode 6 or 7 races here on the WSP MX track last year plus a few in District 34.
How did your riding and racing transition into building tracks?
Well, when I was riding as a pro it became pretty obvious I wasn’t going to make any money doing that. (Laughs) I started to look around for something to do that would be inside the motorcycle industry and somehow I got a resume to Mike Goodwin, the original SX promoter. At that time I didn’t even realize there was such a thing as a promoter; I thought the AMA put the races on. I didn’t set out to do it but I must have sort of hit him at the right time and they offered me a job as what they called a “Production Manager”. So I went to work originally as an employee of Goodwin and then later on for Pace who was the forerunner of Clear Channel. At that time I did primarily the operations side of the events much more than just the tracks, it was setting up the ticket takers and finding out how many ushers we would need, everything from the amount of fencing we would need for the pits to how many porta-potties for the night. That is how it started and then eventually CE Altman from Pace and I sat down and discussed the quality of the race tracks from one event to another. At that time the quality of the tracks varied greatly some tracks cost times more than others and some of them were frankly horrible.
We just started to think that there was a value to standardizing it, trying to make it cost similar and have the track quality be similar from week to week so that’s how it got started.
When was this happening?
About 1991, we did it for a year before we actually named the company Dirt Wurx. That first year things were still sort of spread out Pace only had about 5 rounds of these events. The rest were promoted by people like Bill West and Mickey Thompson. So that first year or two we all had regular jobs too, we built the tracks but then we would have to come home and do something else. It wasn’t until the third year that we got the whole series and then it started to be viable to make a living doing it.
What is the basic process of designing tracks for the upcoming season, do you do them all at once?
Today the tracks are all designed at the same time which is a necessity because of the internet. People want to be able to buy their tickets ahead of time and they want to be able to show the whole season online. Clear Channel wants the tracks done no later than September and in fact they are pushing for them before that. They would really like them now and it’s what June? Once they have them the track layouts are provided to the factories and the AMA for a look see and when everybody is happy with them they send out packets to the factories and Privateers. That is the positive, the fact that everybody gets to see the track ahead of time, the negative is that it can be a little close to the past season which makes it kind of hard creatively. Coming up with new stuff can be tough because your mind is still in the mode of the tracks from before and then when we do come up with something that we like if it works great but if it doesn’t…we may have put that in say 3 more tracks later in the season. In the old days we used to do the first 5 or 6 drawings and submit them, then after the Daytona break we would do the rest. By the time we got to the Daytona break we had a lot of input from the riders and a lot better feeling for where we wanted to go. In a way I kind of like that better, I mean I understand why it has to be done all at once but I like the way we used to do it when the second half of the season had a little modification.
How much of the track design is dependant on the venue?
It’s not so much a restriction because of the venue but there are a lot of constraints when you build these tracks. As a track builder reading peoples opinions on internet chat boards and such, there’s tons of criticism of the tracks the design and such, a lot of armchair quarterbacks. What people don’t realize is that there are a lot of other factors, were not in a field here and we have a lot of finite restrictions. There is X number of square footage, there is a concrete floor we can’t go below and the there are sight line restrictions as well. We can go too high with some of the stuff because people on the other side of the stadium will complain that they can’t see. There are certain things that are required the promoters expect there is going to be a triple jump on either side and at least one set of whoops and I mean you get down to where your sort of stuck with how you lay the track out on the floor. You get some creativity with the rhythm sections and stuff but you know quantities of dirt, manpower, time, budget numbers can limit you as to what you can do. My opinion is that the look of SX is kind of stale, it’s always the same, jumps piled up on the flat you know. We are looking into some different things, structural Styrofoam and some other fillers where it would make it feasible economically and time wise to put some changes into the tracks. Hopefully for 2006 we will see some new stuff.
How much do you take “the fan experience” into consideration when building the newer tracks?
In my opinion that is 50% at least, maybe more. Let’s face it motocross is more popular now than ever before, most of that is being driven by the popularity of SX both live and on television. SX popularity is fan driven the reason SX is popular is because relatively uncommitted fans can see it very easily as opposed to having to go out to say Unadilla or Southwick. If you want to go see an outdoor national you have to be really into it where as Supercross is much easier to take in. The problem is you try to build a track with a balance between what the fans want, what is best for them to see and what is challenging to the top riders. The top riders right now Ricky, Chad, Bubba and Windham are on a level one rung higher than even the other factory riders so it is very common to hear that the tracks are too easy. Yet we are trying to build a track for these guys and like 60 or 70 other riders so it is a little tough. If we built a track that was brutally challenging and edgy for say Ricky and Chad, 50% of the other riders would be Trials riding around it and that is not what the fans paid to see. The fans pay to see racing not an obstacle course so it’s a knife edge to make something that challenges those top guys but looks flowing and fast at the same time. It’s tough. The whole idea, the whole theory that the track can determine the race outcome I just don’t believe it. I wish I could build a track that would make every race epic. Reality is that this is racing you know, why are human beings interested in sports? 90% of football games are pretty boring, we watch it because we want to see that 10% that’s epic. That is what sports are about.
What are the logistics for taking the whole circus on the road?
I think the outsider would be surprised what goes into it. Not counting the race teams just the people putting the race on, there are 6 semis plus our half a semi rig on the road each week. The work that goes into putting that thing together and then tearing it down for the next city, it’s very common to have a 90-100 hour work week. I feel really proud of our guys, our crew for putting it together every week. Also the production crew from Clear Channel they are a dedicated hardworking bunch of people. That’s another reason I like some of that internet trash talk, they talk about CC like it’s some evil empire and you know what…who knows maybe at the very top levels of the executive offices they may be right...(laughs) I don’t know. I do know that the people there working every week are just like you and I, they love motocross and they want to be there. The work their asses off so it’s tough to see that type of trash talk when I am there every week looking at this group of people that are breaking their stones to put on something that they can be proud of. They don’t have anything to do with the high end negotiations with the AMA or what Howard Stern can say or not say, they just want to put on a good show.
What is the off season like for you?
We get a lot of pressure towards the end of the Supercross season with people interested in having us build tracks so maybe we don’t pay enough attention to that plus about 50 percent of that is just tire kickers. So sometimes when SX is over we have a little lull because either we didn’t do our homework enough or some of the people that we talked with were a little flakier than we expected. Towards the middle of the summer we will do a lot of Amateur tracks like here, private practice tracks and things then towards the beginning of the fall our regular events start up again. In real life the stuff we do with CC is like 65 percent of the business with the rest being public riding areas or tracks like this.(WSP) That smaller percentage of the business is a much easier dollar to earn, I enjoy coming out and doing this stuff. Obviously it’s not as lucrative but it doesn’t have to be, a couple or three of us can take out the rig and do a small track and it’s not a big time pressure which makes it more enjoyable. The general reaction when we quote numbers to people for smaller track jobs is shock that it’s so reasonable. That’s the reason that I want to be involved with things like that and the big event at the end of the summer. (New England Regional Championship) There is just a huge interest in that kind of thing now, whether it’s a public riding area or private tracks. It is getting tougher to find places to ride these days.
What is the biggest challenge with building Amateur tracks?
My own opinion and I’ll be the first to admit I’m probably not in the mainstream but I don’t believe that amateur motocross needs gapped jumps of any kind. This WSP Motocross track is a perfect example, it was totally flat when we started, beyond flat and we have built it up to give the rider the feeling that they are negotiating terrain. There are some things to jump but there is nothing on this track that really has a penalty if you don’t make it. I see some amateur tracks that are intimidating to me, I mean I’m admit I’m an old guy now but I raced professional MX and I see some things that scare me. I just don’t think that kind of thing belongs on an amateur track. It’s almost like a moral issue for me; I don’t want to see some kid in a wheelchair because he forgot to switch his gas on and cased a big gap. SX is a little bit tougher the current track layout for WSP is about as far as I would go with an amateur SX track. Most of the stuff over there is step ups or step downs with different smaller jump put in front of it so even the younger riders can at least jump onto or off of something. I forget that I am old guy while most of these riders are young kids and they like to jump. I just think that for me since like 1969 motocross has been my whole life and a lot of the things that make me a person come from motocross. It’s individual, there are no excuses and it teaches you your strengths and weaknesses. I have a ton of respect for motocross and the things that it has done for me. On the other hand you have got to be realistic and the reality is that motocross is not town soccer or Pop Warner football; this is a very dangerous sport. At a Little League baseball game your probably not going to end up in a wheelchair, you can end up that way here. So as a track builder it has always been my philosophy that you have to take that into consideration. Build it so it is fun, it’s challenging, it’s athletic but it’s not the X games You just don’t need it, motocross can be fun without that kind of crazy stuff.
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