MOTOCROSS ACTION’S MID-WEEK REPORT: (12/09/11)
By John Basher
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
Don’t you wish that your garage looked like this? Photo: John Basher
MINI-VIEW: ALLAN BROWN
I phoned my good friend, Allan Brown, to find out more about the race team that he’s working with for the 2012 season. Allan is the team manager for the Motosport.com/Foremost Insurance/Ti Lube outfit, which includes Nick Wey and Chris Blose.
MXA: What are your plans for 2012?
Allan: I’m back with the Ti Lube team after a hiatus. I was always helping them behind the scenes, but now I’m back here full time. I’m trying to make this a really good program.
You’re working with two high profile riders for 2012. Can you talk about the direction you wanted to go with the team and why you signed Nick Wey and Chris Blose?
We’re excited to have Nick and Chris on the team. Nick has been a top ten guy for years. Chris is going into his third year on the 450, and he’s made all of the main events since he moved up. Chris is a very quiet guy, and we’re trying to bring him out of his shell a little bit. Last year he was on a team that was very loud and in your face. They did a very good job of marketing their sponsors, but Chris is a bit more reserved. We’re trying to get people to know who Chris is.
Do you take a different approach with each rider?
Yes. Nick is very set in his ways. There’s the saying that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Nick wants to learn, but he’s set in his ways and he knows what he likes. He’ll try some different setups, but for the most part he’s got things dialed in. My job is to make sure that Nick is happy and confident on the motorcycle. As for Chris, I’m hoping that he can bond with Nick. Chris can learn a lot from Nick, and I’m hoping that they work really well together. I think that it’s going to be a very good team.
After riding for Hart & Huntington last year, Chris Blose is now the Ti Lube team.
What is your role on the team?
I’m the day to day manager of everything. Tony Wink and I have been working together with Ti Lube for several years. Tony is more of a behind the scenes guy, selling the team, sponsors and product. He has stepped in and did the team managing last year when I was working for Star Racing. Now he’s moving back into the role of selling Ti Lube products.
Will you have a full semi heading to every race?
For Supercross we’re going to use the show hauler again. It’s the same vehicle that we’ve used the past two years. We considered moving into a bigger truck, but we’re just not quite there yet. We’re going to experiment with a few outdoor Nationals. We’ve picked a few that our sponsors would like to attend. We’re trying to do the ones that make the most sense. There’s a business behind this, and it has to make sense. I think we’re going to do Millville, because it’s a local race for Ti Lube. There’s also Red Bud, which is a home race for Nick Wey and Foremost Insurance. We’ll probably do Washougal, which is close for Motosport Outlet. We’ll probably do one more race that the riders like. Nick seems to be leaning towards High Point, because he does very well at that track.
It seems like a lot of teams that were Supercross-only in years past are heading back outdoors. If you ask me that’s awesome news.
Racing outdoors is important. For us, things have to make sense from a business stand point. That’s a whole different subject that we could have an entire conversation on. I don’t think that the people on the Internet and in the chat rooms realize that this is a business. There’s a lot more to it that people don’t realize.
Nick Wey (above) and Allan Brown are working together once again.
What are your expectations for Nick Wey?
We’re hoping to continue from where they left off. They’re consistent main event guys. Nick’s best finish has been a fourth place, so he’s shown that he can do it. We’re hoping to keep him motivated, and if he doesn’t get a bad start he’ll need to keep his head down and chip away. He knows that he can be a top ten guy. He’s steady and consistent. If you look at the points over the last couple of years he’s always there.
Is it stressful being a team manager and working with all of the different personalities?
There’s a lot of juggling going on. A lot of times you have to be politically correct about what you say. We’re a team that needs our sponsors, and we can’t go racing without them. We have to make sure that each sponsor gets what they’re looking for. I think that the Supercross pit party is very important. We’re focusing on having an open pit and getting the riders to interact with the fans. That’s what we’re working on. No one is expecting us to win a Supercross championship, and that’s not our goal right now.
Thanks for your time, Allan, and good luck in 2012.
Thanks John. We’re excited to go racing.
SCOTT SPORTS VIDEO: FOLLOW ADAM C. & TREYNARD
SCOTT TV: Trey Canard and Mini O’s from Ride on Scott on Vimeo.
SUPERCROSS IS ON THE HORIZON
Do you know what today is? Yes, it’s Wednesday. Yes, it’s also one day closer to Christmas (have you emptied out your bank account yet on gifts for your loved ones?). If you’re a diehard Supercross fan, then you probably were quick to answer the question by saying, “Why, don’t you know that today is 31 days away from the start of the Supercross series?”
The race teams have just over a month to prepare for Anaheim 1, but with the holidays upon us, it’s really less time than that for preparation. About this time every year I start getting excited for a new season on the horizon (honestly, come September I’m pretty much over the idea of climbing hills like a Billy goat and taking dirt showers). However, by December my batteries are usually recharged. I’d love it if the season started today. Since that’s not plausible I’m left talking about what’s looming in the not-too-distant future. These are the questions that I have about the 2012 season:
Can Ryan Villopoto repeat as Supercross champion? RV used consistency and speed to win the title last year. Now that he’s on a better handling bike that better suits his style, along with having a boatload of confidence, Ryan has to be the clear favorite entering A1.
Will Ryan Dungey return to the winning form that he displayed in 2010? Ryan left Suzuki after a long tenure to work with Roger DeCoster and Ian Harrison at KTM. Dungey will be piloting a radically new 450SXF in 2012. The team has been working feverishly to work out any bugs and get up to speed with the transition to new equipment. Even if Ryan doesn’t win right away, he has generated enough buzz for KTM that the Austrians should be grinning from ear to ear. Need proof? Look no further than MXA’s January 2012 cover, which features Dungey.
Which James Stewart will we witness in 2012? Remember that at the beginning of the 2011 Supercross series James rode with reservation. After a few gnarly crashes (Atlanta, Daytona, Jacksonville), the switch in Bubba’s head flipped to Win or Crash mode. It didn’t work out for Stewart. Now he’s on the venerable Joe Gibbs Racing team, working once again with Jeremy Albrecht. It might just be a match made in Heaven.
Will we see more of this type of craziness from Ken Roczen? The pride of Germany, Kenny wowed crowds and scared the absolute pants of his competitors with his go-for-broke riding style in Supercross this past year. Roger DeCoster will probably try to keep the Ken train from derailing, because the kid has a legitimate chance to win a regional Supercross title (I’m thinking that he’ll be on the West and race the East in the big boy class on a 350SXF).
How will the stresses of breaking a femur (twice in a few months) affect Trey Canard? Trey was a winner this past season in Supercross and had been in the thick of things…until he broke his femur testing for the Nationals. Then, at Washougal, he did it again. Sadly, Trey broke his collarbone earlier this week and will probably miss the first two rounds of the 2012 season, but we can still expect him to be popping stand-up wheelies in memory of his father.
Will Kevin Windham win a Supercross race in 2012? Everyone (and I mean everyone) would love to see K-Dub stand atop the podium (especially at his hometown race of New Orleans). Regardless, expect to see the showman throw down sweet whips, such as this one.
Is Chad Reed going to win the title? Reed, owner/rider, is now in his second year of TwoTwo Motorsports. Chad has added master mechanic Mike Gosselaar to the fold, which should help. There’s also the fact that Reed will be receiving factory Honda parts. Although Chad has hinted at retirement for several years, he still has what it takes to win the whole thing.
MINI-VIEW: PIERRE KARSMAKERS
Older generations will fondly remember Pierre Karsmakers, the Dutch motocross master, who, in 1973 made a pilgrimage to America to race against the top U.S. riders. The “Rabbit,” as he was known by fans, soundly trounced the competition in the 1973 AMA 500 National Championship. The following year he won the Supercross series.
It has been decades since Pierre raced motocross professionally, but his legacy still lives on. These days Pierre is back home in the Netherlands, still riding dirt bikes whenever possible. Hear what Karsmakers has to say about coming to America, how the AMA singled him out, and the toughest competition that he faced.
MXA: Pierre, was it easy making the transition to a U.S. lifestyle after growing up in Holland?
Pierre: No, it was not easy. The first four months in America I was all alone without my family, but I was determined to do very good and make the very best of it. I was staying in a motel near Yamaha and was very lonely in the beginning, but at Yamaha I made good friends and was getting more and more comfortable. I was training as hard as I could and setting up the factory bikes as good as I could for myself and the other riders. The hard work paid off, because the results were very good. Yamaha was happy, and so was I. At the end of 1973 I was offered a contract extension with Yamaha, but Honda also gave me a very good offer. I decided to stay with Yamaha since I knew them very well by that time and I felt at home there.
Were you angered by the AMA’s decision to only allow American riders to earn 250 National points in 1974?
Of course I was angered a little, but I understood. I was a foreigner who stole victories from the American riders as they told me, but I was happy to see that several top riders started to become more professional and started working on their conditioning. That way they could go fast at the end of the motos. The American riders at that time had the speed but didn’t have enough stamina.
Can you name any specific examples of riders committing themselves to training?
One example is that when there was a house for sale next door to me. It was bought by Jimmy Weinert, and within two days of living there he got up at 5:30 a.m. and asked if he could join me with my physical training sessions that I always did early in the mornings. Of course I said he was welcome to do so, but Jimmy was not a training man and didn’t last long.
Name some of your favorite tracks that you raced in the U.S.
I had several favorite tracks in America. I really enjoyed Southwick, Saddleback, Carlsbad, and Daytona.
Were you treated well by the Americans?
Yes, I was treated good by most of them. Of course there were some jealous riders and parents, but that didn’t bother me. I knew what my goals were and it didn’t affect me at all.
Who was the toughest rider that you competed against?
It is hard to say, because there were always some local guys who were very fast at their own tracks. However, Kent Howerton, Tony Distefano, Jimmy Weinert, Bob Hannah, Mike Bell, Tim Hart and many others always gave me a good race.
What was Supercross like in the mid-1970s?
Supercross was a very spectacular happening in the 1970s. It was new, exciting, wild and spectacular. It helped make the sport of motocross grow quickly.
What is your greatest achievement as a racer?
My greatest achievement as a racer is that I met a lot of very nice people all over the world who love the sport of motocross. Since I am still riding offroad a lot it made my life very enjoyable. Riding bikes is the best way for me to relax. Winning the Supercross title in 1974 and winning the Canadian World Championship Grand Prix 500cc in 1975 was fantastic. It showed that I was very competitive against the rest of the World championship riders.
AMAZING GOPRO VIDEO
NUCLEAR COWBOYZ LAUNCHES AN ALL-NEW NORTH AMERICAN FREESTYLE MOTOCROSS TOUR
Nuclear Cowboyz 2012 is an FMX theatrical event with an insane snowmobile flip performed by 2011 Winter X-Games Medalist Caleb Moore!
Feld Motor Sports, Inc. producer of Nuclear Cowboyz? launches an all-new freestyle motocross (FMX) North American tour, Nuclear Cowboyz 2012, premiering Friday, January 13 in Baltimore, Md. Nuclear Cowboyz 2012 pushes the extreme into the certifiably insane with a futuristic narrative told through more freestyle action than ever before including an epic snowmobile flip!
Legendary Nuclear Cowboyz FMX tribes, the Soldiers of Havoc and the Metal Mulisha? return for a never-before-seen action-packed event that takes place in the war torn city of Los Angeles during the year 2150. The tale unfolds as the two tribes’ survival is threatened and besieged by an evil force, The Tempest and her electrifying Cyborg Army. Catapulted into the heart pounding fury and frenzied excitement are the sizzling Nuclear Cowgirlz?, whose allegiance to their tribes only intensifies the Tempest’s rage to destroy the Nuclear Cowboyz. The Soldiers of Havoc and the Metal Mulisha’s battle is fought through fearless freestyle gravity defying stunts, combined with outrageous pyrotechnic and laser displays synchronized to heavy metal, rock alternative and electronic dubstep music.
Nuclear Cowboyz 2012 has the greatest cast of freestyle motocross, trials and quad riders ever assembled, including recent X Games 17 medalists Ronnie Faisst, Adam Jones, Mike Mason, and Winter X Games medalist Caleb Moore. Joined by world-class medalist riders Taka Higashino, Beau Bamburg, Derek Garland, Nixey Danielson, Brody Wilson, Jimmy Fitzpatrick, Dustin Miller, Wes Agee, Matt Buyten, Geoff Aaron, Keith Wineland, Derek Guetter, and Colton Moore, Nuclear Cowboyz 2012 takes unleashed power to its massive ramps in a freestyle performance of pure danger and raw combat.
“We’ve produced a new Nuclear Cowboyz show that brings together not only the most incredible choreographed stunts performed by the best freestyle riders, and we’ve stepped up the insanity by adding more rock music, bigger pyrotechnics, greater freestyle tricks including an awesome snowmobile flip, and new characters such as the evil Tempest and her Cyborg Army,” says producer Juliette Feld. “We’ve increased the magnitude of this production, increased the difficulty in the degree of stunts presented by medal-winning athletes so that you can’t help but be blown away by Nuclear Cowboyz 2012,” adds producer Kenneth Feld.
NUCLEAR COWBOYZ 2012 launches an all-new North American Freestyle Motocross touring event that pushes the extreme into the certifiably insane with a futuristic narrative told through more freestyle action than ever before! Nuclear Cowboyz has the greatest cast of medal-winning freestyle motocross, trials and quad riders ever assembled, including recent X Games 17 medalists Ronnie Faisst, Adam Jones, Mike Mason, and Winter X Games medalist Caleb Moore.
To create Nuclear Cowboyz 2012 the father/daughter producer team brought together the creative talents of:
Scotty Nguyen (Director and Choreographer) ? makes his Nuclear Cowboyz debut as director and choreographer for Nuclear Cowboyz 2012. A seasoned choreographer for Feld Entertainment’s productions, his performance credits include working with Michael Jackson and as the lead dancer in the Spice Girls Reunion tour. Nguyen has choreographed campaigns for companies such as Nike, Levy’s, Bratz Dolls, Xbox, Xbox 360 and Mortal Kombat, as well as TV and Film (The X-Factor.) An award winning choreographer, he recently completed pop video choreography for recording artists Melissa Schumann and Shut Up Stella;
Micky Dymond (Stunt Choreographer) ? is two-time AMA Motocross Lites class National Champion. Dymond returns to Nuclear Cowboyz bringing his racing and stunt skills to choreograph the third theatrical tour of the world’s greatest freestyle motocross riders;
David Lagana (Writer) ? has a list of writing credits to his name including NBC’s hit series FRIEND. Lagana is a veteran in the sports entertainment industry as lead writer for World Wrestling Entertainment’s (WWE) two-hour weekly, live action show Smackdown and highlighting careers of John Cena, Rey Mysterio, Batista, and CM Punk. Lagana is currently working on new program development for Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling.
Jesse Blevins (Lighting Designer) ? has overseen spectacular lighting scenery for a wide range of performers and performances like the Backstreet Boys: Live from O2 Arena, No Doubt Tour with lead singer Gwen Stefani, Dancing with the Stars tours and since 2001, Feld Entertainment’s Disney On Ice shows, including the recent release Treasure Trove. Blevins has worked with the Nuclear Cowboyz tour since its inception.
Rick Papineau (Scenic Designer) ? vice president of Scenic Elements for Hagenbeck-Wallace and Feld Entertainment veteran who creates props, scenic elements and special effects for Feld Entertainment’s touring shows Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey?, Disney On Ice, and Feld Motor Sports’ Nuclear Cowboyz ;
Dawna Oak (Costume Designer) ? brings experience in managing the exotic and breathtaking costumes for the thousands of performers from Feld Entertainment’s numerous productions of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, Disney On Ice, and Feld Motor Sports’ Nuclear Cowboyz.
The non-stop, aerial amazement of this new theatrical experience in freestyle motocross entertainment will travel to the following North American cities:
Nuclear Cowboyz 2012 North American Tour Schedule
January 13-14 Baltimore, Md. 1st Mariner Arena
January 21 Kansas City, Mo. Sprint Center
January 27-28 Cincinnati, Oh. U.S. Bank Arena
February 4 Pittsburgh, Pa. Consol Energy Center
February 11 Auburn Hills, Mi. Palace of Auburn Hills
February 17-18 Little Rock, Ark. Verizon Arena
February 24-25 Tampa, Fla. St. Pete Times Forum
March 2-3 East Rutherford, N.J. IZOD Center
March 16-17 Tacoma, Wa. Tacoma Dome
March 24 Portland, Ore. The Rose Garden
April 13-15 Ontario, Calif. Citizens Business Bank Arena
April 20-21 Mexico City, Mx Arena Ciudad de Mexico
MATRIX CONCEPTS RIDER ADAM CIANCIARULO DOMINATES AT MINI O’S
Matrix Concepts would like to congratulate Adam Cianciarulo for achieving 1st in both Supermini classes at Gatorback, Florida. In Honor of Adam’s domination, Matrix would like to give away FREE product every Wednesday of this month on the Matrix Concepts Facebook page.
DENNIS STAPLETON WINS IN PHILIPPINES; JOHN MINERT JOINS HIM FOR THIS WEEKEND’S FINAL
MXA’s Dennis Stapleton won last weekend in the Philippines Champiosnhip and will be joined this week by MXA teammate John Minert.
As part of MXA’s World Motocross Tour, MXA‘s Dennis Stapleton and John Minert will race this weekend’s 2011 Enersel Forte National Motocross Championship final in Sta. Barbara, Iloilo, Philippines. So far in the last month, Stapleton has raced in Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, Netherlands and Philippines. After this week’s two-race stop in the Phillipines, MXA will move to Hong Kong before coming home for Christmas.
DAVI MILLSAPS SIGNS WITH SIDI BOOTS
Sidi is very pleased to announce its re-entry into the USA Supercross and motocross wars by signing Joe Gibbs Racing’s Davi Millsaps to compete in Sidi’s top of the line Crossfire boot model. Davi was in a position to choose any brand of boot for 2012 and he selected Sidi commenting “I am really excited to be in Sidi boots they are incredibly light and very comfortable. I also like that they are really protective and supportive and my ankle feels very secure in it. I really love the boots and the people at Sidi are great so I am looking forward to a great year with them.” www.motonation.com
$3000 YAMAHA STATE MOTOCROSS PRO/AM CHAMPIONSHIPS THIS WEEKEND AT GLEN HELEN
Yamaha Motor Corp and Glen Helen Raceway are teaming up to bring to Southern California the Yamaha State Motocros Pro/AM Championships the weekend of December 10 and 11. This two-day event features a Saturday Grand Prix on the challenging Glen Helen Grand Prix Course (which includes an endurocross section!), followed by a Sunday motocross on the famous Glen Helen International Track. Sunday’s race also features a $3000 purse ($1500 for the 250A class and $1500 for the 450A class). Class winners (determined by finishes in both day’s events) will receive Yamaha State Champion Jackets, and #1 plates!
The Glen Helen gates are open for practice on Friday, December 9th, from 8a.m. to 10 p.m.. Gates open at 6 a.m. on race days. Gate fees are $20 for both weekend days, or $10 per day. Children are $10 for the weekend or $5 per day. As always, there is no charge for camping at “The Glen.” Entry fees for racers are $60 pre entry for both race days. Post entry for both days is $75, or if you want to race just one of the two events, the post entry is $40. You may pre enter online at glenhelen.com. This will be a fantastic weekend of racing for riders of all ages, both men and women! For more info, please visit us at www.glenhelen.com
SELLING STEVE McQUEEN FOR CHRISTMAS
Christmas is the season for mail order catalog to flood your mailbox, so imagine the MXA wrecking crew’s surprise when the mailman delivered the new “Orvis: Gifts For Men” Christmas catalog to our club house and we opened it up to find a spread of Steve McQueen licensed gear (everything from a T-shirt to a Barbour riding jacket (with a giant photo of Steve McQueen at the ISDT on the liner) to a cardigan sweater. But, what caught our eye was the $25,000 Triumph 650 “Steve McQueen Replica” bike. We’ve seen this British built, Rickman Metisse replica before, but not in a mail order catalog. For more info go to www.orvis.com/triumph650
TEAM OHLINS SWITCHES FROM YAMAHAS TO KTMS FOR 2012: THROUGH LANGSTON MOTORSPORTS
Ohlins USA has announced that it will be racing the 2012 AMA Pro Racing Supercross and motocross series on KTM 250SXF motorcycles, through its partnership with Langston Motorsports. Ohlins team manager Grant Langston said, “We were presented with a number of options but we unanimously, through testing, chose to go with KTM. After testing at a variety of tracks the team as a whole wanted KTM: all the riders agreed, the crew, everyone. That creates a shared confidence, which is a great boost for starting the season.”
Ohlins USA Off Road Manager, Stacey Berger, said, “Working with KTM is a great opportunity for Team Ohlins USA. With their support through Langston Motorsports, and the team we have put together, our road to success should be a short one. The KTM has proven itself on many levels of racing, so to start with this platform was an easy choice for us.” For more info go to www.Ohlinsusa.com
DONNIE HANSEN MOTOCROSS ACADEMY COMING TO PIRU MX
WORLD MOTOCROSS WEAPON: SUPER TENERE WORLDCROSSER
This isn’t just any motocross bike?it is the Worldcrosser. Oops, that might mean that it was designed to “cross the world” not race the World Motocross Championship. Based on The 1199cc Yamaha Super Tenere, the Worldcrosser is the ultimate expression of the popular (in Europe) rally-style offroad bike.
Given that the regular Super Tenere retails for $15,000 we have to wonder what the Worldcrosser goes for with its Akrapovic exhaust, carbon fiber parts, traction control, ABS, 115 horsepower twin engine, Ohlins suspension and GPS nav.
PASTRANA TO RACE THE ROLEX 24 AT DAYTONA WITH MICHAEL WALTRIP
Michael Waltrip Racing owners Rob Kauffman and Michael Waltrip announced that they will race in the 50th Annual Rolex 24 at Daytona on January 26-29 in a Ferrari 458 GT with Travis Pastrana and road racing veteran Rui Aguas as teammates. The Waltrip team will be working in close collaboration with the Italy-based AF Corse sports car team which fielded Ferraris for Waltrip and Kauffman at the 24 Hours of Le Mans last June.
YAMAHA’S 2012 CONTINGENCY PAY OUTS: ALL THE CLASSES AND ALL THE RACES
Yamaha has announced it 2012 motocross contingency program and while some of the series they are still paying at seem a little dated?and they miss quite a few that should be receiving contingency?this is a good program for aspiring Yamaha riders. For full details go to www.yamaha-motor.com/sport/racing.
THE YAMAHA PAYOUT SCHEDULE AND CODE BREAKERS BOOK
THE SERIES, RACES AND CLASSES YAMAHA PAYS
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