MXA MID-WEEK REPORT: Glen Helen Out-takes, Peick’s Privateer Peak, Mike Alessi’s Game Plan For RV, Stapleton’s Trip To Denmark, And We Find Superman!

MOTOCROSS ACTION MID-WEEK REPORT
By John Basher

MXA’S PHOTO OF THE WEEK

ÿÿÿ There was tremendous anticipation leading into the Glen Helen opener. Thanks to Ryan Villopoto moving up to the 450 class and James Stewart taking the summer off, Glen Helen was a new winner guarantee. The Nationals also brought Christophe Pourcel, Tyla Rattray and Tommy Searle to the U.S. The former GP candidates finished second, third, and fourth respectively. Here, Searle races through the twilight in the second moto.

MXA MINI-VIEW: WESTON PEICK

Weston Peick is fresh off racing the B class this past year. He beat Malcolm Stewart last year at Loretta Lynn’s and now can add a top ten 450 performance to his resume.

MXA: Weston, congratulations on cracking the top ten in your very first National. You didn’t have it easy, because you had to go to the LCQ. They only take the top two, and you were the last guy to make it into the program.
Weston: Yeah, it wasn’t easy. Practice was kind of horrible for me because I had to go put in a fast lap with the slower guys, and I just couldn’t get a solid lap time in. It seemed like they sent us out in the first practice for the sole purpose of breaking in the track and forming lines so that the next practice group could have a nice track. I think that’s why most of those guys were able to make the program, because the track was in the best shape shortly after the first practice session was over.

MXA: Do you think that racing for the past few months at the weekly REM race helped you prepare for the Nationals?
Weston: Yeah, definitely. Doing 30 minute motos and preparing in the heat was great for me. There were a couple of weekends at REM where it was really hot, so that helped me get in great shape for racing. To be able to go out and race with tough competition for 30 minutes was a big help.

MXA: Your dad, Louie, mentioned that he always told you that you should focus on doing long motos instead of working on sprint laps, but now he said that you need to work on the sprints. Is it hard for you to go right out of the gate and throw down a really fast lap?
Weston: I can do both types of riding, but it’s hard for me right off the bat to get on it and get in a good lap. It usually takes me a little bit to warm up and get going. Since Glen Helen I have started doing sprint laps and working on my speed right away.


Look for #631 at all of the Nationals.

MXA: What was the most important piece of knowledge that you gained from racing your first National?
Weston: I learned that I pretty much need to stay consistent the entire moto. Anything can happen over the course of 30 minutes, and I noticed that quite a few riders got tired and crashed. I just need to stay consistent and finish inside the top ten. I was surprised to see that a lot of riders were fading, because I saw them practicing weeks before the race and thought that they were going pretty fast. They looked prepared, but it turns out that some of them aren’t.

MXA: In the second moto you had to come from pretty far back to crack the top ten. What happened?
Weston: I had to push really hard to get up toward the front. I weigh so much more than the other riders that I’m at a pretty big disadvantage. Halfway down the start straight everyone started yarding me. I came out of the first turn in 28th place or so, and just worked my way forward.

MXA: Are you doing the entire series? If so, what National tracks do you look forward to racing on the most?
Weston: I’m doing the whole series, and I’m looking forward to Southwick and some of the tracks back east. I like rough tracks, because I can excel on that type of terrain.

MXA: Does it blow your mind to think that just last year you were racing as an amateur in the B class?
Weston: It’s surprising, but I put a lot of work in every week with my program to get where I’m at now. I’ve just focused on pushing the limits. I was actually planning on finishing up this year as an amateur, but my family and I just didn’t have the money to do it. Plus, it was really boring being gone for three or four weeks at a time traveling around the country. I just don’t see how these other amateur riders can handle that schedule.ÿ

MXA: Finally, who would you like to thank for making this outdoor season possible?
Weston: I would really like to thank Thor, Wonder Warthog for taking my bikes, FMF, Hinson, Factory Backing, Smith, Hammer Nutrition, Dunlop, Pro Taper, CP Pistons, Leatt, Engine Ice, Kicker, CRF Stuff, TT1 filters, CTi, and Stitch, Daryl and Scott.

MXA MINI-VIEW: MIKE ALESSI

Alessi plans on stopping Ryan Villopoto’s momentum this weekend at Hangtown.

MXA: Overall, were you satisfied with your race at Glen Helen?
Mike: Yeah, I was pretty satisfied with my performance. I just wanted to get as many points as I could coming out of the race. Obviously I had really good starts and my sprint laps at the beginning of the race were good. I need to work on maintaining the fast speed toward the end of the race that I had at the beginning, because I got caught and passed.

MXA: You opted to use last year’s setup for Glen Helen and didn’t really do any testing beforehand. Were you happy with your setup at round one?
Mike: I was extremely happy with my bike setup. From the suspension to the engine and the tires, I thought that everything was great. My mechanic did a great job of getting everything perfect for me.

MXA: In the second moto you were caught by Ryan Villopoto quickly in just a few laps. What happened?
Mike: I stopped focusing on what I was doing, and started worrying too much about Ryan behind me. I was doing a great job at keeping everyone in check, and I had a good lead, but then I saw Ryan coming and began making mistakes. He put the hammer down and kept charging, and it was hard for me to adjust my speed and pick up the pace, because I was in my groove. I wasn’t happy that Ryan passed me, but it was pretty clear to see that he and I are quite a bit faster than anyone else on the track. We finished about 50 seconds ahead of Chad Reed, and 1-1/2 minutes ahead of Davi Millsaps, who was in fifth place.

MXA: What are your expectations for Hangtown this weekend? Are you aiming at getting as many points as you can, or will you not settle for anything less than first place?
Mike: I’m going there to win, and of course do the best that I can. I want to win and stop Villopoto’s momentum. Once he gets on a roll he’s difficult to stop, but my goal is to end his run.

MXA: Finally, you celebrated a birthday this past week. What did you do for fun?
Mike: We had a luau party, but that was pretty much it. I had to focus on the Glen Helen race, so that’s what I did.

VIDEO: GLEN HELEN RECAP

ÿÿÿ Did you miss the Glen Helen National? Can’t remember who won? Want to show your friends what you were doing all day Saturday? Click here to check out a recap video of the race. It’s full of cool footage that you won’t want to miss.ÿÿÿ

EMBARRASSING PHOTO OF THE WEEK


ÿÿÿ In what might become a weekly event (after seeing Bill Keefe’s coif of fuzzy hair on his melon last week), we bring you Superman. Is it true that there’s a French Superman among us mere mortals? Apparently so. Christophe Pourcel is a professional motocross racer by trade, but he also doubles as the French Superman when trouble stirs. The reality of the photo is that someone sent Pourcel the Superman costume as a gift and he decided to try it on for fun.

ÿÿÿ What’s the back story to Superman Pourcel? In Kyle Bentley’s toolbox sits a miniature figure of “The Man of Steel”, Superman. In truth, Christophe Pourcel loves Superman. He went to Six Flags Magic Mountain theme park this past December, saw the figure, bought it, and it has gone with him to every race since. Pourcel looks at Superman as a role model, especially after the Frenchman had to overcome hardships of injuries the past few years. Who would have thought that Seinfeld and Pourcel have something in common?

GLEN HELEN OUT-TAKES: WHAT YOU DIDN’T SEE

ÿÿÿ With same-day television coverage and tons of brown vest wearing photographers circling the Glen Helen National, there has been an exorbitant amount of information released across all media platforms from Saturday’s race. Although I wasn’t able to watch SPEED’s television coverage of the race because the show began during the start of the last 250 moto (when I was shooting photos mostly in the shade), I heard that it was quite good (and how can it not be good with David Bailey at the helm of the microphone?). Despite all of the photos, interviews, and TV cameras pointed at the outdoor stars, I searched for some photos that you might have missed.

Crash and Burn

Ivan Tedesco had a weekend that he would rather forget. He took a soil sample in his first practice session at Glen Helen, then took several more before all was said and done.

Need proof that Justin Barcia does Pilates? This photo will make those with chronic knee injuries squirm.

ÿÿÿ Even the best riders fall down, and sometimes photographers are there to catch them at their most vulnerable times. On Saturday Ivan Tedesco and rookie Justin Barcia both took diggers in the Glen Helen dirt, and both these crashes happened in practice. Barcia’s looked especially painful, but he appeared to be fine after his crash. How do we know? He led both motos and finished third in the second moto. As for Tedesco, he had a day that he would rather forget.

Reed’s Return

Chad and Ellie should have nice suntans before the Nationals commence.

ÿÿÿ Number 22 made his return to the outdoors after a two year hiatus. Chad had speed, but he was hardly a match for Mike Alessi or Ryan Villopoto. Expect Reed to pick up the pace as the series progresses. At Glen Helen he was helped by his wife, Ellie, who was Chad’s umbrella girl before the start of the first moto.

LaRocco Showing

“Iron” Mike was a fan favorite this past weekend.

ÿÿÿ Growing up my favorite motocross rider was Mike LaRocco. His never-say-die attitude, coupled with the fact that he was consistently horrible off the line (just like I was when I was a young racer), made me really respect him.
ÿÿÿ I was caught off-guard on Saturday during the second 250 moto when I was standing on a secluded part of the Glen Helen circuit and saw Mike LaRocco walking my way. It was truly a highlight of my busy day. Mike was on hand to help cheer the Geico/Factory Connection Honda team on. He is coaching the 250 riders (Justin Barcia, Blake Wharton, Brett Metcalfe, and Trey Canard) and helping them with their mental game. He will be attending several other Nationals, including Red Bud.ÿÿ

The $700 Bet

Bill (right) takes a look at son Tyler’s sweat suit. In the end the sweat earned Tyler $700.

ÿÿÿ How much money would entice you to drop 20 pounds in the matter of 35 days? Tyler Keefe, the son of Motosport/Kawasaki team manager Bill Keefe, decided that $700 would be enough to get him on a training program. Mitch Payton, Ryan Villopoto, Randy Lawrence and four others threw $100 in a pot, and all Tyler needed to do was shed 20 pounds in just over a month. Although no easy feat, Tyler stopped eating fast food, ice cream, and all of the calorie vices that plagued him since he stopped racing professionally. During the press day at Glen Helen on Friday, Tyler was sporting sweatpants and a hooded sweatshirt around the pits. Underneath it all he wore a plastic sweat suit that was filled with puddles of sweat.
ÿÿÿ On weigh-in day, Mitch Payton forced Keefe to climb Mt. Saint Helens for the official weight. Why? Tyler was so drained of fluids and energy that Payton thought he might just pass out on the long walk up. Keefe used heart, determination, and the realization of a sweet pay day to muster his way up the mountain and reached his goal. Word on the street is that not everyone paid up on their bets (that means you, Villopoto!). When asked what Tyler was going to do to celebrate his earnings, he simply replied, “I’m going to buy food and eat a big dinner.”

The Fans

This is where hot sun and alcohol will get you.

ÿÿÿ This guy was walking around asking people to take a look at his moped. Only after we took interest did he hop on the steed and sport a classic Jeremy McGrath Bell Moto 6 helmet with custom horns. Welcome to the outdoors!

MXA TEST RIDER IN DENMARK: DENNIS STAPLETON’S JOURNEY
By Dennis Stapleton
ÿÿÿ


ÿÿÿ My trip to Denmark began one nice and sunny day at Perris Raceway in Southern California. I was at Perris testing a 2009 KX450F with the guys from MDK, and while I was there riding I was introduced to Christian from Ice Works. He was over here in the United States from Denmark, testing with his rider Mathias Hall Keller. I was asked by Christian to try out their Honda CRF250 that was built by Chad Braun, owner of Xtreme Performance Racing, to see how I liked the bike. After spending the day at the track with Christian, Mathias, and Chad, Christian invited me over to Sonderborg, Denmark to race the first National of their season. Christian and I emailed for the following week and finalized my trip to Denmark. I was scheduled to leave April 21st.
ÿÿÿ I flew out of San Francisco International airport to Washington D.C., and from there to Copenhagen, Denmark, totaling 13 hours of flying. I arrived on Wednesday the 22nd at 7:30 am ready for my adventure to begin. Christian picked me up from the airport and took me out for my first meal in Denmark, which consisted of bread and cheese. It wasn’t very satisfying since I was starving. I added a Costco size chocolate muffin to go along with the bread and cheese. After breakfast we headed to his shop, and I was very impressed and surprised to see his collection of bikes and trick parts. Christian then informed me that he had to go back to the airport to pick up Chad from XPR, which I thought was great because I’d have someone to hang out with all week. He threw me the keys to his extra van, a GPS, and sent me to pick up the bike I would be riding for the week. I knew my adventure had begun when he told me I had an hour and a half drive through Denmark to Jo Service, the Honda dealership, where Jens Nielsen had my bike. Luckily, thanks to the GPS, my drive was uneventful. When I got to the dealership Jens was waiting for me so that he could finish up the bike by putting on the Fox Shox that I had brought over from the U.S. Once that was completed I headed back to Christian’s shop and met up with him and Chad to go to the local track for my first day of practice.

ÿÿÿ My first day of practice involved getting acclimated to the time change and the fact that back home I had been riding a KX450F, and I was now riding a Honda CRF450 setup completely different to what I had been used to. The track was small, but great for viewing the riders, because it was built in a pit and you could stand at the top and see the whole track. The course was dry and dusty, but still a lot of fun to ride. After the first day of riding Christian, Chad, and I headed out for dinner, which I was really looking forward to, since my breakfast of bread and cheese didn’t hold me over after a long day of traveling and riding. Dinner was great; we had an awesome steak dinner with a salad bar. By the time we were done eating I was completely exhausted!
ÿÿÿ The next day we drove an hour and a half to Mathias’ house to work on bikes and to ride a track that was close to his house. The track was a lot bigger than the one I rode the previous day. It was much different then the tracks I was used to riding in the U.S., because it consisted of big singles and small tabletops with no big jumps. I focused on getting my bike set up to how I wanted it for the race. It was a good, long day of riding finished off with a BBQ. After eating we headed back to Christian’s for a good night’s sleep, which was hard for me because of the time change. That’s when my bottle of Tylenol PM came in handy.

ÿÿÿ Friday came much too fast and I couldn’t believe how quickly my trip was going. We ate breakfast, which again consisted of bread and cheese. Chad and I went back to Mathias’ house to prep the bike for race day, and we were so grateful when Mathias’ mom greeted us with an American style breakfast of eggs, sausage, and orange juice. After eating the first satisfying breakfast of the trip, I began getting my bike ready for race day. I washed the bike, changed tires, and put on new grips and graphics. Once I had everything done to the bike, Chad and I took it back to Jo Service because Jens was taking it to the race for me.
ÿÿÿ I spent Saturday sightseeing in Copenhagen. Christian took Chad and I out for a big breakfast and we walked around the city for most of the day. That evening we went to Tivoli, the oldest amusement park in the world. We ended the day with an Italian dinner that was great, except that the side salad I ordered ended up being just a bowl of lettuce. I forgot to take my Tylenol PM when we got back from Copenhagen that night and didn’t get much sleep. To make things worse we had to be up at 3:30 am to drive three hours to the racetrack. The first thing I did when we got to the track was walk the course. It was a short track with lap times of one minute 50 seconds on average. It started out as smooth sand in the morning when I got there, but by the time I had my time qualifying it had turned into a rutted, rough sand track. I ended up 14th in time qualifying, which got me into the main event. My first moto I had a bad start and had to pass my way through the riders and worked up from 30th place to 16th in 20 minutes. I felt like I wasn’t riding my best that day. I felt tight and tired all day. By the second moto I was dehydrated from only drinking water and not drinking anything with electrolytes. I knew it was going to be a long 20 minutes when I started cramping during the parade lap. I got a good start the second moto, but I was out of energy and just rode the race to finish, ending up in 15th. I was 18th overall at the end of the day.

ÿÿÿ Overall, I really enjoyed my trip over to Denmark. Everyone I met was very nice and welcoming. I had fun riding the tracks, and now I know what to expect for my next trip over there. I will definitely bring instant oatmeal, peanut butter, and honey; along with Cytomax and plenty of Tylenol PM.
ÿÿÿ Thank you to Christian from Ice Works, Jens Nielsen from Jo Service, Brian K Jorgensen for lending me his bike, Jorgen from the Danich Motor Union for helping me with sign-ups, and Chad Braun for helping me over the week.
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PHOTO GALLERY: GLEN HELEN
ÿÿÿ Every race the MXA wrecking crew tries to upload some of their best photos and share them with viewers. We’ve just put up one photo gallery from Glen Helen, which you can find by clicking here.

GLEN HELEN: BY THE NUMBERS
ÿÿÿ Skeptics worried that the National switch to Saturday would draw a much smaller crowd (partially because fans would be confused and get the day wrong). However, if Glen Helen is any indication, the Saturday format works (at least in some ways). On Saturday approximately 17,000 fans (by the promoter’s calculation) watched a full day of racing. Compared to last year, the amount of spectators increased quite a bit.
ÿÿÿ What are your thoughts on the Saturday-only racing format? Let us know by emailing [email protected].

MXA PRESS RELEASE: AMSOIL NEW 10W-30 SYNTHETIC OIL



ÿÿÿ AMSOIL has announced a new Synthetic 10W-30 Motorcycle Oil for the special needs of motorcycles including maximum protection for extended service life. As fuel economy has become increasingly important, more equipment manufacturers have begun recommending lighter viscosity SAE 30 oils. This new oil is formulated with the same proven technology as the company’s 10W-40 and 20W-50 Synthetic Motorcycle Oils.

Benefits of the new oils include:
ÿÿÿ Reduces friction, heat, wear and deposits ÿÿÿ
ÿÿÿ Provides extreme pressure protection for gears
ÿÿÿ Delivers superior corrosion protectionÿÿÿ
ÿÿÿ Provides excellent wet clutch performance
ÿÿÿ Robust additive levels for extended service lifeÿÿÿ

ÿÿÿ AMSOIL 10W-30 Synthetic Motorcycle Oil is recommended for use up to twice the motorcycle manufacturer change interval or one year, whichever comes first, in engines and transmissions. Also provides fuel economy benefits in scooters, ATV and UTV engines specifying an SAE 30 or 10W-30 viscosity as well as transmissions specifying an SAE 80, API GL-1 gear lubricant.
ÿ
ÿÿÿ AMSOIL is the Official Oil of both the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and 2009 Bike Week in Daytona Beach.

ÿÿÿ AMSOIL has been the recognized leader in synthetic lubrication since 1972. For more information about AMSOIL synthetic lubricants and performance products contact your nearest AMSOIL distributor, visitÿ www.amsoil.com or call AMSOIL at (715) 392-7101 or 1-800-777-8491.ÿ AMSOIL INC., AMSOIL Building, Superior, WI 54880.

MXA PRESS RELEASE: VEMAR VRX5 BLUETOOTH HELMETÿÿÿ



ÿÿÿ Engineered in Italy to the motorcyclist specific EC standard. Five (5) year warrantee from manufacturing date. Which equates to the full usable life of the helmet. DOT certified. The VRX5 features a round shell shape which offers a more generous fit ear to ear and snugger fit front to back. The exterior shell is constructed of a lightweight yet incredibly strong carbon fiber ? aramidic ? fiberglass blend. Two sizes of outer shells cover the 6 helmet sizes for the ultimate in a light weight yet proportional fit. The VRX5 comes equipped with a high impact inner shell with molded in air channels. Removable and washable ultra plush non-deformable high density expanded polyurethane inner liner and cheek pads.

ÿÿÿ Inner liner is manufactured from a technical fiber that provides life-long treatment against odor, fungus and bacteria, and extraordinary wicking capabilities that result in enhanced rider comfort. Padded chin strap with double D-ring closure system.



ÿÿÿ Every Vemar VRX5 helmet comes complete with an extra liner so the rider is always fresh and ready to moto! An adjustable visor with a wide range of motion. Each VXR5 helmet comes with an extra black visor. Flexible breath deflector in the chin piece. A fine screen is in the chin vent for extra roost protection. Features the exclusive “Vemar Klima” full ventilation system.

ÿÿÿ High quality, hand laid graphics under a thick layer of UV protective clear coating. Comes fully equipped ? no assembly required! Compatible with your cell phone, GPS, etc.
Easy to operate, even with gloves on! Can be connected to MP3s but is not intended to be a high quality music sound system. Every Vemar helmet comes with a high quality helmet bag and a detailed user guide. Offered in XXS-XS-S-M-L-XL for a retail price of $250.

ÿÿÿ For more information, visit www.motonation.com or call (619) 401-4100.

MXA PRESS RELEASE: SUPERSPROX STEALTH SPROCKETS



ÿÿÿ We are the exclusive designer and manufacturer of the legendary Supersprox-stealth sprocket. A definitive breakthrough in sprocket manufacturing technology and the first genuine hybrid sprocket offering you more value for your investment.

ÿÿÿ The ultimate Road, MX, Off Road and ATV sprockets. Supersprox-stealth will last 3 times longer than an aluminum sprocket and it’s 50% lighter than a steel sprocket. We guarantee that our sprockets will outlast, outperform and outshine the competition or your money back. (See guarantee info)

ÿÿÿ Supersprox-stealth was developed for modified superbikes and performance dirt bikes. Bikes pushing out 600+ horse power, where aluminum sprockets can’t handle the torque delivered through the chain drive system. Supersprox engineers conceived and developed the combination of the two materials in the millennium year. Supersprox have counted 9 world titles since that time and 2005/2006/2007/2009 Dakar wins with Factory KTM team, all depend on Supersprox-stealth.

ÿÿÿ Check out the pictures, video and consumer comments on out site. You will soon discover that people love this exclusive product. Sometimes called Supersprox, Stealth or Tri-Metal (not to be confused with Twin Ring). We call it perfection.

ÿÿÿ Supersprox-stealth is a world-wide patented product and Tri-Metal is a U.S.-registered trademark.

ÿÿÿ For more information, please visit www.supersproxusa.com or call (317) 640-2942.

MXA PRESS RELEASE: ZETA CLUTCH CABLE GUIDE



Information:
ÿÿÿ ZETA’s Clutch cable guide for the HONDA CRF250/450 is made out of CNC machined aluminum. The clutch cable guide eliminates the flex on stock cable guide. It is exactly the same products used by HRC factory bikes in Japan.

Pricing:
ÿÿÿ ZE94-0101 ZETA Clutch Cable Guide CRF250 ’02-09 Red: MSRP $54.95
ÿÿÿ ÿÿÿ ZE94-0131 ZETA Clutch Cable Guide CRF450 ’02-08 Red: MSRP $54.95
ÿÿÿ ÿÿÿ ZE94-0141 ZETA Clutch cable Guide CRF450 ?09 Red: MSRP $39.95
ÿÿ
Contact:
ÿÿÿ Dirt Freak Co.
ÿÿÿ ÿÿÿ Website: http://www.zeta-racing.com/ÿ