MXA MID-WEEK REPORT: Interview Spectacular! Talking With Andrew Short, Jolene Van Vugt, Tommy Hahn, Dave Osterman, & More Cool Stuff

MOTOCROSS ACTION MID-WEEK REPORTÿÿ
By John Basher

MXA’S PHOTO OF THE WEEK


ÿÿÿ P.J. Larsen is just one of the many riders looking for a spot on a team for 2010. Larsen bought his own bikes this past week and raced at the weekly REM event at Glen Helen this past Saturday. He looked very fast and hungry to show his stuff on the Supercross and National scene. Let’s hope that the nice kid lands on his feet somewhere.

MXA MINI-VIEW: TOMMY HAHN
ÿÿÿ How can you not like Tommy Hahn? The Canidae/Kawasaki rider (although for next year the rumor is that the team is switching to Suzuki) is a happy-go-lucky kid with more talent in his throttle hand than many people have in their entire bodies. The great thing is that Hahn doesn’t take his talent for granted, instead choosing to stay grounded and prove his skill out on the racetrack. His hard work and talent came to a head at Steel City when he won the overall. All in all, it was a very good day for Hahn.



MXA: Hey Tommy, what’s going on?ÿ
Tommy: Right now I’m just getting done with working on one of my Supercross tracks. Between my brother and I we have three Supercross tracks. One of them is at Oak Hill, which isn’t too far from where I live, and then there are two other Supercross tracks about a mile from my house.

MXA: That’s very convenient!
Tommy: Yeah, it works out well. I’ll be coming out to California for a few weeks coming up here soon, then I go back to Texas until just before Christmas, because I come back out to California until the Supercross series heads East.

MXA: Were you satisfied with your results and your overall finish in the 2009 Lucas Oil AMA Nationals?
Tommy: Yeah, although I do think that I could have done quite a bit better. My goal was to finish top five in the points, and I barely squeaked in there with a fifth place overall finish. If I could have straightened a few things out earlier in the series then I believe that I would have done much better. I struggled with consistency and putting races together. Sometimes I would be in a good position, only I would blow it by crashing. In the off-season I’ve been thinking a lot about the Nationals and what I need to improve on. Still, I was happy to get an moto win and overall win on the same day.



MXA: I bet on quite a few occasions you’ve caught yourself daydreaming about winning a National. How was it to finally do the deed?
Tommy: It felt really good! Looking back on it now I’m really happy that it happened at the final race of the year at Steel City, but then I think about how I wish there were a few more races so that I could go try to win a few more! Winning a 450 National was something that I have spent my whole career working for, and to finally get it is a dream come true.

MXA: Now that you have time to reflect on the Nationals, were there any races that you’d like to do over?
Tommy: I really felt that I could have done better at Texas. People think that I ride that track all of the time because I live in Texas, but Texas is a big state! I just had my problems there by crashing, but that’s the way it goes. It surprised me that at two tracks that I don’t especially care for, Washougal and Colorado, I did really well! It’s funny how that works out.

MXA: What can you say about your plans for 2010?
Tommy: I’m going to be on the same team [Canidae], and I’ll be racing the 450 in Supercross and also the Nationals. I don’t know what else I can say, so I’m not going to because I don’t want to get in trouble [note: I believe that the Canidae team will have backing from Suzuki instead of Kawasaki in 2010].

MXA: What are your goals for the Supercross series? I don’t see any reason why you can’t contend for a podium spot and consistent top five finishes.
Tommy: I want to start the season by being in the top ten. I had the same goals in the outdoor series this year. I want to continue to get better as the series progresses. I do know that if I’m not in the top ten then I’m definitely doing something wrong. I’ve been working really hard on my speed and endurance. I want to do well for the team, the manufacturer, and also myself.

MXA: That’s an excellent mindset to have. Good luck in the offseason and I look forward to seeing you soon.
Tommy: Thank you. I’m really looking forward to 2010.

MXA MINI-VIEW: DAVE OSTERMAN
ÿÿÿ Dave Osterman is a recognizable face in the motocross industry, even though currently he has been behind the scenes in search of a new home somewhere in the industry. Dave O. has worked for Al Baker Racing, Eddie Cole, Yamaha, Kawasaki, KTM, Pro Circuit, Yamaha of Troy, and Harley-Davidson through his tenure in motocross. I’m sure that many people recognize him as the former team manager at Yamaha of Troy. I met up with Dave to find out what he has been up to as of late.


Dave Osterman, circa 2006.

MXA: Dave, what have you been up to lately?
Dave: I’ve been trying to stay busy, and thankfully I have. It’s silly season and I’m throwing my hat in the ring to see where I end up. Hopefully I do end up somewhere, because motocross is my passion.

MXA: What kind of job are you in search of, and why do you think you should hold a position in the industry?
Dave: I’ve got so much time in it and it’s what I know. I think that I can bring a lot to the table. I would like to run another program. I could be involved in product development, sales and marketing. As a team manager you’re involved in all of those aspects, outside of making a good sandwich. At the end of the day I’d like to run a team. I like winning and working with the younger guys. I like the foxhole kind of atmosphere.

MXA: How was your experience at Buell? As you know Harley-Davidson shut down Buell a little over a month ago.
Dave: My time at Buell was interesting. I’m saddened by what I’ve heard, but at the end of the day there were a ton of bright people working there that have lost their jobs. It was a humbling experience for me, and I was privileged to be a part of something so unique and different. Once you’re brought into the drawing board situation you realize the process.

MXA: What can you say about the Buell sketches and designs that were proposed to be introduced into the Buell offroad motorcycle?
Dave: I never looked at ourselves as being competitors with the Japanese manufacturers. I looked at it more like we were going to be able to parallel park with the Japanese bikes, and also KTM. My main focus was the KTM. Even though many of the Japanese bikes sell better than a KTM, the KTM is still a very good model to follow. They got their stuff together these last few years, because their bikes have really developed quickly. My hope was that Buell was going to follow in KTM’s footsteps.

MXA: A hot topic to talk about is the floundering economy.
Dave: The industry to me is kind of like the Hollywood movie industry. I know a lot of guys involved in that industry that are down on work right now. Everybody is hurting across the board. $8000 motocross bikes are hard to buy every year. There’s a trickle down effect everywhere due to the economy. It affects people, and I’m one of those people. I do think that the economy and the industry will turn around.

MXA: You still remain in the motocross industry, although not officially with a position at the moment.
Dave: Yeah, even though I might not have a pit shirt on right now, I do have a a lot of friends in the industry. Whether I’m loved, hated, or liked, you make contacts that you keep for your life. I try to stay in touch with the industry through talking with riders and offering advice. When you’ve been involved in something for 30 years it just doesn’t wash away like the beach. Like sand, I’m kind of between your toes.

MXA: How can anyone get in contact with you if they know of any positions open in the motocross industry?
Dave: People can contact me on my cell phone at (661) 510-8563, or by email at [email protected].ÿÿ

INSIDE LOOK AT A BIKE INTRODUCTION: 2010 HONDA CRF450
ÿÿÿ It’s such a tough life that magazine editors lead. We’re given bikes and products to evaluate and test, as well as great tracks to ride on and even free lunch every so often. The sweet job of being MXA editors hit us this past week when we attended the 2010 Honda CRF450 launch. The Racetown motocross track was in great shape, the 2010 CRF450 that we rode was brand new, there was free lunch, and even Andrew Short and Kyle Lewis were in attendance! Without gloating any further, I thought it would be a neat idea to give you a run through of what we do at a new bike introduction.


Team sponsor Red Bull had plenty of signage out for the 2010 CRF450 intro. MXA’s test bike was positioned comfortably under the Red Bull tent when we arrived at 8:00 a.m.

The first job of an MXA editor is to sticker the new bike up with pre-printed numbers and stickers. Thankfully DeCal Works makes our jobs easier by already installing the pre-prints on plastics and shipping us everything ready to go. They also make our MXA fender stickers. Thanks, Ron!

One lucky riders is given the opportunity to throw a leg over the new bike before every MXA editor. The chosen rider for the CRF450 was longtime test rider Dennis Stapleton. We hand him brand new 2010 gear (in this case, Thor), boots, helmet, and goggles. After a few warm-up laps Stapleton started slamming into berms for our cameras. The top photos from the shoot will be shown in our comprehensive 2010 CRF450 test.

Things don’t always go as planned. Sometimes when we try to get really cool shots the photo rider takes a spill or two. Stapleton visited terra firma on several occasions, but it was worth it to get the shot.

Honda rented out the Racetown facility near Adelanto, California. It was a great day and a very cool track.

Around lunchtime we took a break and Honda’s Bill Savino discussed the changes made to the 2010 CRF450. Meanwhile editors stuffed their faces with BBQ chicken. Not a bad day of work!

MXA MINI-VIEW: ANDREW SHORT
ÿÿÿ Andrew Short wants more out of life than finishing second place. I say good for him! After struggling most of the National series with an unusual illness, Short soldiered on to finish second overall in the point standings. Doctors determined that Andrew suffered from a hypothyroid issue – an illness that zapped his energy to a near bedridden state.
ÿÿÿ This past week I caught up with Andrew at the 2010 Honda CRF450 introduction. It was nice to see him in good spirits and we had a nice chat.



MXA: What are you doing out here?ÿ
Andrew: I was supposed to be out here in California starting in the beginning of November, and I’m starting to get a little more structured and getting ready for Supercross. Honda gave me the opportunity to come out to the press launch of the 2010 Honda CRF450, hang out with the media people, and turn some laps on the new bike.

MXA: What have you been doing since the Nationals concluded at Steel City?
Andrew: Since then I have been resting a lot and trying to get my health back at the baseline. I’ve been working on getting my energy back to where it should be. I found out what my problem was during the outdoors, which was that I had a hypothyroid. I needed some rest, but with the racing schedule it just wasn’t possible or an ideal situation, but I made it through the Nationals. Since then I’ve been resting and doing some trail riding and play riding. I’ve really been enjoying my time riding now that the season is over, because all summer when I did ride I felt like I needed to work on my speed or do motos. I felt guilty if I wasn’t working towards being a better racer. Now I’m just trying to enjoy the bike and get healthy.

MXA: What exactly is a hypothyroid?
Andrew: It’s an underactive thyroid. It’s basically the gas and brakes of a lot of your hormones. It wasn’t working properly and I didn’t have any energy. I would sleep for 14 hours, wake up and try to ride a bicycle, but then I’d come back home and go right back to sleep. It almost felt like I had Mono. I didn’t know what was going on at first and I was happy to get some answers. I needed rest, but I kept racing. It wasn’t the ideal situation, but life’s not perfect.



MXA: How did you encounter this health issue? It doesn’t sound like a problem that just pops up out of nowhere.
Andrew: I think that I’ve had it for a while, but the Texas National was the first real hot and physically demanding race of the year. I raced hard and went until I couldn’t go anymore. I overexerted myself, and that started everything. The following weekend at High Point I felt like I couldn’t charge or push myself at all. I still did well at that race by finishing second, but I felt flat. I originally thought that the effects from Texas were still lingering, so I took some time to rest and recharge. However, once I got to Red Bud I knew that something wasn’t right. Thankfully Jeff Spencer knew some doctors that could handle my situation and give me the right information.

MXA: Suffering from hypothyroidism sounds miserable, but it had to have been even more miserable luck for you to encounter it when you did. The series was broken wide open at High Point after Mike Alessi injured his knee. It was your time to shine, but you were really down for the count.
Andrew: Everyone had their issues that they were dealing with. Unfortunately my situation didn’t allow me to do my best, but that’s life.

MXA: How has your recovery gone?
Andrew: I think that I’m back at my baseline. Right now I’m starting to ramp it up and start training. Once I’m back in shape it will be a true test as to knowing where I can be in the mix. Being a professional athlete, you’re always going to have to deal with some bumps in the road. I’m just looking forward to going to Anaheim and doing better than I have in the past season.

MXA: You have to be feeling pretty good about your standing, because aside from the illness, you’re back with Honda for another year and on a familiar bike for 2010. That has to help out quite a bit.
Andrew: It’s really beneficial, even more so now than in past years, because teams are still trying to figure out their budgets for next year. A lot of people are making changes and are getting a late start. They will have to adapt to a lot of different aspects that I won’t have to, and that’s a big benefit. I’m fortunate to be back with a really good team, and have all of my other sponsors like Fly Racing and everyone else backing me. It’s not only great to be on good products, but also to deal with good people. Change is inevitable in life, but for 2010 I’m pretty fortunate.



MXA: Do you have a win in your for 2010? I know that a 450 win has eluded you and you’re very hungry for the ?W.’
Andrew: That’s my goal. I can’t even think about winning the championship without winning a race first. I have to find some speed. I have a lot of the other elements; I’ve always been consistent and in shape, but I’ve been missing the speed part of it. To bridge the gap on Chad, James, Villopoto, Dungey, Millsaps, and other guys that can win races is going to be a fight, but I look forward to it. To be more successful and get my first win I need more speed for 20 laps. I can go pretty fast for a couple of laps, but to go that fast for 20 laps is a whole different animal.

MXA: Are you surprised with any off-season talk that you’ve heard?
Andrew: I don’t think anything is really surprising, especially with the state of the economy. One person that does surprise me is Ivan Tedesco. I thought that he had a pretty successful year and that he would be back on a factory team, but I don’t even know where he’s going to go. He’s a great rider and he deserves a great ride. I guess you can’t take anything for granted right now. Things are changing in the sport, and teams are going in a different direction. Through all of this something good is going to come out of this. We all love dirt bikes and racing. If we can continue to do that then we’re pretty lucky.

AN APOLOGY TO JAKE WEIMER


ÿÿÿ In rushing to get the Mid-Week Report done two weeks ago, I made a mistake in Jake Weimer’s interview by stating that he won his first Supercross race this year. In fact, Jake won the Phoenix Supercross race in 2008. Sorry, Jake!

MXA MINI-VIEW: JOLENE VAN VUGT
ÿÿÿ Perhaps you know the crazy girl that does the stunts in the Nitro Circus television show on MTV. If you don’t, her name is Jolene Van Vugt. Hailing from the great white North (also known as Canada), Jolene is an adrenaline junkie. Talented beyond belief (dare I say that she’s the female version of Travis Pastrana?) and an all-around nice girl, Jolene has become famous by throwing herself into the Grand Canyon, riding motocross bikes across water, and doing backflips. Look for an extended interview with Van Vugt in the future, but for now here are a few questions that I asked the Nitro Circus crew member.


Photo courtesy www.MTV.com.

MXA: Jolene, how did you even meet Travis Pastrana?
Jolene: I met Travis about ten years ago at Loretta Lynn’s. I was racing the women’s class, and he was friends with one of my friends. We met and hung out that week. It wasn’t until about five years ago when I learned the backflip at his house that we really developed a friendship.

MXA: What kind of guidelines must you follow when filming the Nitro Circus television show on MTV?
Jolene: We weren’t allowed to do anything without there being paramedics and an ambulance on scene. It was funny though because we always had an ambulance following us! We kept those guys busy by using them pretty frequently.ÿ

MXA: How many weeks or months does it take to film a season?
Jolene: Filming for the show takes up quite a bit of time. For season one of the show we filmed from October of last year through February. Then we had a two month break before filming from May through August for season two. Next year we’re waiting to hear about filming for season three, but we’re going to be doing live arena shows and also doing a big tour in Australia.

MXA: How is it working with Travis, and is he really as goofy away from the camera as he is in front of it?
Jolene: Travis Pastrana is one of the coolest human beings that I have met in my life. He is an extraordinary friend and is extremely unique with his talents. Usually most of the crew hates him for how good he is at everything. He’s a really fun person to be around and is very giving and kind. He’s a big lovable dork and he doesn’t act any different from when the camera is on him or not. Travis will stand and sign autographs for five hours because he appreciates and loves his fans.

MXA: Who do you consider to be the wildest Nitro Circus member?
Jolene: The wildest Nitro Circus member would have to be Andy Bell. He is a crazy, fun loving guy that for some reason loves to get naked. The crew really likes hanging out with him, but we’ve all gotten quite sick of him running around naked. However, he’s a free spirit and is always up to a challenge. He’s also the one person on the team that is able to throw competition at Travis. Looking at him you’d think that he was an old washed up motocross racer that has been sitting behind a desk for years, but then he pulls off some of the gnarliest stuff.

MXA: After jumping a motocross bike into the Grand Canyon and backflipping a full size bike, you can’t possibly have any goals left to accomplish on a motocross bike.
Jolene: I have one big goal still left to accomplish. I’ve had a pretty good run in motocross racing and I’m happy with myself, but what I still want to do is race the women’s Supercross race at the X Games. This year I was selected as one of ten women to race the event. I was training at Travis’ house on his Supercross track in July, but I cased a 65-foot triple and snapped my wrist in half. I had to get surgery and have pins put in my wrist, so I wasn’t able to race the X Games. For 2010 I definitely want to be there racing.

MXA: What do you like to do when you get the chance to unwind?
Jolene: In my downtime I like going back to a normal life in Canada. I like to hang out with my friends, go to the movies, and be a girly girl by going shopping. Right now I’m working at the old bike shop that I worked at when I was racing, called Blackfoot Motorsports in Calgary. I also like to do a little bit of traveling. We were all able to make a little bit of money off the show, so I have been able to get out of debt, pay back some people that I owe money to, and also take a 2-1/2 week vacation to Holland with my boyfriend.

MXA PRESS RELEASE: SHOW YOUR MOTOCROSS SPIRIT!


ÿÿÿ Forget the stick figures! MX Family Decals makes a personalized motocross helmet version. They have several different options, and some are customized with your name. You can check them out at www.mxfamilydecals.com or call (916) 630-0198.

MXA PRESS RELEASE: DECAL WORKS INTERACTIVE DESIGN STUDIO

ÿÿÿ Kingston, IL -ÿÿ Just in time for the new race season, DeCal Works has come out with their all new Interactive DeSign Studio. This exciting industry exclusive tool gives the customer the ability to customize and view the colors of their Semi Custom T Series graphics online, before they buy. Another innovative aspect of this program is that it gives you the option to change the plastic color making it easy to see what the graphics would look like on a set of DeCal Works replacement plastics. Once you have designed your graphics, why not let DeCal Works professional staff mount your new T Series Graphics and Backgrounds to a new set of DeCal Works replacement plastics? Simply purchase DeCal Works Graphics and matching DeCal Works replacement plastics and DeCal Works will mount your graphics for no additional charge.ÿÿ

ÿÿÿ Visit www.decalmx.com today to experience the all new DeSign Studio for yourself. While you are there make sure you check out their entire line including the all new industry shattering T-7 Semi Custom Graphics and backgrounds. Gift cards available 365 days of the year and dealer inquiry’s are always welcome.

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MXA PRESS RELEASE: JUSTIN BRAYTON & BELL EXTEND RELATIONSHIP

ÿÿÿ SCOTTS VALLEY, Calif. – Bell Powersports has extended its relationship with rising motocross star Justin Brayton for the 2010 season on the heels of an outstanding year for the 27-year-old. Brayton is no stranger to Bell , having competed in the Bell Moto-8 for the 2009 season as part of a team sponsorship with the MDK/KTM/Muscle Milk team and on the Bell-sponsored Motoworld team in two seasons prior. The new contract is an individual deal with Brayton who moves to the Toyota Joe Gibbs Yamaha team for 2010.

ÿÿÿÿ “I’m so pumped to get the win (at the Bercy Supercross). It’s the perfect way to start the relationship with my new team, JGR,” Brayton said. “I’m also excited Bell Helmets was able to come with me to my new team. I’ve worn Bell since the Motoworld days, so they’ve basically had my back my whole Supercross career.”

ÿÿÿ Brayton won the “King of Bercy” title over Halloween weekend, and finished fourth in the Supercross West Lites class in ’09. For outdoors he stepped up to the 450 class where he finished seventh on the year, including a win in the final moto at Steel City in the series’ final round.

ÿÿÿ “We’re really happy to have Justin continue in Bell ,” said Sports Marketing Manager Chuck Platt. “This year he’s had some great results in the Lites class as well as on big bikes outdoors, not to mention winning the Bercy Supercross and a silver at X Games. He’s also a good ambassador for the sport and an all-around fun guy.”

ÿÿÿ For 2010 Brayton will ride in a new version of the Moto-8 which has been reengineered to meet the new Snell M2010 safety standard. Another convenient upgrade for 2010 is the new MagnaFusion Strap Keeper which replaces the mechanical snap with a magnetic system?the latter which is much easier to use with gloved hands.

ÿÿÿ Brayton joins 2009 Supercross champ James Stewart on Bell ; more riders and teams to be named later.

Rider: Justin Brayton
DOB: March 14, 1984
Residence: Murietta , Calif.

Career Highlights:
2009 Bercy Supercross (France) – First Place Overall
2009 AMA Motocross 450 Class ? Seventh Place
2009 AMA Supercross Lites West Class? Fourth Place
2002-2003 AMA Arenacross “Rookie of the Year”

2010 Bell Moto-8 Video News Release:ÿ http://tinyurl.com/bellmoto8vnr10
Bell Website: www.bellpowersports.com
Twitter Feed: www.twitter.com/BellPowersports
YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/BellPowersports
Facebook: Search “Bell Powersports”

MXA PRESS RELEASE: ALPINESTARS BIONIC NECK SUPPORT (SB)


ÿÿÿ The Alpinestars Bionic Neck Support (BNS) is a structure which is designed to work with a helmet to reduce the risk and severity of a catastrophic neck injury (ie. A paralyzing injury). While no product can guarantee protection from all motorcycle injuries, due to the varied dynamics of accidents, the BNS is designed to substantially reduce the likelihood of a career ending neck injury although it must be stated at the outset that it, as with other such systems, may not prevent injuries occurring in all cases.ÿ

ÿÿÿ Function – The BNS functions by providing an alternative load path for the energy that compresses the neck. If the helmet is in contact with the Bionic Neck Support at the moment of impact the overall load passing through the neck can be reduced, which may prevent a fracture from occurring.ÿÿÿ
ÿÿÿ The BNS also helps reduce the chance of muscular injuries associated with extremes of head movement. While it is not possible to eliminate the risk of any form of injury, the BNS is designed to help prevent the most serious damage and minimize the risk of collateral injury as the impact load is channeled away from the neck.
ÿÿÿ When compared to soft ?neck roll’ devices the protection afforded is significantly better because being soft, these devices simply deform, offering no protection against the damaging compressive forces. As with any riding equipment, fit is critical to ensuring the most effective protection possible and riders should choose the equipment that is best suited to their body. No neck device should roll around over the shoulders.


The Bionic Neck Support ? SB (Special Blend) – Key Features

ÿÿÿ Blend of reinforced Polyurethane main frame material – extensively impact tested at varying temperatures to ensure neck ring stays intact.
ÿÿÿ Two different densities of EVA foam are used in the BNS SB: firmer EVA in the shoulders and softer EVA in the front and back for comfort
ÿÿÿ Pivot Key system: A special magnesium key located at the rear allows the convenient front opening of the device while also allowing it to be dismantled in an emergency.
ÿÿÿ Fitting System: Fine adjustment of the shoulder height allows a more personalized fit ? particularly for individuals who have a shorter than normal neck.
ÿÿÿ Rear Stabilizer Failure system: In the event of large loads being channeled onto the rear stabilizer (the part that sits on the back) there are a number of deliberate bending and fracture points designed to relieve extreme loads that may be transmitted down the back. These include:
ÿÿÿ *Deflection of foam tail
ÿÿÿ * Grooves to allow deflection of support structure tip
ÿÿÿ * Fracture area of support structure tip
ÿÿÿ * Fracture of supporting members (also fracture if subject to side loads that could cause a large rotation to the head).

ÿÿÿ Collar Bone preservation 1: All parts in contact with the body use an expanded foam compound to distribute the impact force over the widest area yet remain light in weight.
ÿÿÿ Collar Bone preservation 2: A continuous frame member runs over the shoulders ? this means there are no weak points in a critical part of the frame and that there are no metal pins or screws sitting directly above the shoulders which could be dislodged into the shoulders or collarbone during an accident.
ÿÿÿ Choice of Strap Systems. The BNS is supplied with the X-Strap System which allows a small, light strap (worn over or under the jersey) to secure the device to the rider. The larger A-Strap assembly (available as a separate accessory) provides a traditional chest strap for those who like to wear the protector tight to the body.
ÿÿÿ Mounting points for accessories: Allows for integration of the BNS SB with your own Alpinestars accessories.

Colors: Black/White
Sizes: XS, S, M, L (XL available in early 2010)
Suggested retail price: “89.95
www.alpinestars.com