Archived Recent News

April 29, 2008

Here I am sitting in my apartment in Morgantown just thinking about how the start of my season has gone. Obviously not well! The first two rounds in Florida and Georgia resulted horribly. I was struggling with my new suspension setup, but I finally have it working spot on.

First off was Florida. I headed down about three weeks early to reacquaint myself with the sand. I pride myself in being a good racer, but I can't say the same for my testing skills. I thought I had the setup dialed for the Florida sand whoops, but in reality, when I got out on the track, it was all wrong. It seemed like every time I tried to go my normal speed, I was on the edge of a massive crash. My finish was beyond disappointing.

After Florida, I headed straight up to the Durhamtown Plantation in Georgia to get my suspension feeling better. It was going in the right direction, but it wasn't feeling 100% yet. The Georgia GNCC started off well, as I led for a little while, but then soon took a turn for the worst halfway through the first lap. I must have sucked water in one of the water holes, because next thing I knew I was on the side of the track with my bike not wanting to start. After around ten minutes, I finally spit out all the water, and it fired up. After losing all that time, I was pretty discouraged. My suspension was a little better, but it still wasn't right. I did finish out the race though, with another disappointing result.

After my hard start to the season, I headed back up to Morgantown. I was determined to find the comfort level I had achieved last year with my bike. It just so happened that I still had a set of suspension from last year lying around. I decided to put it on and see how it felt. Voila. I felt the difference immediately. I put it to the test at a local race, and it worked so well I lapped every other rider. I was amazed at how comfortable I felt.

I was excited about the GNCC in North Carolina, because I knew I was back to podium speed. I felt like my old self this past weekend. It went well, and I ran a comfortable 2nd place all day, just inside the top ten overall. But on the 2nd to last lap I slid out, slammed my head on the ground, and got a slight concussion. I finished the race out the best I could, but my lap times were slower because I was very dizzy. I settled for 4th in the class. Overall I am very happy about the way I performed, and I have more confidence than I ever had on my bike.

It's amazing how good you feel when you're confident on your bike. I've learned that it takes plenty of time testing, and experimenting different settings and adjustments. But when you have got the sweet spot, you can tell right away. That's exactly where I am now. I'm so excited to go out and ride everyday, because my bike feels like a "super machine."

Every year it takes me a few races to reach my full confidence level. Last year, it didn't start until Loretta Lynn's GNCC. This year, it's already here. I'm a whole month ahead this year, and I think that's something to be very excited about. I got the bad races out of the way early, and I foresee a great season ahead. I hope to see you in South Carolina next weekend.

January 28, 2008

It's been a couple months since my last update, but I have participated in some exciting events. I've been busy with the holiday season, while up here in beautiful West Virginia. Just last week it was about 10 degrees with about 10 inches of snow on the ground. It was a great time here at the Michael family's farm. Layne, Taylor, Sarah and I had fun going down the hill on sleds and a snowboard while Rick (Layne and Taylor's dad) brought us back up the hill with the four-wheeler. It has been a few years since I have been able to enjoy playing in the snow with my friends, but I sure had a blast.

A few months ago I flew out to Las Vegas for the endurocross. It was nice, KTM already had one of my bikes out there, and ready to go. So all I needed to do was get my gear ready, and race. I stayed at the New Orleans hotel, which is also where the race was held. On Friday I had to go out and do some qualifying rounds, so I could make it into the Saturday main event. During Fridays practice rounds I made a few adjustments to the bike to best fit the tight indoor track layout.

On Saturday all the riders did one practice lap to get to see the track, and then one timed lap, for gate pics. I was really pumped, because I had the 8th fastest timed lap out of all the talented racers. I was just thinking to myself "If I could just do what I did in my timed lap the whole night, then I should easily make the main event at the end of the night". That was easier said than done. My heat race didn't go so well; I got a bad start, and got bottled up with the other riders. But my semi race was going well, I was just about to move into the lead with a couple laps to go, but my chain popped off in the rock pile. That was my best chance at getting into the main, but I just had a little bad luck. Then my LCQ was about the same as my heat race, just bottled up with the other riders again. All the riders that ran the LCQ that didn't get to make it into the main event raced an exhibition race. They strapped head lights on our bikes, and turned the light out in the arena, and us eight riders battled in the dark with just our head lights. It was really cool.

The next week after the Endurocross, I attended the GNCC banquet in Cranberry PA. This is always one of my favorite events, because I always get to see some of my racing friends again and also there's great food. My lovely girlfriend and I had an excellent time that night hanging out with everyone and receiving my hard earned GNCC XC2 Pro Lites Championship Trophy. It has been an excellent year, and I am so honored to be receiving such a trophy after a whole season of racing against the toughest competition ever.

A couple weeks before the Last Man Standing in Texas, I received a 250 2 stroke to start practicing on. This bike was definitely a great choice for the rugged terrain of the Last Man Standing. It had the snap and power I needed for the massive hills, yet it was still light enough for four guys to help lift it over eight foot cliffs. Even with such a great bike, I was still an hour and a half behind Taddy Blazusiak (the eventual winner) at the end of the first loop during the day. I needed to be within an hour of him to be able to make it into the night portion of the event. Taddy and two other riders, David Knight, and Geoff Aaron, were the only riders to start the night portion. Even though I didn't make it, I still had a blast, and conquered some of the toughest terrain.

On the starting line at the LMS

I went to Morgantown KTM's Christmas party a few weeks prior to Christmas. It was a great time hanging out with Scott Shaffer, Matt Watson, Donnie Bowser, Gary Parkhill, and the rest of the staff. They have supported me through my racing endeavors over the years. I also attended the Racer X Christmas party about a week later. I got to spend some quality time with the Racer X crew, as well as some of the folks from Racer Productions who work so hard to make the GNCCs such a blast. While I was there I also had the chance to pick up the keys to my new apartment.

The very next week was Christmas, and it was busy to say the least. I spent Christmas Eve with the Michael's family (Who I was staying with before I got my apartment) with plenty of amazing food and family fun. The next day I was up bright and early, with plenty to do. First I opened some presents with the Michaels, and then I was soon off to have breakfast with my girlfriend, Sarah, and open presents with her family. We spent most of the day getting the hang of the Rip-Stick she got me for Christmas. For those of you who don't know what that is, it's like a skateboard with two wheels, and you have to twist back and forth to propel yourself forward. I think this is a helpful training tool for motorcycle racing, because it seems to help me with my balance. After a quick shower, it was off to dinner and more presents. The festivities still weren't over though, because the next day I was back at the Hutson's for more presents. Needless to say, I had a very exciting Christmas, and I hope you did too.

For New Years, I thought it would be a good idea to have my very first party in my new apartment. I'm pretty laid back though, so there were only three other people in attendance, and the most potent beverage was the sparkling pomegranate juice. We did get a little crazy though, and ordered Chinese food from the restaurant downtown. To cap it all off, we played Dance Dance Revolution, and watched motocross videos. It was very successful for my first party.

Sarah and I before snowboarding

A few days later, Sarah, Taylor, Layne, and I headed up to Wisp resort for a little snowboarding. It was everyone's first time, but we all picked it up really quick, and a great time carving down the slopes. By the end of the day, Layne and I had gone down a black diamond trail quite successfully. Since then I've gone up to Wisp two more times, and it just keeps getting better.

Two weeks ago, I headed down to Georgia for a KTM suspension test. Then my new mechanic Sean and I headed down to Florida for some training and practice. While I was down there, I headed over to my dad's house, saw Uncle Chris, Grandma, Smokey, and spent some time hanging out with my dad. From there I headed down to Sean's place, where he has an excellent sand motocross track. We stayed there for about a week, and also hit up some of the local tracks. Then it was time to head right back up to South Carolina for the KTM photo shoot. I got some really great shots, and I think the new posters are going to look great. As soon as I was done with my shots, I headed back up to Morgantown, where I've been ever since.

In a couple weeks, I'll be on my way back to Florida, to get a little more practice in the sand before the first GNCC. See you there!

October 1, 2007

Sunday's GNCC in Ohio went very well for me. The dust was worse than I've ever seen. But it was still a fun race. In dust, if you're patient and ride fast only when you can see, by the end of the race you'll have done well. I got off to a good start, and quickly moved into the lead. But when I got impatient and tried to get through some very tight trees, I paid the price. I headed off the trail and down a bad hill. As I came to the edge of a steep and deep ravine, I ditched it to keep me, and more importantly the bike, from going down over the edge. There was no way out. That would have been the end of my day. I lost a good 30 seconds. I couldn't afford to do that kind of thing all day. So I went back to a smooth, smart, and patient ride. Three hours of that type of discipline has always paid off for me. I won XC2 "pro Lites" with a comfortable lead, and 6th overall.

As I calmed down and settled into a good pace that day, I felt my speed coming up and everything seemed easier. Eventually I found my "groove", where everything feels effortless. It's almost like the bike is doing it all; you're just along for the ride and helping out with a few little adjustments here and there. Of course, the main adjustment being a fairly consistent flat-out, full-throttle at every possible opportunity! Other than that, it's like a long trail ride.

I'm very happy with my speed these days. On the last lap of the race, I was only 5 seconds off The Knighter's time-now that's what I'm talkin' about! As a matter of fact, I'm probably as happy as I've ever been right now. I've made some wonderful new friends in the last few months, I'm actually making a living doing something I'm sure I would've spent all my money to do if I had to, and I did so well in the last 6 Nationals that it looks like I just might be the 1st ever GNCC XC2 "Pro Lites" Champion. And if that's not cool enough, I may even become the youngest ever AMA National Harescrambles Champion. Two Championships in one year! I have no idea what I could possibly want for Christmas; nothing could come close to that.

But the fun won't stop there. Because then I get to go to Las Vegas for the AMA awards banquet and the Endurocross, and then to Last Man Standing in Texas-my two favorite events. They're as gnarley as it gets. And that's what I like the most. Even though I know I don't have what it takes to beat the "Knighter", yet, I do know how to get it-keep grinding out the racing, the training, and the learning. I'll figure it out. Besides, sometimes even the greatest ones mess-up. So if you're in the game, you can seize the opportunity, like I did at last year's "Wisp" to get my 1st podium. And when Mike Lafferty had lighting problems in the '05 LMS--I pulled a huge lead on him and ran in 3rd all night until just before the finish when I knocked my chain off. But I was right there to take it from him if he had trouble like that.

Well anyway, I sure do love racing, just like all you guys. I'm always anxious to get to the next race. And race day is the only day I actually like to get up early. I'm going to love the next 2 Sundays, because we have only 2 more Nationals this year. Lately, I just don't seem to have any bad races. I'd race every week if I could. But the preparation at this level is crazy, partly because there's promotional stuff going on, but also because there's so much at stake, we do everything and then check to make sure we did everything we thought we did.

I'm lucky I have good people working with me though. My Uncle and the KTM Team have done a great job for me this year. And lately I've been getting more involved with all the managing and detailed preparations-it's becoming more interesting to me, and even kind of a challenge. So now I like spending a lot of time prepping my own bikes. I want to see if I can match my Uncle's race bike prep record. In the 338 races he's prepped in my entire career we had only 1 mechanical DNF! He admits to being a bit extreme, but I know that's one of the reasons for my success. I mean, if the bike doesn't run, it doesn't matter how fast you would've rode.

Anyway, at last year's "Ironman" GNCC the stator on my YZ started sputtering after I moved into 5th and set the fastest lap of the day-bummer. I got on the last lap before she finally quit. I was one of only 32 guys to get onto the last lap, so I actually finished 32nd overall; not technically a DNF, but it sure felt strange to lean my dead bike up against a tree and walk out of the woods for the first time in my life.

Uncle Chris won't take all the credit for our mechanical success though. We all know a crazy rider can ruin a great mechanics artwork real fast. So early on I learned how to preserve the bike while still moving fast. It's one of the hardest things to learn. And it had many of my competitors wondering why I keep beating them; it's worth learning.

When Uncle Chris is asked why we're so successful, he usually says: "it's just a motorcycle. You don't need to know very much; you just need to take the time to be thorough with every detail. Common sense helps. Also, you want to keep learning-there's always more to know. Most important, you need a rider that won't wreck your masterpiece."

Was Uncle Chris always like this? Well, when he was a 15 year old kid back in the 70's, and lived on a farm, my Grandpa was too busy fixing tractors and working to be fixing "those silly dirt bikes", so when Uncle Chris started racing motocross he had to learn fast and be thorough. He did all the bike prep for the 160 or so races him and my Dad did back then….not one DNF then either! Yah, apparently he was always like this….And he's been teaching me things for 20 years--lucky me.

September 11, 2007

Well I've definitely been a little lazy on my updates this summer, but I finally have some interesting racing news. Last week I did my best GNCC of the year, with a 6th overall and 2nd in the "Pro-Lites" class; now I'm just 3 points behind Rodney Smith for the Series. Then yesterday I took my first overall win at an AMA National Harescramble up here in New York. Now for the first time in my life, I'm officially the overall leader of the AMA National Harescramble Series. My Red Bull KTM teammate and current Champion Robbie Jenks is right on my tail though, so I'll have to stay sharp to win it. Racing is starting to get very exciting for me now.

Sarah and I

Summer wasn't quite that exciting (on the racing side), but it was very enjoyable, down in West Virginia. National racing slowed down a lot, so we spent a bunch of time with our friends there. Also, I still traveled a little doing promotional stuff. In July I had an opportunity to conduct a seminar at the Florida Trail Riders Annual banquet. I also spent the afternoon enjoying a "meet and greet" kind of thing with a lot of the members. Then in the evening, I spoke to the entire group of about 1,000 people at the dinner and evening ceremonies. I was nervous, but I really enjoyed it all. And because my Dad lives in Florida, I had a chance to spend some time with him too.

It was a very special event to me. First of all, it was an honor to be invited to speak to one of the largest and most successful regional Off-road racing organizations in the entire country. I'm well aware of that, mainly because I got my start by racing in the FTR Series in Florida for over 3 years, before I went out "on the road" to follow the National Series, nearly 6 years ago. Standing on that stage, realizing that I was once one of those bright-eyed kids out there in the audience, was almost overwhelming. I remember how cool it was when we got one of the "big" National Pros to come down and tell us all a little bit about the "Big Show". I never missed one of our banquets then; they were always fun.

Then a few weeks ago I attended the 4-day-long, annual KTM dealer meeting and demo ride in Rhode Island. It was one of the coolest things I've ever done. It seemed like every dealer in the country was there, and we all had a lot of fun. I got to meet some tremendous people too. There're a lot of great things about being a Pro racer, and that's one of them. One example: It was there that I had the honor of meeting racing legend Malcolm Smith.

We just finished putting together a new video that we filmed with my South African friends earlier this year. They're good guys, all on KTM's, and they can really ride! I think Uncle Chris out-did himself once again too. Like in my racing career, we've continually strived for excellence in making our videos. We hope you enjoy it.

We have National races back-to-back for the next 6 or 7 weeks. Considering this is my first real job, I'm just coming to realize that I actually need to make enough money in these next few weeks of intense racing, to pay the bills all winter. So I'm taking these last few races even more serious than usual. I'll have to be very diligent about avoiding mistakes. My goal is to be very conservative and consistent for those races. We'll see how it works out.

We've really worked on increasing my speed this summer. I also kept up the fun on nasty hills, rocks, and mud practice. So I'm anxious to do more race testing. I seemed faster than ever in PA, and the gnarley NY mud at yesterday's AMA National seemed too easy. By the end, I had pulled almost 8 minutes on the 2-time National Champion Jason Raines, who finished 2nd!

Right now I'm setting up my new box van. It'll be great for making shorter runs, or to use when I travel alone. It's also what I'll use during the winter off-season when I'll be down south practicing and testing the new bikes. I won't need as many parts or bikes, so I'll leave the big rig and travel light.

What's going on next year? That's the big question going around this time of year. Who's riding for whom, and who's picking up new riders, and all that stuff; you know--industry gossip. Well, at this point, I can only tell you-some say I look good in orange. I tend to agree!

July 14, 2007

My Uncle Chris and I just finished our latest video "Summer in West Virginia". I think it's one of our better ones. So if you haven't seen it yet, click here. My friend Layne Michael, and Scott Marling helped us make it, and we had a lot of fun. As a matter of fact Layne and I have been training and riding quite a bit each day, so were really helping each other pick up our speed and stamina. Right now Layne's leading the 12 to 13 85cc class in the GNCC series. It looks like he's going to win it this year.

Well, we're on our way back to West Virginia, from Oregon, and driving through Iowa now. The corn fields here seem to go on forever. For me, the most wonderful thing about the trip was seeing the northern part of our country from coast to coast for my first time ever. The prairies of Nebraska were vast and went on as far as you can see. The Rocky Mountains seemed endless, and had every different shape and size of mountains and hills and huge rocks everywhere. I like those big rocks that are balancing on a little tiny pedestal that look like they're just about to brake off and roll down the mountain. Then down off the Rockies and into eastern Oregon it turns into a huge desert prairie land again. And every so often there would be a huge circular lush green hay field created by the monster irrigation systems that pump water out of the river and onto the fields; that transforms the dry dusty dirt into nice crop land. It was pretty cool, but my favorite part was crossing the Cascade mountain range just before reaching the west coast. The winding roads carved up and down the mountains with huge tall pine trees everywhere. The road usually followed a really fun looking creek that I wanted to get out and go tubing down. We just didn't have enough time on this trip. But one of these days that's just what I'm going to do.

The trip back is going pretty smooth, but on the way out it got a little crazy. We borrowed a van to travel fast, light, and cheap, caring very little supplies; just enough to race and get back. Things were going pretty well until just before reaching Cheyenne Wyoming. The highway had turned very rough in one spot, and Chris said "You know what kid? Something doesn't feel right." As he started to slow down the wheel bearing started to get loud, and we could smell brakes burning. Then he said "Hold on this could get bad." Suddenly the front left wheel and brake system busted off and we could see it bouncing down the road next to us. As the axle ground along the road, there must have been sparks everywhere. Smokey must have known something was very wrong, because she jumped in to my lap and dug in hard, holding on for dear life. As I held on to her, Chris eased on the brakes, and realized there was none. Fortunately the road was flat and had smoothed out, so after about a half mile of grinding along, we just eased it over on to the shoulder, and came to a stop. We were lucky!

We quickly got a tow truck to get us out of there. Then after making phone calls for 3 hours, we realized that most of the rental places were closed, and the few that were still open were all out of vehicles to rent, because they were all carting fire works around. It just happened to be the 4th of July. We were about to give up and sleep for the night and loose valuable driving time when we made our last call. Yes! The last rental vehicle in the whole city was ours, we just had to pull out the credit card.

An hour later we were loaded up and back on the road, realizing our trip cost just went up about 1,500 bucks. I immediately went back and started training as Chris drove. Every time we stopped for a brake, Smokey and I would go for a fast hard run around the rest area. The only way to make up that loss was to train as hard as I could, and do my best at the AMA National Hare Scramble in Oregon 5 days later. So, for much of the rest of the trip out west, I was in the back training.

Friday afternoon we pulled into the pits. The course was situated on the side of a mountain, with field sections and a moto track laid out at its lower edge. It was very dry, so I knew it was going to be dusty, but as I walked parts of the track, I also knew it was going to be a blast. The two time National champ, Jason Raines showed up, so it was obvious that we were going to have our hands full.

Sunday morning at 10:00 we took off. I came sliding into the first corner banging bars with a bunch of other KTM guys, and noticed Robbie had pulled the hole-shot, and had a bike length on us. He would be the only guy riding dust free… for a while. As I battled with all those others guys, I knew Jason was behind me, and all I had to do was work on making strategic passes on the 2 miles of moto track and field sections, before dropping into the rocky technical part of the course. It was 12 miles long and had all kinds of variety, which made it very challenging; you had to be a good all-round rider to do good there.

Gradually I got by everybody except the 2nd place guy, but by then Robbie had pulled a little lead on us. The dust had decreased greatly, but the technical areas were such tight single-track that I wasn't able to get by 2nd place. So I just pressed him hard during that first lap so that Robbie wouldn't get to far ahead.

Coming into the pits at the beginning of the 2nd lap, the second place guy pulled in to get fresh goggles, and handed me his position. It was time to chase down Robbie, but I was a minute behind. The dust wasn't very thick, so I knew I had to get it going. Robbie's dust was gradually thickening. About twenty minutes later I knew I was getting close. As I came into a tight woods section there he was. I was on him quick, pressing hard, and once again, on that tight technical goat trail, I just couldn't get by him without forcing it. Fortunately he stopped for gas at the end of that 2nd lap, and just handed me the lead. My pit crew decided my fuel would last another lap, so I easily gained about 15 seconds on Robbie.

For the next 3 laps I had a nice clean run with no falls, no stalls, and no dust, except when I came up on lapped riders. But for that entire hour-and-a-half, I noticed Jason Raines back about 20 seconds behind me. He wasn't gaining, but I couldn't loose him. Coming on to the last lap I got stuck behind a very tired lapped rider. The poor guy had no place to go; steep hill to the left, and steep drop off to the right. To force a pass would have been dangerous. It was just bad luck. And I knew Jason was catching us.

As the trail opened into a field, I railed a corner just like I had done the first five laps. But I misjudged it and slid out. I grabbed the clutch, got it up going, and Jason just flew by. I pressed hard that last lap, hoping for his mistake, but Jason held it together great, and effectively dusted me out the entire lap. So I had to settle for a close second. I rode well that day, so Jason truely earned the win.

All together it was a great weekend, spending time with some old friends, and making some new ones. My good friend and KTM teammate Justin Soule' was having a good race until he crashed hard. But we had a great time the Saturday night before the race having spaghetti dinner with his family. I want to thank my new friend Mike Hurlbert for helping me out and supporting me through the race. He runs an excellent KTM team on the West coast, with a great bunch of folks working with him. It was a lot of fun getting to know them.

In a couple of weeks, I'll be down in Florida to speak at the FTR banquet. I'm also doing a seminar there. So I'm very excited about that. I'll also get to spend some time with my Dad and some of my old friends while I'm there. Then I'll see you all at the AMA National in PA the week after that.

June 26, 2007

The Snowshoe GNCC was amazing. We spent from Thursday night to Monday morning there. I enjoyed every second of it. But standing up on the podium again was obviously the highlight for me. It was better than ever this time because the podium was situated in the beautiful and rustic atmosphere of the town square, built on the very top of the Snowshoe ski resort, and one of the highest peaks in West Virginia. All weekend I could see people enjoying the view from up there. But my view from the podium is always the one that gets me. The crowd was bigger than ever, and the smiles were even broader. I could tell right then that everyone had such a great time; we'll be back there next year for sure.

Near the end of the race, I had just caught my buddy Ryan Echols, who was running 2nd in our XC2 Pro class. We had been running about 3 hours. Just then I lost it on a bad hill, and I knew he'd be tough to catch. Ryan rode great, so I had to settle for 3rd. And Thad Duval rode the best race of his life to win XC2. But my consistent podium finishes are inching me closer to the lead in the series. Rodney Smith is barely ahead of me now.

As far as battles with other riders, this race was very unusual. I could never really tell anything about the other riders because the course was so gnarly and technical, all our concentration went to just getting through it. The first 8 miles was a series of fast, dusty, drag races, down dirt roads. Then there was no transition to the sudden series of several miles of near impassable, 1st gear, severely technical rock and steep hill sections. All that drag racing ended up with virtually all the pro riders stuck on hills or in the mud holes between them, and off their bikes pushing, and pulling, and overheating, and sweating, and wondering how bad you were going to lose by this day.

It was crazy, but I loved it…when it was over! I got so messed up on a hill on the 1st lap, and for so long, when I pulled into my pits for dry gloves, I was around 40 overall. I was in trouble! But I just kept reminding myself that everyone else was going to go through their own trouble, and things would equal out by the end. And the end is all that matters. You don't get anything for running up front! So I just did my plodding through when necessary, my fast guy thing when I could, and protected me and the bike, so we could finish and make it all worth the trouble. It worked again. And my trusty KTM workhorse held up to my punishment once again. My knee held up better than ever. And in 334 consecutive races, Uncle Chris still hasn't messed up a race bike prep. He's going to have a tough time ever matching this streak, assuming it will end someday!

There's a piece of advice for you young up-and-comers. If your bike doesn't last the race, all your speed means nothing. So if you're ever lucky enough to find someone who does a great job on your bikes, and is there for you. Treat them respectfully, and do what it takes to keep them. It's usually your Dad or your Uncle, or a close friend. They're doing you a favor when you're young. If you don't return favors, it won't work. If you're ever fortunate enough to make money racing, pay them well, or you may find all that skill helping someone who appreciates it more than you.

On that note, I suggest you basically surround yourself with people that work hard and believe in you. People who concentrate on success and performance will help you go a long way. They're what allows you to show off your skill. Also, judge a person's capability by what they do, not what they say they can do. Give a mechanic a chance to prove themselves. You need the best mechanic if you want to become the best racer. When you find one, treat him right!

We're back here in West Virginia now. And in 2 weeks, we need to drive out to Oregon for the next AMA National Harescramble. I think we'll go early and make it sort of a traveling/riding vacation. So it's nice to have a week here to ride with my friends and work on videos before we leave.

One of my best buddies, Cory Arbogast from Elkins WV, invited my entire KTM race team over to his family's place for practice and to do our suspension test with John, our WP suspension tuner, on Thursday and Friday before this Snowshoe GNCC. Cory's family is the best. I've known them for years. They have a big family that loves racing, and we always have a great time with them. And for his age, Cory is the best gnarly rider I've ever ridden with. And of course, he's been on a KTM forever.

Well, the "Knighter" was amazing as usual. The guy rides like some kind of Billy Goat/Grizzly Bear combination. He can do anything he wants on a bike. Fortunately I learn quickly, because I don't see him much. But I do learn. I'll be a few years, but I'll get it too.

Each time we made a change to our suspension, we did time trials to see if it just felt better, or if it was actually faster. Cory laid out an excellent short (about 2 minute) test course. It had a little bit of everything. I test and set up my suspension regularly. So mine was already dialed. Chris and I had it perfect before we got there, so every change we experimented with made me slower. It was reassuring to know Chris and I have finally learned how to dial in our suspension on our own.

One of the main questions I hear from people is about training. Training is not a difficult part of a professional athlete's life. We have enough time to do all we need because we don't spend our days working a "normal" job, or in school like most racers. All we need is dedication. Any pro that doesn't train enough just isn't! I've been there often, and it always shows in my results, so I know it's true.

With John, the Scott goggle guy

So I won't spend too much time telling you what I do because it won't work for most of you. Instead, I'll tell you how I would train if I was in school or had a full-time job, and I wanted to be the best racer I could be. Multi-task is my favorite new term. There just isn't enough time to do very much unless you consolidate activities. Managing time is a challenge like any other, but it works. Basically, you need to exercise (all and any exercise is good), as much as possible; unless you're sore or fatigued.

I mostly like riding, hanging out with friends, and working on my videos and website. With the help of people smarter than me, I've found ways to put them together at times, so I can have fun, and get a lot of work done. Just stop and think, plan, use some creativity, then do it, even if it seems silly! I'm told that girlfriends and wives like to stay in shape too. Yet I often hear people say: "we don't spend enough time together". Schedule your exercise together. I will when I get a girlfriend. Right now I have too many cute lady friends, so I can't decide on one; besides they say it's too early when you're only twenty. But almost every date I go on is an active one.

For example, I never just sit and read or watch TV, or talk on the phone! I find a way to train while I do those types of things. I never sit down and just eat; even though I have to eat healthy. I only eat when I'm driving somewhere, reading, or working on bikes, or videos, or the website (I'm eating right now). And an hour from now when I've digested, I'll stop what I'm doing and go training. I work small meals around my training schedule, not the other way around. The real challenge is trying to enjoy training as much as possible. I do it with music, or while watching movies or TV, or by doing it with a friend.

With Ben, at Dirt Works

On Saturday before the race, our entire Red Bull KTM Factory Off-Road Team went down the road to Elkins and met some new friends at "Dirt Works", the local KTM dealer there. We signed autographs and met many of the local riders there. It was cool because KTM racers from around the country were there too. So it was a pretty big crowd.

Ben, the owner of the shop, is a great guy and has an excellent reputation for being very interested in his customers. He's very friendly, and the people in that area say he seems to work very hard to make his KTM riders happy. That doesn't surprise me, because in the short time that I've been involved with this company, as a professional racer, I've realized that KTM chooses their dealers very carefully.

With Ben, at Dirt Works

I'm no "company insider"; I just race the bikes. But I'm around the whole "KTM culture" as my Uncle likes to call it, quite a bit. Maybe it's because it's the best bike, out of the box. Maybe it's the fact that it's the only great European made bike, anymore. Maybe it's the "orange" thing, or the lack of the dreaded swingarm linkage that all the other bikes make you deal with. Or….who knows. It's probably a combination of factors that KTM has. The list is way too long. There is something very unique about it all though, and I like it.

It's no secrete that my job, which is the best job in the world of course, is to race my KTM so well that its quality is proven on the track. One of the strangest and most unanticipated occurrences seems to be happening: everyone I know or ride with has either sold their bike and got a KTM, or they were already on one. It's weird. I haven't really been actively promoting them. And I'm not real particular about what kind of riders I hang out with, or who I ride with, or what they ride. I like just about everybody. But all the videos were working on seem to be getting more orange all the time. Maybe it's rubbing off a little. Maybe it's coincidence. It's cool though.

Well I'm going to be swimming a lot this week. Falling on those rocks left me with bruises that don't seem to hurt much when I swim. Besides my favorite swimming partners, Sarah and Layne are great friends, and they keep me laughing. See, training can actually be fun with the right friends.

June 1, 2007

The big Kentucky GNCC is just around the corner, so just about all my time now is devoted to a repeat performance of the success we had at the John Penton round, in Ohio 3 weeks ago. I seem to be fitter and faster than ever now, so our main concerns are all the small but important details of preparation. Anything overlooked that could result in even a quick, minor repair, could cost us the win. Every second counts. And even if I finish one second behind the leader, like I did at the Moto-X-Country last week, I could end up 3rd, which I did.

It was a great race too. That was my second time racing the annual Moto-X-Country, the Saturday before the High Point National Motocross, held out in the woods and fields behind the National track. It's always fun, and there's always a couple very tough Pros to run against. This year Mullins, Barry, and I were the favorites. The only other really fast guy was Kailub Russell. Mullins had some trouble and couldn't stay with us, but Kailub was on fire. Kailub, Barry and I battled so close together, and switched positions so many times, it felt like a Motocross race.

I was right on Kailub the whole time. But he was riding so fast, I was content to wait for his mistake that just never happened. He was just in the "zone"; it happens to everyone now and then. That was just his day. We pressed Barry so hard, that Barry fell twice, got up fast and still took a while to catch us. But eventually, Barry showed why he was the 2003 GNCC Champion, and still a top contender. Barry finally got by Kailub to take the win in the 45 minute race.

When we crossed the finish line, you could tell the whole crowd was pleased that they got to see a true, all-out battle between some of the best. I could feel it during the entire race; it was some of the fastest riding I've ever done. And I had a couple of the best riders to do it with. So I really enjoyed it. As usual Racer Productions did a great job running everything. It went smooth, even though they had to prep for the Nation Motocross race the next day.

With Rodney Smith after a good battle

We've been stay in West Virginia with friends since Kentucky. We're just 20 minutes from Morgantown so Kailub, Layne Michaels, some other friends, and I have been riding together some. They're all looking good, but Kallub has really stepped it up. He's the only guy that can run with me on my GP practice loop. My "Last Man Standing Loop" is a little different. Nobody has ever even finished it. I can only make it on a good dry day, when I'm really on. But that's the way I designed it. If I ever make it 5 times in a row, I'll feel good about it, for about one day. Then I'll change it!

I have a simple strategy for winning that Last Man Standing "grueler": become as good as David Knight-that might take another year or so-and then push him hard and out-last him. Actually, David is very fit. So finishing a close second to him is my goal this year. He's is my Red Bull/Factory KTM Teammate. I'll take the win if he messes-up and gives it to me for some reason. But he doesn't give away races. Of course, I may come up on him when he's having trouble. I have no obligation, but he's a pretty good guy, so I just like to believe he'd stop and help me too. I'll just make sure I get my bike started first, and see if I could give him a run for the "checkered". Either way, that's the race I most look forward to.

Speaking of gnarly endurance races, I hear the GNCC folks are thinking about running the West Virginia round like the infamous "Blackwater". They must feel bad for me, with all the easy, fast, dry races we've had this year. I know I'd have a shot at the overall win at something like that. I like riding fast for 4 hours over sick stuff. Actually, I was thinking, it would be cool if they could have the amateur classes finish at the normal 3 hour mark. Three hours is tough enough. But to run the Pros for 4 or 5 hours, just one race each year, would be a true test of bike, body, and pit crew endurance. It wouldn't require any big changes by the Pro riders or pit crews. It would just be a cool test of discipline. And the best part is that the amateurs could watch the guys they're chasing, for once. Of course, that opens up a whole bunch of other concerns, like scoring, and top-20 points, and on and on.

Seeing I'm just rattling on with seemingly nothing better to do, here's another idea. The "Last Man Standing" event seems to have been a great success so far. It's in the winter. Maybe it would be much easier to take that one weekend that the hardworking Racer Production staff has off, sometime in the summer, if there is such a weekend, and do a stand -alone race similar to it, with a big bonus for the entire staff-don't tell them I suggested that. Heck, if we go get some big, rich energy drink company, they'll foot the whole bill, I guess.

So here in the eastern mountains; associated with, but just not part of the GNCC series, we could have our own gnarly, grueling race, with bikes tumbling down hills and all that wild stuff. They could call it: "Justin's Gnarly National". Saaweeeet! What? You don't like the name? Ooooohhhhh, come on! All right, the first year they'll have to be more creative. But serious, after that it could be named after the Rider that wins it. Then, each year, he's the defender of "the title". Only when he's beaten does the name change. All the top guys are known by their first names. It'll be cool! See you there.

May 14, 2007

Check out this John Penton GNCC race story.

I must apologize to all my viewers for not finishing the 2nd part to my Tennessee GNCC race report. My motivation to do well at the "John Penton" GNCC became so great, that for the past 2 weeks, I dropped everything else and dedicated all my time to this race only. Loretta's was an exciting race, but I didn't want to repeat losing if I could do better. And I knew I could do better! So I'll have a couple race reports coming soon, now that I have a month until the next big National. We'll also be putting together some new videos, and adding new photos to our gallery.

Lately, I've been reading a few pages of a good book just before I go to sleep each night. I always read a lot while I train on the stationary bike, but I find that thought provoking books are helpful in general; they seem to help me see things differently, and may even make me better at my work. Off-Road racing is a real "thinking" game, so anything that execises the brain is good.

Finishing the book on John Penton really got me reading a lot. I understand it's going to be available soon through the new KTM Hard Equipment catalog. It's an excellent book about a great man, who's truly an off-road racing legend. He's the only man to have a GNCC race dedicated to him, each year. It's the one we just did, so it was great to see him, and his son Jack there, and enjoying the entire weekend. It was John that set me up, 6 months ago, with Adrian, an excellent physical therapist in Amherst OH. My new friend worked with me all winter to help me create a knee that would be capable of what I just accomplished yesterday.

With AJ Stewart and John Penton

After I caught up to 5-time National Champion, Rodney Smith, and battled with him for the last part of the 3 hour, grueling yet thrilling race, I watched his thinking process for much of it. He's very smart, and very fit. But as we worked on out-lasting, or out-smarting each other, he made a judgment error that ended his opportunity at yet another victory over the "youngsters". He crashed hard! I had been pressing him very hard for at least 5 minutes. So after a few of my aggressive pass attempts, he knew it was time to either let my by, or go harder.

Rodney chose to go harder. It was the same bad choice I made 2 weeks ago; I crashed hard, which gave him the win. He's a great champion, and I'm just 20 now. I'm not sure what it takes to do what he's done, and I may change my thinking later, but I hope not. I hope I can have a great career, without riding over my head. Yesterday I had only 2 minor crashes, and basically stayed under control. I believe that's the best way to succeed at this sport, and enjoy it. I just don't plan on crashing hard anymore. That's the way Juha did it; that's good enough for me!

I think Rodney was a little tired, or more likely, mentally fatigued. As we came to a bad rooted section that required a line choice decision, he didn't make up his mind until it was too late. He actually went over the bars, and hit so hard, I needed to slow down to make sure he got up--it looked bad. As he got up, I took off. I know he's tough, and I knew he'd be coming. I had just run out of water, but I was still feeling fresh. All I had to do is ride SMART for 20 minutes, and I would have my first National GNCC Pro Lites WIN! That's exactly what happened. My third podium this season was the best one yet.

So when I find a new book up in the loft of our hauler, which is where I've called home for the past 6 years, I know Uncle Chris has just finished another great one. Every few days he'll ask me what part I'm up to and sometimes we'll talk about it a little. Sometimes we even find a way to relate it to racing, and learn something. Everything seems related somehow. I'm starting to see why education is important. You need brains to do this sport well.

The better I do, the more often people ask me to tell them some of our Pro racing "secrets". Here's the big secret: there are no secrets! Yet racing success is not a simple recipe. There is a lot of information that can help. But we never hide any of it. If people ask, we'll tell them what we know. My website is full of little bits and pieces, if you take the time to read it all. For over 2 years we've been putting information up, and we leave it up forever. Most of how we got here is written out somewhere in this site, or on the videos, and the rest is coming.

Me and Mark Hyde jokin' around

I've always liked helping other people. It doesn't bother me that some young racer may learn a lot from us, and put it all together, and whip up on me in the future. I like to think I'll be happy for him. If you can do what it takes to succeed, you deserve it; and I admire it. But it's not like in the movies, where success comes quick because of a little hard work and a few pro secrets. It takes so much dedication, from so many people, on so many details of racing. I'm actually proud to be able to be a small part of the success of anyone that can put it all together and do what it takes. I don't see them as potential adversaries. I see them, just as I see all the guys I race against right now--my colleges; fellow workers, all working our way to that checkered flag. I try to beat them, and I want to beat them, but I don't NEED to. I only need to do my best!

Now that this is my job, I have an obligation to perform. So when I'm in a race, feeling wasted, and I feel like stopping, I just think about someone that I know will be happier if I do well. That always gets me going again. Besides I have bills to pay now. And my team depends on me; I have a duty to them.

I want to thank my Red Bull/KTM Team manager, Antti Kallonen, for his excellent guidance of the team, and also for his valuable instruction while I practiced with him at the local MX track near the KTM North America headquarters in Ohio last week. Antti is a former World GP Motocross contender; he flies on MX tracks. So he's really helping me with speed and technique.

Antti does some strategizing before the race

Two weeks ago I started hearing the phrase "Mothers day". I don't get into holidays much. Christmas is cool; it's about the only time our entire family gets together. Independence Day is special after you understand our Country's history, and Memorial Day is a big one, considering the huge numbers of people who've made the ultimate sacrifice for the rest of us. And really I wish I could spend Mothers Day with my Mother. But you can't change the past. Cancer took her 4 years ago, so she's gone forever, except in our memories.

With Dad on the starting line

So I had an advantage over the other guys in this one. They all still have their Moms. I wave or say hi to them in the pits at every race. It's hard to appreciate what you have, sometimes. After losing my Mom, I really appreciate the people in my life that truly care about me the way she did.

I always wanted to dedicate a big win to my Mom, someday. She was a great Mom. We used to laugh a lot together, and she was always there for me. I wouldn't be who I am without having 16 wonderful years with her. So she deserved whatever I had to do to bring out my best here. That motivation made it easy. A couple weeks of complete dedication can accomplish a lot. So, yesterday's race was for her. She got my best.

April 30, 2007

After last weeks AMA National Harescramble in NJ, I was pretty pumped about coming into the Tennessee GNCC yesterday. I figured if I could finish just 20 seconds behind Mike Lafferty on his home track, I must be riding good. We've had our set-backs this year, but not lately--everything just seems to be falling into place. I'm getting more comfortable with my bike all the time. My knee seems to be getting stronger. I'm more fit than ever. And my skill level seems to be at an all time high. Also, Uncle Chris is giving much less "constructive criticism" after each race; that's when I know I'm going in the right direction. He doesn't miss much.

It was a wonderful weekend down here at Loretta's ranch in western Tennessee. The crowd was huge, and the weather was great. Our sport just seems to be growing more and more all the time. It's kind of fun signing hundreds of autographs every race; sometimes it's a challenge just to get them all done before the race starts. But that's one of the coolest things about riding for the KTM Factory Team; the big rigs really draw in our fans. I can still remember how fascinated I was, as a kid walking down "Pro Row".

It took us a little while to learn the Team program. It's a real change from the privateer racer's life. But now things are going very smooth. Everyone on the team is good at what they do; probably because they're all very into their jobs. And working with Antti, the team manager is great. He spends all the time it takes to make sure we all have what we need to do our best. As a former world class GP Pro Motocross racer, he knows what it takes.

Practicing with the team is really a blast. On Thursday and Friday, we all got together and did some fun riding, and some fast riding, at a couple places about an hour away from Loretta's. We were doing our final testing and set-up, and getting a little seat time. David Knight is a truly amazing rider. When I could stay close enough to see him, I was picking up some pretty good pointers. It was a lot of fun, and it really got me in a great frame of mind for this race.

Five-time GNCC champ, Rodney Smith, has naturally been schooling us younger Pros in the XC2 class so far, but we're learning fast. So we gave him a serious run yesterday. I got my first ever GNCC Pro "Holeshot" start, and then lead most of the race with Rodney close behind. Thad Duval ran close to us in 3rd for most of it, but the 3 of us mixed it up a few times. Those guys were riding great! So it was basically a 3-way battle until I crashed hard on the last lap. Thanks to all that extra padded gear I wear, I didn't get hurt. And my KTM is rugged; it took a hard hit too. We got up, and kept right on rolling. But Thad and Rodney got away. So I decided to keep it under control for the rest of it.

It felt great to be back up on the podium. I kind of enjoy all the attention we get for those few exciting minutes. And 9th overall got me lots of those great top-20 points that are so important for National ranking. I had expected to be finishing in the top-10 all season. Now that we've gotten it together, I think I'll be doing just that. It was a pretty exciting race, so check out part #1 of my race report.

It was great to have my buddies Ian, Josh, and Toad there helping me out. They're from Missouri, so I don't see them much. They're cool because they're really into racing. And they got some great film and photos for me to show you guys too. Ah....he's the one in the blue shirt. And no, I don't think he looks like a toad. It's just a nickname, I guess.

I know I'll win some races this year. I have what it takes now. I'm not going to force it though. I'll just prepare better, work harder, and let it come naturally. It's a long season. Consistency should do the trick; it's definitely more fun and a lot less painful. I have to keep reminding myself:" It's an endurance sport. Pace yourself. Just ride hard! Save your top speed for passing--that's where you really need it."

Well, we're finally headed back to the KTM North America headquarters, in Amherst, Ohio. The weather is getting nice up there, and racing is really getting cranked up in the North. It will take a couple of weeks for us to recover and catch up on everything. By that time, we'll be heading down to the John Penton GNCC, in Southern Ohio.We'll see you there!

April 23, 2007

Well, that felt good; it still feels good today. It's been a little while since I've been on the podium, but I broke my recent slump in Sunday's race, finishing 2nd at the AMA National Hare Scramble in New Jersey. Standing up there with my teammate Mike Lafferty, who also happens to be one of the racers I respect and admire the most, made it an even greater experience. Now I'm really excited about running the rest of this series.

Mike won the race, Wally Palmer finished 3rd, one of my other teammates, Robbie Jenks came in 4th, and local KTM "fast guy", Jared Stoner finished 5th. So KTM had a very good day, with 4 out of the top 5 riding the orange machines. I know Mike isn't planning on running the series, So Robbie and I are the top contenders now, with each of us having earned a 2nd place finish so far.

I think Mike ran this race for good solid practice. And I know he also ran it to entertain his home town crowd; I could tell they definitely appreciated it. I mean, how many local motorcycle clubs can claim that their local boy is a 7-time National Enduro champ? That's the main reason I'm so proud to have finished within 20 seconds of him, in the 2-and-a-half-hour race--it's very tough to beat a guy on his home turf. But either way, Mike is an amazing racer.

And speaking of hometown crowd, I truly enjoyed the whole weekend, talking to the ECEA series riders, and all the local New Jersey fans. They're a great bunch. Their youth program was huge, I heard they had over 200 kids riding, and it seemed like I signed even more posters than that! It was a lot of fun, and they really showed me a lot of respect, considering that they have such a huge star as "their guy". They all kept asking me "Where's Mike. Is Mike here"? Of course I would casually answer: "Oh, you mean my teammate Mike Lafferty. Oh ya, he's around hear somewhere." Oh ya.… I'm proud of that too.

It marked my 6th consecutive top 3 start this year. I just keep getting great starts. I hit the e-button and kick it at the same time, and I'm off and flying-just ahead of everybody else. Pretty soon my KTM power and Michelin tires hook up, and sling me into the first corner ahead of the pack. I do a little elbow bumping in the first corner, and then the real racing begins. I had a great ride in Florida, but in the next four races, I lost that wonderful start advantage with some silly little problem, and had to just salvage the race. Yesterday was different!

I decided to really concentrate on keeping my mind from wondering, "I need to start getting the job done" with no errors--the way Juha does it. I settled into 4th place going into the woods just behind Travis Green, AMA National #3. It wasn't long before Travis missed a corner, and gave me an easy pass. I was pressing hard, and I could smell the exhaust and see the dust from the 2nd place rider. I knew I was close, but I couldn't hear the quiet 2 stroke KTM over the roar of my thumper.

Pretty soon I heard another thumper joining me from the rear. I glanced over as I came around a tight corner and saw it was Wally; some days he can really ride. After a few minutes of that I realized today was one of those days. As I blew past a corner, Wally grabbed his opportunity. As I struggled to get through the vines, he railed that corner perfect. I jumped on the course behind him, and cranked it back up realizing if Wally kept this pace up, not only would I not miss corners; we would hopefully be gaining on the leader. Little did I know, Mike Lafferty was leading, so there really wasn't going to be much gaining. But you never know, it's a long race and anything can happen.

The course was cool because it was 13 miles of mostly freshly cut 1st and 2nd gear tight trail, bar banging in some spots. I loved it! It had been a long time since I'd raced in such technical conditions. The soil kept changing, it ranged from sand to hard pack, wet and dry; but no rocks--we get plenty of them in the GNCC's. The sink holes developed in unpredictable spots as usual and I got stuck twice, and once pretty bad. But I liked the challenge of choosing lines, and finding a way to make it through.

Pretty soon, Wally and I caught up to 2nd place, Jared Stoner. When Jared just missed a corner, Wally slipped by, but Jared closed the door on me, and he was up and running again. He was doing pretty well, but when I saw Wally start to check out, I started getting very anxious. I was just about to show Jared my front wheel, you know the little message saying: "we're going to make better time with you following me," when he slipped off a corner and gave me another easy pass.

It took me 10 minutes to catch back up to Wally. By then we were on the 2nd lap, and we had pulled more than a minute on Jared. We were flying, but we still couldn't see the leader. Pretty soon I heard it--it wasn't Wally's little thumper, it was Mikes big 450, just ahead. We were catching him! Mike was the favorite to win, and everyone knew it. I don't know about Wally, but when I saw Mike I had a little rush of adrenaline. Everyone knows that if you can catch a guy on his home track, you can beat him! And to beat Mike here would be huge. "Stay calm, keep it under control, concentrate", I kept telling myself.

It was an exercise in precision riding really. Mike just didn't make any mistakes, so we couldn't either. He's a master, and we just followed the master. It wasn't easy, but I have what it takes now--all I needed was 100% concentration. It was a little tougher for Wally, because he had to regain control several times. Wally's actually too fast sometimes; he reminds me of Ricky Carmichael--rides on the edge of crashing half the time--but he's good.

Wally and I stopped for gas at the end of that 2nd lap, but Mike kept going, and he was gone again. Within 15 seconds Wally and I were back in the chase. There were hundreds of bikes on the course, so when we got to a mud hole that wasn't bad on the 2nd lap, it had become near impossible on the 3rd lap. Wally dove in. I was committed to the same line. He barely made it through, but I didn't. I was stuck! I just held the throttle wide open, pulling up on the bike as hard as I could, and slowly inching my way forward. After about 20 seconds of that, I started worrying about my engine, about 20 seconds later, she hooked up and I was off and running again. That's one tough little motor.

Then it was time to just rail hard. It took me almost an hour to catch Wally again. Near the end of the 4th lap I came up on him fast. Now, he wasn't moving very fast, so I knew something had happened. I cruised by him easily, and went after Mike. I later found out that Wally had caught and passed Mike at Mike's pit stop. I could only imagine how fast Wally must have been riding feeling the excitement of running in the lead with the 7-time National Champ hot on his tail. Wally pressed it beyond his limit and hit a stump hard with his foot. He cruised in for his 3rd place finish anyways, but his foot looked pretty sore after the race.

On the 5th, and final lap, I was gaining on Mike, but he just didn't make the mistake I needed in order to catch him. He found that checkered flag 20 seconds before me. That's the way the great ones do it. I'm getting there!

Robbie Jenks finally caught and passed Jared Stoner to finish 4th, with Jared finishing 5th. Travis Green was plagued with several problems and eventually fell quite a ways back. As ever, I'm grateful for the excellent support of my Red Bull KTM Factory Off-Road Team and WilliamsonRacing.com.

My friend Lucas McDaniel has been helping us fix up our truck for the past few weeks. He has an excavating and hauling business on the border of North and South Carolina, just south of Shelby. He also builds excellent MX tracks. He built the "Iron City" track, which is close by--so we go over and "slam it out" while we're down here. Check it out at: IronCityMX.com. And he'll build you a great track if you got some land and some bucks: 864-812-1919.

Also stop and see my buddy Bill Daily at Outlaw Motorsports; his store is just a few miles south of Morgantown, WV, on route 7; he's a good guy, and he has just about everything--304-284-0480.

We've been staying here at Vance Earl's in North Carolina for a while. Him and Lucas are old friends. It's cool how all my friends introduce me to all their friends. The weather's great and there's lots of fast guys to chase, and places to ride here. But we'll be heading out again soon. We'll see you all at the Tennessee GNCC this coming weekend.

April 19, 2007

It's beginning to get very weird! I used to have "clean", problem free, races; week after week, every week, literally for years--no big problems. I would just accept my mediocre start, spend a lap or two getting familiar with the course and getting warmed up, and eventually, I'd put in some solid, fast laps, catch all the tired fast guys, and finish respectably! All of that seems to be a thing of the past.

Now I start up front with the fast guys. Each race, I meet Rodney Smith, Kurt Casselli, or Cole Caulkins in the first corner. I think: "I'm one of these guys now. I have no problem running their pace. Heck if everything goes right, I should beat them. I'll just run solid for a while, and then let my late race stamina do the talking." A few of us take turns leading the first lap or two, like I did when I passed Rodney to take the lead, 5 minutes into Sunday's race. But on the second lap, I suddenly slid out. The bike was up-side-down for long enough to flood it bad. A minute later I was rolling again. But it just wasn't the same.

Lately, by the time the last lap rolls around, any number of goofy, harmless little problems has set me back to where I "belong". Something strange always happens to me, and the leaders are gone. Then I play "catch-up" for 3 hours. I say "belong" only because, I know that success in anything has to be earned. In racing, there are no excuses for failure. You just have to take your licks, get up, make changes, fix problems, work harder, and take what you get. I've heard it said: Nothing is free. You only get what you earn. I believe that. So I accept it!

I love racing! And I know my speed is better than ever. So my little slump will end soon, and I'll wonder what I was worried about; although I might be a little short on bonus bucks I'd expected to be making. But hey, it's only money. It can't buy you happiness, right. Besides, it's only racing. There's more to life than racing. I still get up every day looking forward to hanging out and riding with all my buddies. Usually our toughest decision of the day is where to ride. I know, Uncle Chris reminds me all the time-I have it made!

Speaking of "Mr. behind the scenes"--my Uncle Chris--the "video thing" is another one of our joint ventures. I of course, along with some of my friends, provide some half-way decent riding while he films. It takes a lot more discipline than we thought it would, but it's all good. Uncle Chris' big challenge is avoiding mud and rock roost getting all over the camera. He's an old racer guy, so he doesn't mind. But the camera doesn't like it. And my big challenge is staying somewhere near the camera-I love just going exploring through the woods. That's where the Motocam comes in handy.

Every week or so, he'll get an idea for a new video, and spend hours in front of the computer trying to come up with something good. It usually happens at about 3 in the morning. I'll wake up hearing him clicking away on the computer, and laughing at the funny parts of his latest "masterpiece". That's after I've spent all day listened to at least a hundred different music samples. That's when I know he's getting inspired; the music seems to draw him into it. But the 3 in the morning laughing is when I realize I'll have to actually work the next day--I also take care of all the computer and technical aspects, and the actual running of the website. All that stuff tends to frustrate "Mr. Director". If we stick to what we're good at, we seem to be a pretty good team.

We really stepped it up on our last one, after we got a bunch of new video equipment. We are proud of it. Right now were working on getting some good rock bands to license their music to us. I think we'll put their music to good use. By the way, we always appreciate all the helpful comments we get from our friends out there. We make these videos to entertain you guys, so don't hesitate to let us know what you think.

My friend Lucas McDaniel has been helping us fix up our truck. He has an excavating and hauling business; and he also builds excellent MX tracks. He built the "Iron City"
Track, which is close by--on the border of North and South Carolina-- so we go over and "slam it out" while we're down here. Check it out at: IronCityMX.com. And he'll build you a great track if you got some land and some bucks: 864-812-1919. Also stop and see my buddy Bill Daily at Outlaw Motorsports; his store is near Morgantown, WV; he's a good guy, and he has just about everything--304-284-0480.

We've been staying here at Vance Earl's in North Carolina for a while. The weather's great and there's lots of fast guys to chase, and places to ride. We're heading up to New Jersey this weekend for the AMA National there. Then the next weekend we'll see you all at the Tennessee GNCC.

3/27/07

We spent the last couple of weeks at my friend Vance Earl's place in North Carolina. Most of what I worked on was aggressive practice, and also, fixing the problems I experienced in Georgia. I got to ride with my North Carolina buddy's, which is always fun. And then I made some new friends--this year's South Africa Off-road Champion, Lourens Mahoney, and his friend Kenny.

They're touring and racing in the USA for a few months; focusing mainly on the GNCC series. So we might be doing a lot of practice together. They're good guys, and a lot of fun. Louwrens has done the Erzberg Rally 3 times. We all know that's one of the toughest races in the world. So they don't know it yet, but I'm getting ready to lead them out on some of my secret "Sick-Gnarly" trails. I have them all over the country. We've been building them for years, every place we've stayed. So get ready to see some great gnarly video soon.

One day last week, we all got together and filmed some good footage here at Vance's. So as soon as Uncle Chris has time to work his magic, we should have a new video up. He's all excited lately because he got a new editing program that has slow-motion and all kinds of cool effects, some new camera lenses, more music, and most important we're starting to work with the Motocam helmet camera. So, we'll see what he comes up with.

Well, after an exciting start to the racing season, with a good ride and a podium finish at the first round in Florida, I did a great job of blowing the next 2 rounds. The last one was this past Sunday in North Carolina. I finished both rounds, but not in the "top-10", as I had expected. Instead, I was 19th and then 28th overall. My new XC-2 class allows 2 "throwaways". Hopefully, those are my only 2 "stinkers" of the year.

I've gone through a series of bike, and body tweaking crashed. Nothing serious, just enough to slow me down some. With so many great riders out there, that's all it takes. It's a good thing I'm in good shape and my KTM is so rugged, otherwise I would have had a couple of DNFs instead. And with the new bike and knew knee, we're still working on different set-ups, testing, and rehabbing. We'll get it together soon.

I sure don't like messing up like this, but I won't take my sport so seriously that I'm all disappointed when I have a couple of bad races. Riding is too much fun to be getting all bummed-out about it. But I do take it seriously enough to address the problems; I probably couldn't do that very well if I felt real bad about it. So I'm simply going to make some changes and keep working as hard as I can. If that doesn't work, it wasn't meant to be, as they say.

I'm actually feeling very optimistic, considering my race results. My knee is healing very well, and I know I'm riding as fast as ever. I'm a full Factory-backed racer--and I love my new KTM. We're gearing up to do a bunch of cool new video filming with better equipment, including our new MOTOCAM. And most important, we're back on the road again, riding with all my friends around the country. I really have it made. I just have to figure out how to finish races the way I know I can.

My mountain bike is getting pretty ragged, so my buddy Collin is working on getting me a bike deal. I have a lot of great friends in West Virginia, from spending so much time there in past years, and Collin is one of them. He runs Wamsley's bike shop in Morgantown, WV. He's been doing it for a long time; he's brilliant on bikes. I really like hanging out at his shop too because the view is excellent--they're right on the river waterfront and right near the West Virginia University--Wow!

We have a bunch of new photos up on our Gallery Page, and check out our new, first ever, MOTOCAM video on our Video Page. I hope you like it!

In a couple of weeks, the whole KTM team is getting together for testing and practice somewhere in North Carolina; that should be intense. Until then, we'll probably be back at Vance's, bumping up the speed and cranking out the videos. So we'll see you all at the South Carolina GNCC in 3 weeks.

3/12/07

I've just had a 4-week-long "ride of my life!" Most of it was very cool. It's been intense at times and relaxed at others, motivating and disappointing, slammed busy and even monotones at times, educational, exciting, interesting, and definitely fun; but never was it boring. This lifestyle is a lot of things, but boring is not one of them. There was one very special moment in all that time--the one that drives every Pro racer to keep trying. But I'm going to keep you in suspense for a few minutes.

Right now I'm sitting here in our race rig, all cozy, petting my dog Smokey. We just got in out of the cold from our usual last walk of the day. But today is different because we're at the deserted pits of the GNCC National in Georgia; which is now, resent history. It's not cold like up North, but it was so warm in Florida for our last 4 weeks of training and then at the first "Big Race" of the season, The Triton GNCC, just 5 days ago, we got spoiled with all that great weather.

So now we're chilling out, microwaving some popcorn and hot chocolate, and my lap-top is open. But I can't decide what to do--watch the movie that's been sitting in the D drive for weeks, or get some computer work done. Uncle Chris and I keep thinking we're going to quit work early someday and watch it. It's been in there so long we can't remember what it is. But there always seems to be something we can be working on. We haven't watched TV in the past 6 years that we've been on the road racing, but a fun movie now and then is a nice change from all the racing stuff.

We finally got a little breather though. With the first 2 Nationals behind us, and 2 weeks before the next one, the KTM Semi and the whole team just packed up and headed back to Ohio. We stayed behind so I can visit some old friends and get some good riding in. It's still pretty cold in Ohio.

I'm kind of happy to be doing my own website. After a big race, it feels good to just chill out in our rig and write my update and race report. I type one-handed, because of course, every time I stop petting Smokey she nudges me with her reminder of what she thinks my real job is. Luckily after about 10 minutes she falls asleep…I usually keep petting her anyway.

I surprised myself a little in Florida last week. I hadn't raced or even ridden much after my knee surgery almost 4 months ago. It felt great to finish 2nd behind my Red Bull KTM teammate Kurt Caselli (western top-dog). Kurt's a tremendous rider, and I'm never ashamed to be beat by someone with that much talent. He'll only be running these first 2 GNCC's, so he won't be a threat for the series.

It's amazing how valuable consistent finishes can be. Even now, after my not-so-great 7th place ride in Georgia, I'm 3rd in the series points, heading into the 3rd round in North Carolina in a couple weeks. With a decent finish there, I should easily overtake Kurt and be ahead of the other guys, to take the lead in the new XC-2 Pro Lites class! Anything can happen, but I'm definitely excited about how things are going so far this season. And I'm confident that I'll be able to increase my speed once my knee is 100%.

After no racing for so long, I was also surprised to realize how easy it has become for me to stave off all the usual intimidation, like seeing 60 Pros sitting on the starting line, all looking at each other like, "Dude, please…Your good, but not good enough to beet me". They all "know" they're great riders. I know it too…It just doesn't bother me anymore!

Half of them were on the front (XC-1) line. They're on any size bikes. The other half were on my 2nd (XC-2) row. Our bikes are limited to 250 4-strokes, or 125 2-strokes. The XC-1s take off first, and a minute later we go; so we're all racing together, just staggered some. It's cool because you're racing your guys and your racing for the overall position also. That's how you earn your National number each season.

Each of the 20 or so XC-1 Pros I caught up to would get all over it, knowing they're already a minute behind; I remember the feeling from running off the front line for the last 2 seasons. You get a little twinge of embarrassment, or desperation, and then you start riding a little crazy. Like when Cole Calkins and I were battling hard. As we quickly came up on an XC-1 guy, he tried everything to stay ahead of us, but we were riding too well, and soon he ended up on the ground.

In Florida Cole gave me a good run for a while. Other than him, there wasn't anyone that really seemed to have enough to challenge me. But it's early yet, and it's a long season. Any one of the guys can ride great on any day. The trick is figuring out how to turn on the switch when you need it the most. I'm fortunate that a lot of people pushed me hard enough for me to figure it out. It does feel good to have it.

Unfortunately it didn't work for me in Georgia. The ruts brought out my only big weakness-my knee. It's not 100% yet, so I have to be careful with it a little longer. One race doesn't matter too much though. It's the Championship that really counts! I know I can do it, but I can't be greedy.

Check out my Florida GNCC race report.

Oh ya, I almost forgot--"The podium experience!" You know….There's no way to sufficiently describe what that feels like. It's far beyond wonderful! I experienced my 2nd one ever, in Florida, as Cole and Kurt stood up there with me, with the crowd cheering, excited interviews, smiling faces everywhere, big trophies, congratulations all around, and eventually, the spraying of sticky Champagne, which dripped into the huge blisters on my hands--the stinging pain well worth the pleasure of that moment.

As usual, Uncle Chris was there for me. I said: "Chris, pour that water on here, will ya?" The greatest thing about it was that it was the first time my Dad and Grandma saw me standing on the big Race Podium.We've worked for years to experience it... I know we'll both always remember that day!

2/20/07

Hey everybody! It's nice to be updating you again. For the last couple of months, my "Weekly News" inadvertently became my Monthly News. It's funny how a few small changes in ones life can throw you off your routine. It's true though, that we did experience several ups and downs in the past half a year. Becoming the youngest podium finisher in GNCC history and the top privateer of last season, yet unable to actually win even one single GNCC, OMA, or AMA National; then eventually setting a record lap time in the last major event of the year, only to experience my first ever DNF (in 319 races), on the last lap of that very race, with my stator giving up on me; then after several hundred phone calls, I realized that earning the National #11 just doesn't excite sponsors much--I was facing another "struggling privateer" season for '07. The college option was starting to look better, or at least easier.

Then, "The KTM offer"! Signing a major contract for a full factory ride with arguably the worlds most successful and respected off-road motorcycle company in history, was obviously a dream come true, a great career opportunity, and a huge transitional undertaking; which eventually worked out wonderfully. But before everything ended up so wonderful--with me riding as good as ever, down here in the Florida sand, with 3 weeks to go before the first "Big Race" of '07-I had to pull "double duty" all winter. I had to work harder than ever, and in pain, to get my knee working right within 3 months. You can comfortably rehab a knee in 6 months. I didn't have 6 months!

Back in the fall, just after KTM and I decided to sign a deal, I had a silly crash that changed everything! I'm sure my busted knee had the KTM guys wondering if they should still take a chance on probably the youngest guy to become full factory rider, now with a serious injury, and his first one! Some racers just don't come back from injuries, especially younger guys. When they decided to go with me, my ecstatic relief and happiness drove me to become even more determined than I've ever been. At that point, I owed some serious dedication and determination to all the people who never gave up on me, including KTM!

My new and only real goal was spending every waking moment of every day, 7 days a week, until I can ride, to get this knee working again! The big challenge in a fast rehab is working it hard without breaking it again-you're on a narrow edge the whole time; and though for 3 months, I often appeared to be doing very little; my mind was always on rebuilding that knee. I would sit there in the KTM shop learning about the bikes and the team program, and stretching that knee every second that it could handle it. It took tremendous discipline-more than I ever spent learning to ride. That's one of those "good things that results from a bad situation"; I now know I have more to put into my racing than I thought I had. From that, I'm even more convinced that I can become a champion someday!

You would think, with an injury to have to heal and rehab, you'd have a little free time. But this winter was my busiest ever. I can't take all the credit for my discipline though. Every once in a while, Uncle Chris would just have to say: "Hey Justin, what would Juha be doing right now if he had a busted knee to fix"? That would always get me to close the computer up and get going again. I have a lot of respect for Juha. He "set the bar" way up there, so I try to do everything his way-he proved himself! And of course, it's the huge support from my family that has put me in a position to attempt to achieve what Juha has achieved. I have plenty of years to do it. Now it's all about the "doing".

If you think improving your racing skills is tough, try doing it with a major injury. It's enough to get me to run at my usual 95% again. Discipline! Success may be impossible without it. I sure don't want to find out the hard way. So now I'm going to be even more diligent about running my pace, and being satisfied with the outcome-another Juha strategy. Races aren't near as important as Championships!

The great news: after 4 months off the bike, on my 4th day of riding my new KTM 250 XC-F--which is the SWEETEST bike I've ever ridden--I almost matched Mike Lafferty and Robby Jenks in our time trials, after our suspension test, down here in Florida. They've been riding and racing all winter. So because I have 3 weeks to test and practice, I think I can improve my speed significantly. We're also filming again, so my new video "Justin Goes Orange", should be up soon.

My Knee is doing great, by the way. It feels so good to be riding everyday again. I kind of forgot how fun it is to do what we do. You all know what I mean! And it's just as nice to be traveling around and hanging out with all the friends we've made in the past 6 years of chasing the dream. All those friends are part of this dream too. Every one of them gave me something that lead to what I have. I can never thank them enough. But I do want to thank my Florida buddies for helping us arranging the KTM Factory Team Testing Session last week at their personal riding area. It was very generous of them!

Thanks to my new friends Emory, Martin, and Austin-great trails guys; Randal and Kayle-great set-up, lights and hot showers (a racers dream). Robbie, Dan, Mike, Pokey, Jerome, Eric, and Tom are my good friends that have once again reminded me of why I love this sport so much--it's the people!

Hope to see you all at the races soon.

1/15/07

Well, the old bikes are fin