MXAdventures - A1 Supercross 2010

The first Supercross of 2010 was spectacular, to say the least. Many of you know the first race starts with a few pre kick off parties, media events, and a big press conference the Thursday before the race.

It's kinda' like a big adventure for all of us at Supercross.com as we get set to embark on this remarkable 17 race journey across the country for the 2010 AMA / FIM Supercross Series!


You can see Kawasaki's Supercross Kick off Party here

You can see the first press conference of Monster Energy Supercross here!

Watch James Stewart's Supercross Riding tips just for you here!

Join the Supercross Community! Free! Upload photos! Build your Profile! Upload your own videos! Post in the Message Boards!

Hotel rooms for A2 & A3 at the Hyatt - special discount for Supercross.com fans! $69!

You can see Red Bull's Media Day event here


Once it's race day, one of the first orders of business for the riders is a must attend track walk and riders meeting.

Each team walks at their own pace, checking out each & every bump and curve, making sure not to miss a thing.

{loadposition google-content}Discussing the track with their mechanics and managers is a huge part of the preparation for the day - from the layout of the rhythm sections, weighing out all the options in corners and passing lanes to a method of attacking the whoops sections.

Riders are surrounded by their not only their mechanics and managers, but also friends and their competition. And not only is the track strategy talk important, but there is another side to this community gathering - the fundamental congregation of hope, faith, and humanity. Yes our day starts with some great words of inspiration and prayer before the guys get ready to suit up and ride.

Even though a professional supercross racer's job comes with pressure and stress, most of the guys looked fairly relaxed and ready to get out on the track - the anticipation & buildup of the off-season was getting ready to end. And the first race day was underway ... getting to this day and it was finally here.

Each year the riders competing in supercross fluctuates - some guys retire or move on to other life adventures. And that leaves the door open for new riders joining the pro ranks.

One sharp guy in the mix riding on the MotoConcepts team this year is Travis Baker. It is his Rookie Supercross season riding in the 250 West Supercross. I asked him if those nerves were kicking in yet, and this guy has got it dialed and ready to go, here are some thought from Travis right before the show: "I am feeling pretty good right now. I just ate dinner and stretched out, now I am feeling ready to go. Surprisingly I am really calm, probably because I haven't put a lot pressure on myself for this first race, so I am just going to go out there and do what I love to do - race supercross!"

Everyone knows about the 'E' word. Economy. Things are tough for many. But a new team to find their way to the Supercross circuit is Team Hostility, owned by Dale Fletcher and Keith Neff. And they have put together something from nothing in under two months! I talked to the owner, Dale, and I asked him how he started this new team: "It was a trip trying to get it all done - from finding riders and bikes and all the parts that go into it. We've never had a Supercross team before, so we didn't even know the rules or anything, but we got it done in 45 days and everything that we have done has come out pretty good - no problems so far."

One guy I was very surprised to see under his own tent and running his own rig this year is Michael Byrne. I am just not used to seeing Michael without factory support! He's even driving himself to some of the races this year! Here's a short bit about how he feels regarding the new season: Michael Byrne: "Yeah, I am doing my own thing this year. Everything that I was working on just fell through and I did not want to sit at home on the couch and cry about it, so I went out and got a bike and here I am. It is definitely different and something I am not used to, but we are getting by and we will see how it goes."

The list of privateers in the sport of Supercross has grown and do not forget, there is a top Privateer award given out each season! Last year Matt Boni grabbed this title at the last round and I wanted to know how he felt going into a new year and joining the Hart and Huntington team: Matt: "Last year I received the Top Privateer award at the last round and I really came on strong towards the end of the season. Hopefully I can carry that momentum into this new season. I have done good in the off season with preparing for this season, so I feel confident. The X Games went well for me and I got a fourth there. At the US OPEN in Las Vegas I ran into a little bit of trouble, but it all worked out and I got fifth one night, so I was happy with how the off season went, and I have a lot of momentum coming into this year."

You can see what happened during the race here!

After the race, I caught up with third place 450 Supercross finisher Kevin Windham, and here's what he had to say:

Kevin: It was an incredible feeling and a big relief especially compared to how the season started last year. The GEICO Honda team works really hard during the whole off season and I feel like we have a great bike. I knew it was going to be a tough race and I was excited about even being in fifth, but I found some opportunity to make some passes and then to land on the podium was great and a really good feeling.

I was comfortable in fifth because it is a huge field stacked with talent and as I was going through the mid part of the race I was really focused on being in my own position and I saw the ability to pass Villopoto coming, and I was able to make that pass. Just a few laps earlier I had watched Andrew Short put the same pass on Villopoto in the same place as I put the move on him. At that point of the race I was really focused on riding to the best of my abilities and wasn't really thinking about where I was in relation to the podium. When I came around and got the board that I was in third place it was a sweet feeling.

For Phoenix, I am confident in my program and I want to continue to do the same. I am at the realization in this season that to be a podium contender, which I proved I can be, is going to mean that sometimes I might get a fifth or sixth because there are guys like Villopoto and Millsaps who do win races. And then you have Chad who got that DNF - there are going to be races where really good guys get further back than what they expected. I want to continue my program and work ethic and the progression of the bike. The Honda is working great. I came out of this first Anaheim race without changing anything on my bike, so I think all the pieces are in place to go out and repeat in Phoenix. It all falls back on me now and how I can handle the competition and who is going to have a good race. So I will put my best foot forward and be up there as a contender for the podium

But back to this race here at A1 ... to know that I was going to get a podium and I was going to be able to thank my sponsors and be able to give some recognition back to my team and bring the trophy home and all the things that go along with being on the podium was awesome!

Ange

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Source: http://www.supercross.com/mx-adventures/mxadventures-a1-supercross-2010

Gaston Rahier Steve Ramon Tyla Rattray

AMA announces California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger as 2010 AMA Motorcyclist of the Year

The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) announced today its AMA Motorcyclist of the Year. Awarded annually, the AMA Motorcyclist of the Year designation recognizes the person(s) who has had the most profound impact on the world of motorcycling, for better or worse, in the previous 12 months. For 2010, that distinction belongs to outgoing California Gov. Arnold [...]

Source: http://emotocrossblog.com/archives/982

Vlastimil Valek Julien Vanni Pekka Vehkonen

RJ SAYS: Supercross, on four wheels

It was going to be a good idea. Key word being 'was'. It was going to be a good idea!

My idea was to show you what the truck racing series that I promote and race in is like. It's like Supercross, only on four wheels!

So, my plan was simple - I'd invite my good friend Lex out to the finale of the Traxxis TORC series in Las Vegas, we'd mount a camera on the hood of my race truck, and I'd show you just how rough the racing is. It would be me (a former 2 time AMA Supercross Champion) and Jeremy McGrath (best Supercross rider in history!) showing you supercross - on four wheels!

It is rough. Very rough. We bump, grind, rub, and run into each other. It's 'no-holds-barred' racing. Trucks get abused & trashed. Not only that, but the roost of dirt, mud, rocks, and @#$% that comes up in your face following another 900 horsepower truck is ... ballistic.

OK, ... the key word was "was". Lex was confident the camera he put on the hood of my truck would stay on the hood, and we'd have some great video action from practice to show you just how cool TORC is (The Off Road Championship - website http://www.torcseries.com - that's where you can see all the results from the series and more info).

I asked him again. "Are you sure that camera is going to stay mounted?" And his very confident reply was "Yeah, ... uhhhhh .... well .... I think so. Uhhh ..... I hung it up on the door of my office and hung from it. It stayed mounted there. But .... uhhhhh ..... yeah, I think it will stay mounted."

Yeah, right! It didn't stay mounted.

Last time I saw Lex, he was walking around the track looking for his camera. For about 2 hours. In the mud.

One thing I know for sure ... that camera is now part of the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Dirt Track.

So, guess what you get to see instead of that cool footage? You get to see a few photos, and a quick video of the race from Friday night. I'm number 48 in the Red Bull truck, and Jeremy is number 2 in the Monster truck. See more below. And come out to a TORC event next year! You'll have a great time!

RJ


Here is the grand experiment - camera is mounted on my truck's hood. Ready to go. But not for long!


Jeremy McGrath inside his truck. Ready to go out and roost!


That's me in practice. If you look closely, you'll see the camera is actually still on the hood! Racing these trucks is very much like supercross, except we have an extra 2 wheels, and an extra 850 horsepower.


Jeremy getting some air over one of the jumps


Jeremy leading me in Friday night's main event.


Jeremy McGrath


That's me getting a little air over one of the jumps on the course

In this video is this corner where the mud on top was incredibly slick. So we couldn't accelerate like we wanted to, or we'd slide right into the wall. I'm number 48 in the Red Bull truck and Jeremy is number 2 in the Monster truck.

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Source: http://www.supercross.com/rj-says/supercross-on-four-wheels

Auguste Mingels Marty Moates Guennady Moisseev

MX Adventures - Supercross Racers go Pink

Supercross will undergo a 'Pink' transformation this weekend in Anaheim to show their support and help promote Breast Cancer Awareness, including contributions to the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Orange County.

Expect to see a lot of masculine Supercross guys wearing pink riding gear, or somehow sporting the color to show their support for this great cause. Also it is a Valentines weekend, so many of the guys are getting all kinds of lady love ...

Press day is always fun and this week I decided to get a different view from some of the top Supercross guys. Ryan Villopoto, Nick Wey, Justin Brayton, Broc Tickle, Max Anstie, and Eric McCrummen all took a few minutes with me to do the video interviews you see below. (Right now I just have Justin's interview in the video portion.)

First interview - the guy in third place right now in the Supercross Class, Ryan Villopoto. I had to chat with RV about his current race status, the competition, and that win from San Francisco.

Ryan V: Things are good, I am 10 points down and before San Fran it was 20 so in the last two races I have made up 10 points and we are not even half way yet so I think it is going to be a good series, the rest of it. Ten points is nothing and with just a couple of good finishes, it is racing and anything can still happen. I plan on staying consistent and get good starts and try to get some more wins.

Dungey did race with James at Anaheim 1, and now that James and Chad are out they think there is not a lot of racing to show now but that is not true. Dungey is a tough guy, but I know I can race Ryan, I am right there to battle him, my lap times are right there and even better sometimes. We have yet to go head to head but I am looking forward to it and we should have some good racing when that happens.

San Fran was good. It was a confidence booster and it is always fun winning. That is what we do this for, to win races and in the long run to win a championship. The team is working hard, I am working hard, and the bike is good so we are just going to keep plugging away and try to get some more of those wins and close that points gap.

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Next up: The Supercross Rookie from England, Max Anstie. He is currently riding the West Coast Lites on the DNA Shred Stix Star Racing Yamaha team and in seventh place. I asked him how he felt about his first Supercross season, that almost near second at San Diego and what his plans after Anaheim 3 with the eight week racing delay.

Max A: It really took me 3 or 4 races before I really felt comfortable and getting the initial new experience out of the way and to get over the fact that, wow, I am actually here racing Supercross, and it is what I have dreamt about since I was a little kid. But it took me those first few races to get things sorted out, but last weekend at San Diego was really cool and I was riding really good and I started to settle in to a good pace. I felt like I belonged out there and was really riding good. The team and everyone has been putting in a lot of hard work at DNA Shred Stick Star Racing Yamaha, so I am happy and it will be good this weekend.

Last weekend in San Diego I was real close. I was running in fifth and got to second and was catching up to Jake. I was running alongside him at one point in the race, got a little bit held up and then went down on that last lap with two corners to go. I was bummed but that is the way it goes and I actually ended up fourth, it was okay. It was by far the best ride I have had and it was really cool to show everyone on the team that we have been doing out work and the hard work is paying off and I believe I can be up there.

During the eight weeks off, well I have actually just signed up to get my diploma in an American school. I have my diploma from English school but I was in school all day yesterday getting everything ready to go and sorted out. I am looking forward to doing that and I will probably doing a lot of school work. Oh, I passed my driving test last week so it will be nice to drive myself to the test track.

Another Lites guy out at Press Day was Broc Tickle. Broc is one of the four guys in the West Coast Lites to consistently place in the top 10 in the Main. Broc had a fairly good run in the Nationals in 2009, earning a seventh place. Broc told me his opinion on his season so far and his plans during the eight weeks off.

Broc T: It feels good to have a consistent Supercross year. This is my second full year of racing. It is exciting to finally be consistent, but I know I can do better - I know there is a lot of improvement I can do so I am happy with where I am at right now. It is all about confidence out there, with so many great guys racing, but it is all about who has the confidence every weekend and remaining consistent. As for the eight weeks off, I am not sure I would call it off time because I might be riding a 450 on the East Coast so we will see how that goes. Other than that I will probably take a week off and then start with some Outdoor and get my settings ready for the Nationals MX series.

Nick Wey is by far one the funniest Motocross guys I have met during my time with Supercross.com and he did not disappoint with his quick wit and charisma. This year Nick came into the series with no Factory support, like a lot of guys in his boots, but a few races in Nick found himself as a fill in for Chad Reed on the Monster Energy Kawasaki Team. I asked Nick about this turn of events and more ...

Nick: I put the most importance on having competitive equipment and with riding the Kawasaki it is an awesome move for me. Having Kawasaki to take me on to their team when Chad got injured was a good deal for me. Being on the Factory bike for a couple of weeks now I think it is perfect timing to prove what I have got on it, so I am excited for this weekend for sure. I am very appreciative to the TiLube guys, Babbitts, MSR, & Foremost for staying with me, we are just kind of organizing some things in the background right now, just so I will be a little more prepared once I am back over there.

I have been riding a Kawasaki for quite some time now but the team came together super late and we were not able to do a lot of development with the bike, so I was running it with settings just how Pro Circuit gave it to us. I am definitely learning a lot from the set up the Kawasaki guys have. They have a lot of smart individuals over there and people putting together a bike for their team - I am learning quite a bit from them.

San Diego I got a good start and was able to lead a couple of laps and kind of made a couple of big mistakes from there and fell back quite a bit. The track was a bit slippery because it was hard packed and add the rain and it was pretty tough to stay consistent on every lap. I almost went down a few times and at one point I got passed by four guys at once, so it was one of those nights where it was tough if you were not just on it. This weekend I am hoping to be a little more comfortable out there and get another good start and stay smooth and finish quite a bit stronger.

The last Supercross West Coast Lites guy I talked to was Eric McCrummen, he rides the 410 bike on Team Hostility. The Pink Supercross race this weekend has special meaning for many and Eric shared with me how he felt about Supercross going 'Pink' and what he has going on for Anaheim 3.

Eric M: I will definitely be wearing a lot of pink. It is a special weekend for me because my grandma passed away from breast cancer. I think it is great that Supercross has an opportunity to support this great cause and the awareness of it. I think this weekend should be really good for me with maybe a little inspiration from my grandma up above. It is a special thing that is going on when the sport that I love is going beyond it's norm to bring awareness to something that has affected my life. As for the bike, Team Hostility did a great job with all pink graphics with the pink ribbons. We got some specially made pink spokes that look pretty cool. There is some stuff on the helmet so keep an eye out for the 410!

 

Ange

 

Justin Brayton

Eric M's nice looking bike!

 

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Source: http://www.supercross.com/mx-adventures/mx-adventures-supercross-racers-go-pink

Darrell Schultz Tommy Searle Gary Semics