Ken Roczen interview

Before you can win races, you must first get comfortable with the pace at the front, and with every good start Ken Roczen gets, the more laps he leads and the more comfortable he is becoming with pushing himself at that elite pace at the front. At the 2018 Spring Creek National on Saturday, Kenny got the holeshot in moto one and tried checking out, but when that didn’t work out and he found Eli Tomac breathing down his neck, he never stumbled under the extreme pressure for 20-plus minutes. Eli was eventually—with the help of some oblivious lapped riders—able to get around the #94 about the 25-minute mark of the race and push Kenny back to a 2nd place finish in the opening moto, but it was definitely not due to Kenny’s lack of trying. In the end, Eli’s pace was just too much for anyone to stop.

Ryan Dungey said something on the broadcast about being impressed with Kenny not being afraid to fail, and I could not agree more. A lot of riders when coming back from a lengthy injury layoff will choose to forego the pressure of racing at the front when they know they don’t quite have the race pace and fitness needed to win. Instead, they will choose to race from the back with less pressure until they’re up to speed. That’s not the way Kenny is doing it, and each week he seems closer and closer to finally staying up front and scoring his first win of the year.

In the second moto at Spring Creek both Marvin Musquin and Tomac got away from Kenny, but he was still able to cross the line in 3rd. The 2-3 score on the day gave Kenny his second straight 2nd overall and Redbud and Spring Creek marked the first time all year that he landed on the podium two weekends in a row. He seems to have the consistency part of his comeback worked out. Now it is time to figure out how to win again.

After the racing was over, MotoXAddicts’ Chase Yocom had a quick conversation with Kenny about his Spring Creek National.

Ken, great day for you. Another week of positive improvements and results. You have to be happy with your Spring Creek National. Take us through your day if you can.

Absolutely, I’m pretty happy. This was probably one of the best weekends we’ve had. I was pretty good in practice, and I’m usually pretty far off there. We didn’t do any bike changes. That helped out a lot. Overall, we had a good day. Those guys were going really good. The track was pretty gnarly in the second moto as well. I’m doing what I can. I’ve been getting good starts and we’re—knock on wood—staying off the ground. I’m really enjoying the process, and I feel like once we win again, it will just taste so much sweeter. I definitely had a good weekend. Now we’re going back to California for a week and hitting up the surf. 

That sounds awesome. How much confidence have you been picking up leading the motos and all the laps that you have? In both the first and second moto you kept Eli Tomac behind you for twenty or so minutes.

Right now we’ve been doing a lot of changes to the bike because it wasn’t ideal yet. We want to get better and we especially want to use this year to do that and not next year. Next year we want to go for a championship. It’s good we’re going through all this. Today it was great to not have to doctor around with the bike too much. We’re going to keep it like that and hopefully ride the same bike. Obviously I’m going to California and we usually do some testing there, but we’re going to try to keep the same bike because I was pretty happy today. I’m sure once I ride the same bike over and over, that’s when I’m starting to pick up my speed and do my thing. 

The team came out to Florida and you guys did some testing and you were happy with it. If you made any changes today at all, what were they?

No, we just did a couple clicker changes for the second moto which I thought was good. Other than that, we kept it the same pretty much all day.

I love how you’re just all out there. The surfing, talking fishing for scallops [on social media] and all that. Does that help you out with the moto when you keep it fun and not completely focus on racing?

I mean moto is a big part of my life, but you have to have a life besides that. What a better way to spend an off weekend than to do something different. I’m a big believer in having a balance. 

I’m not going to lie, the scallops looked good too. (laughs)

Yeah, it was great. It’s kind of cool. I’m really into it—whether it’s fishing or even I would like to go hunting. You can catch your own food and it’s fresh. It’s great. I like things like that. 

They talked about you maybe racing Motocross of Nations for Germany in the press conference today and it sounds like you’re really excited to do that. How important is it for you to race that and keep the momentum you have going into the off season?

Oh absolutely, it’s huge! We’ve been having ups and downs, but we had another good weekend. That’s two good weekends in a row. We’ll hopefully keep building and staying the same consistency towards the end of the season. It’s just good to keep some momentum, prep in the off season but also take some down time and also do some racing with des Nations and Monster Cup. It’s always important to have some balance, but obviously I’m still way behind. All the other guys, they’ve been racing for three years straight and I’ve been out for quite a bit. Off season is where we’re going to make it happen, and hopefully we’ll be 100% next year.

The scary thing is, you’re saying you’re way behind, but you’re up there finishing 2nd.

I’m also saying I’m way behind because those guys kept racing and I was out. It’s really hard to catch up. Eli is in his top form right now and he’s been racing for the past few years without getting injured. That helps out big time. 

It’s been a lot of fun watching the crowd support for you. We love having you back too, but seeing the crowd loving having you back is cool. How cool is that?

Oh it’s great. The feedback that I’ve been getting is amazing. They make it all worth it and that’s pretty much why I come back to racing: because they support me the way they do. I usually take a lot of time after both motos to sign a lot of autographs and make them happy.

Yeah, I also see you on the podium too when people are calling your name. You’re always pointing at them and smiling at them. It has to be cool having a rider of your stature acknowledging them like you do.

It’s fun making a kid’s day. I used to be a kid looking up to people. There’s nothing better than getting a high five or a smile thrown at you.

Antonio Cairoli interview

Red Bull KTM Factory rider Antonio Cairoli isn’t about to give up his chase for that elusive 10^th world motocross championship. A qualification race win in Loket and second overall might be great for most, but for Cairoli, it was a step back as he watched his championship rival, Jeffrey Herlings go 1-1 on the Sunday.

Cairoli though is a wise old fox and knows that the next half a dozen rounds will be important for him to put pressure on the young dutchman, and maybe get some GP victories and close the 30-point gap to Herlings.

MXlarge: How was the GP for you Antonio?

Cairoli: It was a difficult week after we found out about my thumb, but Qualification was good on a dry track and it was easier to ride. Today it rained, and I couldn't really find a good rhythm; the track was very bumpy with a lot of ruts and I had a lot of pain, especially in the second moto and after the first fifteen minutes I could barely ride. I was fast behind Jeffrey but when he dropped the times I could not really follow him. Hopefully now we have more time to heal again and be in Lommel with less problems and pain and be able to fight for the win.

MXlarge: How is the hand doing?

Cairoli: It happened of course in Indonesia and my hand was feeling bad and I thought something was wrong. We did an x-ray and we saw the problem. I tried to ride on the Wednesday after Indonesia, but I couldn’t ride, so I rested and did physical training and then we went riding and it was a bad day, because I could hardly ride for 20 minutes. I went to my doctor and he said maybe we can do another scan, and he said let’s check. It wasn’t possible I had nothing, as I had so much pain and the scan took a long time, but we saw from the scan that I had two small fractures from my thumb, and that the capsular is open on my thumb, because I dislocated it. We were not happy in the week, because the hard pack of Loket made it tough. We did some laser for 24 hours, connected to this machine. I felt better on Saturday in Loket, and I took pain killers and I could ride and it wasn’t so bad.

MXLarge: As you mentioned, the track didn’t help your situation and you had to battle with some guys you would rather not battle with?

Cairoli: For sure this track is tough and its better when you are free and riding your own lines, than following somebody and having to change you lines because of other riders. With this pain, coming through the pack is difficult. My goal was to stay in front and be on the podium again. We have a week before Lommel, 10 or 12 days and Lommel isn’t easy, but it is like this.

MXlarge: We are ¾ of the way through the season, and the really important rounds coming up. Are you looking forward to that challenge?

Cairoli: I am really excited for the next rounds. We have ridden a lot of races and the points are close, so anything can happen, and I want to do my best and survive Loket and then in 10 or 15 days the thumb will be better, and I will attack more.

MXLarge: I know it is a long way off, but the final round is in Italy. To win the championship there would be something else?

Cairoli: It would be amazing, I have won a lot of titles, and I won in a championship in Faenza in 2012, but it is always special to win in Italy and I think about this, but my main goal is just race by race and try and be as competitive as before and not ride conservative.

Ryan Sipes Wins Pennsylvania Sprint Enduro Nail-biter

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Ryan Sipes won a dramatic LL Raceway Sprint Enduro in Fairmount, Pennsylvania at teh weekend, coming from behind in the final test to edge out Steward Baylor and Josh Strang – who crashed in the final corner. 

After struggling with the conditions on Saturday, Ryan Sipes entered Sunday’s round 22 seconds out of the lead but the Rockstar Energy/Leatt/Maxxis Husqvarna rider turned things around for an incredible cliff hanger finish to Sunday’s race. 

Winning all three of Sunday’s Cross tests and finishing with two seconds and a third in the Enduro tests, Sipes cut Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Strang lead right back. A crash by Strang within sight of the finish in the last test of the weekend sealed the win for Sipes and dropped him to third overall behind Tely Racing’s Baylor in the final results. 

“I was a little bit too cautious on Saturday and that put me down in the start order, which meant I was riding in the dust,” said Sipes. “I had kind of given up on winning the overall, but then when I won that first Cross test this morning it put me in a good spot and I was able to overcome the deficit.”

 

Photo Credit: Shan Moore

On Saturday, Strang came out on top of a tight battle with former motocross star Broc Hepler to lead the event after day one. The Aussie off-road star finished Saturday with a 12-second advantage over Hepler who had to pull out of day two after twisting a knee. Sipes, on the other hand, was way back in fifth, 22-seconds behind.  

On Sunday, Sipes cut five seconds from Strang’s lead in the first test. Baylor won the next test, an Enduro test, with Sipes in second and Strang down in sixth. Sipes won the next Cross test with Strang in second and Baylor in third.

Sipes went on to win the final Cross test and finish second in one of the remaining Enduro tests, leaving him 0.4s ahead of Strang going into the final Enduro test. After two days of racing and 11 tests, the overall came down to the final test.

 

Sipes was first to ride and turned in a strong time before waiting at the finish line. Strang also had a good test but lost his front end in a soft berm within sight of the finish: “Going into that last Enduro test I figured I could go faster than Sipes. I was feeling good and I think I was on a good run but I just buried the front wheel in a soft berm and the front tucked and that was it.”

Baylor moved into second with the help of Strang’s crash, finishing three seconds faster than the Husqvarna rider. “I just never could get a break to get up front,” said Baylor. “It was really tight racing and whoever was up front and out of the dust had the advantage. Strang and I went back and forth all weekend.”

 

Photo Credit: Shan Moore

Grant Baylor, riding the momentum of a big win at last weekend’s national enduro in Georgia, finished fourth, eight seconds off of Strang’s time. Layne Michael capitalized on a win in the final Enduro test to take fifth, 17 seconds behind Grant Baylor. 

Dissected: MXGP Pro

Diving into the new MXGP game

Monday, 16th July 2018 

Milestone have released many motocross games now, as the title that was released two weeks ago was their fourth MXGP game. It is incredible that a developer is so dedicated to the FIM Motocross World Championship but now, a little less than four years on from their first go, players demand excellence. Most are well aware that this is not their first rodeo.

Giving the fourth title in their franchise that name was supposed to indicate that Milestone were taking another step towards providing a realistic experience. The third edition was enjoyable for different reasons, but there were many quirks and faults that it was mediocre as a whole. It was possible to hit insane speeds and do flips down flat straights so, yeah, it was far from realistic. There was a lot of work to be done to this new game, hence why some were more sceptical than ever before. It seems the necessary steps were taken in order to produce a well-rounded game that really is realistic though.

It is normal to start a game with a stock bike and no additional parts, but that is never much of a problem. Throwing a game into a console for the first time and immediately taking a win against the hardest Ai, with pro physics and no practice laps, is quite normal, but this game is different. Although it is possible to do that on this, the physics ensure that getting lazy is just not an option. There have been a few comments online that the Ai are much improved and, although they have been refined slightly, it seems as though the physics are what really make the difference to players.

It is harder to win consistently, mainly because of the fact that throttle control and body positioning are so important. Coming out of a turn aggressively can be a recipe for disaster, depending on bike settings, and running it in hot can be as well. There is a chance that may sound familiar to the previous titles, as the second game punished those who attempted to force something. It was ridiculous on that title though and took away from the gameplay; it was just impossible to battle. This is different though and crashes only happen when required. It is important to stress that players can have close battles and get aggressive.

It has always been possible to change bike settings on motocross games from different developers, but doing that has never made much of a difference to the gameplay. One must get rid of that thought process now, however, as it is important to make tweaks before every race. It really does change the way that the physics work and how sluggish the bikes feel out of the corners. Going the wrong way with settings, which is easy to do, also makes it harder to ride and keep up with players online. Take note of the little hints and tips at the bottom of the settings page in the pit area. Those will alter your experience.

Expanding on the bike settings, a player must make changes to their set-up on every single track in order to be good at the game. Every change makes a massive difference to the way that bikes respond. It just keeps you on your toes, which adds to the longevity of the game. Every single race is different. Using the aggressive mapping whilst doing a mud race at Ernee is not a good idea at all, for instance, so things like that must be considered. It is also possible to make changes to suspension, the wheelbase, brake response and gearing. It is an in-depth experience and one that fans have just been crying out for.

The weather was mentioned there and is certainly worth expanding on. Milestone introduced muddy races on the previous game and, well, it was not good at all. It did not necessarily impact the way that bikes performed, but just slowed everything down and made it feel like you were stuck in second gear for a race. This is different though and more focus is put on throttle control, along with line choice. The popular lines do actually become slicker than other parts of the track. It is peculiar that does not happen on all of the circuits though; Ernee turns into an ice rink, but Villars sous Ecot just feels dry when it rains.

The greatest gripe that I have with the game is that the random weather option is really not random at all. If you start an online series, then it is almost guaranteed that eighty percent of the races will be run in the rain or on a wet track. It was the same on the last game, but it was possible to remove the random option on that one. However, for some reason, it is not possible to alter the weather online anymore. It really does take away from the racing and drive some players away. It is a minor thing, as a far as complaints go, but something that is really irritating.

What else stands out on the game? The previous FIM Motocross World Championship season featured a lot of different tracks (Pangkal Pinang, Ernee, Orlyonok, Ottobiano, Agueda, WW Motocross Park, Uddevalla and Villars sous Ecot), so all of those are new to MXGP Pro. Four of those were featured on the first two Milestone games, sure, but it is still nice to have some tracks that were not available on the previous game. It helps keep things fresh. Agueda is undoubtedly the best track on the game, as it is built perfectly and has so many different lines. WW Motocross Park was a little disappointing, on the other hand, as one part of the track is so narrow that it feels like you are trail riding.

All of those tracks are visited in the career mode, of course, which resembles the real series more than ever before. There are two options in the career mode; standard and extreme. The former allows players to alter settings as they wish, whilst the latter has all of the hardest options locked in. The only problem with the extreme version is that a player must run the races at full length and, really, who has the time for that? There are more credits on the line though, which would come in handy. All of the bikes, parts and gear are much more expensive than they have been on past games.

A final point to consider is that the Motocross of Nations mode has been removed. This is not too much of a loss, as it really did not add much to the previous titles. It is disappointing that Matterley Basin is not on the game though, because playing the new layout would have been very exciting. It would not be surprising at all if the British Grand Prix pops up as DLC in a couple of weeks though. Perhaps the Motocross of Nations will return in the next game? There will be an MXGP Pro 2 next year, as Milestone were scanning riders for that at Ottobiano a couple of weeks ago and confirmed the name.

Motocross fans have learnt to settle for mediocre games in the past. MX vs. ATV Reflex is used as the benchmark for games, mainly because of its gameplay, but most forget that it did not have a career mode and only had a couple of tracks. MXGP Pro is the complete package and a sign of just how far the industry has progressed. Forget what you thought of the previous Milestone games, as this appears to be a fresh start and is worth exploring.

Words: Lewis Phillips | Lead Image: Husqvarna/J.P Acevedo

Rewind: Price’s fifth-career Hattah win

Looking back at Toby Price's last campaign at the prestigious off-road event.

 

As the 2018 Penrite Hattah Desert Race looms this weekend, we take a look back at Australian off-road hero Toby Price’s last time at the popular event, which saw him chalk up victory number five in the deep sands of Victoria.

Just months after finishing on the podium at the prestigious Dakar Rally, which essentially launched his career on the world stage, Price piloted KTM’s off-road weapon, the 500 EXC, under KTM’s Enduro Racing outfit.

Donning the number one, Price set the tone for the weekend during Saturday’s Prologue, which saw him emerge fastest over a highly-competitive field.

The now Dakar champion demonstrated why he’s earned the King of the Desert moniker, blitzing the field from flag to flag to capture a stunning three-minute victory over then teammate Tye Simmonds and Yamaha’s Josh Green.

Source: Supplied.

“Another win today and I’m stoked,” expressed an ecstatic Price post-race. “It was a good run, after winning the Prologue yesterday we started off from the front and I think that definitely helped, the dust was thicker in the first part of the race before the track chewed and exposed a little bit of moisture in the sandy parts.”

The New South Wales native attributed a charge in the opening laps of the gruelling affair to allow him to bridge a gap over the field, ultimately seeing him settle into position and crossing the line in P1.

“In the first couple of laps I put on a really good charge and pulled a bit of a gap,” he continued. “And after that I settled into a comfortable pace in and felt really good. The whole team worked really well once again and gave us the equipment that we needed to get a 1-2, as well as a fourth place position and Louis in eighth.”

In typical Price fashion, he credited the tireless work of the crew who ensured he flawlessly made his way through the four-hour journey, including the preparation in the lead up to the event.

“It’s unreal,” he said. “The whole crew did a really good job on our pitstops, Mick Carusi did a really good job prepping all our bikes and Grabbo has done an amazing job is always. The whole team, Mick and Trav and Blizzard, those guys have done in a real job.”

A member of the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team and a regular in the FIM World Rallies Championship, Price unfortunately won’t be making an appearance at the 2018 edition, which will be left the hands of his former rivals in the Australian off-road scene.

Celebrate the 4th!

Take a Vet riding.

Roczen continues to Struggle

In hot, humid conditions at what is arguably the roughest circuit of the AMA Pro Motocross series, Team Honda HRC’s Ken Roczen continued his positive return from injuries, tallying 5-5 moto finishes for fifth overall in Southwick, Massachusetts, home of The Wick 338.

Racing at a circuit he hadn’t been to since 2016, the German kicked off the racing with a convincing moto-one holeshot aboard his CRF450R and held the lead for four laps before being overtaken by a battle involving the three riders who would eventually occupy the podium. Lap 13 saw him lose an additional spot, and he completed the final three laps in fifth. The second moto was steadier for the German, who started in fourth place before quickly advancing to third. Lap six saw him slip back a place, and he relinquished another spot three laps later to assume fifth, the position in which he would finish the moto.

Morning practice saw Ken Roczen post a best lap time of 2’11.033”. The time, which came in the second session, earned him the sixth gate pick.

The second-best Red Rider in the 450MX class was Lorenzo Locurcio, whose 7-7 moto finishes secured a commendable seventh overall. It was the Venezuelan’s best-ever AMA Pro Motocross result.

While Roczen continues to make gains with his fitness, he’s also experiencing progress with the aftereffects of his injuries. One small-but-appreciated step was the fact that he was able to switch from taping his right arm to using a wrist brace at Southwick. “Getting everything ready for the tape takes a lot of time, so I’m glad I was able to practice and race without tape this week,” he said.

As The Wick 338 is the sandiest track of the year, Team Honda HRC used a unique setup compared to the other rounds, with changes to the suspension and gearing, and of course Roczen’s CRF450R had Dunlop sand tires mounted.

As has been the case at the last few rounds, mechanic Rich Simmons was on hand at Southwick to lend a hand, and he reported that his rider Cole Seely is making progress with his recovery. “He just had a doctor’s appointment, and everything’s looking good,” Simmons said. “He’s riding his mountain bike on a paved path, his spirits are good, and everything is on track. Hopefully I’ll do some mountain biking with him this week, although I’m still pretty out of shape compared to him!”

With Jeremy Martin now out for the remainder of the season, RJ Hampshire, Chase Sexton, and Cameron Mcadoo were left to fly the GEICO Honda flag in the 250MX class at Southwick, and Hampshire put in a 7-3 moto tally for a respectable fourth overall. Sexton went 5-14 for eighth, while Mcadoo notched 9-13 results for 11th.

Team Honda HRC and Ken Roczen were pleased to work with the Make-A-Wish Foundation to host Jaiden Britt and his family at Southwick. After traveling from their Texas home on Friday, the Britts headed to The Wick 338 on Saturday morning by limousine, with a police escort organized by Make-A-Wish volunteer Tom Convery. Once at the track, they had the chance to meet Roczen, who gifted Jaiden with a signed jersey, to tour the Honda tech truck, and to enjoy lunch with the team. For the actual racing, MX Sports set up the Britts with passes to a trackside VIP hospitality tent.

Next up for the AMA Pro Motocross series is the popular RedBud round in Buchanan, Michigan, which will host the teams and riders on July 7.

Ken Roczen: “It was a little bit of a struggle. We made some changes to the bike to help me out a little bit, but you don’t want to make too many changes on race day. It’s still a learning curve after so much time off the bike. I’m trying everything at home to get back, but I feel like race shape is just going to take a little time. Today was brutal—super-hot and the track was pretty beat—plus I haven’t been here in a couple years. I fought it out, and I’m just going to continue working with the team and working on myself to get better. I’m healthy and got good starts again, so I’m pretty happy from that side. I’ve been going quite hard throughout the week, trying to put in more and more work, but I think sometimes it's good to take it a notch down and fully recover. RedBud could be another hot one, so we’ll recover and hopefully have a good race next weekend.”

Erik Kehoe - Team Manager: “This was probably the toughest track and toughest conditions of the year, and definitely the sandiest race. I think getting out of here with a fifth place is good, especially because Kenny learned some more this week about the bike, about his fitness, and about this track. Every week, we’re learning more and getting stronger and stronger.”

Oscar Wirdeman - Mechanic (Ken Roczen): “It was kind of a rough one for Kenny I think. This track is pretty brutal, but he got a holeshot and rode a good pace for a bit. After that he didn't really have it in him. Even in ’16 he struggled here a little bit, when he was on top of the world, and now he’s coming back from injuries and hasn't been here for two years. It’s not really where we wanted to be, but we’re building.”

Thomas Covington on Pangkal Pinang

Viewpoint: Thomas Covington

Thomas Covington has ended second overall at the last three FIM Motocross World Championship rounds, but has deserved more than that. Poor starts have hindered him at points, mainly in the second motos, and it seems that figuring that out is the secret to standing atop the box. Covington dissects that in this exclusive MX Vice interview from the Grand Prix of Indonesia.

MX Vice: Same story as the last few weeks, really. You were really fast and then won the first moto, but did not get the overall. It was a solid weekend, but obviously you want that top step.

Thomas Covington: Yeah, for sure. When you go out and win the first moto it puts you in such a good position, also just mentally you know you can win. I just have not been getting the starts that I need in the second race. I do not know if it was mental. I just keep screwing up the starts in the second race and making it really hard for myself. I think it was still possible to pull off the overall win today, even after the bad start. I just took too long to get around [Davy] Pootjes. Then by the end I was too tired to go run down Ben [Watson] and Jorge [Prado].

They were riding really well at the end and I just did not have the energy in me to run them down. Considering all things, I am pretty happy with another podium this weekend. Friday night I did not get any sleep at all. I was going back and forth from bed to the bathroom and was feeling pretty rough… Just hoping that I could get a decent result. Saturday night I was able to recover pretty well. I actually felt decent today out there, better than I expected to feel for sure.

Thomas Covington has won three of the last six motos in MX2 (Husqvarna/J.P Acevedo)

I guess after that anyway, even though you felt decent today, winning the first moto in the way that you did, which was dominant, you could not have expected that?

Not at all. It just goes to show how big the start is. When you pull a holeshot like that, and especially with the track being so technical, the line choice was so important. When you get out front you can kind of see the whole track and use all of the best lines. That just made all the difference in the world. If I could have pulled a holeshot again the second race I think I could have won again. Starting back in… I guess there are only fifteen guys out here, but I was thirteenth or something, which is pretty far back. It just made it difficult for me out there.

It seemed like there were a ton of lines and everyone was using different lines, but even so it seemed like it was tough to pass. It seemed like there were a lot of options but they all kind of did exactly the same thing, if that makes sense.

There were a lot of different lines, but usually in a lot of the corners it was only one good line. If you went out of that then you were kind of taking a risk and risking going into a deep hole somewhere. Even though it is not as deep as it was last year, it is still one line that could be really good at the beginning of the race and after a few laps it just gets too deep and you have to change lines again. For sure it was challenging. Everybody was pretty close in speed actually, so it was hard to make a huge difference out there and make passes.

Mediocre starts have hindered Thomas Covington at points (Husqvarna/J.P Acevedo)

Going back to the poor starts you have been getting in the second races, do you think you are putting a lot of emphasis on that? Obviously you know that it is going to be important to win the overall. So have you sat there telling yourself to get a good start and then, because you are putting so much pressure on yourself, it is not happening?

Yeah, for sure. There is nothing else it could be, really. I am one of the lightest guys on the gate and I think I have got the fastest bike out there. There is no reason why I should not get good starts in both races. It is just maybe me and myself putting a little bit too much pressure on that start in the second race, because I have screwed it up so many times already. So just try to relax a bit more next weekend and get it done in the second race as well.

This was like our first proper Indonesian GP. Dry track, full schedule and everything. What did you make of it all?

It was actually not bad. Other than me getting sick, it has been a good event. I think there are quite a few fans out here. The hotel, and everybody there, take care of us pretty well. It is a good event. I think next weekend is supposed to be even better with the track and stuff like that. I am going to miss doing stuff like this next year. We are flying out tomorrow morning and going to go spend a few days in Bali, just because there is nothing else to do. You might as well. I am sitting here thinking, "Why am I going to supercross again next year?" Sitting there in Bali, but that is how it is.

Interview: Lewis Phillips | Lead Image: Husqvarna/J.P Acevedo

Gavin Trippe 1940—2018

Racer X learned of the tragic news that pioneering racing promoter Gavin Trippe Sr.—the creator of the United States Motocross Grand Prix at Carslbad Raceway and a member of the AMA Hall of Fame—passed away yesterday. He was 78.

Trippe’s son, Gavin Jr, posted this on Facebook:

On behalf of the Trippe Family, I regret to inform you that my father Gavin Trippe Sr tragically passed away yesterday July 2nd, 2018. For all that knew him personally, words can not describe what this man has accomplished. We are shocked and feeling great pain so please respect our privacy at this time.

We love you OG, thank you for all the good you did for this world.

I hope you are enjoying a nice glass of wine with Mom.

Love you 
Gavin Jr

Trippe was a guiding force in the growth of motocross in the United States in the seventies, as well as the Southern California culture that surrounded it. The Carlsbad USGP and its annual spot on ABC’s Wide World of Sports TV calendar—it was often the only motocross race shown on TV all year—led to an explosion in off-road motorcycling, and also made international heroes like Roger DeCoster into superstars in America.

Trippe was also instrumental in the growth of AMA Superbike racing and American road racing in general. When he began sending American dirt track and road racers to England to compete in international match races, he ignited the flame for American talent on the global stage, which led to eventual dominance by Americans in 500cc GP road racing (MotoGP today) including Kenny Roberts, Freddie Spencer, Wayne Rainey, and more.

Under the request of the ABC TV network executive Robert Iger, now CEO of the Walt Disney Corporation, Trippe dreamed up a fusion of flat track, road racing, and motocross, dubbed the Superbikers. Those races birthed the spot of supermoto. For a detailed look at his incredible accomplishments in motorcycling, check out his AMA Hall of Fame biography.

Racer X checked in with Trippe last November for a Where Are They Now piece. He had long since left the motorcycle racing business but was still intimately involved with motorcycles on another level, helping arrange motorcycle auctions for the popular Mecum Auction shows.

Trippe’s innovation, vision, and enthusiasm helped shape motorcycling for thousands of people during the most critical time of growth in the sport—literally the time in which motocross was taking hold in America.

Godspeed, Gavin Trippe.

MX in Jamaica?

Motocross: Fast Growing Sports in Jamaica

It's becoming more and more evident that the culture of Jamaica is changing a bit to accommodate the spurt of new sports on the island.

More and more we are seeing a lot of these niche sports emerging and gaining traction as the new generation is becoming more enthused about these type of sporting events. We were able to see first hand some brilliant two-wheel action in the form of Motocross at DaCosta Farms in St Catherine, Jamaica.

Thirty riders showed up for the event, ranging in ages five years old to 50, every race was packed with action across the near-one-kilometre dirt track featuring high-banked corners and ramps for riders to catch air. It was an event filled day with riders showing out. 

Everybody need wings to fly.

We can look forward to seeing more of these events popping up in Jamaica as much talk is emerging from them. 

These bikers certainly put on a good show.