Breakthrough 33 : The Braxton McGee Story | Episode 3

In Episode 3, Braxton puts the finishing touches on his pre-season training in preparation for his GNCC XC2 pro class debut on March 5th. The GNCC series kicks off in Union, South Carolina at Big Buck Farm and Braxton will line-up for the first time on row number two as part of the XC2 Pro Class.

“Breakthrough 33: The Braxton McGee Story” is a multi-part series where FLY Racing attempts to answer the question: What does it take to make the move from the amateur to pro ranks in GNCC racing? How much hard work, dedication, and teamwork is required for an emerging offroad racer and his family to make the transition from amateur to the XC2 pro class in the 2017 GNCC series?

Cody Webb Is the USA's Leading Hard Enduro Light

Cody Webb

This rider isn't going to stop until he's cracked Europe's elite events. Find out how he'll do it.

By Lluís Llurba & Pablo Bueno on 14 February 2017

There's no doubting the raw talent of Cody Webb in Hard Enduro, where the American has mixed it up with the finest talents on more than one occasion.

The likes of Graham Jarvis, Jonny Walker, Alfredo Gómez and Wade Young are all well aware of who Webb is and what he's capable of, even if his greatest achievements to date have come in his native U.S. 

Webb is considered one of the finest specialists in the AMA EnduroCross Championship and at the X Games. He divulged his secrets to us, letting us in on how he's mastering the toughest of disciplines in Hard Enduro.

Watch the video below and get the inside track on his riding setup.

 Webb loves riding, pure and simple, and doesn't pass up an opportunity to get out on his enduro machine. One example is his ride around Donner Ski Ranch's pistes, along with Taylor Robert, to demonstrate his skills and check out some challenging terrain.

In last year's Red Bull Hare Scramble — widely considered the toughest and most demanding race on the Hard Enduro calendar — Webb showed that despite being an event novice, his technical abilities and pure speed were of a superior quality. It showed in the final results, as he astounded everyone with an unexpected second-place finish, a result that felt more like a victory to him.

"I'm the first American on the podium here,” said Webb at the time. “It's an honor to represent my country in Hard Enduro in this way."

Webb has really excelled in the Red Bull Tennessee Knockout, a Hard Enduro event that's quickly established itself as the leading extreme enduro race in the U.S.

"I know how to adapt to difficult terrain," he says. "That helps me make very few errors."

Science of Supercross | Episode 14 (Factory Transport) | Engineered by Kawasaki

Old versus New – MXGP

 MXGP 2017

The closer we get to the start of the 2017 MXGP championship, set for the Losail circuit on the outskirts of Doha, in Qatar, the more the veterans of the MXGP class look a lot more than just competitive.

While we have all spent the winter talking about Herlings, Gajser and Febvre, it’s been Cairoli, Van Horebeek, Nagl and Desalle who have walked away with victories in the pre-season races in Italy, England and France.

While this might not totally wipe out the thought of the new breed continuing to do what they did in 2015 and 2016, it does bring the veterans back into the equation, and for the sport of motocross, that’s an awesome thing.

What we do know is Antonio Cairoli looks to be back to his best. From six moto he’s won five and finished second in the other. His speed and timing looks like the rider who more or less dominated from 2005 until 2014, and picked up eight world motocross championships. More titles in the same type of period than any rider in the history of the sport.

For us that questioned him, we should have known better. I know I had written him off on more than one occasion and for that I am truly sorry. The Sicilian deserves to be given the benefit of doubt when he tells us he is just struggling with injury, and I am sure if he doesn’t come out and win in Qatar, we will all be waiting for his Italian International form to resurface.

What we don’t know is where Jeffrey Herlings sits in all of this. His massive crash on the weekend came at the time he has just made a brilliant pass on both HRC riders Evgeny Bobryshev and Tim Gajser, and it didn’t look like a crash that was from over-riding, but just bad luck.

Herlings showed at the MXoN and SMX Cup he can ride a 450 better than anyone, but he has also shown moments where he seems to lose concentration and from what we saw on the weekend, that doesn’t end well. I still believe he should be placed as the favourite for the 2017 title, but I’ve been wrong enough times in the past.

The biggest surprise from the pre-season has been the lack of form of world MXGP champion Tim Gajser, who hasn’t really shown any of the form from 2015 and 2016, although with a new bike, he might just be coming to terms with the whole set-up. He is a rider who has shocked us on several occasions, from his first GP victory over Jeffrey Herlings in Trento, when he beat the MX2 in a head to head battle, to his MX2  title victory, his Qatar MXGP victory in 2016 and then of course taking the title at the end of the season, so we can never count the Slovenian out.

What it does all mean is that that opening round in Qatar in around 11 days’ time is going to be all that more exciting, and for the sport of motocross, everyone is a winner.

In Any Language The Question Is Why?

The Bassella Race is Spain’s biggest enduro and for 2017 they built one bad ass extreme enduro course. Xavi Leon avoids the carnage and chaos to show us how it’s done…

CZ World Championship

WORCS Round 2 Primm, NV

Robert Wins WORCS Racing Round 2

FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Taylor Robert claimed his second-straight victory in the World Off-Road Championship Series (WORCS) on Sunday for Round 2 of the 11-round series in Primm, Nevada. 

Robert was able to keep his KTM out front from start-to-finish as he led all nine laps of the two-hour race. Beginning with a 10-second lead on the opening lap, Robert continued to stretch his lead over the course of the race, where he finished almost two minutes ahead of the second place rider Gary Sutherlin.

“The race was awesome,” told Robert. “We had perfect weather and the track conditions were good – it was really fast and rough. I had a good start and quickly got into the lead. “I tried to check out and just focus on riding my own race all the way to the checkers.”

In the Pro 2 class, KTM-mounted rider Logan Chambers earned his second consecutive win to extend his early points lead in the class. FMF/Maxxis/RPM KTM Racing Team’s Dante Oliveira put in an impressive come-from-behind performance to claim second after an early pit stop put him in dead last on the opening lap.

KTM-mounted Austin Serpa earned his first victory of the season in the Pro 2 Lites class, where he now sits one-point ahead in the early championship standings. 

Next Event: Round 3 – Taft, California – February 17-19, 2017

Matrix Now Accepting Team Rider Resumes

Matrix Concepts | 1.7 Cleaning Solutions & NEXT Components

 Now Accepting Team Rider Resumes

 

February 6, 2017 – We have some great things happening in 2017 and invite you to join our team!   

Matrix Concepts is an off road market leader in custom stands, cans, work mats, ramps, tie downs, toolboxes, and a variety of accessories.

Next Components offers a complete line of components and controls including the Smart Levers, OEM Replacement Levers, Grips, Sprockets, Hour Meters, Shifters, and much more.

1.7 Cleaning Solutions comprises of a variety of cleaning solutions such as wash, spray n shine, brake cleaner, and many more. 1.7 offers fourteen solutions to help keep your machine race ready and show room clean.

Riders can apply one of three ways.

Matrix Website: http://www.matrixracingproducts.com/sponsorship

Hookit.com: http://www.hookit.com/brands/matrixconcepts/

MxSponsor: http://mxsponsor.com/companies/matrix-concepts  

Matrix Concepts is part of Group6USA’s family of brands. GROUP 6 USA, LLC is based in Valencia, CA and includes Matrix Concepts | 1.7 Cleaning Solutions | Next Components | Atlas Brace | TAG Metals | Royal Racing MTB Apparel | 7iDP MTB Protection. Our products are used and developed by the top MX/Off-Road/Cycling race teams in the world. For more information on our products please visit our brand sites at: http://www.group6usa.com

Snowbird Paradise???

When I looked out the window first thing this mornig I was encouraged by the blue sky I saw. I thought I might be able to get in some riding this weekend but an hour later it was raining. Northern California has been hit by rain storm after rain storm...the dought is gone. Thats the good news the bad news is most mx tracks are under water or they are giant mud bogs. Since I wasn't going to be able to ride I thought I'd call my buddy Larry (23x) and see what riding was like in southern Arizona. Larry has become an official "SnowBird" and moves south every winter. Larry laughed when I asked him if he was getting any riding. He told me he can ride every day on trails that go on for miles. He sent these videos to prove his point.

Riding the Barry Goldwater range

After watching this video I questioned what he meant by riding. This is more about surving rocks, rocks and more rocks. This ride will shake the fillings from your teeth. I'm not sure I'd want to ride this trail very often but Larry assured me there lots of  better trails to ride so he sent this next video. No snow, no rain and miles of open trails...a snowbird's paradise.

The Wash