Robbie Maddison: Driven By Adrenaline

"It's like this beast inside that I've been trying to tame... Do I really want to open this doorway and face what's on the other side?"

2017 Honda CRF450RX

ATLAS BRACE 2017 LAUNCH

 THE REVOLUTION CONTINUES

Tuesday, August 2, 2016 – The 2017 Atlas Brace and Protection line is here and ready! The Atlas 2017 braces have several new refinements, including a new updated Emergency Release System and a textured frame for increased durability. The new designs below include all the same great features you have come to depend on from Atlas Brace Technologies.

COMFORT
The Atlas brace is the most comfortable brace on the market, allowing the rider to forget they are even wearing it till it is needed!  

LIGHTWEIGHT
“Weightless” with waterproof impact padding.

MOBILTY
The Flex Frame shape that “hugs” your shoulders for maximum visibility along with our exclusive “Split Flex Frame” that adds to the mobility that allows the brace to move with you as you move on the bike.

PROTECTION
Atlas contacts 27% more surface area of the body than any other brace, which disperses the load throughout the upper body in a crash.  

ADJUSTABLE
Completely adjustable with multiple padding options and easy to use Atlas Smart Mounts.

SIZE SPECIFIC
Available in specific sizes for everyone! The “Air” comes in adult sizes in S, M & L, for teens the “Prodigy”, for youth riders the “Tyke” and peewee riders the “Broll.


Here's what a few of the riders that depend on Atlas have to say...

 

“I’ve always been a neck brace guy. “They have changed so much in the last few years and are way better than ever before. The team at Atlas Brace has taken it to the next level, the weight is insane.” -Jason Anderson

 

“It’s easy to wear the Atlas Brace when you can’t even feel it, and it doesn’t restrict me on the bike. And it offers the safety and protection that I need to ride with confidence.” -Dean Wilson

 

“I feel good and comfortable with the Atlas Brace. I also believe in the protection. I think riders that don’t believe in Neck Protection need to try an Atlas Brace and they’ll get it.” -Evgeny Bobryshev

 

“From the first time I tried the Atlas Brace, I knew I loved it … I wore neck braces my whole career but nothing had the features and level of comfort that my Atlas Brace had. I had a choice of what I wanted to wear and I believed so much in the Atlas Brace that I became a partner in the company.” -Ryan Villopoto

Stop by the product display on vendor row at Loretta Lynn's Amateur National Championship this week and see the complete line up for 2017.

About Atlas Brace Technologies:
Atlas Brace Technologies is based in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, and Valencia, California. Founded in 2011, Atlas is the home of the first racer designed and racer tested next generation neck braces and body protection. The entire product line is uniquely designed and of the highest level of safety, comfort, and mobility. For more information on Atlas Brace Technologies, please visit www.atlasbrace.com.
 

Because I Can!

I know a common question many of us hear is "why do you still ride dirt bikes"? Another one is " you're too old to be doing that". I used to struggle with trying to give a logical explanation. Today while watching the Olympics I heard the perefect response from a remarkable older athlete... Because I Can. Congratulations to Kristin Armstrong for her gutsy performance and demonstrating age is just a number.

'Because I Can': Cyclist Kristin Armstrong Wins Third Gold Medal At Age 42

Time trial champion Kristin Armstrong of the U.S. calls her life as a working mom the "secret weapon" that helped her win Olympic gold Wednesday.

Cyclist Kristin Armstrong has a regular job and a son. And as of today, she also has three Olympic gold medals. After becoming the only cyclist — male or female — to win three consecutive golds in the same discipline, Armstrong, who turns 43 Thursday, said she hopes to inspire other moms.

After calling this victory at Rio's Summer Olympics "the most gratifying" of her three individual championships, Armstrong urged other female athletes not to let negative ideas seep into their minds about what they're capable of.

She said:

"I think that for so long we've been told that we should be finished at a certain age. And I think that there's a lot of athletes out there that are actually showing that that's not true.

"For all the moms out there, I hope that this was a very inspiring day."

She then discussed the importance of balance in her life as a world-beating athlete:

"Working at a great hospital in Boise, Idaho, and being a mom has been my secret weapon. It provides me balance and it keeps me on track and it keeps me super focused."

Focus is always important in a time trial, but on Thursday, it was as much about survival as success: While yesterday's sunny weather would have been ideal for a ride, conditions turned nasty overnight, with a soaking rain forcing Armstrong and the other riders — who start time trials at intervals and ride without any teammates — to deal with slippery road conditions on a hilly, technical course.

Armstrong said she relied on her experience today to average nearly 25 mph over the course. She was close to the lead throughout — but she said she found another burst of energy toward the end, when her coach radioed to tell her, "You're in the medals. Now it's up to you what color you want to bring home."

As Armstrong recalled, "That hit me really hard. All of a sudden, I think my speed went from about 48 km an hour [nearly 30 mph] to 53 km an hour [nearly 33 mph]."

A two-time world champion in the time trial, Armstrong has real stature in the cycling world. But if you're not familiar with her, it could be because she doesn't have glitzy endorsement deals that make her a household name. (She isn't related to Lance Armstrong.)

Kristin Armstrong and her family live in Idaho, where she works at a hospital and trains when she finds time to ride her bike.

After today's race, Armstrong told reporters that she has repeatedly faced questions about why she's come out of retirement and still wants to compete at an elite level despite her age and the several hip surgeries she underwent back in 2013.

A clever answer would be nice to have, Armstrong said, but she adds that she has only one reply: "Because I can."

As for her job, Armstrong works at St. Luke's hospital in Boise, where she's the director of community health. She was allowed to cut her hours down to 16 hours a week last fall, she said, so her family's health insurance would remain in effect while she trained for the Rio Summer Games. Her son, Lucas, was born in 2010.

Armstrong said she spends her days working with nonprofit groups, bridging a gap between physicians and disease prevention programs.

"It's a dream job," she said. "I love it."

AMA Vet/Senior Motocross Racer of the Year Award

John Grewe of Rockford, Mich., won the AMA Vet/Senior Motocross Racer of the Year Award on his Kawasaki. The 50-year-old swept all three motos to capture the Masters 50-plus national championship. He also finished second in the Senior 40-plus class.

Vet 30-plus: Arik Swan; Santa Cruz, Calif.

Senior 40-plus: James Povolny; Apple Valley, Minn.

Senior 45-plus: Terry Bostard;  Discovery Bay, Calif.

Masters 50-plus: John Grewe; Rockford, Mich.

Ryan Dungey and Chad Reed | Opening Ceremonies: Chasing the Dream - Xtra

Paul Rodden - 76 years old & riding hard

Proof age is just a number and you’re only as old as the bike you feel. Just turned 76-year-old Canadian Paul Rodden is a massive inspiration to us all.

Turning dirt bike wheels all his life, he’s hardly slowed down at all. When most his age are kicking back with road bowls and re-runs of Murder She Wrote, Paul is throwing a leg over his Beta Xtrainer and going riding. Respect…

What an inspirational ride with 75 year old Paul Rodden! If you want the full story check out Fifty Years of Kicks https://youtu.be/K_T41kJm-PE

Musquin Chasing the Dream

Monster Energy® AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, is the premier off-road motorcycle racing circuit in the world, produced inside the world's most elite stadiums. Monster Energy® Supercross tracks are man-made inside the stadium. Some of the sport's marquee names include Ryan Dungey, Ken Roczen, Eli Tomac, Trey Canard, Jason Anderson, Chad Reed, David Millsaps and former supercross greats Jeremy McGrath and Ricky Carmichael

MX Nation

Jeremy Martin might be the two-time defending champ, but his results so far have left him trailing his rival. With a new training regimen at a world-class track on his family’s property, he’s trying to chase down Joey Savatgy.

Dad, 13-year-old qualify for motocross nationals

Born a dirt biker's daughter: Dad, 13-year-old qualify for motocross nationals

• ANDY WILCOX awilcox@napanews.com

 

Napa’s father and daughter motocross racers, Matt and Alexa Conatser, made their dreams come true.

The 50-year-old father and his 13-year-old daughter have qualified for the largest amateur dirt bike race in the world, the 35th Annual Rocky Mountain ATV/MC AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship, presented by AMSOIL, to be held Monday through Saturday at historic Loretta Lynn Ranch and Campground in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee.

The pair took on more than 22,000 hopefuls from across America to earn two of 1,482 qualifying positions in each of their racing classes.

Matt and Ebbie Conatser’s son, Cole, competed in the event two years ago. Matt was Cole’s training coach at the time and did not try to qualify himself, according to Ebbie.

“It’s pretty rare to have a father and child both qualify, but especially a father and daughter team,” she said. “Other obligations prevented Cole from going with us this year, but he does have future racing goals. Watching Cole race and riding with him has allowed many opportunities for our family to share riding tips. I have competed in the past, a small amount of motocross and off road racing, but ride for fun now with my family and friends.”

Matt will compete in the highly competitive Master’s class, and Alexa will compete in the girls 9-13 age division.

Matt said the fact his daughter was trying to qualify was motivation for him, as much as it was for Alexa that her father was trying to do the same.

“It pushed me a lot,” Matt said, “because Alexa qualified a week before me at Hangtown Raceway in Sacramento and I had to head down to Southern California the next weekend to qualify at Pala Raceway (between Los Angeles and San Diego), finishing with a second place overall in my class.”

Said Alexa, “It pushed me a lot because we had to do a lot of training on and off the track, and it was never easy. Sometimes I would do the same thing over and over again just do I could get better. But it all paid off in the end.”

Most of America’s top professional motocross racers, including James Stewart, Ricky Carmichael, Travis Pastrana, Ryan Villopoto and Ryan Dungey, have won AMA Amateur National titles at Loretta Lynn Ranch.

“The Amateur National at Loretta Lynn’s is the event every motocross racer in the country wants to compete in,” said event director Tim Cotter. “A win at Loretta’s gives a racer instant national notoriety and can serve as a springboard to a lucrative professional motocross career.”

Alexa Conatser attends Napa Valley Independent Studies and will start the eighth grade when she returns from Tennessee. She has been riding dirt bikes alongside her family since she was 5.

Matt, who works at Wine Country Plastering, Inc. as a stucco contractor, has been riding since dirt bikes he was 12.

With sponsors such as EMT Racing, Mach 1 Motorsports, Hyper-X, Dirt Tech, X-Brand Goggles, Wine Country Plastering and 707 Suspension helping them along their way to the races, Matt and Alexa have had the opportunity to pursue their dreams. They have won many races in the last couple years and practice nearly every week at Northern California tracks such as Club Moto in Livermore, Argyll MX Park in Dixon, Riverfront MX Park in Marysville, Diablo MX Ranch in Brentwood and Hangtown.

The Conatsers made the long journey to Hurricane Mills with family and racing friends early last week. They are camping onsite and will participate in many non-racing evening activities.

Matt and Alexa spent the last four months qualifying for the event.

The national qualifying program consists of 59 area qualifiers February through May and 13 regional championships from May through June, at select motocross facilities across the country. Racers may enter any of 38 competition classes, from minicycle for children as young as 4, all the way up to the senior division for riders over 50. There are also classes for women and for both stock and modified machines.

The Loretta Lynn Ranch course contains a variety of jumps, corners and other obstacles designed to test the skills and stamina of the racers. The motocross track is used only once a year for motorcycles, so there is no hometown advantage. Racers compete in three 15- to 20-minute races over the course of the week per class, sometimes in grueling temperatures. Proper training and preparation are paramount.

Most riders attend the event with the help of their families. In fact, many consider the event their family’s summer trip, nicknaming it the “World’s Greatest Motocross Vacation.” Besides the races, the week-long event hosts many family-friendly activities, including swimming, talent show, concerts, and live entertainment.

The race action will be broadcast live daily at www.racertv.com – a total of 40 hours of live coverage. In addition, two highlight shows featuring the event will air on NBC Sports Network in the fall.

For additional information on the Amateur National, visit the official website at www.mxsports.com or call (304) 284-0101. Also, follow the official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts for exclusive content and to catch the latest news.