MXGP Is Coming To Glen Helen!

 Dungey, Martin, Webb, Barcia...this should be an epic battle!

Sept. 20th Glen Helen Raceway

Matrix Racing Back To School Specials!

MX Nation Ep 5...The Story Continues

This is a great inside look at the demands of chasing a Championship. Clearly it involves more than just riding a motorcycle fast.

 

# Ride Life

The Narliest Obstacles of AMA Motocross

Running down the signature sections of the USA’s premier motocross series that guarantee fireworks.

Every motocross track has its own unique and crazy areas, but in AMA Pro Motocross, those obstacles are on a whole other level. There’s airtime to be had on Fly 160 at Hangtown and LaRocco’s Leap in Michigan while Unadilla’s rocks and Spring Creek’s sand whoops will leave your knees trembling. These are the spots that spectators rush to as soon as they get their ticket stamped at the entrance and we’ve managed to cram them all into one place. Here are five of the gnarliest sections on the calendar.

The Fly 160

The Fly 160 at Hangtown© Garth Milan/Red Bull Content Pool

LaRocco’s Leap

Named after former factory rider and current GEICO Honda team manager “Iron” Mike LaRocco, this jump used to be the biggest and longest in all of AMA Motocross until the Fly 160 was born. But just because it’s no longer the longest doesn’t mean it’s any less intimidating. As riders come around the left-hander that precedes The Leap, all that’s visible is a towering jump face, seemingly pointing straight up. “All you see is the ginormous takeoff and you don’t know where you’re landing,” Ken Roczen says. “You’re in the air for almost four seconds, and if you come up short you have a lot of time to think about what’s going to happen!”

Horsepower Hill

Horsepower Hill at Washougal© Garth Milan/Red Bull Content Pool

As steep and long as this signature Washougal hill is, it’s not very intimidating by itself. The tough part comes from having to blast up this hill at full throttle when you’re behind a pack of high-horsepower bikes with throttles jammed to the stops. “It’s an absolute drag race,” says Jessy Nelson. “If you’re stuck behind a bunch of guys that hill is awful. Washougal has the worst roost of the series — it’s like getting hit by paintballs!”

Unadilla’s Rocks

This New York track’s most infamous, and inescapable, obstacle isn’t located in just one straight, corner or jump, it’s all over the entire track. The Unadilla soil is filled with rocks that not only make traction a precious commodity, but become dangerous projectiles when hurled into the air by fresh, whirling knobbies. Dean Wilson probably says it best when he describes the Unadilla roost as “lethal and not very enjoyable.”

The Sand Whoops

Many tracks have sandy whoop sections, but when you say the words, “sand whoops” to any AMA motocross racer, he’ll know instantly that you’re talking about the infamous set of energy-sapping sand whoops at Spring Creek. Entering the section with plenty of speed is key, as momentum makes them easier to double, but it’s also dangerous — it’s easy to get cross-rutted or out of shape in the soft spots, and there are plenty of sharp edges lurking beneath the surface. For a while the section even had its own self-proclaimed mascot named “The Whoop Monster.”

5 things you never knew about Tony Cairoli

 

 

Italian legend Antonio Cairoli is without doubt one of the all-time greats of motocross. Eight world championship titles and still counting confirms that and when it comes to riding his factory Red Bull KTM there are none better. Here are five things about Sicilian-born TC222 you may not have known.

1. He’s the king of pasta

Not only is Tony Cairoli the king on the track but off the track he's a king when it comes to eating pasta. Well he is Italian! Tony likes nothing better than tucking into a kilo of pasta per day, normally split over two sittings. Could this be the secret behind his amazing speed?

 

2. He spins the wheels of steel

A superstar on the track and a superstar DJ off it, to get away from the intensity of the FIM World Motocross Championship, Cairoli spends hours mixing music when at home relaxing in Italy. As his girlfriend, Jill, told us recently, "he's an amazing DJ."

3. Is 11 his favourite number?

Two years stand out as arguably Cairoli's best in his world championship winning years. In 2007 (MX2) and 2012 (MXGP), Cairoli won an incredible 11 Grand Prix rounds. In 2007 he also won supercross titles in Italy and the European SX championship too boot. Adding to his dominant world title campaign of 2012, Cairoli also swept to both moto wins at the Motocross of Nations in the deep sand of Lommel, Belgium.

4. Four wheels are sometimes better than two

Rally is another sport which Cairoli has a huge amount of passion and respect for. When he's away from motocross, he enjoys racing in the annual Monza Rally Show in his Red Bull Citroen DS3 WRC. Peter Berardi, CEO of Magneti Marelli, explains, "It's always an honour to have multiple world champion Tony Cairoli in our team when he races in Monza."

 

TC’s amazing looking Citroen DS3 WRC© Magneti Marelli Checkstar

5. He’s a social media legend

In the world of professional sport, social media plays a huge role in athletes' engagement with their fans. In motocross, Cairoli leads the way by a country mile when it comes to fun, entertaining and interesting posts across his social media platforms. With a combined fan base of nearly 1,000,000 followers, Cairoli is streets ahead in the MXGP social stakes. Just like he usually is on track.

What to look for in sunglasses

Go for UVA and UVB protection, and beware of false marketing promises.

It’s never to late to protect your eyes from the sun’s damaging rays. You don’t have to spend a bundle to get a good pair of sunglasses, but you do have to know what to look for in lenses. Most important: protection against ultraviolet rays, both UVA and UVB. You’ll want 95% to 100% blockage. You may also consider buying polarized lenses, which reduce the glare from water, sand, and snow.

But buyer beware: manufacturers aren’t required to disclose or guarantee UV protection. “You can’t be certain that an inexpensive pair of sunglasses from the drugstore will provide protection, even if it promises blockage on the label,” says Thomas Merrill, an optician at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. “You may consider going to an optical store where you can be guided to select a good-quality product.” That doesn’t mean you need a pair of prescription sunglasses, but you do need expert advice, especially if you have eye damage.

If you wear prescription eyeglasses and don’t want to buy prescription sunglasses, you can buy a product that fits over your glasses. “This gives you protection from the top and sides and it’s more comfortable for your eyes, especially if you’re on the water,” says Merrill. A pair runs about $50.

Harvard Health Letter

Sunglasses...Just Cool or Necessary Protection?

Dirt bike riders all know the importance of eye protection when riding, that's why we wear goggles.  Most of us also know the importance of protecting our eyes when just sitting around the pits or anytime we are in bright sunlight. We decided to take a look at sunglasses. Is there a difference between the cheap drug store varitey and the top of the line brands? Besides just looking cool what should we expect from our sunglasses? Over the next few weeks we'll take a look at a few different models.

First let's take a brand I was sure was Italian but upon looking closer I found a real American success story. I was very surprised to find over 200 different models when I found this company. Check out this history and watch for our reports on specific models.

We are Tifosi.

Tifosi is the Italian word referring to a super-fan, an enthusiast, and that is exactly who we are and who we make our eyewear for. Our mission is to provide technically advanced eyewear to enthusiasts of all sports and outdoor activities. We design test and torture our product to enhance your sport whether you’re running a 5k, riding your first century or playing 18 holes on Sunday. Tifosi defines us; we are enthusiasts about our product, our sport, and our fun.

 

Tifosi Turns Ten – A Brief History

2013 is a big year for Tifosi. Back on April 8, 2003, the very first sunglass order was shipped from Tifosi headquarters in Watkinsville, GA to Liberty Bicycles in Asheville, NC. Still based in Watkinsville, Tifosi has since grown into a global sport optics company; designing, manufacturing, and distributing to over 5000 retailers in more than 38 countries.

Tifosi Optics, Inc. was formed after co-founders Joe and Elizabeth Earley identified a need for a high quality, value-oriented eyewear brand in the cycling industry. Originally looking for an additional line to sell, Joe, an independent sales rep, noticed that existing sports eyewear brands fell into two categories: limited features and a low price, or fully-loaded features and technology with a high price tag.

Opportunity! Joe saw a need in the market for a sunglass brand that would suit the needs of both small and large retailers from a turns & margin standpoint, and would also provide value to consumers looking for high-quality sports optics.

By April 2003, Tifosi had grown from concept to company with the Earleys, one full-time account manager and a small outside sales force. On April 8, 2003, the first order was shipped from Tifosi’s headquarters in Watkinsville, Ga. Within 10 years, the Tifosi product offering has expanded from 21 styles to over 200, and beyond cycling to include sport-specific eyewear for running, golf, outdoor, and more.

From the beginning, Tifosi’s growth plan has been centered around three main components: continue to produce proprietary designs with quality optics, maintain a high level of customer service through a dedicated inside account management team and become the first choice for retailers looking for an eyewear brand with fast turns and aggressive margins. This strategy has worked as, according to the most recent Leisure Trends reports, Tifosi is now the #1 selling eyewear brand in independent bicycle and running shops across the U.S.A.*

Tifosi backs its products with a lifetime warranty against manufacturer defect**. Tifosi sunglasses are sold at over 5,000 retail and e-tail locations in over 38 countries.

'MX Nation' Episode 4: Ground Control

A look inside the program that has catapulted Ryan Dungey back to the top of AMA Motocross.

# Ride Life

 Here is an interesting perspective about our sport and life.