MXA Mid-Week Report: The Inside Story On Stewart & A2 Review

 

By Monday morning after the A2 the rumor mill was in full effect: James Stewart wasn't hurt at all. His injury induced withdrawal from the race and the Supercross series was all just a ruse to get back at Kawasaki and Monster. Why would James want to get back at two of his primary sponsors? Why else - money. Everyone has heard about the tensions that were raised last year when Monster stepped in as the title sponsor to the team last year forcing James to scuttle his lucrative Red Bull deal. Even last week we posed a question as to why James broke with current protocol on the Phoenix podium by showing up with a clear water bottle instead of a can of Monster. Indicative of the rumor mill that is the Internet, no sooner had we heard about the supposed fake injury than we heard that James had also signed a letter of intent with Suzuki.

 

For anyone who was in the Kawasaki semi when James broke the news, you’d know that the young rider was sincerely in pain over the decision. James Stewart is one of the fiercest competitors the sport has known and the reality that he could easily make back in win bonus money what the supposed squabble with sponsors was about belied his true intentions.  Was James really hurt? We didn’t doubt him one bit and to get the inside story we chased down the one guy whose word we wouldn’t doubt…..Aldon Baker.

 

For the last few years Aldon Baker has been the personal trainer for two of the most successful throttle twisters in the land: Ricky Carmichael and MotoGP world champ Nicky Hayden. Although he still works with Hayden (and brothers Tommy & Roger Lee) Aldon was hired by James Stewart over the winter now that RC has moved on to car racing. With James’s recent injury, Aldon has gone from helping Stewart with his conditioning and instead transitioned into a therapy mode. We chased Aldon down as he was in Las Vegas testing with Suzuki roadracer Tommy Hayden before he would return to Los Angeles to be with James.

MXA: Aldon, we’ve been hearing a lot of rumors about James and the extent of his injury. Some people have even suggested that James is feigning the injury because he’s mad about losing his personal Red Bull contract to the team Monster deal.
Aldon: Yeah, I was really surprised when you mentioned those rumors because we hadn’t heard about them at all. And I can definitely say that there’s absolutely no truth to any of them. James is more interested in beating Reed and winning the championship than worrying about some sponsor issues. The bottom line is that he simply couldn’t ride at 100% because of the pain. I don’t think James would undergo surgery over a sponsorship deal.

 

MXA: So what is going on with James and his knee?
Aldon: Two days after Anaheim 2 James had an MRI which was to be followed by surgery a day later. I don’t think he’d be going under the knife over any sponsorship deal. For the month leading up to the series opener James had been off the bike. By the time he won at Phoenix he was only riding at 60-70% and for James that’s just not acceptable. He wasn't even riding during the week.We basically had to choose between carrying on with Supercross and taking that chance of further injury, or pulling him off the bike now so we could stand the best chance to be ready for the outdoor season.

 

MXA: What is the extent of the injury?
Aldon: He’s having an ACL rehab with his left knee, which is the same one he injured at Washougal. They’ll be taking some cartilage out from behind his hamstring to rebuild the ACL. He also has some scar tissue in there, but he’s lucky that everything else in his knee is in good shape.

MXA: We know it’s early, but what can you tell us about the prognosis?
Aldon: We’re still unsure, but for most surgeries like this it usually involves a recovery period of four to five months. We plan to be aggressive with therapy and do our best to be ready at Glen Helen. I know how determined James is so if everything works out, we should be good to go.

 

The crowd  went crazy at the sight of RC laying some mean whips out over the triple alongside Mr. Anaheim himself, Jeremy McGrath. RC's retro Fox gear made it all even cooler!

 

A FUNNY THING...

 

MXA: How long have you been in the industry?
Mike: I’ve been in the industry (officially) since 1988 when I met Ken Faught (editor of Cycle News and ATV News at the time) and started writing local race stories for Cycle News and ATV News. About a year later I called Motocross Action for a photo pass to the Coliseum Supercross (as I had done for previous Supercross events) and found out they had an opening for an assistant editor position. This was my dream job since a freshman in High School and I drove to the office that same day and ended up getting the job. That was in1990. I worked there until 1994 where I did a lot of the rider interviews and traveled the country going to all of the Supercross and Outdoor races with Chris Hultner (publisher of Amateur MX magazine). After MXA, I worked at AXO/Renthal for a couple years and then helped Tim and Cindy Clark get the new Kawasaki Team Green magazine started. I did that for a year and then went to work at Jet Pilot where I did sports marketing for the jet ski and wakeboard team.

During my time at Jet Pilot I set up a photo shoot with Jeremy McGrath to do some jumps in the waves for one of the jet ski magazines and that is part of what started the whole deal with Jeremy and Honda (since he was riding a Yamaha Wave Blaster and ended up in several photos inside the magazine…and possibly even the cover). We didn’t really think anything of it though because at the time, Honda didn’t have any watercraft.

After Jet Pilot I tried to get the replica pajama idea going but ended up getting an offer from No Fear in the product development department and took it. However, a little less than a year later, they went through some restructuring at No Fear and laid off a bunch of designers and product developers so that is when I really turned my focus towards getting Smooth Industries started; which I did one year later.

 

MXA: What got Smooth started & when?
Mike: In late ‘93, I had the idea of doing some replica kids pajamas that looked like the riding gear. I told Jim Hale (owner of AXO and Renthal at the time) and he loved the idea and brought me on-board to get it started and also assist Mercedes Gonzales with their racer support program. At the time AXO had Bradshaw and Stanton and it would have been perfect, however, Jim was also starting Mechanix Wear and that ended up taking precedent over my idea; which actually turned out well for Jim since Mechanix Wear is now a $40 million plus company. I tried a few times to get things rolling over the next few years but I didn’t actually get Smooth officially going until seven years later in 2000.
Keith O’Neal and I met in 1999 and we agreed to be partners in Smooth. He was doing some production for his dad’s company (O’Neal) and he was a big part in helping me get the first pajamas finally made. It worked ok for a few years but I noticed we started to plateau and I started to feel like he wasn’t into the business as much as I was and in 2004, I bought him out. The next year Smooth experienced 124% growth over the previous year. It was pretty exciting to see something I had worked so hard and committed so many hours to finally reach that next level. I think that is when I knew for sure this could work.

MXA: How do you explain Smooth growth?
Mike: I would have to say commitment to the brand. When Keith and I were partners, we were at two different locations (nearly three hours from each other) and we had two different theories on how the company should be run. So when I bought him out, I brought everything down to where I was living, hired more employees, including a full time designer, started advertising, introduced more products and really focused on building the company as a whole. And fortunately, the motorcycle dealers and the motocross fans really started getting behind us and because of them, we have been allowed to continue our growth and to continue introducing so many new products. I have had a laundry list of product ideas for so many years and it is nice to finally have quite a few crossed off that list. To date, we have more than 60 products, 10 different licenses including Brian Deegan, Jeremy McGrath, Travis Pastrana, Chad Reed, Ryan Villopoto, Kevin Windham, Monster Pro Circuit team, Rockstar Makita Suzuki team, Yamaha, etc. and are distributed in more than 12 different countries and more than 1,000 motorcycle dealers in the U.S..

Another boost for us was getting into the back to school category. From day one, dealers and distributors have thought of us as a holiday driven company; meaning come late October, they would wait for the new catalog to be released and they would start stocking up on everything that we had available as they knew this was the time our products rocked. It was my goal to get those dealers and distributors to think about us more than just one time a year (for those three months) and because we have created our niche in the kids market, back to school made perfect sense. That and the fact that back to school is the second biggest shopping season of the year. So once we got back to school rolling, we were now a 6 month business (June through December). After introducing bedding and bath and some of our Outdoor accessories we are now selling consistently throughout the entire year which goes a long way in helping the company achieve our annual sales goals.

MXA: What other new things is Smooth Industries working on right now?
Mike: We are working on Ride Smooth, which is a take-off from Smooth Industries. All riders strive to “ride smooth” so we are expanding this into casual wear and other accessories and have some other ideas to help gain momentum. Of course, we continue to expand in our private label business. We have done design and/or production for Fox Racing, Makita, PBR, West Coast Choppers, Suzuki, Alpinestars, Yamaha, McGrath Invitational Event, Live Nation, NBL, Metal Mulisha, Pro Circuit and more over the last several years. All of these different areas have also contributed to the substantial growth in the last few years.

Another category we came up with that I'm proud of are the special items (mouse pad, table set) featuring David Bailey where all the proceeds went to support the Full Circle Charity. (For more info, Click Here).

MXA: Who has been your best selling product, rider, or team?
Mike: Without a doubt our number one product is still the kid’s replica outfits. It was the first product we introduced eight years ago and it remains our top selling item; mainly because we have seven different styles with nine sizes each. But beyond that, our bedding and bath and school products have quickly become our fastest growing categories. As for rider and/or team, until this year, it was a toss up between Jeremy McGrath and Travis Pastrana. However, Mitch Payton’s powerhouse Monster Pro Circuit Kawasaki team has proven to be just as strong off the track (in licensed products) as they are on the track so we will definitely be increasing the number of products we introduce this year with Monster Pro Circuit Kawasaki.
 
MXA: Best lesson learned so far?
Mike: I’ve learned you have to deliver your products on time (which we still battle with today) and to not try and do everything myself. I read all the time that entrepreneurs have a hard time delegating and that is definitely true for me. In the beginning there were only 2 or 3 of us so I was used to doing a lot of different things myself, however, now that I have a lot more employees, I have had to learn to trust them and realize that most of the time, they are more than capable of getting the job done as I would expect it to be done. I am lucky to have such a great group of people working with me to help me continue to realize my vision and my dream.

Mike: I’ve known Jeremy since he was an Intermediate racing local races at Perris and Glen Helen so I would say he is my favorite. He has honestly not changed a bit from those early years before all the fame and glory. The seven Supercross titles and the money and he truly is one rider who has understood the importance of the products that I create using his likeness since the beginning. He knows that without the fans, he would not be living the lifestyle he is living now and I feel my products have in some small way, helped extend his shelf life with fans since he has not really competed in Supercross for a few years now and yet he continues to sell a lot of Smooth product to fans of all ages

Kevin Windham is another guy I enjoy working with. Again, I have known Kevin and his family since he was racing mini bikes so it is cool to see how he has progressed since I was helping him with gear and handlebars when I was working at AXO/Renthal to now designing licensed products for thousands of his fans to enjoy. I think I prefer the older guys simply because I have history with them and because most of them have kids of their own now and they can really enjoy the various products. Until recently, they only saw the joy other families get with our licensed products and now their own kids can have fun with products featuring their dad.

 

For more info, Click Here.

 

MXA CRUISE THROUGH A2

The sight of two Jim Holleys on course made plenty of people shudder.


Some of the top riders did their part to run with the "throwback" theme, among them, Davi Milsaps. Kevin Windham opted to be serious and run it plain.


The sport is indeed fortunate that we don't have to go far to find our former champions. Better still is that Erik Kehoe, Johnny O'Mara and Jeff Stanton all hold down jobs that keep them around. Both Kehoe and the O'Show competed at the celebrated '86 Anaheim race. 


James Stewart was all smiles during the track walk and gave no indication of the heartbreak to come.


If there were any doubts as to whether the Joe Gibbs team is the creation of THAT Joe Gibbs, they were laid to rest at the sight of a Tony Stewart NASCAR race car in the pits.

 

Gary Bailey was among those walking the track and he was less than impressed with the whoop sections. "Look at them," he exclaimed, "they're all alike. It's as if they had to follow a rule book on to build them! The whoops should just be."

THE BIKES OF A2 - THROWBACK NIGHT

For each Anaheim race Michael Willards's Cycra/RSD/Fox bike will have a different graphics package that was designed by Roland Sands who is also a team sponsor. In deference to the night's "throwback" theme, Michael's bike had a distinct "new wave" look to it. 

  

Vintage Iron had a big display of old bikes on exhibit. It seemed like the majority of bikes were all from the 70's - like this super sano 1975 YZ250 with a strapped on gas tank and cross-thru pipe.

 

The Toyota/El Rod booth had some fantastic old gear and bikes on display. This 1971 Yamaha JT-1 Mini-Enduro (with a TT saddle and Trig Eng. ignition cover) sat beneath an original pair of Jeff Ward's old leathers.

 

Honda rolled out their special collection of old race bikes that had everybody turning their heads in amazement. The throwback night was a huge success if only for the level of attention and education it provided over some of  the bikes that played such an integral role in the sport's history.

 

While last weekend’s race celebrated the 1986 event, it is worth noting that Kawasaki rider Gaylon Mosier won the muddy Anaheim race in 1978. Mosier’s win that year was the only one by a Kawasaki rider. The only other Kawasaki rider to win a Supercross in the ‘70’s was Jimmy Weinert.

 

Following that '78 race, Gaylon made the cover of Cycle News where he was joined by his mechanic Rocky Williams who'd run up to give "Gassin" Gaylon a big victory hug. It was cool to see Rocky at this years A2 standing in line to get the autographs of many of the riders at the Legend's Table that he and Gaylon had beat that night. Rocky had gotten his start as a mechanic for the D&G team which was one of the strongest in the old So. Cal. "acronym team" battles between companies like D&G, FMF, CRF, and T&M.The team riders in the ad include Rocky's brother David, Broc Glover, Bob "Hanna", Gary Denton and Dave Eropkin (who was featured on the MWR two weeks ago).

PRESS RELEASE:  Galfer Tsunami Brake Rotors

New Tsunami  wave rotors are a progression of their already re-known wave rotor technology. The new design allows for much more trailing and leading edge performance by having the rotor blade completely slotted from the top to the bottom diagonally and in opposite directions. Extensive brake dyno testing and “real life” racing tests show that their unique 270mm oversize diameter and Galfer’s 1054 carbon semi-metallic brake pads (included on the kit) allow for rapid and progressive brake feel with great cooling characteristics. These rotors are ideal for racetracks that would boil brake fluid in a matter of laps, Tsunami rotors are designed to deliver extreme brake performance under heavy heat conditions. The kit includes a relocating bracket per each specific application. Available for Kawasaki, Suzuki, Yamaha and Honda models. For more info, Click Here.

Pete Maly was one of the original members of the MXA wrecking crew. We recently rsan into Pete when he came down from his central Califiornia home to check out the scene at the REM races at Glen Helen to see what he could learn about his own upcoming race series. Pete has a wealth of MX history and bike knowledge - here's what he had to say...

 

MXA: When did you start riding and racing? What were your first bikes?
Pete: Started riding with my dad on his 1967 Suzuki 50 cc street bike with rib tires in the dirt around 1967. In fact, my dad took me to Saddleback Park riding double on that bike from Newport Beach several times. Imagine riding two up on a 4 speed, 50cc two stroke up those hills to get to Saddleback! Actually, I think it felt kind of dorky even for those simpler times, but hey I was going to Saddleback Park - the Mecca of Dirt Bikes already in the late 60's! Any pride I had, fell to the wayside in favor of throttle twisting, hill climbing, jumping and trail riding!  The core of motorcycling really does only happen when you are twisting a throttle tube!  My first bike was a 1968 Yamaha 80 Trailmaster. I started riding motocross in 1969 on a Yamaha 125 Enduro at Saddleback Park. My first Motocross race was in March 1972 on my first real MX bike, a 400 CZ at Saddleback Park and I won the 500 Junior class.

 

MXA: What were some of your career highlights?
Pete: I won the AME #1 - 250cc plate later in 1972 on my 250 CZ. I also won most of the big purse races at Escape Country in the 500 class in 1974, including the $2000.00 race on my 21st birthday! There were over 80 entries at that race and most of the big factories showed up between Nationals for the glory. American Jawa's President and Joel Robert's ex mechanic were there. In four motos (two were qualifying heats), I finished 2, 1, 4, 1 to win the overall on my 209 lb. CZ Mag 400 Special. That was a great day! I also won the 1985 CZ 250cc World Championship and the Vintage Expert Class at the 2000 Elsinore Grand Prix.

 

MXA: How did your gig with MXA get started?
Pete: My dad met Super Hunky early in 1973 and bragged about his hot dog son. They needed to test the 1973 250cc CZ.  So, I met Pete Szilagyi at Saddleback Park for a photo shoot. We shot some action on the track, but it was muddy and rutted. Pete wanted something more special, so we went to the back of the park by the Matterhorn hill climb and shot about 20 or 30 photos of me doing one handed wheelies that were becoming my trade mark for moto wins at the checkered flag. One of those February 1973 shots made the May 1973 cover of Dirt Bike Magazine. In April 1973, Pete Szilagyi called and asked me to meet him, Paul Boudreau and American Honda out at Escape Country to test the yet to be released Honda Elsinore 250. It was another very muddy day, but fun never the less and Honda's Elsinore rocked in the mud! I rode for MXA until sometime in 1977 when I got an engineering job in the oil industry. I still went out once in while to work with Jody on some of the fun stuff like the 1981 490 Maico and 1981 RM 250 tests, and helping to organize and promote the first vintage races called the "CZ World Championships" from 1980 -1986 which I think Jody dreamed up the name!

 

MXA: What was your favorite test bike from back then?
Pete: My favorite bike was the 1973 radial fin 250 Maico. Good power, precise handling and good suspension.  I also loved the 1976 RM 250 and RM 370 Suzukis!  I think the worst bike was the 1973 -1975 Carabella 125’s. 

 

PRESS RELEASE: Max Power &  Rock’s Racing Services 

Max Power-RPMS is proud to announce that it has formed a partnership with Rock’s Racing Services (RRS) of Lawndale California.  Michael (Rock) Rigdon has joined Max Power-RPMS as our rep in California.  RRS will act as our West Coast representative and will allow us to expand our sales coverage in a key market.  All of us at Max Power-RPMS look forward to working with RRS.

Rock’s Racing Services www.rocksracingservices.com is a manufacturer’s rep/stocking distributor who also provides local track support services in southern California and can be reached at 310.387.1889.

 

ONE LAST SHOT.... 

No Fear's retro Honda tri-color outfit is actually taken from the late 70's, but Kevin Windham mixed it up by running some gators that were definitely all 80's!