MXA MID-WEEK REPORT: Interviews Galore! Junkyard Dog And Sebastian Tortelli, Plus 2010 YZ450F Information, Monsters Of Motocross, We Find Mike Kiedrowski, And The Dungey Vs. Pourcel Showdown
MOTOCROSS ACTION MID-WEEK REPORT By John Basher
MXA’S PHOTO OF THE WEEK Have you been yearning to see the under carriage of the 2010 KTM 250SXF? We did, so we asked MXA test rider Cole Seely to get the bike completely flat for our 250SXF photo shoot at Glen Helen. To find out more about the 250SXF, and KTM in general, scroll down to read our interview with KTM’s Tom Moen. Look for a complete test of the 2010 KTM 250SXF in the December issue of MXA.
MXA MINI-VIEW: THE JUNKYARD DOG! John Dowd earned a ton of respect from MXA for his years of racing at the top level. To say that he is one of the nicest riders that we’ve ever come across would be a huge understatement, so we will suffice it to say that Dowd is a genuine guy. After racing at Southwick this past weekend, John Dowd should be looked at as a hero for what he was able to accomplish in the sand among the country’s best racers (most 20 years his junior). The “Junkyard Dog,” all 44 years of him, waxed nearly everyone on his way to finishing third overall with 10-2 moto scores. It was an amazing display of riding from someone who is nearing a pension. We called Dowd to hear all about his stunning Southwick finish.
MXA: Congratulations! Wow, you nailed down third place overall. We bet that you’ve received quite a few phone calls from industry friends and family. John: [Laughter] Oh yeah. My phone has been ringing quite steadily for the past few days.
MXA: Coming into the weekend your expectations were probably fairly modest. Where did you see yourself finishing? John: Southwick has always been my kind of place. I always figure that I can get away with a little better result there than at other places. Going into the weekend I would have been pretty stoked to get inside the top ten. I was entering local races and doing well, but I wasn’t sure how my conditioning would be. 30 minute motos are tough, and I knew that my fitness wasn’t exactly where I wanted it to be.
Most 44 year olds sit on the couch or play golf. Not John Dowd! The "Junkyard Dog" finished third overall this year at Southwick. While everyone else flounders in the sand, he flies (like he did in 2007 when this photo was taken).
MXA: You seemed to be in really good shape, especially in the second moto when you finished second. John: I did run out of steam, unfortunately. In the second moto I had a really good pace going, and while it was tough to make passes, I found a couple of spots where I could take advantage. I started in tenth place, but I was able to go by a bunch of guys fairly quickly and I even started to catch Matt Goerke. With about four laps to go I kind of ran out of steam. I had to reevaluate my decisions. I could either give it everything I possibly had and possibly throw everything out the door or I could settle in and be happy with second place. I chose the latter. Matt also kept a strong pace going right through the checkered flag. Maybe he realized that he needed to win in order to secure the overall victory, but regardless he rode really strong.
MXA: Were you surprised that Matt Goerke did so well in the wet sand of Southwick? John: Not really. Matt rides really well in the sand. Last year he had a pretty good moto going. He was all over me in one moto but then his bike blew up. I got fifth in that moto, but he was still all over me. He actually rides Southwick pretty well because he’s from Florida. He held his pace right to the end. He’s with the Yamaha team now and Bob Oliver was his wrench for the weekend. What’s funny is that I know Bob from all those years ago when I was on the team.
MXA: How have you remained involved in racing? What is your driving force? John: I still ride quite a bit because it’s a heck of a lot of fun. My son is really into motocross now. Ryan is 12 years old and he loves to race. He wants to race every weekend, and I credit him for keeping me in the game more so than I would be without him around. I figure that if I’m going to take him racing then I should bring my bike and gear as well. I also try to train and exercise a little bit.
When he raced full-time, Dowd was always a threat to be on the podium. Oh, wait a minute. Even though he has only raced one National this year, he's still a podium threat!
MXA: Now that you’ve proven to yourself and have shown everyone else that you’re a podium contender, do the wheels start rolling in your head that maybe you should come back and race the entire series? John: It’s the same thing that I hear every year. I haven’t been racing much elsewhere but I race Southwick and seem to get back on the map. People tell me that I should do the series, but I already did it for many years. It’s fun to show up once in a while and do it, but I don’t know how I could maintain my mental drive if I did the whole series again. For me that’s really important. I figured out that I have to do what’s fun for me right now, because otherwise I have a hard time getting motivated. If I’m excited about it then it’s cool. If you’re not really focused then you’re not going to perform. It might be kind of cool to race the series again, but I would really have to find a reason for myself to do it. I looked pretty good on Saturday, but I’m sore today and I didn’t even crash! I find that if I crash then I can’t ride for a week. How sad is that? [Laughter]
MXA: You must be setting records every single time you line up to the gate at a National. John: It’s funny you mention that, because I didn’t realize it until this weekend that the first podium I ever got at a National was at Southwick in 1989. I finished third overall in the 125 class. That has to be some sort of record! I mean, 20 years ago? Wow! The only problem is that I’m breaking my own records. All I did was extend my record another year.
MXA: It must have been an overwhelming feeling to have all the fans cheering for you. John: The crowd at Southwick is unbelievable. They are so excited to see me there every year. It’s hard to describe the feeling. It makes it a lot easier for me to get out there and push.
MXA: Will we see you at Southwick racing next year? John: I was kind of thinking that maybe it could be my new deal. I should try to get points and hold onto my National number for as long as I can. That would be my reason to come back and race Southwick every year. That will be my motivation.
MXA: Sounds like a good goal to us. John: I think so. Thank you for the interview.
DUNGEY VS. POURCEL: THE SHOWDOWN Will it be Dungey? Or...
Was the 2009 Lucas Oil AMA 250 National Championship decided at Southwick? If the last few months prove anything, then all signs point to “Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner!” When Christophe Pourcel’s KX250F expired in the first moto at Southwick things were looking grim. However, when he crashed in the first turn of the second moto and could only muster an 11th place finish the fat lady was warming up her vocal chords. Before Southwick Pourcel had a 13 point lead. After Southwick? A 17 point deficit. On average Ryan Dungey scores 20.86 points per moto (third place). Pourcel earns 20.09 points per moto (third place). However, take into account that Christophe’s average was lowered significantly by a DNF at Southwick. Throwing out the one bad moto, Pourcel scores on average 21.05 points (almost second place). What does all of this mean? Pourcel can only hope that Ryan Dungey implodes like the Death Star from pressure, or he has some freak mechanical issue (remember Grant Langston’s wheel coming apart in 2001 when Mike Brown won the title?). Stranger things have happened at Steel City.
Maybe Frenchman Christophe Pourcel? We'll know the answer in just a few days.
MXA MINI-VIEW: SEBASTIAN TORTELLI Tortelli now splits his time between coaching riders and running his distribution company.
Sebastian Tortelli’s pro racing resume reads like this: three-time GP World Champion, Supercross winner (Los Angeles in 1998), National winner, and one of the few riders to ever beat Ricky Carmichael straight up in the 250 class. We spotted Sebastian at Glen Helen last week with a stopwatch in one hand and his son in the other. Finding shade from the 108-degree heat furnace known as the sun, we stuck a tape recorder in front of Tortelli and fired off a round of questions.
MXA: Sebastian, what have you been up to lately? Sebastian: I’ve been working a lot. I have been setting up all of the Champ Factory MX Schools. I’m doing it by myself now, because RJ [Ricky Johnson] is working on the TORQ Series. I just took over all of the schools, and I’ve been doing these schools locally in Southern California. I’m always trying to find new locations so that I can go all over California and hopefully across the country. That’s what I’m doing on one side, and on the other side I’m creating a distribution company called ACD Parts USA. Because of the connection that I have with Europe, I’m bringing products from across the pond over here to the U.S. market. I’ve been traveling back and forth between Europe and here in order to create relationships and be able to become the official distributor. The step I’m working on now is to sign up representatives that will deliver the product all over the U.S. MXA: It must be difficult setting up a distribution company, especially now in this tough economy. Sebastian: Yeah, but at the same time these products are very good. By comparing quality to other products on the market you’re going to see the difference. These products are also very attractive as far as price is concerned, so they are quality products at a low price.
MXA: What type of products are you bringing into the U.S.? Sebastian: I’m bringing in aluminum skid plates for motorcycles and ATVs, as well as plastics, colored aluminum footpegs, RXR chest protectors, and Shot protective gear.
Sebastian’s last time racing professionally in the U.S. was in 2005 as part of Team Suzuki. He missed every National except Glen Helen, where he earned 6-8 moto scores.
MXA: We’d like to talk more about your job as motocross teacher. Are there any top ranked kids that you’re currently working with? Sebastian: Yes, I’m working with Jason Anderson. I also trained all of the Supercross series and most of the outdoors with Justin Brayton. I work a lot with KTM. I’m also working with Scott Agostini and some other top local kids. I also do private lessons.
MXA: When you help teach young kids how to improve as riders do you gear up and show them visually how to rail corners and hit jumps, or do you verbally coach them? Sebastian: I do both. I’m capable of doing both. When I want kids to work on their technique I will stand on the side of the track. When it comes time to them doing motos I’ll put on my gear and go ride. I don’t like to ride too much when I’m coaching because I feel that it takes away from their time. I will show them once or twice how to hit a corner, but after that they need to practice and have me watch so that I can give them tips.
MXA: Are you still involved in helping to run Perris Raceway [if you want to check out Perris Raceway’s web site, click here]? Sebastian: Yes. We’ve made quite a bit of changes to the track, as well as do some reorganization. The track is getting better and better. I see that rider attendance is going back up, which obviously is great.
MXA: You had a very long and successful motocross career, especially in Europe, and it still must put a smile on your face to know that you were one of the last riders to straight up beat Ricky Carmichael. Sebastian: I beat him a few times. 2005 was the last season that I raced here, but it was a rough season because I hurt my wrist. I think that I could have done a really good job back then. I can say that I’m one of the guys that passed him. It was always fun for me to ride with him. A lot of riders had a tough time racing Ricky because he always gave 100 percent, but that’s the way that a racer should be. If you’re not racing to win, then why race? I was the same way. What I loved about motocross was that I had the opportunity to do what I liked, but to also perform at the same time. The thrill of racing pushed me to train hard during the week.
BLAST FROM THE PAST: WHAT IS MIKE KIEDROWSKI UP TO?
Kiedrowski is trading in his motocross boots for boots of another sort.
Growing up, Mike Kiedrowski was one of my favorite motocross racers. He wasn’t a flashy rider, and he almost always was quiet and reserved (except for that time when he ghost rode his bike into Mike LaRocco in 1994 after the Red Bud finish line. Kiedrowski was fined $1000 for his actions and LaRocco was slapped with a $400 fine), but he rode with determination. Over his career the “MX Kied” amassed four AMA National titles and followed his motocross success up by winning titles in the WORCS Series. Over the past few years Kiedrowski has dropped off the map, so we gave him a call. Here’s what Mike had to say:
“I just got done going through the fire academy at Antelope Valley College. I graduated on June 5th. I’ve been filling out a ton of applications for becoming a fireman. This next week I’ll be heading out to California City as a reserve firefighter, and I’ll be the fourth firefighter on their engine. I’m also taking one fire class at the local community college. I am also working on getting my EMT license for Kern County. I’m doing everything that I can do to become a firefighter, and hopefully something happens pretty soon.”
When asked why he wants to become a firefighters, Mike had this to say:
“I want to stay in a career that is exciting, and where I work outside and learn new things. Quite a few of my friends are firefighters, and what’s funny is that when I raced professionally they always said that I had the best job in the world. I always told them that they had great jobs, so now I’m trying to step into their shoes.”
MXA MINI-VIEW: YAMAHA’S TIM OLSON Here Tim Olson tells Broc Hepler and his father, Dean, where the fast lines will develop at Anaheim.
Tim Olson is a longtime member of the motocross industry. He has worked for the White Brothers, MXA, and now calls Yamaha home as the motorcycle public relations manager. Tim is also the son of AMA Mechanic of the Year Alan Olson. Yamaha has made several major changes to their 2010 motocross model line, beginning with the YZ250F (check out the November issue for the comprehensive review) and ending with the YZ450F (yet to be released). We caught up with Tim to find out what the world can expect from Yamaha in 2010.
MXA: What changes has Yamaha made to their motocross bikes for 2010? Tim: Yamaha’s YZ250F, as the world knows, has an all-new frame, plastics, refinements to the engine for improved bottom-end and strong pull through the midrange. With regards to the 450, I can’t tell you much. What I can say is that there will be a teaser released the first few days of September, and then on September 8th the world will be introduced to what we believe is the next revolution in 450cc motorcycles.
MXA: Everyone is dying to know exactly when these photos will be shown on MXA’s web site? Tim: The photos will be released at 9 a.m. PST on September 8th.
MXA: When will the 2010 YZ450F start showing up in dealerships? Tim: Rough estimates show that the bike will become available in November. The lucky journalist snobs like I’m sitting next to right now will get to ride the 2010 YZ450F starting September 21st at Budds Creek. Knock on wood it will not rain.
Here it is! A world exclusive photo of the 2010 Yamaha YZ450F. Somehow we're guessing that Yamaha won't find this joke funny. In all seriousness, you'll have to wait until September 8th for the full skinny. If you want James Stewart to fill you in on the 2010 YZ450F, click here.
MXA: Very funny. Why did you select the Budds Creek National track as the stage for magazines to begin testing the 2010 YZ450F? Tim: If you’re a U.S. citizen then you’ll have strong memories of the 2007 Motocross des Nations. I know that Jonathan Beasley [the track promoter] will always try to make the best track possible for the riders. A testing group and myself went to the track for a sight check and we had a lot of fun. I don’t think very many journalists, U.S. or otherwise, have had the opportunity to ride the track. Plus, since we will be hosting several European motocross magazines, Maryland is a somewhat centralized location.
MXA: Is Yamaha still involved in the two-stroke market? Tim: Two-strokes will be announced on September 8th, but as you can tell, since I said that they will be announced it means that Yamaha is still selling two-strokes. We will be keeping the complete line of two-strokes for 2010.
MXA: Do you find that a lot of people are happy that Yamaha continues to keep two-strokes in the product line? Tim: Yes. A lot of people love two-strokes, but unfortunately that does not translate to a ton of floor sales. We’re trying to keep two-strokes alive, because that technology is what made Yamaha what it is today. As a company we don’t want to abandon them, but they need to sell.
MXA: Who is responsible for preproduction testing at Yamaha? Tim: Yamaha has an in-house based testing crew. Former mechanic and team manager Steve Butler heads the test crew. His direct boss is Mark Porter. Then there are other guys who pretty much spend every waking moment either working on bikes or riding in an effort to try and make the bikes better. The goal at Yamaha is to produce the best off-the-shelf bikes.
MXA: Do you get an opportunity to ride much with your position at Yamaha? Tim: I got involved in this industry so that I could ride every chance that I got. If I wasn’t riding a lot then I probably wouldn’t be in this industry.
LOOKING FOR A NEW LID? ARAI’S NEW “AKIRA” GRAPHIC FOR VX PRO3 (Press Release)
(Daytona, FL) Arai Helmets has added yet another new graphic design called the “Akira” to its VX-Pro3 off-road helmet line. Named for motocrosser Akira Narita, it is available now, in four different colors: Red, Blue, Silver, and Orange. The new Akira is the latest of several mid-season-graphic additions to Arai’s VX-Pro3 dirt model. The others are two Osborne Replicas (White and Black), and two Samurai graphics (White and Black), The VX-PRO3 was introduced to unprecedented rave reviews from the entire off-road publishing world, some even calling it “the best helmet ever tested.” (Editor note: Full list of press reviews available upon request.) Although now copied, the Pro3 introduced yet another Arai innovation: the Emergency-Release Cheek Pad system created to allow easier access to an injured rider. Such concepts have always been one of Arai’s “greatest sources of pride,” according to a spokesman. “For generations, Arai has fostered helmet improvements that aid in our primary mission of first protecting the rider. We’ve never been a company that favors ‘flash and fashion’ over function, which is why Arai designs tend to be more evolutionary than revolutionary.” Another example of this Arai philosophy evident in the Pro3 is its unique rounded chinbar shape with less forward protrusion. The shape’s design intent is to make the chinbar less likely to catch and snag a crashing rider than longer, more pointed chinbars. Arai’s VX-PRO3 comes in sizes XS to XXL; suggested retails range from $529.95 for solids, to $659.95 for Replicas like the new Akira. For more information and complete details, see your Arai dealer or log onto www.AraiAmericas.com.
MXA MINI-VIEW: KTM’S TOM MOEN Tom Moen is Mr. KTM.
With a quiet and pleasant demeanor, KTM’s Tom Moen is the go-to guy for anything involving KTM and motorcycles. A diehard rider, Moen has the dream job of testing yet to be released bikes in areas all over the country. He even gets paid to do so! Tom also helps MXA with ironing out any possible kinks that we have with new model KTM bikes. Amidst testing the 2010 KTM 250SXF this past week, we asked Tom a few questions.
MXA: What can the world expect from KTM for 2010 in regards to motocross bikes? Tom: We have an all-new 450SXF. We did quite a bit to the bike’s chassis. Every year we have evolved quite a bit in our motocross bikes, and I feel that our 450 has come a long way. The 250SXF has updates, as well as the whole line of two-strokes. KTM is not letting go of the two-stroke market, especially in the offroad side. In a time where everyone is being conservative, we have expanded further into the two-stroke market. KTM keeps developing two-strokes and they have a lot of stuff planned for the future. The great thing about KTM is that the company is small enough to react, but big enough to have plenty of resources to get a lot of neat things done.
MXA: Do you find that other manufacturers jumped too far ahead with technology that might not be proven just yet or that wasn’t ready to see the light of day? Tom: No, not really. They use their technology to market their product on the business side. KTM does a lot of things emotionally, not thinking about business as much. A lot of stuff we do we think through. We use fuel injection in the Husaberg line and on all of the street bikes. We’ve developed it to be a pretty good system. We look to the future with technology, like direct injection, but the Keihin FCR carburetor isn’t a bad carb. On our 450SXF the carburetor works really well. If we fuel inject the bike will it really be that much better? Will it offset the weight of the motorcycle or worth the added cost? Direct injection might be the best idea, so maybe we will leapfrog over the other manufacturers and be ahead.
MXA: KTM doesn’t really follow the norm, so to speak. The 250SXF and 450SXF are carbureted, have hydraulic clutches, and no-link suspension. Tom: Exactly. We don’t want to follow everyone else. Everyone has aluminum frames, but we’ve proven that chromoly steel frames are very good. It’s funny that so many people believe that aluminum frames weigh less, but in reality our steel frames are lighter. Last year the 250SXF was the lightest bike by quite a bit compared to the competition.
MXA: The biggest change on the 450SXF, at least by appearance, is the resonator system on the head pipe. Sound is such a huge topic, especially in Europe. Is that why the resonator comes stock? Tom: Yes. European noise standards are a lot more strict than they are in the U.S. It’s good to be quiet. Every year our bikes are always the most quiet. The resonator is one of those things that KTM did to make the bike quieter without taking away power.
MXA: Is there any truth to the rumor that KTM is developing a 350SXF four-stroke? Tom: We’ve been testing stuff. KTM tests ideas for a long time before they actually see the light of day. We’ve been testing linkage for four years now. There is one testing group that works on linkage, and another testing group that focuses on the WP PDS shock. The biggest benefit from all of the linkage testing is that the PDS guys have made the system better. This year there is a big difference between the new model and the old one. We’re not going to release a bike with a linkage system until we know that it’s good and ready.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING HALLOWEEN NIGHT? HANG OUT WITH THE “MONSTERS OF MOTOCROSS” (Press Release)
In conjunction with the MTA VET WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS at GLEN HELEN RACEWAY... Join the legends of motocross for a monsterously good time as they celebrate the storied career of "Tony D" DiStefano who will receive the Edison Dye Lifetime Achievement Award from Tom White. As he did in 2008, Bob "Hurricane" Hannah reprises his role as emcee for a star studded lineup of Motocross Monsters including David Bailey, Larry "Supermouth" Huffman, Gary Jones, Danny LaPorte, John "The Flyin' Hawaiian' DeSoto, Bad Brad Lackey, Dan Betley, and a host of others to howl at the moon... and each other. The hysterics are for a worthy cause as the legends tell tale tales and other horror stories about their lives on the motocross circuit and about each other. Rumor has it that a certain Dutch dentist might even make an appearance.
SNEAK PEEK: Pipeline Digital Media's newest film project, "The Carlsbad USGP: 1980"
Doors open 5:30 pm - Showtime 7:30 pm Tickets $30 each, 2 for $50 Available at Cycle Gear, Malcolm Smith Motorsports and Glen Helen Raceway
Monsters of Motocross is a creation of Todd Huffman, producer of the Motocross Files
Proceeds benefit the Reeve-Irvine Center for Spinal Cord Injury Research.
DO YOU FANCY YOURSELF AS A PHOTOGRAPHER? YOSHIMURA’S “SEND US YOUR BEST SHOT” PHOTO CONTEST
Chino, CA - Yoshimura has announced the "Send Us Your Best Shot" photo contest for owners of Yoshimura exhaust products. It's easy, fun and has prizes!
Participants simply need to send in a static photo of their ATV, scooter, street or offroad bike to be considered. The official Photo Contest Committee at Yoshimura will choose among the entries for worthy shots to be posted on their web site. From those, they will choose a winner each month. The winner will receive some FREE Yoshimura apparel and some other cool Yoshimura stuff.
Here are the photo guidelines:
Be sure to include: Your name, city, state and country Your e-mail address (so we can contact you if you win!) Bike Make/Model Other mods done to your bike No action shots will be accepted Send up to 4 images of your bike (maximum 1 MB each, the higher the resolution, the better) E-mail your photos to photos@yoshimura-rd.com
So clean up those bikes and send Yoshimura your best shot.
WANT A POSTCARD FROM TRAVIS PASTRANA? TP'S GREAT DIVIDE BIKING ADVENTURE
When the sun broke over the Rocky Mountains this morning, Travis, along with his friends Special Greg and Eric Roner, set out to conquer the "Great Divide Trail." The 2,493 mile trail begins in Montana and continues South along the Rockies before ending in New Mexico. Pastrana will ditch the familiarity of his motorized vehicles for a full-suspension mountain bike supplied by Giant Bicycles. The trip will take approximately 39 days and Travis will make scheduled stops at post offices along the way. New gear, supplies and underwear will be exchanged for autographed postcards from Travis to randomly selected fans. Yes, you heard correctly, Travis will be sending out postcards to fans selected from his Facebook fan page (http://www.facebook.com/travispastrana). Disconnected from technology, Travis has reverted to the old school methods of "snail mail" to communicate with fans throughout his journey. Follow Travis's journey by checking out www.travispastrana.com for updates.
