250 Words: Southwick
Tuesday, August 30, 2011 | 2:30 PM
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In stick and ball sports, an odd scenario breaks out every time a new coach or manager takes the helm. The team always wins the first game! In motocross this year, that worked out as well. The DNA Shred Stix Star Racing Yamaha team installed a new team manager starting at Southwick, and in his very first moto on the job, the team won a Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship moto for the first time.
Out with previous Team Manager Allan Brown and in with Doug Schopinsky, who is best known as the man who ran Bridgestone’s very successful tire program until the brand decided to pull out of racing for 2010.
“We have absolutely nothing bad to say about Allan Brown,” stressed Team Owner Bobby Reagan on Friday before the race. “We are just moving in a different direction. Allan did a great job. We’re glad to have Doug with us now, who like Alan he has a lot of experience. But I think Doug is quickly learning how hard this job is. A team manager really has a lot of stuff to manage!”
Will Swanepoel be back on the team for 2012?
Photo: Andrew Fredrickson
Jumping in late in the season means the manager has to not only handle this year’s crop of riders, but also keep an eye toward next year. Reagan stated that the team has already resigned Ryan Sipes and Kyle Cunningham, and it looks like a deal with Loretta’s 250 A Champion Kyle Peters is coming. That leaves one spot left for 2012, and the team is looking. Current riders Gareth Swanepoel and Gannon Audette are certainly included among the list of riders the team could use for that spot in 2012, so there’s extra motivation—or pressure—for those riders to get on the podium and snag another contract.
It must be working. Not only did Swanepoel win the first moto and take third overall, but Audette turned in his best ride as a pro with a fourth in that same moto. An early crash ruined Audette's chance for a follow up in moto two, but he rode well from nearly last to 16th. Between a new manager and competition among its own riders, it appears nothing is better than a little inter-squad motivation to get the boys going!
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What team manager would want to hire a rider who suddenly turns it up late in the season. Where was this attitude early on in the season?
Congratulations to Star Racing and to Doug Schopinsky, great start!
Good job Swanapaol!, hope I spelled it correct? The only thing Brigstone made that was any goo was the M23 ? rear tire I liked it on the concrete starting pads or if it was really hard pack. Otherwise I used the Dunlop 752's I know thay dont make em anymore but tthe 752's were good through both the conctete pads and the race, cant say that for the brisgstone but what the heck do I know?
Hope Cunningham is OK from his crashes as Southwick.
Don't know how bad it was. This is one rider poised to start winning, and he needs to get as win fast in the 2012 SX season to give him the confidence that he is a winner and he can fight for a championship. C'mon Kyle!
@Welker, I disagree with you 100% on tires. Bridgestone made a badass soft/intermediate combo in the 203 and 204 perfect for sandy loam, whereas I tried over and over to get the old Dunlop soft intermediate 756's to hook up, but the front tires just didn't have the same grip with the same suspension settings.
I'm with you Welker on the M22/23's. That was the hot setup @ Carlsbad & Saddelback's blue groove. We used to buy them in bulk from our tire supplier so as to always have them available. The Saddelback & Carlsbad closings left us with what looked like an episode of "Hoarders", tire stacks in every corner.
I don't have any experience with the M203/204's because of the nature of So. Cal's riding areas. The only time we used soft tires was for the sand at Glamis and we either went with the old stand-by paddle, or Metzelers because they always were lighter than the other brands thus, letting the bikes rev more freely.