Privateer Profile: Bruce Dehn
Bruce Dehn is hoping for mild weather in Minnesota this winter. Otherwise, the privateer rider isn’t going to get much riding in. That is the way it goes for a lot of riders that live in cold climates but Bruce is coming off his best season of racing yet and he wants to keep that momentum going. We tracked him down on his parent’s farm just north of Minneapolis for this weeks Sponsorhouse.com Privateer Profile.
Racer X: Tell us about yourself, Bruce.
Bruce Dehn: I live in Dayton, Minnesota, a little ways north of Minneapolis. I’m nineteen years old and I have been racing professionally for about three years.
Is this the first year you raced nationals?
No, last year I made it to Red Bud and Millville. This year I made the mains at Millville, Red Bud, Colorado and Texas.
Do you work during the week?
I work at a mechanic shop for a construction company during the week. I also help out at my parent’s farm quite a bit.
What kind of stuff do you help with around the farm?
We raise beef cattle and we have a bunch of land with corn and soybeans on it. I end up helping with all kinds of stuff.
Do your folks help you out with racing?
Yeah, my whole family is supportive. I have an older brother that also races. He didn’t make any mains this year but he has before.
What is your schedule for this year?
I am going to Des Moines next week for the arenacross opener and we’ll see how that goes. I’d like to hit a bunch of those. I’m trying to get my Supercross license. I didn’t get a point this year which was a goal of mine. I finished 23rd in one moto so I was really close. You only need one point to get your license.
What kind of bikes will you be riding?
I’ll be on Kawasaki’s for a while. We have a dealership out here, Caswell Cycles, which helps us out a lot. We are doing a Team Green deal through them.
Who do you ride with?
My older brother, John. Ryan Dungey has been to our house quite a few times this summer, too. We grew up racing with Ryan. He lives about an hour away from us. There are a few other local kids that I ride with a lot.
What class will you ride at arenacross this year?
I am going to ride the lites class again and maybe try the arenacross class also. Both classes are on 250Fs now so that makes it easy.
What do you do in the winter to ride and stay in shape?
This will be my first year out of school; I just graduated this spring from high school. In the past I’ve done arenacrosses to stay sharp. But I can’t really ride during the week. Now we have that new Sandbox Arena about an hour from my house so I’ll be able to go there once in a while. I might go down south for a while too.
What are your goals for the new season?
I just want to keep making mains and get some points.
Who do you want to thank?
Andrew Bauer, my mom and dad and Racer X.
What sponsors would you like to mention?
Shift, Dunlop, Motorex, Powerband Racing, Leo Vince, ASV, Caswell Cycle, Vortex, EVS, Scott, UFO, Rims Plus and Dammer Designs.
