Welcome to Racerhead. This is the weekend when the racing nations of the world gather to settle whose national team is the best of that year. The annual Motocross of Nations is a race unlike all others, and it takes place on the far side of the planet this time, at the picturesque and soft Kegums circuit in Latvia. Team USA will have its hands full, just as it did in Germany last year and Belgium the year before (won, coincidentally, by the Belgians last year and the Germans the year before). Roger DeCoster’s three riders are Ryan Dungey (his sixth straight appearance at the MXoN), Eli Tomac (second), and Jeremy Martin (rookie), and together they hope to get Team USA back on top, just like we were from 2005 through ’11 and many more times from 2000 on back—especially 1981 through 1993.
With this very strong and enthusiastic lineup—not to mention some key absentees from other countries go—it seems like we have as good a chance as anyone. But Great Britain is stacked this time, France has a fast lineup that wants to prove themselves, Belgium is strong again, the Chad Reed-led Australians would love to win, Italy’s Tony Cairoli is out to extend his personal winning streak to five and six motos in a row, even though he’s riding a 250 this time….
As much as I wish I could say we were coming to you from Riga in Latvia, or anywhere near this weekend’s Motocross of Nations, I’m actually here at home in Morgantown, West Virginia. We will have wall-to-wall coverage of the big race, as both Steve Matthes and Jason Thomas are on hand, and Austin White is there shooting videos. We also have our roving Instagram reporters Jeff Canfield and Jeff Cernic sending stuff across, so stay with Racer X Online for all your pre- and post-race coverage from both Saturday’s qualifiers and Sunday’s 68th FIM Motocross of Nations.
If you want to watch it live, you can sign up for the live streaming on www.mxgp-tv.com, get a weekend or one-day package, and watch and listen as Paul Malin and Jeff Emig (1994 rivals, longtime friends) bring the race to you live. If you want to wait and watch it on Sunday afternoon, it will air on the CBS Sports Network on tape delay at 1 p.m. ET. Here’s how to watch.
WARNING: The races begin at 7:20 a.m. ET on Saturday and 6 a.m. ET Sunday, so it will be several hours later before they air on TV in America. Do not get online or check your Twitter or Instagram on Sunday morning if you don’t want to know the results, because we will be posting news, stories, photos, and results as soon as possible.
Also, in today's press conference in Latvia, it was announced that the MXoN would finally return to the U.S. in 2017, following France next year and Italy in 2016. No word on where it will be, though Glen Helen announced it would have it in 2013, back when it was hosting Grand Prix events in 2010 and '11, but that didn't happen. No matter where it is, it will be good to have the event back, as it's only been in the U.S. three times in its sixty-eight years. More on that later.
We’ve done a ton of MXoN preview stuff this week, so rather than rehash things here, it’s probably easier to just post some of the highlight links here:
Who’s who at the 2014 Motocross of Nations? We have a detailed team-by-team guide.
We talked with Jeremy Martin before he took off for Latvia.
Eric Johnson asked Ricky Carmichael your questions about the MXoN and Team USA.
Jason Weigandt joined Steve Matthes to preview the Motocross of Nations and talk silly season.
For this week’s List, how about some of the all-time great moments for Team USA?
And it wouldn’t be the “Des” Nations if Lord Alfred Weigandt didn’t chime in from his palatial estate somewhere in England.
Okay, let’s send it to Steve Matthes, who is in country:
FROM RIGA, WITH LOVE (Steve Matthes)
This post is coming to you from the Radisson in Riga, Latvia, which is, strangely enough, one of FOUR Radissons located here in the capital city. I did the worst possible thing a visitor to Europe from the USA could do yesterday, which was go right to sleep upon getting to my hotel and then waking up at 2 a.m. and being wide awake.
By the way, Europe (or wherever Latvia is located is called), I love to visit you every so often and love the history and architecture, but why do you not do the complete shower doors? Why the half glass wall there? Why the teeny beds and why are they RIGHT NEXT to each other in the hotel rooms? Why don’t you always cook the food all the way and why don’t you like ice in your drinks? Again, I enjoy coming here but these questions always go unanswered for me.
Anyhoo, I’ve hooked up with my roommate, Mr. Party-With-Rock-Star-Riders Jason Thomas, and we were going to go to the track today but JT had already picked everything up. So scratch that. Today we hung out in Riga, returned my rental car that I’d been extorted for (long story), ate at TGI Friday’s, and drank some coffee. Oh yeah, and JT couldn’t stop praising this frozen yogurt shop also.
It’s always weird for me coming to this race because the guys on Team USA are my friends and I want to see them do well, but yet as a media guy I don’t bathe myself in the red-white-and-blue because, well, I’m just here to report on the race. And being a born-and-raised Canadian adds to the weirdness for me because I do want to see Canada do well, but I don’t cheer for them either, you know? I just want to see a great race with some drama, and I guess I’d prefer USA to win, but hey, these other countries haul ass and have some great riders. I never know whether to say “us” or “them” when I’m talking about Team USA or Canada with other journos. It’s just weird, man.
With some injuries to riders on other teams and the USA being its typical powerful squad, I like USA’s chances to break the two-year losing streak and bring it home this year. I also think Canada can do its best in a number of years for reasons I’ll write below. As I said in Weege’s and my MXoN preview podcast, I think Team Great Britain will be a real challenger for the top spot and is almost assured a podium. And no matter who Belgium has at this race, they’re always good. France’s Gauthier Paulin has stepped up at the annual Olympics of Motocross as well, and they’ll need him to do that again this year, and they could win too … but I still like my neighbors.
THE NUMBER: 34 (Andras Hegyi)
There are thirty-four countries ready to participate at 68th FIM Motocross of Nations. Last year there were forty teams for the race in Germany, which was a record number of entries. But this year six times for '13 are not here, as Norway, Iceland, Thailand, Venezuela, Austria, and Romania are absent.
Latvia hosts MXoN for the first time ever. This Baltic state is the nineteenth country to host this race. Among the host countries Belgium is the record-holder, hosting it ten times since 1948. The USA has only hosted the MXoN three times: 1987, 2007, and 2010. The legendary Namur track, Citadelle de Namur, in Belgium has hosted the race more that the USA: 1951, 1956, 1959, 1965, and 2001.
And among the 102 riders participating this time, there are eleven who stand out from the crowd. All are champions, including three FIM world champs in Italy's Tony Cairoli (eight) and David Philippaerts (once), plus Slovenia's Klemen Gercar (2013 MX3 World Champ, so that's a stretch). There are also five AMA champions. Team USA's Ryan Dungey, Eli Tomac, and Jeremy Martin are all Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Champions, though Dungey also has an AMA Supercross Championship and a West Region SX #1, as does Tomac. Australia and Great Britain also have AMA champions in multi-time #1 Chad Reed and former 250 Motocross #1 Dean Wilson, respectively. And at Kegums there are four MXoN winners too. Ryan Dungey has helped win the Peter Chamberlain Trophy three times, the Belgians Jeremy Van Horebeek and Kevin Strijbos are two-thirds of last year's winners, and Germany's red-hot Max Nagl won it in 2012 with the absent Ken Roczen and Marcus Schiffer.
OH CANADA! (Matthes)
After having one MXoN disaster after another (save for 1986 Maggiora, 2002 Lierop, and ‘07 Budds MXoN), Team Canada is looking to rebound this year in Latvia and for the first time in a long time, despite sanctioning body issues and petty politics, is sending over one of our stronger teams. Cole Thompson tore up his knee in supercross and couldn’t make it, but his replacement is Tyler Medaglia, who is not too far off Thompson’s level. Our other two best riders are Colton Facciotti (the MX1 champion) and MX2 champion Kaven Benoit. This represents the best possible team one could name, and that’s a rarity for Canada.
I’m also happy that Team Canada is under new management, which I think was sorely needed, and things are on the upswing for Team Maple Leaf because of the new guy. Ryan Gauld, a former pro racer-turned-announcer for the CMRC series and media guy, grabbed the reins, and I think this will help the guys also with their race-day strategy.
The guys got here earlier this week, and I checked in with Gauld for an update. Here’s what he said:
So far Team Canada MX has had a pretty solid time. I've jumped through a few hoops with customs and DHL over our VP Fuel, but once I got that sorted out, we've been all good. The side of our team that was travelling from Montreal (Kaven, Tyler and mechanics Jerome and Steph) really got the shaft bad with cancelled and delayed flights. Eventually they made it but not without a lot of time spent in airports and planes.
But we're here and now everything is in order. Team CEC IS Racing has been amazing to us in supplying a rig and pit. I'm super proud of the effort I and everyone else has put in and to see it become reality has been pretty fulfilling.
The track, experience, and atmosphere are unreal for me as it's my first time here. The riders have a few under their belt so they seem good. We've has blast so far and if you want to see the video of our first day, go on www.guaranteedmx.com Team Canada MX is ready. OH CANADA!!!
As I said, I’m not really sure whether Team USA or Team Canada is “my” team, because I’ve been down in the USA for so long and going through the citizenship process now, but I’ll always have a soft spot for Canada. I want to thank Chad Reed, Wil Hahn, and Adam Cianciarulo for donating signed gear for eBay auctions for Team Canada, and we also gave out a trip to Vegas and a chance to sit in on a PulpMX Show. All told, we raised $4,800 for Team Canada, so that’s cool. I’m pumped to help and again; thanks to those non-Canadian riders for helping out.
927 on 9/27 (Chase Stallo)
Another big happening this weekend is Maxima Oils celebrating its landmark oil 927 on September 27. Founded by Dick Lechien (Ronnie’s dad) in 1979, Maxima has grown to become one of the top-selling oils in the nation. To celebrate, Racer X Online will be holding a trivia contest on Saturday, September 27, with the winner receiving a box of 927, the leading two-stroke oil. We talked with the president of Maxima Racing Oils, Danny Massie, about the big event.
Racer X: It’s a monumental weekend for you guys. Explain what you have going on.
Danny Massie: The idea of the weekend is that September 27 is 9/27, and 927 for Maxima as a company is that 927 was our founding product. In 1979 the company was more or less founded on a purpose. There was particular two-stroke oil at the time that was used by most of the factories, and it was a very small company that went away. When that product disappeared in the marketplace, Dick Lechien—founder of Maxima—his son Ronnie raced. So [Dick] and his partner decided to fill a spot in the market place that had opened up. That’s where they came up with 927. The company was purpose-built and founded on that product, 927.
Maxima has been involved in motocross since then, but while the roots are still in racing, you guys have branched out a bit, correct?
Yeah, in the last few years we have branched out, but we are still true to motocross. Today we are the #1 non-OEM oil in United States powersport market. After Pro Honda Oil and Yamalube, we are third. At all major distributions, like Rocky Mountain, Parts Unlimited, and Tucker Rocky and others, we are the number-one oil that they sell. So we have stayed very true to powersports. But in the last few years we have branched out into some projects that we’ve been doing for decades. We do have some high-level four-wheel products, like Trophy Trucks, etc. This year we’ve also launched a bicycle division as well, predominately downhill. We’ve been an OEM supplier to the major suspension companies in bicycling for, depending on the company, some go back twenty years. So we have launched a bicycle line under the Maxima label. The most important thing for us as a company—and although we are not only motorcycle now, we are only riding and racing. We have no interest in passenger cars or anything like that. It’s all, for lack of a better term, action-sports-related.
If someone is interested in purchasing Maxima oil, what’s the best way?
There is something like 9,000 motorcycle shops in the country, and we are in some capacity in every one of them. We are sold through distribution but also available in every motorcycle shop in the nation.
PRO PERSPECTIVE: CHANGING TEAMS (Jason Thomas)
The circumstances for leaving a team to start a new chapter in one's racing career can vary widely. For some it’s a mad dash to get off a certain bike or away from a certain fiasco. Some motorcycles are better than others, just as some teams are much more professional than others. This variance can have you either dreading the switch or counting down the minutes until you're released. In either case, there is still change ahead, and that causes both excitement and uncertainty.
Everyone wants to take steps forward, of course, but you never really know how the next year or two will be until you're out riding and among the team. Many teams paint a beautiful picture of how things will be, but until the wheels are in motion, you never really know. Most of the people in the tight-knit paddock know each other, so that part is easy, but working with new people always presents a different dynamic. The next couple of months for the riders will not only entail sorting out the new bike but also feeling out the new personnel and learning to communicate with technicians. Learning how individual technicians interpret feedback is an intricate process and needs to be fine-tuned before we approach Anaheim. When you relay data to your suspension tech in the heat of the moment, you want to have confidence that he knows exactly what you mean and which direction to move the settings. That takes time, plain and simple.
For those moving up and also moving down in the pecking order, it is still a time to regroup, reset, and rebuild. The next three months will be crucial to how their 2015 season goes. Trainers will say that the results are decided way before Anaheim ever arrives—they’re just revealed to everyone else during the season. With that thought process in mind, now is the time to get to work. Riders have had a month off after a grueling summer and should be lighting the supercross fires once again. New teams, new bikes, and new possibilities are waiting.
ROUNDUP (Chase Stallo)
“I’m thinking—and this is probably going to come as a shocker to a lot of people—I don’t ride as much as I used to, and the transfers are getting a little bit dangerous, so I’m going to pull back on that.” Kevin Windham
The silliest silly season of all is becoming not so silly.
Confused by the national numbers? We’ve got you covered.
The Red Bull Straight Rhythm debuts next weekend. Scott Champion, who was at the Milestone grand opening, talks about what we can expect.
Bowyer’s thinking what a lot of you are thinking: Team USA must win this weekend.
JT’s living the dream in Europe.
A DESPERATE PLEA TO GO TO PULPMX (Matthes)
Swizcore had some unanswered questions about moto so I attempted to answer them here.
David Vuillemin offered up his thoughts on the recent rider moves in his Scott Motosports column here.
GEICO Honda co-owner Jeff Majkrzak gave me some of his time to talk about a number of things with his team in what I hope to be regular interview with someone behind the scenes in the sport here.
This Week in GNCC
By now a lot of folks have already heard that Kailub Russell locked up the GNCC National Championship last weekend at Mountain Ridge. Well, for those who may not have heard this part, that means that KR1 will be contesting the final two rounds aboard a KTM 150XC 2-stroke. What's even better, is that the bike will be raffled off after the final round and the proceeds will help offset KR's ISDE costs and even better, also support XC2 racer Rory Mead who suffered a devastating injury earlier this season.
Russell may be at a disadvantage against the bigger 450 machines on the 150 but if there's one thing that holds true about GNCC Racing, it's that it's not always about the power of the machine, but rather about how the rider uses that power. Looking through the history books of GNCC Racing, several things stand out. The most legendary of which was Tommy Norton's 1990 Blackwater 100 win aboard a KTM 125. The Massachusetts native, backed by FAHQ Racing was relatively unknown at the time and the win reigns as one of the most legendary off-road racing wins of all-time.
If you're interested in purchasing one of the raffle tickets for the opportunity to win Russell's sweet one-off 150XC, you can do so here.
HEY, WATCH IT!
The Dave Despain Show on MAVTV will feature the King of Supercross this Sunday night, Jeremy McGrath, at 8 p.m. ET. In one of the preview clips, Dave asked Jeremy how he felt about Ricky Carmichael's nickname "The GOAT" (Greatest of All Time).
Check out the trailer to On Any Sunday: The Next Chapter, coming soon.
RANDOM NOTES
Dear Racer X:
You may know this already but our good friend and our own personal legend here in Escondido, Ron Bishop, passed away this weekend, he died of a heart attack at home. So many of us locally would never have experienced riding and racing in Mexico were it not for that man. He was a legend in Baja and is respected and appreciated by some of the biggest names in off-road racing history. He will be missed by all of us.
Your friend,
Jimmy Pool
Escondido, CA
The first four weeks of the 4th Annual Racer X Amateur Film Festival, presented by MotoSport and ISAW, hosted what was arguably the most competitive field to date—but the competition isn’t over yet. The finals are here, which means dozens of entries from amateur videographers across the world have been whittled down to four finalists: Patrick Evans, Maxime Messier, Max Hind, and Jared Conley. This year's champion and runners-up will be determined through one more week of voting by you. So watch them one more time, then vote for your favorite. And remember, you can vote up to once per day.
Sometime this weekend the “Pro Motocross” Facebook page for the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship will surpass 300,000 followers. Not bad work, gang! Check it out during the off-season for regular updates, breaking news, race information, advance ticket sales, videos, and more.
For the latest from Canada, check out DMX Frid'Eh Update #40.
From our friends at MTF:
Colleen Millsaps will head to Australia this week to accompany MTF rider Pete Davis as he prepares for the Amateur Junior Motocross Championships. The 16 yr old Redding, Connecticut native will race the 125 and 250 classes in the championship which begins Monday Sept 29th.
This will be Colleen’s fourth trip down under having previously taken Joey Savatgy, Kyle Peters, Jordon Smith and Keith Tucker, all of whom won titles. Will there be pressure on Pete? Colleen says no. “Pete’s had a lot of injuries over the last couple of years so this will be great for his confidence and get him some exposure to international motocross. I think he can certainly be in the dogfight at the end”.
Practice begins Sunday at Appin in New South Wales and racing concludes Saturday Oct 4th.
Vurbmoto.com co-founder Brent Stallo has been out of the motocross game for the last two years after selling off his shares of Vurb Media Group at the end of 2012. After not hearing from him in a while, we caught wind of some projects he was working on via his brother (and our managing online editor) Chase Stallo. Still in the media world, Brent has created an advertising company and has recently produced some noteworthy work. While working to pass an environmental act in Florida may sound boring, Brent is using the same creativity he used to catapult Vurb into one of the most popular online entities in the sport at his new endeavor. Check out the videos below—we think you’ll agree they’re probably the funniest political videos you’ll ever see. For more info on the Amendment visit their site at www.votefloridawild.org.
Professor Abernathy | Save Some F*$%ing Manatees
Professor Abernathy | Dog Rubs Himself in Support of Amendment
Here's a great piece by Team USA pioneer Gary Semics on his trip to Europe to race the Motocross des Nations, posted by Gary himself on VitalMX:
That’s it! Thanks for reading Racerhead. Good luck and safe racing to all the participants in the 2014 Motocross of Nations in Latvia. Watch it live on www.mxgp-tv.com or tape-delayed on CBS, and let’s go Team USA! See you at the races!