Welcome to Racerhead. Happy Good Friday, Easter, and off-weekend to everyone out there. Spring has sprung (sorta), and we’re opening High Point Raceway tomorrow with the Wake-Up Ride Day. Good thing it’s tomorrow and not yesterday, because here in nearby Morgantown we had a seriously cold April Fool’s Day, with snow squalls and heavy wind that would have made riding out at High Point a frozen adventure. Instead, we’re looking at some mild weather and sunshine for tomorrow.
Meanwhile, the supercross world is taking it easy as they enjoy a second straight weekend off. (And sorry I got the dates wrong last week—I really though SX would start up again this weekend. Forgot about Easter!) The Atlanta tripleheader begins next Saturday night and with it the stretch run for the last five rounds of 2021 Monster Energy AMA Supercross.
Beyond that, yesterday was April Fool’s Day, and while I saw a few attempts here and there at some moto-related pranks, nothing really shocking happened (with the exception of Team Honda’s Hunter Lawrence’s “phone tag” video that you will see down below, which was hilarious, as well as one from IMSA involving a certain #4, which is also down below.) It seems like social media makes it harder and harder to pull off a good practical joke, because everyone knows what day it is and reminds you quickly to check the calendar. That wasn’t the case back when we did our “Stefan Everts Is Coming to America” video back in 2007, or our “Ricky Carmichael to Ride Two Classes” in 2004. And then there was the time in 2010 when Glen Helen announced on March 31 that they were canceling their national and holding a USGP instead, and we thought it was an April Fool’s Joke but the announcement was real! Yes, it’s almost impossible to pull off anything remotely close to what Sports Illustrated and George Plimpton did back in the 1980s with their “Sidd Finch” cover story on the discovery by the New York Mets of a rock-throwing Buddhist monk named Hayden Sidd Finch who had a 168 mph fastball that sent the entire baseball world into a tizzy.
Check out our April Fool's ideas post that Weege did and check out the post below that the Twisted Tea/HEP Motorsports Suzuki team posted:
However, in the history of motorcycling-related April Fool’s Jokes, no one has been able to truly surpass what the editors of Cycle News did in the 1970s. Obviously pre-internet, pre-social media, and even pre-cellphone, the merry band of pranksters led by the paper’s editors—folks like the late Jack Mangus and Terry Pratt, as well as Charley Morey, Gary Van Voorhis and more—used April Fool’s as an annual prank on the motorcycle industry and readers. And the pinnacle of their pranks came in 1975, when someone on staff must have realized that the print date for their newspaper on that year’s schedule would be April 1, so they decided to put together the “Sex” issue of Cycle News. It is the most un-PC thing you may ever see from a publication of such immense stature, but then again, these were the seventies and the world was a much different place!
On the cover is a woman with a come-hither look over one shoulder and a helmet draped over the other. The contents included a full-blown feature by Frank Conner called “Sex & Cycles: The male homosexual cyclist.” The lede of the story: “For research into the changing attitudes toward the motorcycle as a masculine symbol I went to the people for whom the symbol once held the greatest importance in the old days: the homosexuals.” It was illustrated by a photo of a daredevil jumping a bunch of naked bums. Seriously.
There is also a “Porny New Products” section that includes motorcycle gear tied into one’s particular fetish, including a couple of oil funnels and what looks like a chastity belt reconfigured as a bra, made by “I.M. Hornee and Associates,” as well as an advertisement for “Evel Knievel for Vice-President.” There is a report on an endangered species called the “Nobius Californicus” plus a story on “Death Riders.”
But the coup de grace is the promised “S-X Centerfold,” which is really part of a bike test on the new Harley-Davidson S*X 250, a trailbike they refer to as “Sleeper Extraordinaire.” And true to their word, there is a “sexy” centerfold of a man in bed with the bike, a glass of wine in hand and a bottle sharing the mattress, along with the SX250….
They really went all-in on the April 1, 1975 issue! This afternoon I called my old boss and editor at Cycle News, Kit Palmer, to ask him if he recalled this April Fool’s issue, which was way, way before his time, as well as a much different time and atmosphere. Kit vaguely remembered it but explained that April Fool’s was a big deal to the editors back then. “They got away with some whacky things you just couldn’t do today—or even want to do!” he laughed.
Welcome to April 2, 2021.
Grantley Herbert. Godspeed. (DC)
Before we get into all of the news of the week, it is with great sadness that we relay the story of Grantley Herbert. He was a motocross-loving kid from inner-city Baltimore who had a lot of friends and fans in the motocross industry. Tragically, Grantley and his mother were shot and killed after a family gathering took a very bad turn and a man pulled out a gun and shot both Grantley and his mother, Nyatiaha Faltz, along with an 8-year-old girl, who survived the shooting. Grantley was just 19 years old.
My friend Wes Kain, the longtime race announcer from Florida, knew the family well and posted on Instagram:
My heart is heavy today after losing a great friend and family member Grantley Herbert💔 his father Rob called this morning with great courage to tell me the news. I was devastated and struggled all day with thoughts of losing my friend 💔. I met Grantley and his family at Baltimore Arenacross when he was 8 years old. Grantley walked up to me on amateur day with the biggest smile and introduced himself. He had a million dollar smile and a personality to match. From that day forward I had a friend for life. Grantley loved riding his motorcycle like nobody I’ve ever met. I would call to check in with him and ask how he was doing and he would tell me he was on the honor roll and just finished doing pushups. I knew he was going to grow up to be something special. I was blessed to be a part of his journey. He had a heart of gold. He loved Matt and Dakota and would always tell me how much he cared about them. Rip Grantley. You will never be forgotten
Here’s a local news report on the tragedy.
MXGP 2021 (DC)
The FIM Motocross World Championship has been forced to delay the start of their season again as the coronavirus continues to affect pretty much everything in Europe. According to Wednesday's press release, "Due to the global Covid-19 pandemic, the decision has been made to delay the start of the upcoming season, as the FIM Motocross World Championship will kick off in Orlyonok with the MXGP of Russia on the 12th/13th of June." The season will still include 20 rounds and will run all the way through the first weekend of December, in Indonesia. And the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations will go ahead on September 26, as originally planned, but now at the Italian circuit in Mantova.
In an interview with MX Large, Infront Motor Racing President Giuseppe Luongo revealed just how frustrated the situation over there has been, but also is optimistic that the latest schedule will work for the riders and the race fans.
"It is a big shame how the European governments are managing the vaccination program because investing in a strong vaccination campaign not only saves a lot of human lives and is important for the mental stability of its population, but also is the best investment for the economy," said Luongo. "Countries like Israel, the United Arab Emirates and also Great Britain are vaccinating their residents at a fast pace and they have reduced significantly the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths, in comparison to them Europe is much too far behind. Our MXGP calendar clearly is very much linked to the vaccination program, and therefore we have had to postpone the Championship by one month, now it will be starting at the end of June, and we are hoping that by summer the situation will be under control."
FIM Motocross World Championship Schedule
2021 MXGP Schedule
- MXGPMXGP of Russia Sunday, June 13
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Pro Perspective (THOMAS)
For the first time in a long time, riders are enjoying multiple weekends off in the middle of a Monster Energy Supercross Championship (COVID 2020 notwithstanding). With time off, some might assume that riders would get a break from riding and recharge the ol' batteries. While they might get a day or two off (Sundays), this crucial time will largely be spent testing and preparing for the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship.
The transition from peak supercross form to peak motocross form is trickier than most would assume. The training is different, the riding approach is different in both technique and duration, and the demand on mind and body is very different. For some, the time is now to go all-in on motocross prep. For anyone coming off injury, or even if supercross just hasn't gone well, entering the motocross season overprepared is a great way to salvage 2021. They would forego any SX practice at this point and put all of their emphasis on May 29 and the start of the outdoors. For those who are still in the supercross swing, though, this is a much tougher time of balancing priorities.
Red Bull KTM’s Cooper Webb is a perfect example of this. He is your 450 points leader for this Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship. That is undoubtedly priority one. In a month's time, though, that will not be priority one anymore. With that in mind, he has to split some of his time and focus to ensure that this summer is not a total catastrophe. To do that, I would expect that the first week after Arlington was spent almost entirely on motocross. Instead of a breather, he would jump into motocross immediately, testing and finding base settings to improve from. They would work very hard that first week on the fitness and testing front and then relax and recover the first off weekend (last weekend). This past week would likely be a mix of both disciplines—a couple days of riding both MX and SX, staying sharp on the tight confines but also steadily improving his outdoor form. This coming week would likely be more SX focused and at most, one day of MX riding early in the week. That's likely how the rest of the season will play out, too. For the Atlanta residency, Webb could possibly get in a little of both, but the schedule throws a new wrinkle into the mix that Aldon Baker hasn't ever had to account for. I would bet that he will sacrifice any motocross riding that week and then resume the normal plan once he returns home from the Atlanta metro area. It's a slippery slope of maintaining that razor's edge of sharpness in SX but also knowing that a summer of moto lingers.
The one upside that will likely help Webb and others is the longer break between the two series this year. With three full weekends off, there will be more prep time than in years before. I can remember seasons where we went from Las Vegas on Saturday to Hangtown for press day the following Friday. There was no time to do anything but recover from Vegas, then hydrate for a tough Hangtown opener. Maybe this break will change the dynamic for what the 2021 opener brings. In any case, I will be watching to see if the supercross contenders are able to capitalize on the extended break, closing the gap on those that have already committed fully to Lucas Oil Pro Motocross.
Two-Week Break (Keefer)
I am going to have to say it sucks not having supercross to watch on the weekends or during the week. As a racer, I bet they are loving this time off, but as a fan, I am itching for more. Coming home from work on a Tuesday knowing that I get to watch some supercross has given me a little bit of life for the latter part of my work week. I’m sure most of you would agree that getting to watch three hours of racing on weekdays can give you a little more spring in your step at a work on Tuesday, right? You're a little happier, your boss doesn't piss you off as much, you're giving compliments to your wife more, you actually let in the guy on the freeway who’s trying to merge. It's just a better way of living when racing is on Tuesdays!
Now that we’re gearing up for another residency (I don't like that word, but I will use it for now) in Atlanta next Saturday, it makes me wonder why we can't keep this type of format when everything gets back to "normal." Most of the riders love it, the fans love it, and it seems to me Feld Entertainment would love it as well once all fans are allowed back into the stadiums. Not to mention that we have almost all of our top riders still intact after 12 rounds. I honestly think that has something to do with the way the schedule is working out these days. The riders are practicing less during the week while racing more, which usually means more focus and less crashing. Let's hope we keep the midweek race scheduling in 2022.
The downside to the two-week break is that all of these damn pro dudes are at the local track getting ready for outdoors, which means I’m getting revved at on a daily basis. I can't get a clean damn lap in because these dudes are all up my ass revving their engines wanting me to get out of the fast line! Like seriously, calm down, dudes, I will get out of the way, but let me get through this one rut on the track, okay?!! I know your mechanic has the stopwatch on you and your rivals are pulling away from you on practice day, but you'll survive, bro! No one is paying you to clean out blue-collar 9-to-5ers or giving you a bonus for hitting a quota on how many times you can hit your rev limiter per lap. Chill down! All these "slow riders" are paying their money to ride the track as well.
Let's go racing already! My wife has a honey-do list that I need to accomplish, but I need some motivation!
NASCAR on Dirt (DC)
On Monday night I wandered across the neighborhood over to my big brother Tim's house. He was on the couch, seemingly riveted by what was on TV—the NASCAR dirt track race from Bristol Motor Speedway. Dust was flying, guys were sliding around and banging into one another, and it looked like a whole bunch of fun for everyone involved (well, except maybe for the scattered spectators who were probably covered in as much dust as we are when we go home from a mid-summer's motocross race).
When I first heard the idea that NASCAR was going to go back to its roots with some "outlaw-style” dirt track races, I thought it seemed like a big stretch, a thinly veiled gimmick, sort of like when they have basketball games on a battleship or NHL games in outdoor stadiums. They had not raced on dirt in something like 60 years, so there would be a lot of extra work for the racers and teams, just for the sake of doing something different. Instead, they seemed to hit the nail right on the head—even with a rain delay after Tennessee got blasted over the weekend. It was a rough-and-tumble affair, which all stock car races should be, except that they’re going so damn fast on some of the bigger tracks that it often ends badly in the "Big One." Not so much on dirt, where driving skills as well as survival skills were on full display. They had braking bumps, roost, cars going "sideways," tear-offs, blue-groove—it was pretty cool!
Wrote longtime industry friend Shawn Nortfolk on Fabeook: "I’m 11 years removed from any Nascar affiliation- and only watch when there’s nothing else on...but if they did more dirt races like this...It would be difficult for me not to become a fan again. This is really cool to watch! Maybe they can save this sport!"
A few months back the folks at Bristol contacted us about the possibility of taking advantage of all the dirt they had trucked into the Speedway for a possible outdoor national, only inside what looks like a modern (and massive) football stadium. The Muddy Creek National was held just down the road, and it never really reached critical mass, so going into a racing stadium just a couple miles away didn't seem like it would be enough to draw a good crowd—especially during this whole coronavirus deal. Now, having seen how this turned out, and the fact that Bristol will likely do it again next year, it might be an interesting place to try out a round of Monster Energy AMA Supercross … but they would have to get really lucky with the weather.
Added Andy Bowyer: “That Bristol Dirt Race was freaking SWEET! #Different #NASCAR”.
By the way, his brother Clint, the recently retired NASCAR contender himself, did an awesome job on the TV coverage.
The Re-Raceables and the Bomber (DC)
PulpMX's Steve Matthes and our own Jason Weigandt teamed up for another excellent episode of their Leatt Re-Raceables podcast where they revisit some classic races, watching them online, breaking everything down, and talking about all the things that were happening at and around the event. This time it's the 1989 Atlanta Supercross at the old Fulton County Stadium, where Team Honda's Jeff Stanton got the first AMA Supercross win of his career after a thrilling battle with his Honda teammates Rick Johnson and Guy Cooper. Stanton's win ended RJ's five-race winning streak to start the '89 season. It also happened eight days before Johnson would suffer a broken wrist in practice at the outdoor opener at Gatorback, effectively ending his reign and causing a seismic shift in global motocross; on the horizon were the Frenchman Jean-Michel Bayle and the Beast from the East, Damon Bradshaw. It's an excellent listen. Check it out:
Atlanta SX 1989 Re-Raceables podcast
There was one part of the podcast where Matthes and Weege lost their way a little bit, and that's the curious comeback of Mark "Bomber" Barnett, who entered the Atlanta SX aboard a Tuf Racing Suzuki RM250. Barnett had not raced a supercross since 1985, when he won the Atlanta SX while riding for Team Kawasaki. He retired at the end of the '85 season and more or less disappeared. But there he was on the broadcast of the Atlanta SX in 1989, though he crashed out in qualifying.
But there was more to it than that a nearly 30-year-old former factory rider coming out of retirement for one race. The previous year, 1988, Barnett had found himself back on the starting gates, only for amateur racing. Barnett was the first AMA Amateur National Champion way back in 1975, and then had a Hall of Fame career as a professional motocrosser, winning three AMA 125 Pro Motocross titles, as well as the '81 AMA Supercross crown. When he decided to get back into racing just for fun in 1988, he decided to ride the Junior +25 class in the AMA Amateur National Championships at Loretta Lynn's. He swept all three moths on a Tuf Racing Suzuki.
It was at that point that Barnett decided he wanted to do a little more racing, and he ended up securing support from Tuf Racing's Dave Antolak to enter the Florida Winter-AMA Series, which began in December at Gatorback MX Park in Gainesville. Back then, the Winter-AMAs were still a big series and great way to train for the upcoming season, as supercross (and more specifically supercross testing) had not yet monopolized the winter calendar. There in Florida the Bomber would find himself racing again with old foes like Bob "Hurricane" Hannah, as well as the Southeast prodigy Damon Bradshaw, Indiana up-and-comer Mike LaRocco, Team Honda's Guy Cooper, and more. Barnett looked good at the opener, but a crash off the start in one of his motos screwed up his overall results.
Just before the second round, Barnett was training near his home in Alabama when he crashed hard and suffered some broken ribs. That took some valuable training and testing time away, as he could not race again until February, after the Winter-AMAs were over. So Barnett decided to go to the Atlanta SX and race indoors for the first time in five years. It did not go well.
Eight days later, the 1989 AMA Pro Motocross Championships started up at Gatorback, as SX and MX used to overlap back then. Barnett did not have to qualify for the 250 class: as a past AMA National Champion, he was automatically seeded into the main event, according to the rules for the era. So the un-retired Barnett lined up his #101 Suzuki RM250 with the likes of Stanton and his future Honda teammate Bayle, Kawasaki's Jeff Ward and Ron Lechien, Suzuki's Johnny O'Mara and Ron Tichenor, Yamaha's Micky Dymond and Doug Dubach, and the rest of the top riders of that era. (Well, all except for Ricky Johnson, who had broken his wrist in practice.)
In the actual motos, Barnett acquitted himself well, finishing 13th overall via 15-11 moto scores. He had every intention of continuing at the next national, which would be in April out at the Hangtown National. But then Barnett went down hard again while practicing and picked up another injury. That was enough for the Bomber. He hung his boots up again, this time for good.
BOMBS AWAY (Matthes)
More on Mark "Bomber" Barnett, who was my childhood hero because, well I rode an RM80 and wore Fox and so I guess I thought I was a mini-Bomber? I've been talking to his son Adam (best nickname ever when he raced in “Adam Bomb” BTW) on IG DM a bit, and that's pretty cool. Mark himself has gone a bit quiet these days but I'd like to talk to him for another podcast at some point. We did one in 2009 and it was pretty cool to talk to Mark. Of course he was around the sport a long time as a track builder long after he retired.
The Re-Raceables pod where I talk about Bomber making that comeback in 1989 that DC just mentioned was something I'll never forget. First, having your hero blow by you at the Croom riding park in Florida was one thing; seeing him come back was another, and then seeing him crash out was a tough deal for a young Steve Matthes.
Here's the thing that's rarely talked about when it comes to the Bomber. Yes, he's a three-time 125 national champion (and only a broken collarbone away from the first undefeated season in MX in 1981) and one-time SX champion, but his Suzuki really cost him two more SX titles. In 1982 his chain derailed at Seattle SX for a 15th, and he came from a first-turn crash to 8th at the final SX round to come up 21 points short of Donnie Hansen for that 1982 title. The next year he's got the points lead until the second-to-last round when his bike blows up at Foxborough and he doesn’t even qualify, and then ultimately comes up seven points short for the '83 title that David Bailey won. He also would later lose the Wrangler Grand National Championship title (combined SX and MX points in one GNC) to Bailey by a single point when Ron Lechien held him off in the heat and humidity of Millville, the last national of the year.
Mark Barnett was SO close to being a six-time SX and MX champion, people! Please remember and respect that.
The Auto World's New Fascination with Dirt (DC)
I mentioned the Bristol Dirt Race above that went quite well for NASCAR, other than that pesky rain delay. Still, it went well enough for at least one racing entity to use it for material for a pretty good April Fool's joke yesterday, starring none other than Ricky Carmichael, and tying in his work at the Daytona Supercross:
2022 Roar Before the Rolex 24 At Daytona to Utilize Carmichael-Designed Dirt Circuit
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 1, 2021) – When the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship returns to Daytona International Speedway next January, there will not only be a “Roar,” but also a “Whoop!”
Motorsports Hall of Fame of America inductee Ricky Carmichael, who for the past 14 years has designed the course used for the annual Supercross event at Daytona International Speedway, has been enlisted to design an infield dirt circuit to be used by the WeatherTech Championship sports cars during the Roar Before the Rolex 24 At Daytona.
The circuit will be used for a special, 20-minute-plus-one-lap race featuring all five WeatherTech Championship classes which will take the green flag at 12 a.m. ET on Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022 and will air live on NBC. Each car’s finishing position in the race will be used to establish its starting position for the Motul Pole Award 100, which is used to establish each car’s starting position for the Rolex 24 At Daytona.
Known as “The GOAT” among Supercross fans, Carmichael owns seven motocross titles, five Supercross championships and is a three-time X Games gold medalist. He’s also a five-time Daytona Supercross winner, tied for most all time, which makes him uniquely qualified to design the circuit to be used by the sports cars for the first time next year.
“The Bus Stop is bumpy, sure, but we really want to test the downforce of the DPi class, so we thought a dirt infield section could be the ultimate test,” said Carmichael. “I’m really looking forward to this new challenge and providing IMSA with the most grueling race of the year to kick off the 2022 season. It’s going to be gnarly.”
IMSA President John Doonan concurs.
“Gnarly is the perfect term to use for this circuit,” Doonan said. “I mean, what other word would you use to describe a DPi sailing through the air off a triple, a door-to-door battle of GTD cars through the Whoops or a gaggle of LMP2s and LMP3s bouncing though the rhythm section? It’s going to be gnarly, and I can’t wait for our fans to see it either in person at the racetrack or on NBC.”
Tickets for the race will be available at a later date. Actually, they won’t, because … April Fools!
70 (Andras Hegyi)
Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac is not having his best season in 450SX, as the defending champ so far has seemed just a click off of where he was the past four or five seasons. However, he is taking steps forward on some of the all-time lists. For instance, at the fifth round of 2021 (Indianapolis 2), Tomac got his 67th podium, allowing him to overtake the legendary Jeff Ward (66), a two-time AMA Supercross Champion for Kawasaki. Then at Arlington 3 Tomac notched his 70th podium in 450SX, making him just the eighth rider all-time to reach that milestone.
Here are the members of the 70+ podiums club in AMA Supercross:
Chad Reed (132 total): The Australian legend has the most podium results in the history of this series, as well as two AMA Supercross Championships. Reedy debuted in the premier class in 2002, and in a remarkable, often overlooked feat, his 70th podium came in 2007, in just his 80th main event! The #22 needed the least time to reach 70 podiums out of anyone, then he almost doubled the number.
Jeremy McGrath (111): The King of Supercross made 111 podiums during his career, and on 72 of them he was standing in the center of the box. McGrath debuted in the premier supercross class in 1992 and got his 70th podium in 1998 in what was his 97th race.
Ryan Dungey (101): The Diesel’s first appearance in the premier class happened in 2008, though he wasn't there full-time until 2010. He scored his 70th podium in his 98th main event in 2015, which came in the middle of a record 31 straight podiums between 2015 and '16.
Ricky Carmichael (87): The GOAT picked up 87 podiums in all. He debuted there in 1999 while riding a Kawasaki, and he realized his 70th podium in his 96th main event in 2006, by which time he was on a Suzuki. Along the way Carmichael earned a total of five AMA Supercross Championships, making him second on the all-time list there to Jeremy McGrath's remarkable seven crowns over the course of eight SX seasons.
Mike LaRocco (81): The Rock collected 81 podiums in a long, steady career as a constant contender. He debuted in 1989, and his 70th podium came in his 195th race in 2004. LaRocco needed the most time to get the 70th podium. Good thing he was as durable as he was plain good!
James Stewart (76): James Stewart, the all-time best 125 SX racer by pretty much every measure, made his debut in the 250/450 SX in 2005. His 70th podium came in his 107th main event in 2014. Stewart also won two AMA Supercross Championships, the first on Kawasaki and the second on a Yamaha.
Kevin Windham (75): K-Dub’s debut in the premier class came in 1996, though he didn't go full-time until 1998. His 70th podium came in his 174th race in 2010. He and LaRocco are the only riders in this 70+ podiums club to not have won an AMA Supercross crown.
Eli Tomac (70): ET debuted in 450 SX in 2013, then became a regular the following season. He has taken podiums every season since. With his third-place finish at Arlington 3 Tomac got his 70th podium in his 126th main event. The 2020 champion got 13 podiums with Honda and the last 57 podiums riding Kawasaki.
High Point Ride Day
If you live in the area, don't forget about the Wake-Up! Ride Day at High Point Raceway next Saturday, April 3. Admission is free but there is a $40 fee for all-day riding and a $20 fee if you only want to ride the eMTB course. There will be:
- Motocross Track
- GNCC Loop
- 50cc Track
- Stacyc Course
- eMTB Course
Note: (Sorry, no ATVs this day)
2021 Wake Up! High Point Ride Day Schedule
10:00am | Gates Open |
10:00am | Registration (white trailer across from announcer tower) |
12:00pm - 5:00pm | Practice; 5 rotations weather permitting |
Motocross Track (following practice order) | |
GNCC Loop (3 miles) | |
eMTB Loop (2 miles) | |
50cc Motorcycle Track (Open All Day) | |
STACYC Track (kids electric bicycles course) | |
6:00pm | Closing |
Visit https://highpointmx.com/event/high-point-ride-day for more information.
The may 2021 ISSUE OF raCER X MAGAZINE IS NOW AVAILABLE
The May 2021 Issue of Racer X Illustrated
Voicebox
A contender like Eli Tomac competes in a playoff-level event every weekend. The intensity is mental, not physical, and life at the top is different than it is for riders who aren't expected to win races.
Hey, Watch It!
“Watch: 6-Year-Old Carter Schutte’s Impressive PW50 Line”—Exhaust
And Hunter Lawrence’s April Fool’s Joke on a few friends is pretty damn funny…
Listen To This
In terms of pure talent, competitive racing, and AMA Hall of Famers on the gate, it’s tough to beat the seasons spanning 1979 to 1986. Davey Coombs reads his feature article "The Deepest Fields" from the March 2021 issue of Racer X magazine.
For more from DC, Jason Weigandt, Steve Matthes, and the rest of the Racer X crew, subscribe to Racer X.
Racer X Read Aloud is brought to you by Renthal.
As mentioned before, here is the Re-Raceables podcast: Weege and Matthes look back at a race that marked the end of one era and started another. From Jeff Stanton's first win to RJ's dominance being over, Chuck Reed, Barnett, Rollerball, Larry Brooks eventful evening and more, they try to cover it all. The guys even get Jeff Stanton on the line to talk about that night!
Head-Scratching Headline/s of the Week
“We're doing shots! Vaccinated or not, America wants to party again”—Washington Post
“Which world leader has the worst pandemic record? The competition is fierce”—SFGate.com
“DESHAUN WATSON CASE: 18 MASSEUSES ISSUE STATEMENTS SUPPORTING QB'He Was Never Inappropriate'”—TMZ.com
“‘Healing’ crystals are having a pandemic moment. But science says they’re just pretty rocks.”—Washington Post
Random Notes
Jonathan Mayzak was a popular young professional racer who was tragically killed in an automobile accident two years ago, just before the Unadilla National. There is now a memorial scholarship fund that his family has organized in his memory to help other aspiring young racers also pursue their education. Please check it out and see if you can help, in Jonathan’s memory:
Jonathan Mayzak GoFund Me for On Track School
Thanks for reading Racerhead. See you at the races!