Cody Groves | 450 Class

Racer X Online: Cody Groves. Home race this weekend. How far did you grow up from here?
Cody Groves: I grew up about two hours from here. It's called Goldsborough, Maryland. There's no gold there. [Laughs] It's actually really poor. There's a lot of sand. There's no elevation but we used to ride here all the time. The first couple of races I remember here like growing up as a kid, I got protested here a couple of times being too young in the wrong class or whatever. But yeah, we're pumped, dude. All these dudes are out, they're supporting, they're ready. They're ready for the Budds Creek pro national this weekend. It's gonna be a great time, dude. I'm ready to go throw some whips in this press day. I couldn't be more fired up. Never been in press day before. I'm pumped!

You’re on the event T-shirt. What went through your mind when you saw that?
Dude! I got on the event T-shirt. Me, Rodbell, and Sanford, dude, I'm right there front [and center]. Ah…Dude. I saw that this week and I was like, like I teared up. Because like the only thing you ever dream of as a kid is being that kid on that Budds Creek shirt, you know, and you're like, ‘Dang, I'm on that shirt.’ And I get like 30th, but it's sick. It's awesome! [Laughs]

So you’ve got a job during the week, right?
Oh, yeah, I'm working. I actually haven't been working since the nationals started, but normally do kitchen care to commercial kitchen equipment repair in [Washington] D.C. public schools about 45 minutes from here. And, yeah, I just on some ovens and some dishwashers and some steamers, you know, hang out lunch ladies all day.

Expectation wise if you want to perform better because this is your home race? There’s extra incentive to do well here, right?
Well, my first goal tomorrow is to qualify. And then throw the biggest oppo [whip] off of the Big Gulp on the sight lap. And then I'm just gonna use all the fans that will be out there probably on the wrong side of the fence to give her the good towel wave [hand gestures a towel wave] and the “Let's go CG!” and I'm gonna use that to hopefully propel me to a top 20 tomorrow. I'd really like to do it. It's got to get a good start. I know this start like the back of my hand and, yeah, I'm ready to go, dude. It should be a good weekend.

Watch the full press day Budds Creek National preview video below:

Justin Rodbell | 450 Class

Racer X Online: Home race this weekend. You’re on the event T-shirt with Cody and Max. Talk us through this “home” race and everything that comes with it.
Justin Rodbell: Yeah, man, it's cool. You hit MotoTees up, fresh T’s. Pretty bad ass to be on a T-shirt at Moto Tees. As a little kid, we're always buying that shit. So that's G. But it's cool to just be back at buds, man. I, obviously, I'm not anywhere near where I need to be like fitness wise, dirt bike riding wise. I've been off the bike for like eight out of nine months. I've been on the bike for like a month before this, so just pumped to be here. That's a big thing. Just riding my way back into it into shape, which sucks. Obviously, it's the worst way to go about it, but we're getting there slowly but surely it would be nice to get a start moto one and just be up front. Obviously, last weekend I was up front in the first moto, but I fell three times. I just got a little flustered first race back. So, so I'm just pumped to be out here. Fricken Budds Creek, home race, man. I slept at home last night, I live 30 minutes from here. So, it's just dope to be here. All the locals are out here. We're about to have some fun. Get upside down at press day.

Any you mentioned the injury. That sidelined you for a long time. Do you think you will feed off of the crowd cheering you on tomorrow and help give you a boost?
Yeah, well, like last year here, man, I was in such good shape. Like the biggest thing is when I ruptured my Achilles, I couldn't use my foot for three months or two months, 2.5 months. So, I wasn't able to, you know, run, I lost all the fitness I built for the past…I'd never been hurt before. So it's my first big injury on a dirt bike and it was probably one of the worst ones to do. So, it's shitty. It's part of the game. We'll just keep on plugging away and obviously supercross next year is like the big goal.

So, are you still working during the week?
Well, I don't do HVAC [heating, ventilation, and air conditioning] anymore, but I still work five days a week. I'm the trainer at South of the Border. So, what I'll do is I'll ride warm up with the kids, we'll teach a section, I'll do the moto and then we'll teach a section. But I'm a teacher throughout the day. I do my motos. It's a lot of work, man. I'm probably burning, like when I teach and ride, I'm burning like 5,000 calories a day. Because I'm out there in the heat walking around, you know, teaching them everything. But dude, I love it. It's dirt bikes. You can't complain to ride a dirt bike every day and get paid. So, shout out South of the Border.

Anything else you’d like to add?
No man, just happy to be here. Finally, it's been a long year sitting on the motherf****** couch! 

Max Sanford | 250 Class

Racer X Online: Max, like you mentioned growing up close to here. Talk about that.
Max Sanford: So I grew up about an hour from this track, but this is my closest track, you know, being in the Maryland area. But, you know, it feels like I've done thousands of laps at this track. A ton of different races. I've ridden it in a ton of different conditions. So I grew up watching Tony Archer and local pros around. So it's good to come back here. I feel comfortable, get to sleep at home, feel comfortable in the track and it should be a good weekend.

Okay we’ve gotta ask about being on the an T-shirt. How awesome is that?
Absolutely. It's amazing that we're on a T-shirt and we're actually parked next to each other in the back. But just all of us, we grew up racing together, riding together, Rodbell and I here during the week at the end of the day…it's really cool to have that for us. And then also the fans, like I said, growing up, always following local pros, I feel like that gives a little bit for the kids to look up to.