How’s it going? It’s going good.

How’s Bach Racing Enterprises going?  It’s going good also. Insanely busy this year but so far so good, and it’s been a lot of fun which is really what matters to me right now.

It seems that the privateer life is working for you this year, why is that?  Privateer life isn’t glamorous at all. It’s a lot of hard work and a lot of stress, but when you do well you know exactly why. And that’s cool to me. I’m just having fun racing right now and I think that’s the biggest reason why it’s “working.”

Last year you had some troubles, with parting ways with Beta and trying to find funds to continue to race, it seems that this year is just easier.  What’s different?   This year really isn’t any easier. I’m buying my bikes, buying a lot of parts, I have no salary, I don’t have a big parts budget, and I’m literally racing for purse money. No mechanic. I work on both of my bikes, train, and travel solo.  Cookie is my GNCC race weekend mechanic and helps with fuel, goggles, and going over my bike prep.

In many ways it’s tougher, but the results are coming in and we are having a blast doing it!! Funny how people look at stuff in our industry…  When you are struggling everyone likes to sit on the far end of the fence and seems to have a million answers and comments to cut you down, but when you put in good results they all just overlook the hard work being put in behind the scenes.  Kind of frustrating, but I’ve come to like the adversity. I just use it to fill up the “hate tank”, and when I need that extra motivation in the last hour of a GNCC it’s there and ready.

Where has your new found confidence come from?  It really comes from simplifying things. I don’t have an entourage. I don’t have cameras. I have 2 bikes, almost no spare parts, and Cookie who helps me at the races and my dog. That’s it. We put in 100%, and if we have it, we’re competitive, and if we don’t, then we just don’t. But we bring 100% of what we have to every race, and I’m leaving it all on the track every round. I don’t go home with any “I wish I did this or that, or made that pass or took that line”. If I give 100% and leave it all out there, I leave happy, and I think being content with myself breeds that confidence in my riding.

How is BRE associated with KR4 Performance?  It’s a unique deal. I obviously decided to take a different approach to my racing program this year, and KR4 was doing a new unique approach as well with the AnR program. I thought their program and idea was awesome. The Arrive n Ride deal gives “up and comers” a great opportunity to competitively chase their dream with access to the proper resources and guidance to make that happen. I thought it was a great model, and wanted to be a part of it and promote that program.  So we put together a deal to promote AnR and do something different to try and keep our sport growing.

I’ve noticed different Shroud sponsors for different races explain what’s going with that?  So is it like some NASCAR teams that run a sponsor for a couple of races and then have another one?  Yep, exactly. Our industry is tough. Really tough. There are 4 guys maybe that are making enough money to not live at home with their parents, and probably some of them aren’t making enough to pad their savings accounts. I have personal goals I want to reach; and I needed to find a way to go racing so I could achieve those goals. I looked outside the box, and found a great fit for the sponsors who have been with me for a long time, and it worked out great for everyone. It’s about maximizing exposure for the amount of money sponsors can afford to invest. Sure people would love to drop $50k on a program, but reality is 98% of them can’t. No matter how much they wanted to, so this was a great alternative.

Who would you like to thank for making this year possible?  Everyone involved. Like I said this isn’t a big operation. It’s me and a few really great sponsors that have become very close friends over the years. Dale Cooke, Ben Weathers, Bart Hayes, Alan, and Aaron all at the RidePG/WP RACING USA compound are the guys who keep this traveling show on the road.  I can’t thank them enough, really. Scott Miller at Carolina KTM, KR4, Maxxis, FLY, 100%, Sidi, FMF, DP brakes, Clockwork, Dirttricks, Nytro, Trek Bikes, Concept2 Indoor Rowers.  And I can’t forget my 4-wheeled good buddies Johnny G and Walker Fowler for being out on the track every Sunday; and #1, even though he’s too cool for school on Sunday and doesn’t stick around to watch the bike race.

The post Chris Bach: The Man Finding His “A” Game appeared first on Offroad Viking.

So you’ve bought your son/daughter a new bike along with new hand guards, skid plate, bars, graphics, pipe guard, silencer, trick Rekluse clutch, and all the bling.  Your child’s bike is one of the trickest bikes on the starting line (your opinion).  This weekend, you take your child to a local race and when you get there, you realize the race is an absolute mud fest.  After the first lap, Johnny’s goggles have been covered with mud, he takes off his goggles so he can see, and by the end he is complaining of mud in his eyes. Craaaappppp….What’d you forget? 

At this past weekend’s ECEA hare scramble in Shamokin, PA, I witnessed this situation first hand with multiple kids and even adults.  It had rained for 24 hours prior to the race and continued to rain throughout the event itself.  I was amazed at the number of kids without goggles after the first lap and was even amazed at the number of kids without tear-offs or roll-offs.  What’s my point?….

Before you buy your kid’s next trick part for his bike or even the first, invest in a pair of roll-offs or a packet of tear-offs because your kid’s safety is the most important thing.  Personally, I like the EKS roll-off goggles.  You can buy any of their goggles which all have the same lenses and then add the EKS Zip-off system (and they look awesome!).  With this, you can buy one pair of goggles, run a regular lense with tear-offs or if it’s muddy, pop out the lense and put in the zip-off system. With EKS, you can do this for close to $70 and be able to face any of the extreme conditions. Before you buy that next part for the bike, think about investing in a pair of goggles that can face any condition!

My EKS Zip-off goggle system with Fly helmet

That wraps up this month’s article on clear vision! If you have an idea for an upcoming topic, please email zack@offroadviking.com.

The post Clear Vision appeared first on Offroad Viking.

“The Hard Way” – DirtWise Schools/KTM-Parts.com/Maxxis team racer Jason Thomas reached the top the hard way. Enjoy as he tells of the life defining moments during his inspiring journey from growing up in the mud bogs of the Dyfi forest in Wales, England to now defending the GNCC Pro XC2 Championship that he won in 2012.

Hi everyone, back again with another blog. It doesn’t seem like much time has passed since I last checked in, but a lot has happened.

Last time I told you a little about going riding with KR557, but I’m sure everyone would really like to know more about that (bad luck if you don’t because I’m about to write about it!) so here’s a little insight. I arrived at KR’s house around noon not really knowing what to expect as far as the track. It had rained a little but nothing crazy. KR lives in a pretty small house but is surrounded by his wife’s family who have some land. First off  we checked out an Endurocross track they have been working on down there. It’s not yet complete but looks like it should be sick when it is. Endurocross doesn’t really strike me as KR’s thing but he seemed pretty excited about getting it finished which is good. I personally think he would do good at Endurocross and no doubt it will round his game off even more.

Next up we hit the woods loop behind his house. Now I know in the past people have questioned what Kailub does during the week….. I can confirm he has been out pounding lap after lap around his loop. Well, at least that’s what it looked like. This wasn’t some wide open easy woods/moto loop either. It was tight in spots, like wiggle the bars tight! The ruts are foot peg deep, the roots are exposed everywhere, it’s a chopped out, beat up, no-fun-what-so-ever loop!!!

It’s no surprise at all to me that KR has upped his game. He’s doing what he needs to I’m sure of that, and a XC1 championship will follow soon. I got a flat front tire on our 2nd moto, and to be honest I didn’t feel safe out there anyway even before the flat, ha! It’s always hard initially to hit someone else’s loop – you want to go as fast as them, but they know every inch of the track and pushing to keep up in that situation will get you hurt I have learned.

Anyway enough about that, other things I have been up to include my first DirtWise school (without the boss, ha!). At this point in the year I can’t tell everyone how happy I am with the way my year is working out.

Actually I have been involved with instructing off road schools with many different people over the years, and this is really how I first got into off road. I was doing a moto-duro race one weekend (2 x one hour woods motos, a lot like the JDay races in the US now) as there was a break in my motocross schedule. Jezz and I showed up at the track with the shiny hand built TM machine I was riding at the time and lined up ready to rip. Unfortunately the bike locked up on the line….. ha, you gotta love it!!! Anyway as they say when one door closes, another one opens. Some random guy shouts over to us, “Ay mate, you can ride my Husaberg if ya want!”. I’m not really a person who cares what I ride, as long as I can ride, so I said, “Fire it up mate….”. The ‘berg was not a KTM with blue plastics back then, they were their own bike and were only big four bangers. This one was a 520 or something like that!

What a beast of a bike! I loved the thing!!! Most people look at me and think I’m a little bike kind of guy, but I can promise you I can’t wait to get on a 450 in the future. I love them and I’m a much smoother rider on one. Anyway, I battled all moto with a rider on a KTM. This other guy had awesome style and really smooth lines. I came out to find after the race that the rider was a guy called Ady Smith. Ady was a multi-time British Enduro champion and ran the offroad schools for KTM in the UK.

We got talking and I started working for him a week later. Working with Ady and doing schools really elevated me to a top level in off road very fast. Ady knew his stuff with bike setup, and doing the schools was a very good way for me to practice the same drills over and over, ultimately becoming very good at them and quickly piecing them together on the trail and getting fast.

Over the years I have just gotten into the habit of doing laps and found myself at times struggling at the races. Now that I’m instructing for DirtWise I’m able to help and instruct others while at the same time reinforce the skills in my own head.

My first DirtWise school went fantastic and the group of students were a pleasure to instruct! I can’t wait for my next one, which will be pretty much every weekend there isn’t a GNCC race.

Like I said I couldn’t be happier with my overall year so far. I mean, sure I have had a few bad races but that’s racing. I know the reasons for those poor results and I fixed them fast. Being happy is very important, because when I’m happy I’m confident, and confidence is hard to beat. That showed this past race. I spent every day out on the most demanding loop I could put together, but every day I also finished off riding the funnest one I could ride. I got to the race itching to get going!

The fact it was a mudder really didn’t matter to me, it only helped because pretty much everyone else was complaining about the conditions! The conditions were the same for everyone, unlike the bikes we ride, ha! Hearing some of the crap people were saying only made me more confident I was going to have a great day. Not long after the start I went straight to the Overall race lead, but then a crash completely took out my front brakes on lap two (broke the front brake line!). Ultimately it didn’t matter though as I had more fun on Sunday than I have since…. I don’t even remember.

While I’m talking about this latest race I want to say well done to the GNCC crew on an excellent job. People bitching and saying the race shouldn’t have ran and that “my bike got ruined” should have checked the Weather channel. I knew it was going to be a mudder on Wednesday, and already had my bike waterproofed before I left home. If you didn’t want to get muddy you should have stayed home and watched basketball. The races should run rain or shine. That’s what makes it the best off road series in the world. The champions will be the best all round riders, and I don’t agree with the races being cut to 2 hours either. The track was not unrideable and I felt it was actually getting better the longer the race went on. I hope the next 6 races are the same!!! However though, how about we cut the races that are held in 90 degree and above weather (with the excessively higher humidity here on the east coast)??? They pose an overall bigger threat to each rider’s health than any mud ever will.

One final thing, my former team mate, good friend, and fellow XC2 racer Mark Heresco busted his femur on the same tree that busted my brake brake. Unfortunately he was left stranded at the hospital following his surgery, with limited funds or means to get home, and ways to support himself in the immediate future with income. Therefore I’m going to raffling off one of my signed Fly Racing commemorative 2012 Championship winning #1 jerseys to help raise some much needed funds for my mate.

To have the opportunity to win this piece of sporting history use the following link below to either buy one ticket for $5 or 3 tickets for $10.

http://www.shanewatts.com/catalog/20/all

The raffle will conclude at 1pm on Monday, May 13, and be drawn immediately. All of the money raised will be forwarded to Heresco, and the jersey will be mailed to the lucky winner.

Heresco is a hard working privateer currently living paycheck to paycheck while trying to fulfill his aspirations of being a Pro Offroad racer. Beings laid up with a broke femur and not being able to work means the next few weeks will be very financially difficult for this likable young racer as he heals.

Until next time,

Believe in yourself and trust everything happens for a reason.

Boom, boom, POW

U

K

Jason Thomas is supported by DirtWise Riding schools and Instructional DVDs, KTM-Parts.com and www.AOMC.mx, Maxxis tires, KLiM Technical Riding gear, Smith goggles, Lazydays RV, Stuk Graphics, Enduro Spec suspension tuning, DirtTricks sprockets and brake rotors, Flexx Handlebars, Leatt products, G2 handguards and throttle tubes, Rescue Pegs, BatteryStuff.com, Motorex Lubricants, IMS fuel tanks and footpegs, FMF exhausts, TCX boots, Asterisk knee braces, DP brake pads and clutch plates, TM Designworks chain guides, and KTMTalk.com

The post Jason Thomas “The Hard Way” – May 9, 2013 appeared first on Offroad Viking.

Jen Kenyon, Max Gerston and Zack Nolan live on Seat Time

May 7th – As the haze from Vegas is lifted and the mud from Kentucky is washed away, many of us are looking to hear from the riders about their adventures and experiences. Max Gerston and Zack Nolan will help shed some light on their endeavors at their respective races and though Jen Kenyon did not race, she held a microphone steady the whole weekend in Park City, Kentucky. She helps keep the GNCC Live webcast going with her commentary and consistent motivation, we look forward to sharing that enthusiasm with her on the show.

Join us live this evening at 8pm CST to listen to all the commentary, stories and shenanigans. We have a chat room too for everyone to join in on the questions and good times. We look forward to Episode 83 and chatting it up with Jen, Max and Zack.

Show  Link: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/seat-time-a-pint-full-of-awesome

Please support our great sponsors.
FLY Racing : Casual wear, moto gear and supporter of the awesome.
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The post Jen Kenyon, Max Gerston and Zack Nolan live on Seat Time appeared first on Offroad Viking.

“The Hard Way” – DirtWise Schools/KTM-Parts.com/Maxxis team racer Jason Thomas reached the top the hard way. Enjoy as he tells of the life defining moments during his inspiring journey from growing up in the mud bogs of the Dyfi forest in Wales, England to now defending the GNCC Pro XC2 Championship that he won in 2012.

Hey guys and girls, I’m back at it with another blog. By now everyone has probably seen the results from Round 4 of the GNCC. The race didn’t go well at all – in fact it was a total disaster but I’m confident after testing this week I have pin pointed a few problems, and I will be pushing hard for a win at Round 5. The GNCC series now heads into tracks that need a little more than brain removal in order to win and I’m excited about that!

Leading up to the last round I was staying in NC with the Watts family, and while I was there Carrie and Shane were busy setting up a 5k “Tough Mudder” style race as a fund raiser for the school their kids go to. I had a few rest days in my schedule so I went down to the woods to help Wattsy out. Always enthusiastic, and doing things 100% right, Wattsy had a loop set up with all kinds of fantastic, challenging obstacles. It was fun to help him set things up, and it was very similar to setting up an extreme off road event. The loop had mud bogs, log crossings, slip and slides, and much more good stuff! Shane and I got to run a hot lap on the track mid week when it was warm and it was a blast. With the GNCC race being close by on Sunday my wife Laci and I decided we would run the Mudder on the Saturday. In the morning it was a little chilly but the little kids loved doing the mini-Mudder. I got to encourage them at the ice bath and assist them up and over the wall, every one of them having a go at it with a smile. It was awesome to help out and be involved.

Come the afternoon it was the adults turn to have a crack at the 5k. Laci and I started at the back and it soon became clear why I had to encourage the kids into the ice bath, ha, ha! Getting wet and then covered in mud and then ice water was awesome until we had to slow down and stop for other people to clear the obstacles. With my race being on Sunday, and the coldness getting into the many pins in my body, I was really starting to hurt, especially my hands (9 screws!). I kept going and then my prayers were answered when the wife clipped a log and launched right into the slop face first, ha, ha…. I had to giggle and her reply was WE ARE DONE!! And that was that – 2k’s in and we were then walking back to the car with our bottom lip dragging. I was really looking forward to the event but my body told my brain no more. I must be getting old?!?

After a shower I wanted to show some support to the other competitors so we returned to watch the end of the event. Last man across the line was Wattsy and I take my hat off to him. He was out there all week, and then all day in the freezing cold helping and encouraging others, while Carrie coordinated everything else, right there alongside. Seeing how much effort and passion they put into everything they do really makes me want to better myself. Well done guys, fantastic job!

Being in the NC area I started thinking of faster guys to ride with and who better than Kailub Russell. Now some people may think, whaaaaaat? KR557 and I raced each other for the GNCC XC2 Pro Championship a few years back, and at times things got pretty heated. One day at Unadilla it boiled over when KR decided to clean my clock at the end of a 3 hour battle just a few turns from the finish line. I ended up in the fence with a sore leg, so about 30 seconds later after I had followed KR across the line I swooped him one around the head, ha, ha. Anyway, since then we have forgotten the past and left it behind us. Kailub has grown up a lot, and really come out of his shell, so I texted him to see if he was riding. He told me when and where and it was on.

On my way to Kailub’s I passed the track where my Pro career really started at – Yadkinville. Being there really bought back some memories.

In 2006 I came to compete in my first year of racing in America, and I raced the OMA series where I finished 3rd in the Championship. Even though I had a pretty good year results wise, being away from home for the first time was very hard. I didn’t like the food, I didn’t have friends, and I was living on the road but really had no idea what the road even was or where I was. Come the end of the season I parked my motor home at my friend Tim’s house and set off for the airport. Back then I was here on a Tourist visa which is only good for 90 days, and seeing as I wasn’t making any money I had no reason to change. The day I was scheduled to fly home was the 90th day of my visa. Now anyone who knows visas knows what’s coming next…… If you over stay a visa in the US its bad news.

Sitting at the airport, a major storm started to roll in……. Within an hour every flight out was cancelled! This meant I would over stay my visa. The following day I was able to fly home, but with me having over stayed my dad had already started working on fixing the problem. When I landed I had an appointment at the US Embassy in London. Now, I really didn’t understand the visa thing back then, and to be honest I had no interest in returning to America. Maybe the US Embassy immigration officer could sense this, or maybe it was just not meant to be, but I was told I would never be allowed back in to America. As soon as I was told that a fire started deep down inside me. I had done nothing wrong, and that really bugged me. As the months went on my desire to want to race and win in the US grew. It wasn’t that I wanted to live here, it was that I was winning everything in the UK cross country scene and I knew I could win at the GNCC.

Every weekend I raced and every night of the week my mates and I would crush the club scene, burning the candle at both ends. That year I got to live my youth and hone my skills, but I had also developed one goal and that was to get back and win a GNCC. I had an attorney working on my issues and had about $10,000 into it when the guy went MIA. At that point I was crushed, it seemed like everything was against me. People were telling me to forget about it and move on but I would not listen. I told myself that anything worth doing wasn’t going to be easy! I did some research and figured out Canada had some XC races, so I emailed some shops and the promoter but got no reply. The races started in March so I booked a ticket to Calgary, Canada, and the next day I asked my dad if he could drive the camper up to Calgary and he would fly back to England. I would figure out the rest from there. Most people would simply say no at that point to my request, but old “Jezzabulb” knows when I say I’m doing something you had better get on the train because it’s about to be a crazy ride. And crazy doesn’t come close…….. As agreed, Jez was waiting in the airport when I got off, the only thing was that he had a very worrying look on his face. “Have you got a coat?”, he says. “Yeah, why?”, I reply. “You’re gonna need it!”

Some of you may have been to Calgary in March, but this guy, not so much. The snow was so deep you couldn’t walk, and the wind so cold it would freeze your snot. I had never seen anything like it. Jezza was booked to fly home in just a few days but seeing as we were so close we headed up to Lake Louise. To say it was breathtaking is an understatement! Getting to see that with my old man was amazing. The lake was frozen so we got to walk on it and take a happy snap.

We talked about how hard it was going to be trying to stay alive in the camper. I didn’t have the money to stay in a hotel, and I didn’t know anyone, and my dad had to return to the UK. We headed into the town where one of the dealers I had emailed was, Leathbridge Honda. We walked in and I asked for Alf. A big guy voice calls us into the office and tells us to sit down. “Are you crazy?”, Alf says. “No Alf, I told you I was coming. I’m here, and I’m looking for some support.” The dealership sold KTM’s, and I already had my own 200, so Alf agreed to talk to KTM. After that it was off to find another attorney, one that I could find if he decided to do a bunk. When we walked in we were greeted by a very nice young lady and asked to wait. While we sat there, Jezza, who could strike up a conversation with anyone, started to chat with the girl and tell the story so far. The girl’s name was Jess and she gave me her number in case I needed anything…..

We met with the attorney who was confident he could fix the problem but it would take some time. After leaving I remembered something someone once told me and decided to act. I text Jess. “Jess, it’s Jason. There is something I really need….”. Jess replied, “Hi Jason, yes, anything I can help with?”

“I really need a hug……”

Ha, ha, long story short I never had to spend a night in my camper, and I moved in with Jess that night! Dad left for the UK and I was able to work on a cattle ranch welding pens for a few months. Alf came to the first national race, where I lapped everyone and the next day I got a $2000 parts budget from KTM Canada. KTM also flew me to compete in a 12 hour race on the east coast and after winning that it opened up a door. I’ll talk about that one another day.

Anyway, I finally got my visa a few months after that, and the following weekend was the Yadkinville GNCC. My best friend flew in, and I cashed in my $2000 budget as I never used any parts when racing, and off we set for USA. That’s the last time I saw Jess, and the people I met in Canada. We drove non stop to the GNCC, eating McDonald’s and drinking pop all the way. When we arrived some of the people I had met before the previous visa issue were shocked to see me, one person in particular being Fred Andrews. You see, I needed to be on a team for one kind of visa to get into the US, and Fred’s team looked very professional, and my dad had already driven to see Fred before he even originally drove up to Calgary. Fred told him there was no room on the team and my dad left. So 3 months later when I showed up it was a surprise, but the best was to come.

The only bike I had other than my 200, which I couldn’t race in XC2, was a 250XCF that belonged to my mate Ricky. Ricky was from England but got a good deal on the bike from my mate Tim at FunMart. I had picked it up for him and had intended on keeping it safe and ready for when he wanted to fly in and race it. Another friend of mine was at the GNCC, Dave the Rave. Dave has helped me in the pits from day one here in America and Yadkinville was no different. The night before the race Dave gave Ricky and I the low down on who was ripping and who would run up front. I told Dave, “It’s not going to matter David, I’m going to wax them!” Sure now, I was pretty cocky, but I had been kicked to the bottom and crawled back up via Canada, and I was mentally stronger than anyone and I knew it. My best mate Ricky was on the pit board, and Dave on the gas can! I don’t remember much about the race, except on the last lap Ricky put on the board, “4 JEZZ…”. I waxed everyone on a bike straight off the dealership floor, against bikes with every trick bit that money could buy. I did it because I told myself I couldn’t be beat, and because my dad supported my crazy dream. I did it, 4 JEZZ!!!

And that was all it took. Fred Andrews signed me the following week and I spent 4 years under him, and I did finally win a championship ironically though back on the same brand that I first won on. It was a stock bike, with Dave on gas, and Jezza in my heart! Ricky, Dave, and Jezz were all there at the race when I finally won the XC2 championship, along with the newest member, and now most important part of the team, my wife Laci.

I hope you enjoyed this read and have a little understanding of “The Hard Way”

Until next time, believe in yourself and trust everything happens for a reason.

Boom, boom, POW

U

K

Jason Thomas is supported by DirtWise Riding schools and Instructional DVDs, KTM-Parts.com and www.AOMC.mx, Maxxis tires, KLiM Technical Riding gear, Smith goggles, Lazydays RV, Stuk Graphics, Enduro Spec suspension tuning, DirtTricks sprockets and brake rotors, Flexx Handlebars, Leatt products, G2 handguards and throttle tubes, Rescue Pegs, BatteryStuff.com, Motorex Lubricants, IMS fuel tanks and footpegs, FMF exhausts, TCX boots, Asterisk knee braces, DP brake pads and clutch plates, TM Designworks chain guides, and KTMTalk.com

The post “The Hard Way” – Jason Thomas appeared first on Offroad Viking.

KR4 Arrive-N-Ride News

Hello GNCC Racers & Fans,

Well another GNCC in the history books! The “BIG BUCK” GNCC was a great success for the KR4 Arrive-N-Ride Team and hats off to the entire GNCC crew for a great race. Well, at least we made it there safe and sound as Billy Beam didn’t take anything out on the way to the track! Our new 48 foot race rig likes to hit things along the way! I even made it out of the compound without hitting anything either as last week I took out the Governor’s Circle in my driveway when trying to miss running over a soccer ball. The 8 hour trip went pretty fast, we traveled by night, straight to the nearest Wal-Mart and camped for the night. Nothing like shopping at Wal-Mart at 2:00 am, wow the sites you see!!! People of Wal-Mart get their best photos at 2:00 am I’m sure of it because it was like night of the living dead. Up early and off to the track, once again welcomed to a prime spot, probably the best spot this year! Thank you Dean! I have to say our set up time was epic once again as it seems like we get faster setting up each race. Thanks to everyone that stopped by our pits for some great dialog about KR4 and getting their favorite action poster. The KR4 Gym was a great hit this race and everyone took advantage of the awesome new equipment trackside. Nothing like warming up before the race!

Chris Bach & Luke Parsons

Sunday was a great day for Racing! The stacked youth AM bike race started bright & early as usual 8:00 am. KR4 riders Brian Keegan, Brandon Keegan and Conner Keegan had a great race and continue to improve each week. Learning each week about commitment to training and riding and less Xbox! Conner is really turning the wheels off his KR4 107 machine and is on the verge of breaking leader board speed each week.

Conner Keegan

XC2 Pro, Mark Heresco didn’t have such a great day as his day ended about 2 miles off the start after having electrical issues right off the start. XC1 Pro, Chris Bach had another solid ride and missed another spot on the box by 15 seconds behind Thad Devol. Chris is really showing everyone that he defiantly (no sic as defiantly is the word!) has what it takes to win races and get up on the box. AnR rider Ben & Luke Parsons had a solid ride as well. Ben finishing 2nd in the 250B class and now leads the standings in that class & brother Luke winding up 7th in 4 stroke lites A. The rest of the Arrive-N-Ride team finished as followed;
Colin Keegan – 11th 250 B
Karlynn Beam – 12th Women Pro
Jeremy Randolph – 14th Open B
Brandon Keegan – 14th 85 (12-13)
Brian Keegan – 13th 65 (10-11)
Brian Stanis – 15th Super Vet C (35+)
This week we prep and get ready for this weekend’s GNCC at Mammoth Cave in Kentucky. Everyone is excited about Saturday’s Kickball Picnic, hope everyone has a great week, travel safe and stop by to meet the KR4 Krew.
Roost On!
Frank Keegan
President
KR4 Performance
Arrive & Ride with us!

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The post Zack Ponder Race Report: GNCC Round 4 Big Buck appeared first on Offroad Viking.

Rider: Paul Whibley

Team: AmPro Yamaha

Bike: Yamaha YZ450 F

Result: 5th

5th place was not what I was hoping for from round 4 at Big Buck in South Carolina. It’s not that 5th is a terrible result, but once you win races and championships you come to have higher expectations from yourself.

The race started out well, taking the All Balls hole shot again and pushing out the streak to 17 in a row. I often get asked who does our motors and how I get so many good starts. Well our motors are pretty special; they come straight from Japan, from the Yamaha factory, off a production line and are fitted in an YZ 450f, the same ones you can buy. The only secrets to getting a good start comes in the quality components the Am Pro Yamaha team fits to the bike from our supporters. They all play their part in maximising the performance of the solid platform that we start with. It’s kinda like that song, “the knee bone is connected to the shin bone…” For us it’s, the Works Connection Holeshot device holds down the Factory Connection suspension, The FC suspension is held in line by the Ride eng clamps, the Ride clamps are mated to the Pro Taper bars, The Pro Taper bars hold the G2 throttle, the G2 throttle works with the Vortex Ig to control the power from a Wiseco piston, the Wiseco piston sends power threw the Rukluse clutch. The Rekluse clutch meters the power to the GYTR sprockets. The GYTR sprockets drive the DID chain to turn the Kenda tire. The Kenda’s finds maximum traction, Maximum traction = HOLESHOT.

After the start I rode a little tight with my modified grip from an injured paw causing a little arm pump. I rode a lonely race in 4th until just before the last lap. Chris Bach caught up and went by me when we stopped for our second fuel stop and dropped me to 5th.

1st: Charlie Mullins

2nd: Kailub Russell

3rd: Thad Duvall

Pic thanks to Brian Elliott

The post Paul Whibley Race Report: GNCC Rnd 4 Big Buck SC appeared first on Offroad Viking.

How did you get into racing?  My dad owns a KTM dealership, and used to race when he was younger, so I guess it just runs in the family.

How long have you been racing?  I have been racing since I was 6 years old. We started out doing the district 17 hare scrambles, and then moved on to the OMA series where I won a title in supermini 12-15 in 2010, and the Women’s class in 2011.  We dabbled in motocross for a year, and actually ended up making it to Loretta’s in 2010 (in the girls class when I was 14), but decided to focus on woods since jumps and I have never really gotten along (mutual distrust).  I rode my first Endurocross in Indy that year too.  I was on a supermini, and rode in the trials class, and also rode it the following year.  In 2011, I was invited to race in the women’s invitational race in Vegas, where I finished 3rd. I finished 5th in the series last year, was 6th in X-Games LA, and had another podium in Vegas. Additionally, I have ridden GNCC’s the last 2 years, finishing 6th in the series. I was also 2nd in National Enduro’s.  Lastly, I rode the ISDE (international six days enduro) last year in Germany on the Women’s world trophy team for the U.S.   

What has been your biggest accomplishment in your career so far? I’ve done a lot of cool stuff, but I reached one of my major goals this year when I signed with an actual team this year. (Obermeyer Yamaha/ Raines Riding University/ Offroadviking.com)

I heard you have something cool coming up this week. What is it and tell me about it?  This year the X-Games franchise was expanded to include 3 rounds overseas.  One is in Brazil, one in Munich, and one in Barcelona. I was one of 12 women invited to race the round in Brazil. (I am only an alternate for the other two) The full list of riders has not been given to me yet, but here are  the ones that I know are going: Maria Forsberg, Kacy Martinez, Louise Forsley (rides endurocross and trials-silver medal in 2012, 2nd in series) Chantelle Bykirk (bronze medalist, 3rd in series) and Tarah Geiger. The race takes place in Foz do Iguaca, Brazil.  It will be televised live on ESPN. Endurocross is supposed to start at 8:00pm with men’s qualifying, then the women’s main event at 9:00, then the men’s main event at 9 :15.

Wht are your expectations for the x-games?  My goal is to medal, and getting on the podium would be a dream come true. But considering my competition, finishing top 5 would be pretty good.

 How has your 2013 season gone so far?  I’m 2nd in the National Enduro’s right now (after getting first win of the season), and I think I’m around 6th or 7th in GNCCs.  I’ve had kind of a mixed bag so far, my races have either been really great or absolutely terrible.  Not much middle ground. But overall, it’s not been bad.  On the bright side, my last race was horrible, so I should be due for a good one! (Laughter)

What do you like to do in your free time?  Well, I’m a member of my high school Track and Field team; my main event is the pole vault. I’m pretty good at that, I finished 4th in the indoor state meet with a height of 11-6, and I’m 3 inches from breaking our school record of 11-9, set by a later NCAA national champion, Kylie Hutson.  She is a professional vaulter who only missed qualifying for the London Olympics by one position. So between that, school, and racing I don’t have a lot of spare time. But I enjoy reading, snowboarding (but I’m not very good, and we don’t get much snow in Indiana), and riding my unicycle.

Who wouldd you like to thank for making this year possible?  First off I would like to thank my family, especially my parents for making this all possible for me. If they hadn’t put as much into it as they have, I’d still be back racing in district 17 someplace. I would like to thank a couple of other people as well, Keith Obermeyer, Jason Raines, Gary Ellis, Brian Larson, the administration/Faculty of Terre Haute North High School who have always been very accommodating about the amount of school I have had to miss over the last couple years.  I would especially like to thank my mechanic Kevin Striegel, who has put in a massive amount of time working on my bikes, from the time I was on 85s. Lastly, I would like to thank all of my team sponsors, Obermeyer Yamaha, Raines riding university, Offroadviking, AmPro Yamaha, Fly racing, Kenda tires, X-Brand goggle, Sunstar, Rekluse, Unabiker, FMF, Enduro Engineering, HBD graphics, SBS brakes, GYTR, Factory Connection, IMS, CV4, and TM designworks, as well as my personal sponsers, Arai Helmets, Sidi Boots, VP Racing Fuels and Black Dog racing.

Photo by Brehob

The post Rachel Gutish: Having Fun in Brazil appeared first on Offroad Viking.

I’ll start by briefing on the SSR Winter Program and how concluded. I spent a great deal of time planning out this past winter’s training season and set up a program to take three riders down with me. I quickly had three riders signed up for it and we worked out all the details and everything was a go! When December 26 came around three of the four of us, as planned, headed down while the fourth member was waiting on a late “OK” from his school. Unfortunately he found out that he was unable to attend the program because of schooling requirements. It was a big bummer to the rider, his family, and the SSR program but we all moved on and stayed positive.

The three of us (Alex Witkowski, Derek Gasper, and I) arrived at Thundercross MX Park on December 27th. We planned on racing the FTR in Brighton, Florida on January 6th; this would be our first race for 2013 and the SSR WP. Everything was going great for the three of us; we were having a great time and already hard at work. We were very excited to race the FTR and we had a blast in practice that morning of the race. Alex and myself got off to a good start, but Derek wasn’t so lucky and was working his way up on the first lap and took a nasty crash when he collided with another rider in his class. Derek suffered a broken femur and had to be airlifted to a hospital in Tampa. Fortunately the other rider was uninjured. Derek’s surgery also went perfect and the hospital was great! He was able to return home the following Thursday and was quickly on his way to a speedy recovery!

Alex and I were sort of shocked at first; it went from the plan of four of us to Alex and I in two weeks. Training and riding wise, everything was still right on track; however now that it was just Alex and myself, we began to suffer financially a lot. With a ton of help from the Dyess family at Thundercross MX and the Pollard family, we were able to stay down there until the middle of February. We eventually had to go home so we packed everything up and made the journey home.

After I attended the Indy Dealer Expo I left home and headed down to Florida in my van. I stopped in Georgia and stayed a few days at Paradise MX Park with Ethan Jaudas to race the National Harescramble on February 24th. I didn’t get to ride any while I was home so I was a bit anxious to get on my bike at the race, even though it was a complete mudder. Right after I pitted at the 2hr mark, my bike ended up locking up a few miles into the following lap. I wasn’t having the best race anyways given that I had been riding with a flat tire since lap 2 and bent bars on lap 3. I barely even got the bike back to the van after I took a narly wipe out being towed back to the pits by a truck. We were cruising down the road when my front tire decided to try and roll off the rim and the strap drug us into the pavement.

I was already extremely tight financially, and now my practice bike was out of commission and my race bike was in Indiana still being built. I loaded up and continued on to George Pollards house in Port St. Lucie, FL. We got the bike torn apart and it didn’t look good. I wasn’t going to have a running bike within the next two weeks until DQ brought my race bike down the Thursday before River Ranch.

My ongoing plan had been to attend the J-day race the Saturday before RR, but I was questioning the decision because my lack of bike time before the event. I decided to race the event any ways because it was still good practice and I thought it would be good for me to battle with some guys and get my nerves out. I had just over an hour on my race bike when I showed up so I was still very unfamiliar with it, but I was moderately satisfied with the day besides a last corner crash landed me with a banged up and swollen right hand.

Leading up until race day at River Ranch I had done everything I could to speed up the heeling but it was just incredibly painful and weak for Tuesday’s race. I did my best to keep going and with some positive words from the SSR Family I at least finished. After River Ranch I was extremely disappointed. I had so much momentum carrying up until weeks before round 1, I was determined not to let it affect the races out come but I didn’t succeed.

Going into round 2 in Georgia, I was ready to make it happen. I felt great and was healed up enough to put in a solid 3 hours. When the flag flew, I got off to a great jump and battled through the first few corners for the lead with Grant Baylor. I ended up making a massive costly mistake and washed the bike out in a flat watered grass corner and went down in front of 40 other XC2 riders. I managed to get away with out a scrape but my bike was pretty bent up. I bent my front brake caliper mount and it was causing my front brake to drag. I stopped and DQ tried to fix the issue, but nothing could be done. I decided to make the best of it and charged into the woods to catch my class almost a minute behind. I made my way from 40th position to inside the top 20 on the first lap and was feeling great. I was working on another hard charging 2nd lap when I took a hard crash after washing my front end out crossing over some ruts and roots. I took a bad hit and was really shaken up; I landed with all my weight on my left wrist. I got off the trail and took a second to catch my breath and evaluate my wrist before I attempted to carry-on. After I finished lap 2 I pulled into my pits and called it a race. There was no reason to continue on in the shape my bike and I were in.

I drove home after the race in Georgia and got my wrist checked out. Fortunately no damaged was done to my plate and the bone was not fractured. I had to wear a light brace and let it rest for bit and do some stretching, but the doc said it would be stiff and sore for awhile. Since the weather wasn’t good anyways and my practice bike was still not ride-able, I just worked for my dad and did as much training as I could.

My family and a bunch of the SSR family planned a trip down to Drakesboro, Kentucky for Easter weekend. I left Thursday the 28th to go down and get the campsite set up for everybody. Unfortunately it rained Thursday night, most of Friday, and all Saturday night-Sunday. I was really excited to get some riding in down there, especially since my practice bike was back together; but the rain was being a party pooper. Everything was muddy as heck and cold, but we all were itching to ride so we went out anyways. I rode a little amount late Friday and 1.5 hours Saturday, but I ended up having some bike issues mid-day Saturday that cut the day way to short. I was happy that I was finally able to put a couple hours in at least and my wrist and hand were feeling pretty well.

I came home early Sunday morning and cleaned most of the muddy mess up and prepped my race bike to ride Monday. I went down to Derek Gasper’s house to ride with him on Monday, which it was awesome to ride with him! I am so happy to see him back on a bike so soon after his broken femur. He is heeled 110% and going to race the first MAXC this coming Saturday, the 13th. My dad called Monday afternoon and needed my help for the next couple days working in Louisville. I drug Derek along because I knew it would be a tough job. We ended up both working 26 hours in two days wide-open disassembling two big offices in an old print shop that was liquidated. By the time I got home Wednesday night from work I was beat and way behind schedule to leave Thursday for North Carolina GNCC.

I woke up to pack Thursday morning knowing I had another busy day to get everything ready, but I was pleasantly surprised with a cold and I felt like crap. The plan was for me to get everything loaded so that when Whitney and DQ got home from work we could leave. I slept in for a couple hours, grabbed a bite to eat and got to work anyways. I had no other option, someone had to get everything ready and it’s part of my job, so if I wanted to go race I had to suck it up.

We departed Indy right around 8 p.m. Thursday night with our navigation set on RidePG.com’s address. They were having an open house Thursday and Friday, so I wanted to go and ride there Friday and also be there for my sponsors. I had 3 of my peewee/youth riders meeting us there as well to attend the open house and do some riding also.

I drove first, and then DQ was gong to finish the drive so I could get a little sleep to ride Friday (trooper!) I made it until 3 a.m., and then DQ took over. Whitney was passed out in the passenger seat and I quickly fell asleep in the back two seats. We had just crossed into North Carolina when DQ woke me up for a phone call just before 5 a.m. My Uncle was calling to inform me that my dad, HE’S OK, suffered a severe heart attack around 4 am and was at Saint Francis Hospital. Holly (my step-mom) being the angel she is, quickly noticed the signs and rushed dad to the hospital. He was quickly stabilized and had a splint put in. Andy told me that he was already doing better and he actually called me around 6:30. I wanted to turn around but dad and Holly both said that there’s nothing I could do and he is in great hands. They assured me that he was ok and positively encouraged me to race. Obviously they said they understood if I didn’t race and did come home; but since I was there and deserved a good race, that I should stay and do my best.

We arrived in North Wilkesboro, NC (Ridepg.com) right at 7:00 a.m. so we decided to get some breakfast. It rained all night so the open house ride day was cancelled and we needed to figure out what we were doing, staying or going home. We decided to stay and play it by ear. Dad seemed to be doing well; but I was super shook up, sick, tired, and just freaked out. We met up with the Marsh family and they allowed us to catch some sleep in their hotel room.

We hung out and rested all day till we met Bart Hayes, his wife, the Grounds family, and some other friends for dinner. We all had a great time and I was feeling a little calmed down. After dinner the three of us slept in the Marsh’s hotel room again and got a good nights rest finally. The next day was the ATV and PeeWee 50 race at Steele Creek. We spent all day at the track and I was pumped to see my 3 PeeWee racers there and have great rides! Lucas Grounds finished 2nd out of 30 riders and is leading the points! We now had 5 PeeWee/youth riders, their families, and the three of us traveling together in a group. We went to our hotel and ate dinner, then called it an early night.

I woke up feeling pretty lousy Sunday morning unfortunately before the race. I was feeling even sicker, still tired, and worrying about my dad. I decided quickly however that I made it this far I am not quitting now. Whitney and I headed to the track and started getting ready for the race. I had a terrible gate pick but I got off to a decent start. I was in a good position going down the first hill and we were all funneled in line going into a corner when Layne surprising the crap out of me stuffed me. I lost a couple positions trying to get back on track but it wasn’t a big deal, we were all close and I made them back up pretty quick. I tried to take a line that Alex Witkowski and I saw on Saturday but ended up being a goon and tipped over. I lost the same positions right back. When we all went into the mud hole it was a splashing frendzy and I don’t know if I made or lost any.

As the lap slowly moved on I started feeling extremely nauseous and ended up vomiting. Getting sick really took the wind out of my sails and I was struggling to push myself much more. I charged for a few more miles until I crashed in a field section just from the sheer fact I was unfocused. I picked myself up off the group, finished the lap, and called it a day.

On the way home Whitney and I went over everything and I did some serious evaluating. With everything that has been going on, my health, financial issues, and lack of preparation lately; I was finding it extremely hard to stay positive and happy. I decided to stop worrying about the point’s races and finishes, and focus on getting everything back on track and getting healthy. I’ve honestly pushed everything aside and focused just on racing since November when I was released from my last serious injury. I put everything into it so that I could come out this year and make up for what I knew I could last year, but it’s not always that easy. I will never give up but I need to switch my focus from racing for at least now.

I’m not sure what GNCC’s I will attend right now; I still plan on racing all the MAXC’s however. I really love teaching and helping riders progress and I am excited to be finally able to get back to doing it. Also get back to being somewhat financially stable for a 22-year-old privateer racer. It’s hard enough as it is to focus on racing, throw in supporting it yourself as well, you’re a beast and you have my full respect. Don’t misunderstand me, my family, the SSR family, and sponsors do so much to help out; if it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be here today, no where close.

Well sorry for such a long story, had a lot to get out! I love having the opportunity to be able to write this and people truly read it. It’s the stuff like this that keeps riders like me pushing day in and day out. I love what I do, everything that includes. My life is built around this industry and I am grateful for everyday. Whether I am racing, riding, training myself, training others, or just hanging out with my friends which every single one rides; it really is one big family.

I hope to see many of you at this Saturday’s MAXC and Sunday’s IXCR! I currently plan on racing both of them if I ever get over this dang cold! Either way I will be at both of them.

The post “Where in the World is Squire” – April 2013 appeared first on Offroad Viking.