The Next Day of Your Vacation

Ponca City and Loretta Lynn’s 2006
(published 8/19/2006)

2006 has been an up and down season for Honda of Houston Racing. It seems that this whole sport is one big emotional roller coaster. Just when you thought everything was going your way, you hit another uphill. Fortunately I truly enjoy the ride, so the way I see it, all those long up hills are followed by an extremely fun down hill ride. So the following is my artist rendition of the last week of July and the first week of August.

First, I will introduce the players. We have had a couple changes round here, including losing one of my best friends. Josh has gone on to be a Daddy Day Care type dad, but a new character has stepped in to take over his part in all the action. Adam Beckman, aka “the Jumper” was thrown to the wolves while being on the biggest battleground of the year. It is hard to fight off the wolves while being shot at by machine guns. But I think that Adam has stepped up and taken every shot, without the use of a net. Everybody back at the store thinks that when the race team transport leaves, we all go on vacation. I am not sure if Adam thought the same thing, but I bet he thinks different now. So everyday at 630am, I was sure to wake Adam up with same phrase,”Welcome to the next day of your vacation”.

Dave Martin, our truck driver and financial provider stayed with us a few days at Ponca. Then before I knew it, he ditched us to take a real vacation. I am sure that he was thinking about us when he flew out of the alpine slide at Snow King Resort in Wyoming. Bobby White, Arizona Cycle Park’s famed owner was with us both weeks. His son raced at Ponca and they both raced at Loretta’s. Bobby was at the first race at Loretta’s, 25 years ago. Now I am telling his age.

I am of now known as Dr. Phil/Shaun. Because all I do is take care and listen to all the personal issues with EVERYONE. I really don’t know how I came to get this position, all I can guess is that all ”Team Managers” have to deal with that.

Ok on with the story…………

When we first got to Ponca City, we could not believe the weather. The temp was hovering around 75 degrees. It was absolutely beautiful. But we knew that it would not last. We went to Wal-Mart, because that is what you do in Ponca City. That place was full of motocross kids, and we know what happens when there is a bunch of motocross kids gathered in one place. There was more messing around there than there is silicone at the Playboy Mansion.

Welcome to the next day of your vacation. Practice was good for all my guys. Sean Hackley was on rails, I really think that this kid has all the right ingredients to make a living in this sport. Ashley Fiolek continues to impress me. She has great skills, not just for a girl, not just for a deaf girl, but great skills period. Christian Craig has really stepped up his program. Jared Partridge is back from injuries that have been nagging him for almost a year. Terren O’Dell is an animal; he is going to be so happy to get off those 85’s. Vann pretty much had the track dialed and looked good.

Dave went back to Wal-Mart.

The motos were clicking off typical for Ponca. Track work every three motos and slow everything down is their motto. On Wednesday night, I was getting everything ready so that we could cook dinner. So, I get everything on the grill and it is all going according to plan. All the sudden one of the track workers was walking around warning everyone of an approaching storm. So we start taking things down that might blow off and securing everything else. All the kids that were from California and states that don’t have storms like this were watching the storm approach. They were watching so close it was like they where watching the beginner class fixin to start. I am stead fast trying to get all the food cooked, while it starts to rain. It was raining so hard, and lighting was striking everywhere. Mike Craig was freaking out, “Is there going to be a tornado, are we gonna get struck by lightning, is the rain gonna stop.” I guess it doesn’t rain like that in San Diego. Bobby was staring intently at the sky, I ask him what he was looking for and he just said,” If there is a tornado, I am driving my motorhome in it!” While it was raining, I was doing everything I could to keep the awning from filling up, which includes pushing up on the low spots so that water does not collect. As I am pushing one of the poles back straight, a big bolt of lightning strikes. I scream as loud as I could and acted like I was being hit. Mike freaked out,” SHAUN YOU OK BRO.”

Then we all started laughing. Oh yeah, I was still cooking, dang. There I am standing in ankle deep water while it is pouring rain, cooking some fresh veggies and meat. I got it all done, but no one really wanted to eat. Then the power went out, what else can happen. But being the expert level R.V. enthusiast that I am, I just pushed the little red button marked START and we had power at our trailer.

Welcome to the next day of your vacation. The motos were delayed the next day because there was no power, AND………..they don’t have a freaking bull dozer. I really do not see how they do it with out the right equipment. That is like going to the Kentucky derby on a jackass. They finally hire in an operator and got the half the track ready to go. But as they say, the races must go on.

As I said before, this whole motocross world is full of ups and downs. Hackley and Ryan Dungy had some epic battles. Hackley ended up winning two classes while Ryan got the other two. Hackley crashed once and we had problems with fuel in another moto. The whole O’Dell vs. Wharton war continues, these boys are pretty close in speed and always are at the same races. It just seems as like they are more worried about each other than racing the track. I am sure it will not end anytime soon. Terren just did not have anything work out, bike jetting problems in one, two flat tires, a crash. He called it an early week and headed to Loretta’s to regroup. Ashley destroyed the girls and was running good with the boys until it was decided to just concentrate on next week. She won two titles. Christian has a big load on his shoulders. His dad Mike was a big deal on the Pro National scene not to long ago and expects a lot from his son. His dad is crazy, but I know he loves his son and only wants the best. Some times it is the hardest to communicate with the ones that are closest to you. He ended up third in the stock class, and was top ten in the mod. Jared had some great finishes; he has not been able to judge his speed all year because he has been hurt. But he still ended up top ten in three classes. Vann just had a rough week, he just wrecked a few times and in one moto his front hub broke, things did not go his way. But he is going to be doing this a long time if that is what he chooses, so one race is not that big of a deal. But, you try telling that to a twelve year old boy.

Welcome to the next day of your vacation!

Now for the best part of the trip, we loaded everything up Saturday afternoon, drove all night, and set everything back up.

Nick Moomaw aka ‘Fly Boy’. Flew in to help out this week, he got there right after we got everything set up. It is always good to have a fresh face, even if it is his. It rejuvenates the whole crew, when some one new joins in.

Bobby comes by and borrows the golf cart. We do not see it again for 4 hours. Off to Wal-Mart, seems as though we live for that place. Trent Pugmire’s parents go with us, so that adds to the action.

This week is like a vacation to most of the motocross population. The norm is for a family to have one rider, and they limit the entries to two classes per rider. So typically everybody will have days with two motos, and most of the time get one day completely off. That is most everybody but us here at Honda of Houston Racing. We had riders in 730am motos everyday.

So, Adam my friend, welcome to the next day of your vacation.

Loretta’s is a full on pressure cooker to most everybody there. Especially, if you are expected to win. Now, I know that everybody is supposed to be expecting to win. But realistically, there is small number of riders who really have a shot at winning the class that they are entered in. The place is brutally hot. The track, while not that technical, is pretty tough. West coast riders may only get to ride in dirt like that a couple times a year. And, the industry puts a bunch of weight on that one race.

This year I had more team riders qualify for Loretta’s than any other year. Twelve, to be exact, all with good shots at winning their classes.

The golf carts were in full swing, along with pit bikes, and one lady who thought her dully, four door, Dodge pickup was a golf cart.

Our first race of the week was Wil Hahn in the 125cc prosport and he just rode awesome. He ended up winning the race with a narrow margin over Josh Hill. I was thinking that this was the way the whole week would go and was super pumped for all my riders. They all have been working very hard to get to this point and I was really hopping that it would pay off for all of them.

Of course as I said earlier, this sport is full of heart break. And it seem there is plenty of that to go around, in fact, I think that at this race. There is more sorrow than joy. Every day, as soon as the races were over, and we got everything put ready for the next day, and put away, we would head down to the creek to cool off. At this point I would really like to send a shout out to the parents that were there every day to lend us a hand. They know who they are and I really appreciate all their efforts.

Anyway, after the creek, we would enjoy some adult beverages, while cruising around and visiting a bunch of the families there. The place has grown a bunch, Mike Craig and Adam Chatfield were parked about a mile from the track, it was crazy how far they were. Coming back from their pits, we found out that the golf cart goes way faster then it supposed to when shifted into neutral while going downhill. But nobody jumped off at that speed,(not yet).

Ok, so it has been raining quite a bit here in Tennessee, making the pits look like a swamp in some places. One night Adam and I were cruising around minding our own business, when all of the sudden Adam screams,” stop! Did you see that? Now Adam is like a bug freak, I mean he is the only guy I know that uses Deep Woods Off as cologne. So, he says ”Back up, back up”. I back up the golf cart and all the sudden we see the biggest, baddest , black, spider, I mean it was bigger than a grapefruit. The next thing I know, Adam is on my lap screaming”holy crap it’s a giant spider, back up”. As we are looking at the spider, all the sudden it moves a little, and Adam is freaking out. A little laughter is heard to our right. We look over and there are two guys with a fishing pole. We started laughing uncontrollably, and drove off. Only to think about it and turned around to hide and watch how many other people they got with the fake spider. It was amazing; I would say that at least 98 percent of the people that went by got fooled. The funniest were the people that were walking. I saw one lady jump about ten feet when she saw that spider.

Welcome to the next day of your vacation!!!!

The racing continues. The 125 A class takes off and Wil is first, Sean right behind him followed closely by Jase Lewis. Ronny Jackson is in fifth. To say I am stoked would be an understatement. I was watching from the infield, and they have a rule that says you cannot cheer or otherwise make any type of signals to riders. So these guys all start at the front and I am doing everything I can to keep from jumping up and down. Then just as they finish the first lap, right in front of me, Wil falls, and Sean falls right next to him. They both slow down Jase, when he tries to go around. So there it was, the happiest lap of my life lying on the ground in front of me. The boys did great, coming through the pack after a fall like that, but there was not a mark in the win column for that race.

That night was the Karaoke contest at the best pipe in the world pits. FMF hosted the party and there was a new FMF BMX bicycle will go to the winner. We are out jacking around on the golf cart, when we come up one the big crowd around the FMF pits. Now, my six year old son, (Parker) has been entertaining all the kids at the local races lately with his rap and dance routine. So, it did not come as a surprise when I saw Vann and Parker at the front of the crowd. I worked my way to the front and asked Vann what was going on, and if Parker was going to do it. Vann said,”He wants to but he doesn’t know any of the songs”. So I go up and talk to Lil D and tell him the dilemma. He says” that is all the songs that we have for the teleprompter”. I tell him that it doesn’t matter, that he is six and can’t read anyway. So he asks me” what song does he want to do”? I tell him “Grilz”. Ok, so Parker is next! When the song starts playing, the crowd gets really into it and he is going off, dancing and raping like Nelly himself. Everybody is really digging his act, especially the kids that have seen him do this before. So, they let everybody else that was there do their songs, but at the end of the night, it was Parker that won. He did several other songs before it was all over, and there was two hundred kids chanting,” Parker, Parker”. It was one of the coolest things I have ever seen. So the next day they deliver a brand new FMF bicycle to our pits, Parker is so happy, he will not let anyone touch it.

The next day, we were enjoying the wonderful lunch provided by Engine Ice and Pro Clean. All the sudden the skies opened up, it rained so hard, they stopped the races. Now, they usually do not stop the races at Loretta’s, so you can imagine how hard it was raining. So, off to Wal-Mart for another money spending adventure. This time we needed to buy the CD grilz so that Parker can get into the talent show. The only real problem is I did not know that there were auditions. I pulled every string I could but kept hitting dead ends. Kim Hackley, (Sean’s mom) did want to use him in the fashion show, so she got him some shorts, cowboy boots, a muscle shirt, and a cowboy hat. I looked so cute. So the fashion show starts and Parker, being the ham that he is sneaks out on stage as there was other shows going on. The place went nuts right away, before you know it, he is dancing in the background. They pulled him back behind the curtain like 5 times. Then Kim comes out and has Parker bringing the girls out one by one. The whole time he is dancing, and the crowd is chanting,” go Parker, go Parker”. Then at the end of Kim’s show, she says,’OK Parker, hit it”. Then he jumps on the floor and dances and then does the worm. The crowd went nuts!

So, I gave it another shot trying to get him in the talent show. After exhausting all ends, he finally says,” daddy they aren’t gonna let me in”. I told him,” sorry buddy, maybe next year”. About that time this lady that was sitting there asked me if he wanted to be in the talent show. Of course I said,” yes he does”. Turns out it was Carrie Jo Combs, and she got him in. He was really happy, and went back stage to wait his turn. Turns out he was last. As they were on the last performer before him, he stuck his head out to see what was up. About that time a bunch of kids saw him and started getting close to the stage. Then as they were getting ready to introduce him, the whole place starts chanting,” Parker, Parker, Parker”. The announcer says,” I Guess the next performer needs no introduction”. Then Parker came out and starts his deal. The crowd was going nuts, but He was really just dancing crazy at this point. Turns out he couldn’t hear the words cause the music was too loud. He did not win, but once again he was a star. I think if they would have done it by crowd response he would have won. Next year, he is going to have to practice. Adam, Nick, Bobby and I went to the beer tent to have some adult fun type fun. So we are there for a while and Adam leaves with Justin Smith. Bobby says he needs to go so Nick and I take him back to his pit. I thought we were done for the night, but Nick reminded me that we needed to go back and get Adam. We get back and he is nowhere to be found. So we just chill for a minute. Then all the sudden Adam comes up kind of fast. I am like,”What’s up dude”? He says that as they came up to the tent a police officer asked for I.D. Adam has his, but Justin does not. So they are not going to let him in. Then Justin says something like you are just a rent a cop or something. Then before you know it Justin is face down with cuffs on him. Adam walks off as fast as he can, leaving his buddy on the ground. Turns out they let him go. So we head back to our pit, because we had another 730am moto. We are almost back to the truck when Adam jumps off of the golf cart and lands right on his face. Now, he will swear that it was all my fault because I was driving. But I just keep reminding him that he should have been holding on.

Welcome to the next day of your vacation.

Adam gets up the next day looking like he was in a fight with Oscar Delahoya. I did feel bad, and I asked him if he wanted to go with me on the golf cart to get some ice. He punched me in the stomach and says, you should have blocked that one. Touché.

The races started again and Terren won the Supermini class. Jessica got a very bad start and was being entirely to nice working here way through the pack. She ended up getting second overall.

Ashley Fiolek was battling in the last moto and ended up forth with the big girls, and she was on a 105cc bike.

Sean ended up with the fastest lap time of the week, and won the Toyota truck. Wil had some great motos, but I know he wanted to do better, and he should have. Ronny Jackson, rode awesome and all the way to the end, and ended up with a top five. Christian Craig just had a hard time, he rode well though, and I know he will do better next year. After all this was his first time to be there.

Zeb Smith had a couple crashes, but showed that he has the speed.

Trent Pugmire has the potential to do so much better than his results. He will put it together, he is the real deal. Caleb Dowell was up front, but I think the crash at Ponca slowed him down a little. Remember the name, he has skills. Brandon Mays is amazing, that kid is no quitter. This is his first year on the Honda, wait, he is another kid that will be big! Adam Chatfield was at the front of the pack all week in the pro sport classes. Everybody thought he was done, but he showed that he has the skills to get the job done. I am really proud of all our riders. Keep up the good work kids. All in all, the trip was good. Adam did a great job, he only got hurt a little, and when you are around me for a while it is tough not to get injured. I think he learned a bunch from this trip. Like don’t ride on the back of the golf cart when I am driving. But really, everybody liked him and he did a great job. Thanks Adam! Thanks to all our sponsors! Ok, till next time, keep the rubber side down. AND………… Good grief, hold on! 21

HHR 2006 season opener - It all starts again!

Published Summer 2006

This is the time of year that everybody in the amateur motocross world is preparing for one of the biggest races of the year, if not THE biggest. I know that I have been working late every night trying to get Vann’s bikes ready. And I am sure that there are literally thousands of other parents and sponsors that were doing the same. There is so much to get ready, and it seems that you will never get it all done. Cause at the same time you have to keep your rider riding and training so that he or she is ready also. If you want to do well, your whole program has to fit together pretty much perfectly.

This year, I am really excited about the Honda of Houston Race Team. Not that I haven’t been excited in the past, if you know me, you know that I usually am. It is just that, this year we have assembled a really strong team. We have had some strong riders in the past, but not the depth that we have this year. This year, our riders are a threat in every class that they are in. And they all get along very well, BIG BONUS!

So the bikes are ready, the riders are ready, the mechanics are ready, the transporters are ready, the parents are ready, the track is ready…………………………….

Let’s get er done!

As far as the track, going into Whitney this year was so much different then last year. Every year it seems we are more prepared, I guess it is the steep learning curve. The track never came with instructions, just a group of guys, (and girls) who were trying to make a difference. But every year, we pull together and make it work. Not without some mistakes, not without some arguments, not without losing some sleep. But for some reason or another we pull it off, and believe me, it is not for the great waterfall of money that is at the end of the rainbow. And when that week is over it seems as though you have hit the jackpot just because it is over.

This year we brought along Chad from the store to help with the race team and the track. Chad has never been to one of these events, but he had heard, just like everybody else, how much fun it is and how it was a vacation just being there. Every morning, I reminded Chad that this was the next day of his vacation.

I got to Whitney a week before everybody was going to start moving in. I was by myself for a couple of days before Mike got there to help me. It was so quiet, it was almost surreal. But there was a thunder in the distance as the party was about to begin.

The first night that Mike got there, we went on a four wheeler ride on the ranch. Being around three thousand acres, there are trails everywhere. Before the track and surrounding land were bought, we used to go to the track and you could just ride off on the trails. I had even done a cross country race there in the late 80’s. So, I kinda knew some of the trails, but it had been so long that we just went mostly on my superior sense of direction. Needless to say, that we went back over some of the trails a few times. We never really got lost, but we did pass by this house like twenty times. Mike was sure to point it out every time. It was so much fun that before we knew it, it was 4 o’clock in the morning.

This year I was lucky enough to talk Mike into coming back to help us out. Mike is another expert level water truck driver and would prove to be a big help. We rented a water truck and it turned out to be brand new. I mean the thing had never even had water put into it. I discovered that when I first started using it. Because, the shaft for the P.T.O. came apart. I looked under the truck and found the set screw and the key way to be gone. Now it is ten at night and I start looking for the parts that are missing. I musta been doing something right because I found the key way, but could not find the set screw. I looked though all my junk and found a bolt that would work, but it was like two inches long. No big deal, it threaded in and I was back to watering. The whole region is in a severe drought so we had to water for days before the event, but with two water trucks and two expert level water truck operators; we were getting it done fairly quickly.

Dave and Chad show up on Wednesday and after we told them about the four wheeler trip, they had to go. So, we loaded up a cooler with adult beverages, and strapped it to the back of Chad’s four wheeler. We were having a bunch of fun and going over a lot of the same trails, with some new ones thrown in just to keep it interesting. Dave kept riding up to me and saying ,”Hey we gotta head straight back cause Chad is about to wreck”! So, I waited for Chad to catch up and asked him if he was about to wreck. He of course says, “Heck no, I’m not”, then rides into the weeds that were about five feet tall and ten feet off the trail. After this happens like six or eight times I was laughing hysterically. Then, I decide that we are going the wrong way, so I turned around on this small rise to go the other direction. I look back in time to see Chad dive off his four wheeler, and straight into the ground head first, as the four wheeler kept going. Before he hit the ground, Dave was yelling, ”See, see, I told you he was about to crash”! So then we headed back to the track before anybody else fell off.

After a couple of days of working normal hours, the crowd starts rolling in. First, all the vendors and workers, then everybody else. The parking even went smoother this year, not completely without harassment but at least less. Everybody is getting everything sorted out and setting everything just right for a week of living in our own little temporary motocross city. It is cool how it is really a city. There are all kinds of places to eat, different little neighborhoods, a hospital, police, a city hall where all the laws are created and enforced. Heck next time I think we should have a jail for the trouble makers. That way when a couple guys fight over something as stupid as water or water ballons, we can put em in the pokey for a couple days. And, I nominate Tom Haring to be the judge.

Practice was set for Monday and it was so rough. On practice days, the whole track gets used. Lines went all the way into the grass everywhere. And, with two days of practice, everybody got plenty of time on the track.

Kelsey and Jason show up to help, which was good because Josh had to leave. So we are working pretty late every night on the track. Bobby White (Bent Clothing is helping out with the bulldozer duties, but it is hard to see when it is dark. So Jason and Kelsey are pulling around light towers so we can see, moving them to different parts of the track as we go. So I am waiting for the light tower to show up where I am working and watching them drive with it hooked up to Dave’s truck. All the sudden it does a big lean one way, and then right over on its side the other way. Sparks flying and total darkness follows. Boy, I am pretty sure that thing wasn’t designed to be on its side. From there on we keep the equipment destruction to a minimum.

Man our team this year is so strong…….

7 Championships at Whitney for Honda of Houston and American Honda!

Oak Hill was next on our world tour. Welcome to the next leg of you vacation Chad. I am still reminding him every morning. I have been going to Oak Hill since the 80’s when it had a forward falling gate and it was down hill. The gate was one big bar that when you hit it just right, you could catch about 6 feet of air when you took off. And that usually meant a giant hole shot. Back then it was little more then a sand pit that had a track carved out in it. Now it has been transformed into a Whitney look a like, with green fencing all the way around and a two story scoring tower. I was there about a day, when Craig Martin saw me walking to the starting gate for Vann. He asked why I was walking and I told him what choice did I have. He told me to get on his four wheeler and he would get me a golf cart. “That’s ok, I don’t mind walking. Plus I don’t need the responsibility”. You see last time I had a golf cart, Josh Grant and Chris Nihan borrowed it. I didn’t see it for the rest of the week. Then when it came time to turn it in, the golf cart guy came unglued. Seems the restrictor had been removed along with the air filter. It had a broken something or other in the front end and the top no longer fit. Well I decided then that I would rather WALK, then go through that again. I also told the golf cart guy that if I ever asked for a cart again, to remind me about the last time. So Craig is insisting and I am going to be late for Vann’s start. Now I am riding around on the back of his four wheeler looking for a golf cart. We can’t find it so I just told him to drop me off at the starting line so I could take care of my son. Well a little while later some track worker delivers a golf cart to me with big off road tires and a lift kit. Man, that is just what I needed. Jessica and I rode around in it that evening for a little while checking out the area, and I threw Nick Depalo out onto the rocks. Then we went to bed and I took the key, the next morning it was gone. Geeze, it figures. I tell Gaye Smith that I lost the cart Craig gave me and before you now it, she is on the radio asking if anyone had seen Shaun’s cart. Now Craig knows it is missing, GREAT. Later that day, Justin Smith comes over to the truck and says he had it last night, but forgot where he left it. Now I am on a mission to find that stupid cart, that I didn’t want in the first place. I finally found it over in the parking lot next to the JM racing pit. Now I am all relieved to get that resolved, so we go out to dinner. When we get back the stupid thing is gone again, now I am just over it. It showed back up as we were loading up to go home, at least the air filter was in it, I HOPE.

One of the first nights we were there, Chad is closing he rear door. There was this really loud noise and Chad looking dumb. The bolt that makes the door shut broke and then the whole door broke. Now I am laying on the ground fixing the door every day.

The races went very well and Chad is really starting to see what an HHR vacation is all about, but I can’t get him to get off the stupid phone.

Then it starts to rain! Not just a little, but a real gully warshin, Texas terd floater. It rained so hard that they stopped the races, it rained harder. So they started the races back up. Tyler Bowers was the first moto when they restarted. That kid is amazing; he still jumped every jump and won by over half a lap.

It kept raining all night and all the next day. There was no way from keeping the water from over taking our pits. Before we knew it, the water was a couple inches deep under our awning. They finished the races and we started to load up, in the rain. Not just a little rain, a bunch of rain. We just started throwing stuff in the truck. After we get everything all loaded in the truck, we are all soaked. Then I get to lay in the mud one last time to get the door shut.

I figured I would just say a few words about the riders and their performance at the first two nationals, so here goes in no particular order.

Brandon Mays is just aMAYSing.

He had a pretty big crash at Whitney and was knocked out for a few minutes. At first we weren’t sure he was going to ride. He rode consistently and was at the front both weeks. At Whitney he won the final in the 12-13 mod moto. Brandon and his family are so much fun to have around. He is just going to get better and better as he gets older and more mature. I look forward to him winning a bunch of championships.

Trent Pugmire aka “THE COWBOY”.

This is Trent’s first year on big bikes. He does so well in his qualifiers, he just needs to pull it together in the finals. He has the talent and the heart to win. It is just little things that are keeping him from doing so at the National level. He showed he had the speed at Whitney when he had the overall in the schoolboy class over Nico Izzy. Then on the last lap he fell over in a corner, right in front of me. It was a bummer, but I know he learned from it. He will be making a living doing what he loves to do.

Terren O’Dell is on fire!

Terren is pretty much dominant in the 85 classes this year. He is super strong and super driven to succeed. He did not win an overall at Whitney, but came to Oak Hill on a mission. He won three championships at Oak Hill. Terren has a bunch of confidence when he is on the bike and he is going to be famous….. “Can I have your goggles?”

Sean (friggin) Hackley.

Sean won one championship at Whitney, despite having a dirt magnet. He must have crashed like twenty times. One time it was my fault, I only watered where he was going. Every time he fell, it seem like he came back harder. The talent is so deep in the “A” class. Sean really wants to be successful, I think he just needs to find where his edge is. And that is what he is trying to figure out right now, sometimes that involves crashes. He is surrounding himself with the right team of people, who care about him, and that shows a great amount of maturity.

Wil Hahn better known as WILBUR.

Wil has grown so much as a rider in the past year. He has always had skill, just sometimes wrong things happen. Having a national top ten rider as your brother helps a lot. Wil decided not to ride the 450 at Whitney or Oak Hill. I think it was a great decision. Even though it would have been nice to see the track a little more, he really was able to step up to the plate on the 250F. He won one championship at Whitney and will be a big threat at Loretta’s.

Jase Lewis you know what they say about big feet…… big boots!

Jase really opened some eyes and proved to everyone that he belongs at the front. He also proved that his Loretta title was no accident. The kid gets great starts and is always looking ahead. Jase did not ride at Oak Hill, but he was there to cheer on all his team mates. He has a great attitude and works very hard, Factory Connection along with ever other team will be looking at him as a rider for next year.

Jessica Patterson the fastest girl in the world.

Jessica had a great two weeks she won two out of three classes and five out of six motos. She fell in one moto, but that was my fault again! Jess is so fast, she puts the hurt on a bunch of guys and is always in the zone. Mark my words CHAMPION – WMA – Loretta’s !

Ronny Jackson another southern speedster.

Ronny is faster then most of the kids in his class, especially on the first lap. He needs to concentrate on the track, and find that intensity he has the first lap, on the last lap. Ronny’s family have been in this sport for a long time, and have been making the sacrifices. The only one that can make it a stronger program is Ronny.

Zeb Smith Mr corners.

Zeb is so fast through the corners. He reminds me of his brother when he rode, just stupid fast through the corners. Zeb has the speed, he just needs to work on consistency. The old adage slow down to go fast comes into play. He is just coming of a major injury, and is already on pace to win the class. Wait till he is healthy!

Ashley Fiolek Florida fast girl.

There must be something in the hurricanes, because the fastest girls come from Florida. Ashley is an inspiration, not because she is deaf, or because she is a girl, but because she knows what she wants and works extremely hard to get there. She will eventually steal the title of the worlds fastest women. Just wait till she gets on a big bike!

Tyler Bowers is a stud!

Tyler is a 15 year old with amazing ability. Tyler does things that it takes 15 years to learn. He has gained maturity in even the 6 months that he has been with our team. A fast learner and super strong, Tyler will be a strong addition to a factory team in the next couple of years. He will learn a Pro National speed in one race.

Jared Partridge – ANOTHER PARTRIDGE!

Jared has been watching motocross since he was born. Both his brothers are exceptional riders, and Jared is keeping the family name going. He hurt his foot at Whitney, but not before showing everybody that he has the speed to run up front. He just needs to be healthy for a few months and then he will prove his worth.