by Aaron Hansel
Between The Motos: Mike Kranyak
Wednesday, September 28, 2011 | 2:00 PM
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The last several seasons have been a roller coaster ride for the L&M Racing team. Having had considerable success in the past (AMA Supercross championships in 2008 and 2009 with Chad Reed and James Stewart), they have struggled the last couple of years to get back into championship form. Stewart, their star rider, was out for most of 2010, and halfway into 2011 parted ways with the team. It also appears that Larry Brooks, who most considered the front-man of the effort, will be back with a different (and brand new) team for 2012. But that doesn’t mean L&M is finished. We got in touch with Mike Kranyak, the “M” in L&M Racing, to get the story on how the team plans to reassert itself as one of the dominant forces of motorcycle racing.
Racer X: Why don’t we start off by getting a background of how you became a founder of the L&M team.
Mike Kranyak: Well, I’ve been involved in dirt bikes and different forms of racing for 40 years. It’s been a lifelong passion of mine. Both of my sons raced, and when my youngest son got to be around 18, he went racing with a Lites team. It was a lot of fun, and it got us thinking about going a little bit bigger. So I decided to put together a team with Larry Brooks and it kind of went from there.
In the past, the fans have always seen Larry Brooks at the forefront, as far as being at the races and doing interviews on television. What was your role with the team?
I was the money behind it, as well as the general direction. Larry and I decided together how we wanted to do this thing, but at the end of the day, the direction was mine. So, I provided the direction and capital.
Stewart and San Manuel are gone for the 2012 season, but L&M Racing looks to continue to go racing.
Photo: Simon Cudby
I’m going to go out on a limb and say that the last two years haven’t lived up to your expectations.
We’ve definitely had some rough spots in the road, but all-in-all we won a couple of championships, which I’m very proud of. We’re taking the same team that we won those championships with into the 2012 season. We’ve got a great team, we’ve got a great facility, and all of our employees are intact. We’re going to move forward and put out a good effort for 2012.
Regarding those rough spots, can you tell us what happened with James Stewart parting ways with the team last year?
I would prefer not to talk about what happened with James. We’ve got some outstanding issues, and I’d like to leave it at that for now. I’d love to be able to talk about it, but at the same time, we have some ongoing issues that haven’t been resolved yet. Until they are, I’d rather not talk about it.
Okay, can you tell us about what you’ve got going for 2012?
For 2012, we don’t have anything concrete. Because of what’s transpired with James, we’ve kind of changed things up; we’re going to go racing, but we’re just not sure at this point who we’re going with or how we’re doing it, but we do have plans on going racing in 2012 with our existing crew. We’ve got the same crew we’ve always had, with the exception of Larry, and we’ve got our eyes on a couple of top riders. And when I say top, I’m talking top-ten riders. We’re also talking with different people about getting involved on different levels of participation. So right now, we’re wide open.
Have you been in talks with any specific riders?
Not personally, but Paul DeLaurier has. Paul is the manager right now. We’ve talked off the record with them, but I don’t want to put any names out there right now.
Would you consider this to be a rebuilding year, or are you chasing a championship?
You know what? We might be chasing a championship. We certainly have a crew that’s capable of it, and that’s where they belong. But at this point, it’s definitely a rebuilding year, and whether it’s a top-ten, a top-twenty, or a top-three, it’s still up in the air. We’ve got some options that run the whole spectrum.
Are you going to field a Lites squad as well?
That could happen, but at this point I’m inclined to say it’s just going to be 450s. You never know...
L&M will return the same crew from the 2011 squad, minus Larry Brooks and James Stewart.
Photo: Simon Cudby
Have you decided on a team name?
It’ll probably stay L&M. That’s an existing company. I don’t have any need to change it. It might change down the road, but right now it’ll stay L&M.
Is it going to be an indoor-only team again?
That’s one thing I can tell you for sure, it won’t be supercross-only.
Who is sponsoring the team?
Right now we don’t have any sponsors lined up. I have an existing relationship with Yamaha that may or may not end. But we’ve moved on from San Manuel. They were a wonderful sponsor, and I hope to see them at the races. I’d also like to thank them, as well as Yamaha and Red Bull, for being such great sponsors and contributing so much to our program.
Okay, Mike, what’d we miss?
I think we covered it all pretty well. I’d just like to put it out there that we’re going to make every attempt to go racing. We have what I believe to be the best team in the sport. Everyone is highly qualified and works very well together. They’ve been together for ten years, and they’re absolutely the best at what they do. We’re going to go out there and try to make something happen in 2012.
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"That's one thing I can tell you for sure, it won't be supercross only."
Well, that is a relief. After years and years of offering supercross only deals to top riders and thus weakening the foundation of the sport, which is the outdoor series, you finally decided to straighten up and fly right. I certainly hope it was the often expressed disgust of the fans for supercross only deals that finally got you to change your ways and stop destroying the sport.
Not much info there really.
.Next week a lot will break I think, Most Contracts end at mid night 9/30 so I hope a lot of news comes out next week.
exactly pilotdude!
What an idot! You blew it!
I'm tired of all the Supercross bashing. Seriously, you guys realize that the AMA Motocross series is only two years older than the Supercross series, don't you? Then again, I bet the same people who b!tch about the four strokes don't realize that four strokes dominated the sport long before two strokes did. Supercross > Motocross Four stroke > Two stroke
Hummm, no major sponsor, no bikes, no rider...
one thing to say --- KARMA !!!!!
Whoa! No major sponsors, but they're doing indoors and out?? Hope that happens, but somebody will have to bring the cash!
does josh hill still have a contract with L&M?
to Joejoemoto714
No Josh hill is under contract with Hart & Huntington
Gone are the days of SX only contracts. I can only think of one still left Hart and Huntington. Its not that people are bashing SX @smee113 , its that it takes some of the very best riders off the field for MX. And like it or not MX is more of a hardcore fan race.
Wow. That was an interesting interview. But like BILLC says, not a whole lot of info was let out. It is good to see they are still going to be around though with the outdoors in mind too!!!. So many teams have dissolved in the past. Honda of Troy, WBR, etc. So many more but I forget at this time!!!.
Must be some animosity within. Good luck and see you at the races!!!
He (Mike Kranyak) seemed awful cryptic about what his plans are (outside of the Stewart debacle which I understand him being mum for legal reasons). I'm gonna speculate and assume that this is going to be a rebuilding year for him. I hope he can find a few guys that will be regular top ten placing riders so he can keep his current sponsors and hopefully gain more as time passes. I wish him well and hope he can pull it together for a successful 2012...
Wow, sounds like pie in the sky, look for the L&M hauler to be up for sale shortly.
that was a whole lot of nothing ....summary of conversation: " we hope to go racing in 2012 and dont ask me about stewart"
Sounds like this Kranyak dude had the money and Brooks took care of everything else......Now without Brooks or Stewart...he seems a little lost and clueless and probably just has money to throw around. The "business" side of things is what screwed everything up to begin with between L&M and Stewart (and Reed).....most the top 10 guys I can think of already have a home for next year...unless he is going after Dungey........San Manuel is sticking with Stewart from what I understand and they will be a smaller contributing sponsor for the JGR outfit I would imagine, rather than the main sponsor.......
I MUST AGREE 1000% WITH PILOTDUDE!
L&M HAS HURT THE SPORT MORE THAN "ANY" OF THERE CHAMPIONSHIPS ARE WORTH!
Mike change the name, it would be best to forget that name.
My guess is this dude is making things harder than they need to be with Mr Stewart rather than just "parting ways"....So, Mr. Brooks just takes off and starts another team with his old buddy Mr. McGrath and leaves the " M of L&M " hanging with all the legal crap....kind of a circus if you ask me.....
This guy seems like a real douche and I can see that a lot of the drama started right there at the top in this debacle. He sued Reed, now trying to sue Stewart.... We know that he wont get Dungey and I think every other respectable name is taken. Except for Shorty, who is still on the table as far as I know, but I can't imagine wont stay with KTM, and previously turned down an L&M deal to go with Decoster.
Wait, perfect match. This guy and Pourcel. 2 of the ultimate DB's in the industry. Actually, strangely, I could see them having some success amidst the cry baby fits.
I agree with the majority of you guys. Killer, I'm with you 100%. The whole time I'm reading, I'm thinking "screw him....and Brooks....and, to a lesser extent, Stewart". I'm over all of the clowns in that circus. And, I wish I could get back the few minutes I spent reading this, since I learned absolutely nothing.
this interview just created more questions then answers. He needs to leave this sport, but his money can stay
Weirdest. Interview. Ever.
"Team L&M is ready to go racin' in 2012 in Supercross and outdoors! Of course, the L in L&M is gone, and I'm not telling why. We don't have any riders. We lost all of our sponsors. We have a good relationship with Yamaha, but we might change brands too."
Okaaay...
This article makes me miss my maxi-van with the bike in back . Happily rolling down the road hoping I would do good enough to buy a set of metzlers , some grub and fill up.
James BUBBA stewart has landed a ride with JGR!!!! on a suzuki! PR to follow
Once again the RacerX peanut gallery doesn't disappoint. So some guy with gobs of money wants to field a race team indoors and OUT and all he gets is a bunch of heckling from the think tank here. James is a huge part of what happened to L&M and apparently the legal wrangling isn't over yet. Contracts exist for a reason and maybe James wasn't aware of that? I have a feeling this stuff could mess up his plans for 2012, if the people he screwed over aren't willing to just accept it. The word was that he bought the team, but apparently that isn't the case if the entity still exists and he isn't involved and there is still some legal issues.
What a shaddy interview... My goodness... It must have been a real mess what happened to L&M this year.... Bloody hell!
Good luck to the riders who are willing to ride for such an outfit...
A good thing San Manuel has decided to part ways...
@B-KR... It's a big mess.... JS was stupid enough to think he can easily do what he had envisaged... (What do you expect.. These kids do home schooling and then what? They can not even spell the word college..)
Reed had also a huge fall out qith L&M a couple of yrs ago.. Where according to reed (Mentioned in a podcast) it had to do with $$... They owed him a substantial sum of money...
San Manuel has left...
@jairtime... Maybe good news... 2012 might be a season without your "favorite" rider.. Ha,ha... Something similar happened to a french F1 rider, by the name of Rene Arnoux... In the 80's he was contracted by ferrari.. And because of his laclustre results according to his employer... And a binding contract he pointed out to ferrari... He ended a season on the sideline.. (Not racing) but still under contract..
This is why our sport is still on the level that it is. Teams and riders want the media coverage for thier sponsors but then when they get in front of the mic, they never say anything that anyone would want to hear. They just want to stand up there and rattle off the name of their sponsors, the good Lord Jesus Christ and the boys back at the shop. At least we now have the offical word that Larry is not still at Disneyland with the kids.
I think Brooks and Stewie are still together and they are both having problems getting out of thier contracts with this guy. Maybe he feels he was screwed over by those two leaving the team??
I think this team is done! If you don't have one of the top riders who is capable of winning at every race you haven't got anything! Seriously dude, give it up! Brooks was a douche and I hope he never comes back to the sport! As far as Stewart, if you bash him for wanting to take a break, or for his TV show, or wanting to party then get lost! All the greats used to party(except for Carmichael). And picture growing up and all you knew was racing for 20+ years. If I were Bubba I wouldn't do it any different!