450 Words: Hart & Huntington
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If any team should be comfortable taking risks, it’s the Dodge Motorsports/Sycuan Casino/Hart & Huntington squad. Based in Las Vegas, this team is owned by a freestyle motocross pioneer who is married to a rock star. Racing, jumping or rocking have always been high risk, high reward fields, and it looked like Carey Hart’s risk in starting this team in the first place was finally set to pay off in 2012.
With big sponsors in Dodge, Sycuan and more, they fielded a four-rider effort and hoped to take another step toward legitimacy via results. When H&H first hit the scene, they didn’t yet have the chops to sign big talent, so they made their way with splashy pit parties, wild graphics and an against-the-grain mentality. This year, they had come so far that they even rode Kawasakis with, gasp, actual green plastic.
It was announced yesterday, after trying to make a comeback in New Orleans, that Tedesco may miss Seattle while dealing with a lingering finger issue.
Andrew Fredrickson photo
But the riders still represented a risk. Josh Hill was still trying to come back from leg, ankle and foot problems dating back to 2010. Josh Hansen was moving back up to the 450s after a disasterous stint in a class a few years back. Kyle Partridge was about to enjoy the best support he’d ever had, but faced perhaps the deepest field of competitors every assembled, too. Ivan Tedesco was a proven commodity, but even his 2011 season ended early with a knee injury.
We now know what happened. Hill, as luck would have it, broke his tibia in the first turn of the very first start of his season. He was finally ready to try again in Houston, but crashed after the riding day was over (his glove caught on the throttle, rolling it back and sending Hill flying off a jump). Tedesco was landed on and pretty much destroyed a finger. He needed surgery to fix it, missed ten weeks, tried to come back in New Orleans, only to realize he still wasn’t ready. Hansen stated that his goal for the season, first and foremost, was to make every race for his team, but he bashed his ankle into submission. Then Partridge smacked the over-under bridge in St. Louis and exploded his foot. It's a season defined by injuies, but even with that, H&H's plight still sticks out.
H&H started with a four-man team, one of the largest in the sport. Now all four are out. Things have gotten so bad that privateer Michael Horban was called in for replacement duty a few weeks ago and crashed out in practice. Now, Kyle Regal and Tyler Bowers will carry the mantle for the team.
No doubt Hart, who has been hurt as much as anyone through his days racing supercross and supermoto, and as a pioneer in freestyle, understands the risks to running a race team. But one of these days, he’d like to see some of the rewards.
Hansen will miss the rest of the season with an ankle injury.
Simon Cudby photo
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If its any consolation, an H&H rider has 1st place on my list for "nastiest foot injury EVER"
There's been a lot of injuries this year, but no one has been harder than H&H. Really, almost every team has been hit hard this year with injuries,except Monster Energy Kawasaki. Them and Geico Powersports Honda are probably the only teams that are happy with this years results, in addition to all the privateers who picked up factory or semi-factory rides. I think its funny that Matt Goerke was brought in as a replacement rider for Byrne, and so far has had much better results than his two teammates Albertson and Thomas. Seriously, Goerke and Peick should get good rides next year, and not have to wait around for a replacement ride. If I were a team manager I'd much rather have solid riders who stay healthy than top riders who have a high risk of getting injured.
Big time bummer as I was hoping for good things for a very cool team.... Keep at it Carey as you are great for the sport!
I hope they can weather the storm, they are a great addition to the series. I thinks it's safe to say they bring something new and refreshing.
"...but no one has been HIT harder than H&H."
So glad Hansen really made an effort to perform this year. He was making top tens even before the top guys got hurt... and that is really impressive. I know a lot of people dog on Hansen for all the dumb stuff he has done/said, but I was really rooting for him. Would be a cool comeback story after almost ruining his whole career. Bummer to hear he is out with an injury, but glad he performed pretty well in the first half the season.
Good luck to the H&H crew... I hope you make it to next year where hopefully better things happen for all your riders!
Even with their crappy luck, H & H still maintain a huge presence in the sport. They get the image side of things and pull it off well. Sucks that Hanny is out, but he showed that he's top ten dude this year against a stacked class. A lot to be said for that. Exposure-wise, H &H has to be a success even though the whole team ended up getting broke-off.
Always been a Tedesco fan, but a finger? Obviously I don't know exactly what's going on with the thing, but tape it to the next one and get out there! You see it every day in every other sport. You have seven left! Can understand a thumb... but a finger? (And a RING finger!!!)
@filthy
It wasn't just a simple finger injury. It was a hand injury with most of the damage going to the finger. It's not "tapable" then just plow motos. He can't perform a the level he wants to without putting the other riders on the track in danger. Smart move to let it get fully healed.
Put Stewart on a KAWI!!!!!!
I agree, H&H deserves better. He could be hanging out, cashing checks and being "Pink's Husband" but, he's investing in the sport and adding something to the show, not to mention giving employment to top-10 talent.
Thank you for bringing something back to the table, H&H.
Get well soon H&H! Stoked on the team you put together. Way bummed on how it worked out so far.
H&H has given SX and hopefullly Mx a new meaning.....4 down and we keep going ....thats the spirit...unlike Brooks and MC ..or Chad Reed TEAM OWNERS that decided to invest millions on a one racer team..and fold down if any mishap..Heart is not the reason to go on...its money.
Good thing God gave Hart the money to put his heart in this.
Great to see Carey giving so much back to the sport he loves.He is putting in a huge effort and it shows,also glad to see Kawasaki giving him some support.
The last thing any manufacturer should want is having stewart on there brand!
sone as he starts wadding his brains out everyone will start blaming the bike and brand.
I like Kawi, let him ride honda...them I don't like
H&H has had some bad luck but It won't last. Too much organizational talent. Because of their sponsorship, Sycuan is now my favorite local casino where my wife and I dine and gamble twice a month. H&H held a pre moto party there and had Big B play. Very cool.
The whole H&H crew are pricks. I went to new orleans with some friends and a friend of mine tried to get a autograph from pink for her kids and they just looked at her shrugged their shoulders and walked off
Kenny Watson is a curse.... The industry tries to make him out to be a good dude, but karma follows him. Lose him=win races.
I hope noone takes that serious...... He has been around for a long time and pots alot into every position he has had in the industry. I was just being a smartass because of all the other ridiculous posts and excuses people make.
Always something with Tedesco......used to like him, but now all he worries about
is Tatoos (like the old Hanny) Hanny actually had it going on. Hart signing posters
like he's somebody,com'n.......what married to PINK or FMX crasher???
Glad to see they gave Bowers a ride because hell give it his all. Not like
Regal who's total hit and miss (most of the time) Watson's not much of a friggin manager when you see him give the shop tour vid. Crooked cap and need to get off the pipe already.....it's not funny anymore, more a JOKE!
What's up with the BIG "Cover Up" ?????
No one seems to want to talk about what made Kyle Partridges foot explode while tucked away inside his Boot. I'm pretty sure his boots inner sole exploded like Shrapnel, ripping the sole of his foot open in the process. Can you say FOX ???
I've seen some crazy stuff being around motorcycle riding and racing for over 30 years. This looks like a product failure to me!
Answers anyone ????
Its possible his boot did have something to do with what happened, but its not like he lightly 'tapped' the wall. Based on what Kyle said, his bike swapped in the bumps coming thru the tunnel. Between his forward momentum, and the force with how hard his foot hit between the bike and wall, it pretty much popped. He didn't even break a bone in his foot aside from his big toe. If it were a shrapnel cut from the inner shank Fox boots have, it likely would have been a cleaner cut, and a lot more damage to the bones etc.