Ask Ping!
Friday, November 16, 2012 | 12:00 PM
ODI dates back to the 1980’s as the leader in grip manufacturing. Focusing primarily on the bmx and mountain bike industries through the 90’s and early 2000’s, ODI re-entered the motocross scene when they developed the patented lock-on grip system that eliminates wire and glue. Continuing to advance the way riders hold on to their bikes, ODI has worked closely with the teams they support such as Troy Lee Designs to create the product that is now being used by some of the top teams in the industry.
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PrintDear PingPong,
I have been into riding motocross my whole life. It is my passion, my hobby, my stress reliever, pretty much my favorite weekend warrior hobby.
Here is the thing. I have a 6 year-old son that likes motocross but does not want to try it. Is there a way I can get him interested without being the track dad? I think he would enjoy it but I do not want to pressure him into it.
The second thing is, I am now expecting a daughter…Got about 5 months left to go. For some reason knowing I have a daughter on the way makes me cautious about riding. I do not want to stop riding but I am honestly worried something major could happen. I don’t ride over my limits. I just enjoy it.
Any words of encouragement?
Thanks for the funny column.
Mike.
One of my first years racing...once my balls dropped.
Don’t worry about Junior not wanting to jump right into the moto fray. I know that some guys start early and attribute their success to an early beginning but others didn’t start until much later. John Dowd didn’t even see his first motorcycle until he was thirty. True story. I started riding a Y–Zinger at about four years of age but it didn’t come with a passion for competition. In fact the first couple races my dad signed me up for terrified me. I’m pretty sure I sat in my friend’s Pro-Trac trailer and cried right up until the first practice. I rode one practice and then refused to go out for the motos. Apparently the bike was too loud [it had one of those custom pipes that went under the bike] and the track was too muddy. It was everything my dad could do to keep from calling me a p#ssy. So we eased into it a little bit and before long I was hooked. The rest is history. I would suggest starting him out somewhere with no other riders and let him first enjoy riding the bike. When he is ready he will let you know.
About the daughter, well, I can’t really help you. Make sure you have good insurance and don’t ride like an idiot. Oh, and plan on losing 80 percent of your garage space to pink Barbie toys and bikes.
PING
Dear Ping,
Across the great lands of America are motocross districts at the amateur level, as you know. Anyone you talk to can tell you about the "local pros" back where they come from or just "the local fast guy." Some of these fast guys or kids may just have that undeniable natural ability that we all wish we were born with, but either do not have the funds or desire to take their racing to the next level. What I’m wondering is, in all your days of motocross, what was the fastest "undiscovered" talent that you happened to stumble upon?
Zak Field
Syracuse, NY
Mouse [#52] was one of the best mini riders ever. He now works in Hollywood and directed Act of Valor.-
Shaun was the first guy with a factory hauler. His grandpa, Lloyd, converted this Greyhound bus. It was sick.
When I was a kid the pro rider that I looked up to most was a guy named Justin Martz. He won everything during the early 1980’s in the state of Montana. His mom, Judy, was an Olympic athlete who later went on to become a state senator. Justin actually got into NASCAR at some level. I don’t know if he was good enough to make it on the AMA pro level but when I was seven I couldn’t imagine anyone going faster. Once I moved to Arizona I was exposed to more talent. The two guys who stand out most are Shaun Kalos and Mouse McCoy. Both were unreal as amateurs but, for whatever reason, they never made the transition to pro racing. Kalos had some flashes but nobody really got to see what he was capable of. He had Ron Lechien skills without the habit of partying. I’m sure everyone has a story of a guy who could’ve and should’ve but just never made it. Hopefully we can read about some of them in the comments below.
PING
Hey Ping;
I believe you are the riding coach for Adam Cianciarulo, right? (I hope so or I already looked retarded). I was wondering, since he's fresh out of the Super Minis and is just starting on the "big" 250F; how fast is his speed? Since you're an ex-pro, is he as fast as you? Faster? Are you faster, but just for a few laps until the fitness aspect comes into play?
Thanks,
- Eric
Little guy, big world.
Adam asked me to help him get ready for the Monster Cup since it would be his first time racing supercross on a big bike. From the first day with him at the supercross track it was obvious he has “it.” I’m not sure how to define that quality exactly, other than to say he has all of the pieces of the puzzle to be a successful pro racer; Red hair, short, rides a Kawasaki, lives in Florida. Wait, that’s a different theory. A couple of the pieces may still need to be moved around but there is no question he will be good. But I already knew his speed was there before we started. This past summer I rode with him at Racetown up in Adelanto. To this day I’m not sure if he was on a 125 or his Supermini but either way he took me down a peg. I had literally never seen Adam ride before that. I heard and read about all his wins but you don’t get a sense of how fast the best mini riders are on paper. So, I gassed up my 450 and jumped in a little ways behind him as he started one of his motos. I figured I would catch him, pass him and show him how old farts like me get down. But it didn’t work out that way.
The first lap I marked him and realized I hadn’t made up any ground on him. I turned it up a notch. The second lap… still couldn’t close the gap. By this point I’m in full sprint mode and riding a little closer to the edge than I’d like. The gap stayed the same. I pulled off eventually and tried to see where he was cutting the track. Meanwhile, several other former pro riders jumped in behind him and got their asses handed to them the same way I did. Dejected and a little confused I headed back to the pits. I realize it’s been a number of years since I lined up for a National but I still ride quite a bit and I was on a 450! Until that day I don’t think I had ever been out-dueled by a mini rider. Anyway, Adam is on the couch for a couple months healing up from shoulder surgery right now. So, technically, I’m faster than him at the moment. Well, if my hand weren’t broken I would be. Maybe we should have a foot race and settle it once and for all?
PING
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Forty years ago, Team Honda arrived on the American motocross circuit with a brand new motorcycle: the game-changing Elsinore CR250. Page 170.
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My local (east san fran. bay) heros.....Pat Gomm, Jon Nicolaus and Joe Bruce
I used to hang out with Mouse McCoy at the Amateur Nationals a little bit. I also remember Kalos's bus. I got to go inside it. I had heard his Gramp payed an extra $10G to get it done in time. Big, big bucks back then...
There are some really fast "Pro A" riders at my local tracks. No one beats them. But they haven't been able to qualify for a national after years of attempting. So when I see someone who has made the 40 man field at a national that's no laughing matter. He may be 40th. but he is still impressive.
I've seen a lot of local guys lately that are fast until they get out of high school and have to get a full time job and other things come along that turn their heads. it used to be crazy how locals would do at a pro filled local races, but on National day the locals couldn't hang with them anymore. John Dowd always does way better at a National than a lot of locals that can beat him sometimes at a local races.
That would be about right.Now that John Dowd is a 102years of age.
Steve Drew at Perris Raceway in the early to mid 90’s could blow doors on a borrowed KX 250, it think it was his uncles bike. He later went on to win the Supermoto title in the 2000's. He was a natural and a beast, one of the coolest guys I ever knew.
The Fastest guy I ever saw that did not made it.............. ME!!! :-)
I am going to date myself a little. When I was winning the intermediate class and basically waiting for CMC to bump me up. I was at Saddle Back and saw Bruce Bunch on a 105 Suzuki mini. I thought I would go and see just how fast this 15 year old was. Well this is what I learned. I was not fast enough to keep him in site. The difference between a world class mini rider and a local pro is a huge gap.
Keith Turpin, Derek Roe, Junior Jackson, the midwest produced a lot great guys.
Pat Barton, Joe Waddington, Bager...There are a few from new England that had great speed. Barton almost won a moto at the southwick nat one year and badger also ran up front a few times.
I guess Georgia is in the midwest now.Watch 79 year old Mike Brown win the Muddy Creek national this summer.
@Please don't hate us,, My guess is that Pro tracks are much much tougher, and the longer motos at a National does not benefit a fast local rider.
in the PNW, Jeff Daily. Super fast, but too much partying. Also Chaun (sp?) McAllister from WA used to dominate the pac west races, didn't seem to get anywhere at nationals though.
Donald Upton @ Perris Raceway in early to mid 90's! He was handful for top national riders at Perris
Butch "Snowy" Smith. Mini Champion. 125 Supercross rookie of the year. Blew out his knee and it was over. Rode with him a few years back and he still hauls butt. He was beating fast Intermediates on the track out at Adelanto. Owns a trucking company out in Portland Oregon now.
That first guy needs to sell his dirtbikes because he is a wussy and is raising wussies. I held off learning to walk for awhile, knowing I would be put to work by my 5th step.
BillC you missed a few maybe before your time going backwards Kevin Hesnen,
Graham Barber, Both guy could give JoJo Keller a run. then Jim Mehan he could beat Pat Maroney head to head. And then as far back as I can go back Greg Spooner would swap postions with Jimmy Ellis for a entire moto best racing for a kid just watching for the first time.
In Western Canada in the 1980s we had Ross "Rollerball" Pederson (insert Matthes orgasm now) who went from local hotshot to a top-10 guy on the US National circuit. But we also had his much lesser known but likely more purely talented younger brother, Aaron "Horse" Pederson. Problem with Aaron was his lifestyle, I remember stories of him travelling to a race and finding a house party the night before, then not showing up at the race the next day. But when he was there and right, he was blazing fast.
In an almost parallel story, we had the ageless Zoli Berenyi Jr who could give the Rollerball a run and was a solid top-5 Canadian pro. He was also the hardest working journeyman pro I have ever known. His younger cousin, Rudy Zacsko Jr was also a great rider but a guy who could have did so much more if he had any of his cousin's work ethic. But he too liked the nightlife a little too much.
Oh yah Forgot 2 guys that would have been stars but accidents outside the motox scene ended there young lives Mark Roballard, Ricky Granville. RIP
And Pat Barton always has the most trick looking bikes. I liked Greg Mayo. Him and Jim Menaan had some good races. Spencer Morrison Steve Burdett.
I was on a track in GA back in the 80s on a CR 500 with a high school kid from Warner Robins GA named Mark Crozier on 125 and man was he fast!!! He broke his leg in a SX and I think that was the down turn of his career.
Travis Riley, Scott Meyer and Andrew Short in Colorado. Riley and Meyer were always 1 and 2 and Short was pulling up the rear. Of course Shorty went full factory and Riley and Meyer fizzled out. Crazy how things turn out.
Todd Pratt was the most naturally gifted rider i had ever seen in Idaho. Seen him beat the best riders in Idaho with little effort. Names like Siebler, Weimer, and Davenport. The kid had the talent to be a top three guy. Don't know what went wrong, rumors flew around the local tracks that his Dad pushed him to a breaking point??? Sad Day when he quit.
Why has there never been a Motocross of States, 3 amateur riders from each state in the U.S. racing a des Nations style race once a year to determine which state is producing the fastest riders. Im talking 3 amateurs who have never held a pro card or competed in a pro race. Im pretty sure Michigan would kick everyones ass every year.
Please don't hate us, I forgot about Greg he was my rival in the amatuars.
Good Idea Ronniebarnhardt
Around 2000 when I started racing 80s Ashley Harrier was the top guy at Wapella,Il. He always looked so smooth and from what I can remember was one of the only guys scrubbing this big uphill jump (no Bubba scrub obviously but more so than any local at the time). I think he qualified for a few supercrosses back in the day but remember hearing he kept blowing out his knees I think. I also saw Junior Jackson race a local race last fall on a husaberg, get stuck in the gate, and proceed to still kick everyones ass on a track that was really hard to pass on.
In New Zealand Luke Burkhart used to dominate Ben Townley as a junior. His older brother Jonathan was no slouch either
I remember when the national came to Millville (then Zumbro) the first time. I thought there were guys in A class that went as fast around that track as anybody could, but the top pros, most of whom had never been there before, were going faster by their second lap of practice. It's unreal how many levels there are. It's hard to explain to people not familiar with the sport. The top guys make it look so easy.
Ronniebarnhardt...Good idea. Michigan represents!! I'd be willing to stick Joey Crown on that team!!
Leo Fauteux was fast as hell. The starting line at an NESC event in the day had some fast dudes in it. Waddington, Jo Jo, Barton, Meenan, Dowd, Paquet, Badger McCann, Antonucci, Henry, Wemyss Scott, Bill Dill, Rudnicki....That was New England hey day for sure...
There are some kids that travel around and home school. Would guys like AC92 and Cooper Webb be on a team? Maybe make it regional because in places like New England NESC procduces racers that race all over New England. A lot of them go south for the winter too.
@Prime...if the class structure was 1 of each 125cc rider, 250F rider and a 450 rider than yes Joey Crown would be the obvious pick for the 125. I would keep the racing to big bikes only cause 85's on the track with 450's would be dangerous. Im not too sure on the other two riders from Michigan right now. If you are talking all legal amateurs than I would have to go with Timmy Badour in at least one class. I dont think he's ever ridden a pro race and that kid flat out hauls ass when he feels like it.
New England's team: Jake Pinhancos, Dakota alix and Ryan Dowd.
A couple of our stand out locals (long ago, MI area) were Bob Rutter, Connie Feist, Lisa Akin, Mark Hinkle and mores. Then some kid from IL showed up on an XR80 to line the fences.....Mark Barnett.
Mid 70's, Boo Stitcher. Took Hannah most of the day to reel him in for the win. The Boogey Man trained on cheeseburgers, cigarettes and beer. His friggin attitude and confidence was out of this world. The national boys meant squat to him. The national guys didn't care for him, Howerton took him out and broke his leg. Stichter was on the couch and Honda called, the ride then went over to the next best guy in line....Chuck Sun. Soooo close, but no cigar for Ralph "Boo" Stitcher.
Jimmy Lauer and Glen Taylor from District 7 from 1978 to 1980. Just ask Coombs
MX_OG, I like that, Bob Rutter.
Northern Nevada.....It's got to be the Stillmock Brothers, Scott and Butch. I watched one of them decimate Lamson quite a few years back......actually more than quite a few??!
I havent seen Butch in a while, but I see Scott everytime I'm down at Nevada Motorcycle Specialties (Reno KTM)......Hi Scott.....lol
I remember Shaun McCallister from Post Falls, Idaho and Pete Russel from Spokane, WA up here in the Inland Northwest. Both did OK at Washougal but never got much deeper in the Nationals. Joey Kopp was as fast as anybody in MX but he went on to race flat track and became a National Champion.
It is interesting the different levels of skill. Although Broc Hepler is retired due to too many injuries, I'm lucky he still rides at local tracks in the western PA area. The guy had crazy speed in the pros and its interesting to see how much faster he still is than local top A riders in the area. Recently just watched him obliterate a large field of young fast guys in a local tracks season end for fun race, it incorporates its two outdoor tracks its indoor track and surrounding woods and runs in a 4.2 mile loop and was a timed 1 hour race. He was probably 40 seconds ahead after the first lap.
I remover Glen Taylor. He raced a lot of D13 events also. When you looked at pictures of him, he would be looking way ahead. Most guys would be looking a few feet in front of their front fenders.
Other guys from that area and region I remember are Rodney Barr, Jimmy Pigg, and Teddy Brown. There was also this crazy guy from D7, I think his last name was Callihan.
Era, not area. Also Lance Eubanks was pretty fast.
At the Southwick invintational one year when Mike Alessi was in the lites class a local kid named Kyle Hangos who had made Expert holeshot and stayed a head of Mike for a few laps. I don't know if Mike was pushing it hard or just taking it safe but they were going good. Those invitationals used to be awsome!! Full gates of guys from all over the country and all the local NESC racers 20 min +2. Bobby garrison raced it one year. I used to like that race better than the national.
I find it very interesting how much faster the pros are when they turn up to a local track. My friend and I have been racing for 32 years now ( we,re 47 years old ) and around our local track dont get passed very often. But Paul Edmondson ( ISDE winner ) turnrd up one day and was immediately 10 seconds a lap faster and he was so smooth ! Also my friends son started riding about 5 years ago and a few weeks ago he finished second in the 85 class and my buddy won the Vet class. But his son was 3 to 5 seconds a lap faster than him. It may be time to hang up our Scott boots.
carlo coen! a new yorker with awsome style and form
Breck Powers, Fastest guy I ever saw from the midwest.
Ronnie Mac is the fastest amateur i haver ever seen. lapping his way thru riders with perfect form that only jeremy mcgrath or damon bradshaw could dream about.
I remember bringing my CR500 down to Glen Helen on a practice day (from Oregon, no less) and getting worked by this tiny tot on a 50. Yeah, a 50. I had less than no excuses, and I thought about crashing just to hide my shame, but this kid was on it, and I was trying to rip the seat cover off my seat as I gingerly crested the jumps and otherwise tried to keep at least some orfaces open that day. I think I told my friends that I pulled a muscle or something. I was well and truly worked by some kid too young to attend Kindergarden, but was riding a perfectly blinged out LEM 50. I didn't go and see if it was a girl on the bike because I would have had to perform the Harakiri. I sold the bike and got a CR500AF the following week to purge the shame.
he forgot to add that times have changed the evolution of the sport has come to far for a 30 yo to grab a bike and become a star theres no way I got my first bike when I was 28 and fixing to be 30 myself and I was a putz when i first started riding never though I"d be as good as I am now, had I had the opportunity to start when I was 5 or 6 I could have been even better but now I have limits due to a job and kids so I'm sure quite a few of you can relate
I took a big dirtnap chasing a kid on a 125 at a local track, I figured if he could make the triple so could I, it was also the first day out on a new 97 Honda CR250 and I cased the landing and did a superman over the bars and woke up with five strangers looking in my helmet asking if I was OK. I wadded the bike up and could not see straight for three days. Never knew who the kid was and I stopped thinking I was fast on that very day!
i grew up racing indian dunes,and when broc glover was national champ,there was yam. race there,and an up and comming jonny o handed glover his ass there.and the guys from that era will know flyen mike brown was the fastest of em all at the dunes. wadd was fast at southwick! any way i live in fl. now and have attempted on one occasion to jump in behind adam,450 vs 85 i lasted half a lap as it was getting dangerous.
If you look at the qualifying times at the MEC, AC92 had a qualifying time of 1:12.296 compared to RD5's 1:08.217. He would have qualified 20th in the Pro Class, ahead of Bowers, Swanepoel, and J. Alessi and would of had a very realistic shot at making the A Main.
Thx Smee113. That is how Ping should of answered the question. MEC lap times. Glad you are here to help him out.
mit 12 is on it.Bruce bunch was amazing, I had the pleasure of being lapped many times by him and his best friend Chris Taylor. Bums me out every time iI see his last jersey hanging on my buddy's wall.(size small). to bad he never had a chance to spank the big boys
Shane drew from Thunder Bay Canada!(Insert Matthes fist pump here!)Now a tech on the Honda factory team I remember Shane running around 22nd @Millville one year on a 500!I believe his best finish @an AMA national was 11th or twelth,So close!Best Canadian national #6.Shane was a fast hard working privateer who never got the support I believe he deserved!
Who I remember is Craig Canoy. Out of South Orange County, California in the mid-1980s. I remember seeing him race the 1985 LA Coliseum SX and he jumped the quads. The only 125 to do so. I hear he got balled out from his manager later. He went on in the later 80's to win several Brazilian MX championships.
Furman Gray from Alabama in the mid-70's. I saw him run with and lead Pros from here and Europe (AMA and GP guys) when he was about 15. Then he discovered girls.
There was this 15 year old kid on a suzuki who could have been a legend in the sport the likes of Mcgrath or Ricky Johnson. But he got bored with the sport and got sucked into freestyle and hanging out with his friends making jakeass videos.
Michigan has thee absolute best Amateurs and "didnt make it to the next level pros".
Joey Crown
Matt Maximoff
Billy Lichtle
Scotty Thomason
Jerry Lorenz
Greg Durivage (OH)
Brent Miller
Broc Peterson (OH)
Steven Carnahan (OH)
Randy Valade
Tommy Barron
Josh Woods
T.J Auten
@spode817
I met Shane Drew this year at Unadilla, through a friend of mine. What a cool dude. He gave myself and a few of my friends a tour of both Honda rigs. He showed us the trick suspension, the Ti footpegs, the Muscle milk models...Well, not really, but they were there, up close, and personal.
Bobby Garrison races off-road, but but he could do well in the Nationals. At Southwick invitational he looked good. He came from behind and passed Tony Lorusso at the end of the race, where Tony is strong.
Matt Shue and Shae Bentley!