Words and Photos: Jeff Kardas

It is with a heavy heart that we join the 2010 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series and it's migration from the relative warmth and sunshine of the left coast to the frozen tundra out east for this weekend's round in Indianapolis. While the cross-country flights every weekend won't be missed (I'm based in Ohio), they'll be replaced by long, cold drives to Indy, Atlanta, Toronto, St. Louis, etc., and that's nothing to look forward to either. But hey, that's what we're here for - to provide motocross.com readers with some unusual insight into this wacky sport we've all come to love so obsessively. Having said all that, this week we're presenting What Really Happened in a more typical essay-type format since it's amounted to more of a preview of the Eastern Region than it will be a recap of last weekend's racing at A3. So without further ado, here we go...



Let's start with the A3 stuff and get that out of the way. First off, the track was in perfect condition for racing, with just enough moisture early in the day to allow a few helpful ruts to form and to keep the blue grooves and dusts from appearing at all. By almost all accounts, it was a tricky, technical track with a few sections that only the best of the best riders were doing, which is also a good thing. The not so good part about that was that those few top guys really gapped the rest of the field, such as in the Lites main where the gaps between the top finishers were +5 secs, +11, +21, +29, then +44 for 6th place. That's quite a spread, and it was due in part to the notion that a more technical track will always separate the more skilled riders (with better suspension, motor, etc.). It seems that was definitely the case at A3 in both classes, as the spread between Dungey in 4th and Millsaps in 5th was 16 seconds (although we're going to chalk that up to Millsaps looking sort of tired in the last 1/3rd), and the gap between Brayton in 6th and Chisholm in 7th was nearly 20 seconds! Laptimes at A3 were overall 3-5 seconds longer on average than most other main events this year, hovering at just over one minute except for RV's dabbling in the 59 second range.



As noted in our race report photo essay posted Sunday, Ryan #2 was doing a tricky triple-onto-table-table combo that bought him some time on those rare laps he could pull it off - or when he felt he needed to pull away from Hill a bit more. He quit doing it about the midway point in the main event, when it became clear that the #75 was more concerned about what was going on behind him than he was about chasing down the #2 out front. Hill has been awesomely consistent this year, but he's ready and hungry for a win (as he's stated in several quotes in various interviews over the past few weeks), and if he's going to do it, he needs to do it quickly. It's a fevered battle up front right now, since there are 5 riders who feel they can win a race on any given weekend and that's a relatively new thing in this era of a single rider dominating every series. With Stewart threatening to return at Toronto, that leaves Indy, Atlanta and Daytona for these guys to feel like potential winners, but after that, well... it will be interesting how each responds to the return of #1. Reed's return seems a bit less certain, and since he's committed to defending his #1 outdoors, maybe he won't return to the Supercross series at all? Only time will tell.



One funny thing we noticed while going through photos of Jason Lawrence (oh yea, in case you didn't notice, JLaw returned at A3) was that he's wearing a "Hill -75" sticker on his helmet. He's mentioned a few times publicly that one of his goals is to insert himself into the front pack to try and help his buddy Hill out in his bid for the title, so once he's back up to speed it might be interesting to see just exactly what he thinks he can do about it.



We can't close our summary of A3 without a huge tip o' the visor to Shasta Johnson and the amazing job she did with the Breast Cancer awareness theme for the event. There was pink everywhere, and the closer you looked, the more apparent it became. We asked Shasta for a summary of the event and an estimate of the intake of cash for the Susan G. Komen fund, and this is what she told us:

"The event was unbelievable. I can't thank everyone enough, especially Feld Motorsports for providing all of us, from fans to riders to the people behind the scenes, with an opportunity to demonstrate how as a community we can achieve a podium finish together. It is a true testament to how great our sport is.

We collected the following cash donations so far...

Feld/Monster Energy SX $10,000
Angels Baseball $10,000
Road 2 Recovery (eBay auction) $1553.00
Dunlap $1,000
Chad & Ellie Reed $1,000
Colleen Asch $50
Boot Donations $5,563.67

We do not have the totals yet from Kawasaki's Moto Marathon, when I left there at 4:30 a.m. on Saturday we had collected over $1,500. Motoconcepts.com is selling pink bike stands and motopads during the month of February, donating a large portion of the selling price to Susan G Komen.

Additionally, the following companies donated items that were stuffed into backpacks and given away at the event (12 backs packs were given to random participants who filled out an entry for the free drawing held at the breast cancer awareness booths).
ODI - pink handle bar grips
Monster Energy - Backpacks, hats, bandanas, sweatshirts, stickers
t-shirts & polo shirts
Skullcandy - headphones
NLK clothing - youth t-shirts
Utopia - goggles
Von Zipper - sunglasses
Spy - Sunglasses
FMF - I Love Doubles T-shirt
Moto Rose - Childrens' apparel
Applied Racing - tool sets
Cedar Sinai Medical Center - Breast Cancer chip clips
Susan G Komen - Self Breast Exam shower cards
Shasta Johnson - Team Shasta buttons, breast cancer ribbon antennae balls
Ford Motor Company - Ford Warriors Breast Cancer Temporary Tatoos
Anonymous - iPhone earphones

Monster Energy & Muscle Milk donated drinks to the volunteers throughout the day."

Our own award for coolest pink-themed bike goes to the MotoConcepts team, shown here on their WMX pro Vicki Golden's ride:





OK, that's enough of a recap from last weekend - let's get on to the whole NEW series starting up this Saturday. The Lites East region is a real beauty this year, with not only some fresh faces on nation-wide teams making an appearance, but also a couple of brand new teams popping up just for our racing pleasure. We'll start with the most comprehensive list of players in the Lites East class that we could come up with at the moment (you should read this out loud, mocking the God voice that does the Supercross promo videos:

On the #1 Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki, it's defending East Regional Lites Champion and 2007 FIM MX2 World Champion Christophe Pourcel

On the #45 Rockstar/Makita Suzuki, it's Austin Stroupe.

Alright drop the God voice now, here's the rest of the list:

DNA Shred Sticks/Star Racing Yamaha:
341 Nico Izzi
577 Martin Davalos

GEICO Powersports Honda:
17 Justin Barcia
24 Brett Metcalfe

Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki:
28 Tyla Rattray (Tyla's injured, will miss at least the first couple rounds)
108 Dean Wilson

Rockstar/Canidae Suzuki:
40 Jake Moss (East)
66 Blake Baggett (East)

MotoConcepts/Yamaha:
46 Ryan Sipes
61 Vince Friese

Suzuki City/Nitro Circus:
31 Matt Lemoine
43 Steven Clarke

Valli Motorsports/Yamaha:
41 Kyle Regal

Honda of Troy/Kilbarger Racing:
36 Darryn Durham
92 Michael Willard
412 Levi Kilbarger
505 Sean LipanovichRock River Powersports/Yamaha:
351 Shane Sewell
xxx Travis Sewell
370 Drew Yenerich
xxx Shane Durham

Dragon Fuels/KTM:
211 Tevin Tapia
xxx Taylor Futrell

BTOSports.com/BBMX/Suzuki:
95 Lucas Crespi
130 Kyle Keylon

Tisco Honda:
#32 Kyle Cunningham

Warthog Racing Academy:
40 Alex Martin

Sooooo... that's quite a lineup isn't it. Where do we even begin with the predictions on a field as stacked as this one? Even though there are some obvious standouts in this very solid group, we're going to take a different approach and base our predictions at least partially on the incredible and ridiculously detailed "Supercross Notes Package" that Denny Hartwig at Feld Motorsports puts out prior to each event. In this one, it says that a Suzuki has won the opening East race 11 times in the past, compared to 5 for Honda and Kawasaki, and 4 for Yamaha (ZERO for Honda) AND, since 1985, the rider that won the first East race went on to win the title 19 out of 25 times! Well, if that isn't a recipe for an Austin Stroupe win at Indianapolis, we don't know what is. So that's our pick - Stroupe for the win. He's fast, he's maybe ever-so-slightly more mature based on his runs up front in the 450 class, and he's obviously as hyper-ready for a win as anyone in the history of the sport ever has been.

But if Stroupe wins, that almost certainly means that something bad would have to happen to the defending champ (insert God voice here) CHRISTOPHE POURCEL. The big red #1 is not immune to mistakes, and his ability to move through the pack is a little bit in question based on past performances, plus he's probably still a little bit tender from a collarbone issue he had in the recent off-season, so we'll place him somewhere on the podium besides on the top step (although he seems a solid bet for the title). It would be unfair of us to forget about a couple other very capable Suzuki-mounted riders in our predictions, though, so we'll put Jake Moss on the Rockstar/Canidae Suzuki in our 'possible win' column, along with a likely solid ride from Matt Lemoine, who could easily find his way onto the podium.

Now we haven't even begun to scratch the surface of who could be on the podium, and the most obvious omission so far is Geico Powersports Honda's Justin Barcia (#17, that'll be weird won't it?). Justin's flat-out said in interviews that he thinks he can beat everyone this season, but Pourcel's also stated he knows all he has to do is wait for a Barcia mistake to occur so he can get by for a win, so these guys are likely to find each other at some point. Those Hondas are ultra-fast too - as evidenced by several holeshots by Wharton and Canard out west - and Barcia's pretty light, so he'll be up front at the starts, there's little doubting that. Another perennial great starter is Martin Davalos, who this year will be on a DNA/Star Racing YZ250F instead of his usual rocketship KTM250SXF that delivered him to many a holeshot over the past couple of years. Martin's got a habit of fading though, so we'll keep him off the podium for now. And speaking of great starters riding Yamahas, there's also #46 Ryan Sipes, who's both a great starter and seems to be able to put in a lot of consistent laps at sprint pace, which he'll surely need to do to run a Barcia/Pourcel/Stroupe pace out front.

But hey, have you forgotten about Nico Izzi? Because if you have, then you may want to refresh your memory, as this dude's bound to be a top-5-with-threat-for-win guy too. What's that, about 5 predictions for a win so far? Yep, sounds about right. Now let's look at the underdogs, and we'll just throw them out at random and real quick-like: Blake Baggett, Dean Wilson, Steven Clarke, Darryn Durham, Kyle Regal and Taylor Futrell. Add those to "sure bets" like Brett Metcalfe and Kyle Cunningham, and you've got a virtually guaranteed top-20 at every round. It's going to be a great weekend for Lites Supercross racing in Indy, folks.

So what of the other class, the 450's? Carrying on with the California series are the two guys tied in points for the series lead - Josh Hill and Ryan Dungey. Three points behind is last week's winner Ryan Villopoto, and Millsaps a bit further back in fourth, 22 points shy of RV. But another battle is brewing behind them and it's been playing out every time they get on the track - the jockeying for 5th between Brayton, Windham and Tedesco - with the #9 and 23 tied and #14 just a point behind. This is essentially the race for "best of the rest", although Kdub seems (usually) to be a notch ahead of both of these guys, so he should move past after this weekend.



Just to mix it up a bit, there should be a couple of wild cards in the 450 mix this weekend too, namely Trey Canard filling in for Andrew Short and Broc Tickle, riding a YZ450 that's apparently been sitting around waiting for a rider under the Star Racing tent. Trey's not 100% confirmed yet, but it seems likely while another site reported that Tickle should be in for sure. Another guy to add back into the mix is Tommy Hahn, who's been slightly off the pace all season but still sits a solid 10th in points despite missing last weekend due to the flu. Also, we hear Matt Moss may finally be joining Dungey under the Rockstar/Makita Suzuki factory awning, but we don't know for sure yet.



So if we apply the same prediction principles to the 450 class as we did to the 250's (using Feld's notes package), this is what we come up with. A) There has never been a first-time winner in the premier class in Indianapolis in all 19 years they've been racing here. That counts out Josh Hill (not to mention the fact that Yamaha's only won 4 times total). Honda has won 8 times, but not since 2004 so we'll exclude Millsaps too. Kawasaki? Only 3 times and not since 2007... but Suzuki - Suzuki's won 3 times and as recently as last year with Chad Reed. So, we'll go with another Ryan Dungey win, and the rediscovery of his mojo. Hill another 2nd, and 3rd -6th is a total toss-up, with Kdub, RV, possibly Canard and Millsaps all going back and forth again for the best position at the flag. How's that for non-committal?

There should be lots to talk about following this weekend's racing, that much is for sure, as after things wind up at the Lucas Oils Stadium this Saturday night, the stage will be set for the remainder of the winter. We'll have mid-day updates, post-race photos, and mid-week reports coming for ya, that much is for sure, so be sure to check back to find out what WE saw in Indianapolis.

Words and Photos: Kristen Beat

"I'm here to take care of business and make sure I keep that number one plate." --James Stewart.

The first round of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross was a show unlike any other, the second was an absolute circus. The racing was almost as electric as the light show and the pyro. Once again, a season is now underway and 2010 is sure to bring some of the most competitive racing to date; Anaheim Two was a testimony to the electricity of Supercross. As Stewart is trying in desperation to claim the points lead, his predecessor Dungey is capitalizing on his every fault.

Josh Hansen on the Monster Pro Circuit Kawasaki put down some surprisingly fast qualifying times. Infamous for his poor season on the Hart & Huntington team, and celebrated for his X Games victories, Hansen had a lot to prove coming into the first round of Anaheim. At Phoenix Hansen choked and cross rutted, sending himself and his bike spiraling into oblivion. At A2 Hansen started off strong in the Lites main but faded to a 4th place finish in an obvious display of exhaustion.

What are your thoughts on the season?
I am definitely ready to get out and do what I love to do. Working with Pro Circuit has been great. It is by far the best bikes I have ever ridden, the team is like a family they are all really good people and they are easy to work with. The structure of the team that I am on now is a lot better; they all work like a team. We have a lot to work with, we have the best equipment and it should show. Us Pro Circuit boys are the ones to look out for. I want to ride my best, I'm not going to make any predictions I want to be in top ten and if I'm riding my best I should be.

Another rider with sometimes-infamous notoriety but undeniable riding skill is JLaw himself. After recently being released from incarceration Jason proved what we all know to be true, the boy has talent. What some riders would give their left leg and ear for, JLaw embodies; natural unpracticed riding ability. Even after his confinement Lawrence qualified for the main event at Anaheim one, but was MIA in Phoenix, and "sick" for A2. When do you think JLaw will be back on track?

Justin Brayton brought his A game to Angel's Stadium. With the Gibbs team behind him Brayton most definitely has a great deal of potential for the 2010 season. He has proved that with three strong races under his belt, his success is no fluke.

"So far this is a dream come true." --Justin Brayton

What is it like riding for the Gibbs team?
This team has endless support and resources. I want to take full advantage of that. It's awesome how we all live and work out of North Carolina, we hangout every day like a big family. I am looking forward to two years with them, and I'm looking forward to this season.

Do you feel confident coming into Anaheim two?
This is the best bike and team I've been on, I've always been pretty prepared but definitely I am now. I don't stress out over the things I can't control anymore, I'm ready to go.

Has living in North Carolina changed your mental game?
You know I like living in North Carolina. I don't have to worry about the traffic of things in California. Back here we have a trainer and workout every day, I spend a lot of time with Josh just working on riding.

You mentioned the 'traffic of things' are you a rider who is on his own schedule or do you go off of how other riders are training?
I'm on my own program, one good thing about being in North Carolina is you stay out of the gossip of California. You don't hear about who is riding good or who is fast. I haven't paid attention to who I'm racing, I pay attention to my training and focusing on myself. I am focused on getting better, if I do that and ride how I know I can ride then that's good.

Has riding with JG (prior to his injury) improved your game?
Definitely he's one of the most talented guys out there, we make each other better, and the goal is for both of us to be on the podium.

Kevin Windham knows the definition of perseverance. Fan favorite and Supercross icon, K-Dub entered Anaheim stadium for his 16th Supercross season, and was ready to get the ball rolling at Anaheim two. In the Supercross class, there are generally two races- one between the top 3 contenders, and another between the mid 4 (Millsaps, Villopoto, Brayton and Windham)

"It's tough to be apart of this field right now, every year it gets tougher and tougher." --Kevin Windham

What are you looking to accomplish this year?
I want a good season, you know riding for the Geico Powersport Honda team is great and I want to do a good job for them.

As not only a rider but a father as well how do you balance family and racing, and is that a big part of your career?
It's not easy, my wife just had our fourth child, and its been busy through the holidays. It's just fun it has been rewarding to me, and in some kind of weird way it has given me more pride in what I do out on the track and in life, period. Racing is more than just a job, it's what I love doing. Whenever people ask how long I'm going to be around I tell them many years to come, this is what I do and I love doing it.

Ryan Villopoto has had a less than desirable start to the season. Having been one of Mitch Payton's most successful lites riders, Villopoto is accustomed to winning, and doesn't take well to losing.

"The goal is to race with James and Chad, I want a championship." --Ryan Villopoto.

What have you been doing prior to this Supercross season?
I had all summer to relax, and so during the holidays I spent a lot of time training, testing and preparing. I am getting excited to go out and race.

What are your thoughts on racing tonight?
I mean for what is going on, I'm ready and I just want to go out and race. I've hit a few obstacles but those will get worked out. I'm ready to get back behind the gate and be in front of a crowd again.

Another rider who hasn't had an ideal start was Austin Stroupe. Stroupe has planned to ride for Rockstar Makita Suzuki in both a portion of the 450 series, and the entire East coast Lites series. After his first night at Anaheim he has successfully stiffled Kawasaki's Chad Reed, and served as a road block for Josh Hill. At Phoenix, Stroupe was able to settle a few ruffled feathers and seems to be a potentially dominant force within the 450 class, if he can last until A3.

"I want to not get hurt." --Austin Stroupe

Have you enjoyed being on the 450?
Being with a new team and bike, has been cool. I'm in much better surroundings and I'm more mature and ready than I have been. Roger asked me if I'd like to ride because Matt Moss got hurt and I think its good for me to race. This is an opportunity for me to show what I have.

Do you see this as advantageous to your pursuit of an East Coast title?
Yeah, I think. Getting time on the bike will help me. There's a chance to get hurt but overall I think the experience of it all will be awesome. Being able to ride the factory Suzuki 450 will be good for me.

Josh Hill has met 2010 with a new vigor never before seen. With impressive qualifying times and a fast bike to support his efforts, Hill is a force to be reckoned with, and most definitely a wild card. Hill has dominated in the past few weeks and shown he can ride with James and Ryan.

"I want to get on the podium." --Josh Hill

With so many fast guys in the 450 class do you feel intimidated at all?
Everyone is riding good, there are a lot of fast people out there but I took that into consideration during my off season training. I feel like I am riding good. I'm riding the best I have ever ridden.

How does your past experience at supercross influence your riding this season?
I've put the same amount of work in as everyone else now. I'm as ready as everyone is, I've matured a lot more mentally. I feel like I've started to know what I'm doing now. I'm on this level and this is where I belong.

How do you like riding for San Manuel?
Being around the positivity of the San Manuel team and being able just to watch James is awesome. Larry Brooks will do anything to give you the slightest advantage, and that's why it's going to be a good year.

One of the most devastating developments of the week prior to Anaheim one was Christophe Pourcel's injury. At the training track Pourcel broke his collar bone but was still on site for the season opener.

"It's hard to watch and not be riding." --Christoph Pourcel

How has your injury affected your season?
We have had to make changes. I was planning on riding East coast anyway, but now I am just healing before I can ride.

Do you enjoy watching the racing?
Yes the 450 more than the 250 but I do like to watch. I am not as interested because I am not racing, but I like watching the new guys ride and it is fun. I am just waiting to get back out.

Words and Photos: Kristen Beat

After an explosive season opener in Anaheim, the traveling circus that is Supercross made its way to Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona for round two. An impressive collection of vintage bikes bordered the entrance to the stadium. This display caused both the young and young at heart to stop in appreciation.

Throughout the day a long procession of qualifying placed the riders into the night show. What often is not telecasted on SPEED or even online are the riders pitting from their van. The riders from your local track, the ones that come out on their own dime and give it all they have. These are the riders who hope optimistically just to make the night show. One such rider is Tanner Reidman from North Dakota. "The first race went really well for me, I made it in the night show so I improved on last year," said Reidman.

What's the hardest part about being a privateer?
Getting into the pits first on Saturday. No, its really just trying to get used to the track on equipment that's not as good.

Are your goals more towards making a main or a night show?
The goal for most privateers is to make the night show. My goal now that I've been able to do that is to make a main. If I can do that I've conquered my goal. I have to act like every race is my last.

A lot of people aren't aware of what a struggle it is to get a ride with a factory team, if you aren't coming up out of the amateur ranks with a name how do you get that team ride?I've found out it's a lot about who you know and who you get to know. If you don't know people or put yourself out there for people to know you, you aren't going to get noticed. So you try to meet people and talk to different people. If a rider is doing good in the amateur ranks they already have a name, but if they don't they just aren't being watched.

What is the most important factor in your heat race?
Get a holeshot, in Supercross if you get a good spot you have to stay up and ride it out. That's most important, and it's a lot easier to do well in the front.

Do you think if you had a comparable bike to the factory riders, you could be out there winning races?
You know, I wouldn't know. I think I'd have a better chance, I don't know how much better those bikes are. I've never ridden one, but I definitely think I'd do a lot better.

Another rider thriving within the privateer arena is Michael Byrne. Once a factory Rockstar Makita Suzuki rider, now on his own funded private Kawasaki, Byrne is looking at things from a different perspective. "It's been life changing, it's nice to be in control, but it's been tough to make the change," said Byrne.

Do you feel like now you cam sympathize more with the privateer?
Yeah, I'm fortunate to have land with a track on it but it would be hard if I didn't have that even. If I had to find tracks to ride, it would be a lot more difficult. Now if I need something I have to outsource it to a different company.

Coming from Suzuki to Kawi, what are the major differences?
Surprisingly, the Kawasaki is a great bike. I was surprised how great and solid the bike was. I am lucky enough to have good suspension from Enzo, and the bike is stable.

Has it been difficult to acquire your own sponsors?
Yes, with the economy being so tough, no one has any money to spend. It's tough but I can't complain I've been able to get a lot of good products.

The track at Chase Field received overwhelmingly high approval. With deeper whoops and more room to pass, the riders generally enjoyed the track and had few complaints. When designing a track it is often hard to create a design that receives positive feedback. After speaking with Byrne the criteria for a well-designed track allow for good racing which means challenging rhythms and wide spacing to pass.

Someone familiar to racetracks whether they are dirt or pavement is Coy Gibbs. I had the opportunity to talk with the man, and legend before the main event in Phoenix. "We hope Josh gets healthy soon, and for Justin we are excited to have him on board," said Gibbs

Has Justin's success been a surprise to you?
He is extremely talented and driven, its not a surprise to us, we had our eyes on him for quite a while and hopefully on the right bikes we can get him riding up front.

What are the major differences in owning a Supercross team and a Nascar team?
I think anything racing is difficult, but financially this is one of our most successful years and yeah there are new obstacles but I think we have them well managed.

Will we see a replacement rider on the Gibbs team to fill in for Josh Grant?
We feel like it's an obligation to our sponsors, and make sure they are the right guys, so we are definitely looking and hope to have someone by Monday. You have a lot of things you have to deal with as far as the helmet, bike, gear obligations, but we will find someone. We are going to look into the privateer pool and go from there.

On the opposite end of this situation is Josh Grant. With a repertoire of Supercross accomplishments this rider is not unfamiliar with the podium. Grant has no anxiety when confronting the main event starting gate, and even less when going bar to bar with the best. Although after suffering a serious injury, Grant is looking at an abbreviated season. "It's the worst feeling ever to know you could be out there doing well, and taking advantage of the mistakes the top guys are making. It just sucks," said Grant.

When can we expect to see you back on track?
I had surgery last night so hopefully 8 weeks from now.

Is it an easy recovery or will you be heading to physical therapy?
Physical therapy every day, and bone stimulator. We are trying to get everything good so I can be out sooner than later and heal as quickly as possible.

Do you know who will be replacing you for the races you will be missing?At the moment we don't yet, we are looking for someone who doesn't have a ride, but we'll definitely know soon.

What are your plans for the next few weeks?
I'm going to stay out in California, do my rehab, stay at home with the family then get back on the road. Once I can start riding again the goal is to get back out there and win some races.

As the racing throughout the evening began Reed was introduced to a somewhat unwelcoming Phoenix crowd. Once Chad's name was announced a resounding chorus of "boooooos" filled the stadium. Unlike any Supercross before, a heroic dilemma was conceived. Reed as the villain, and Stewart was posed as the hero. Even their entrance songs followed suite.

Throughout the night's events a serious animosity developed between Reed and Stewart. After a number laps following Stewart, Reed went in for the kill and took them both out, allowing Dungey to win the main event and possibly parking Reed for the rest of the season (rumored broken hand). After the lights went down an enraged Stewart paid a visit to the Kawasaki pit in an attempt to settle things, though no official story is available yet as to what happened. There is speculation circulating as to what really went down, but with a Championship on the line and no points to spare you can bet over the next few races things are going to get ugly, or uglier, that is.

It is with a very sad heart that I must say a few days ago I had to do one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life; say goodbye to my old friend Wilson. 15 years ago, when Wilson joined our family we learned very quickly he would be very protective over us, as he growled at anybody that came within 20 feet of my son. Even though he had his aggressive side I never once worried that he would turn on any of his family. He was ridiculously strong and tough, but any chance he had to jump on the couch and smother us with love he would. Back in those days Wilson and I also made several trips to Glamis attempting to be a part of that cool LBZ freestyle crowd. We never had to worry about our gear when we went out for rides, Wilson was there and nobody was going to try and get past him. His name became well known to everybody as he would frequently take a walk over a dune or two, and you could always hear me yelling his name and asking, "Has anybody seen my dog?"

It was also about that time when moto-boards were still a bit foreign to me. I finally decided I would actually sign up for one. I had been using ProRide as a source for track information and had no idea that the forum even existed until my roommate showed me. I lurked for a while and I honestly could not tell you what motivated me to become a member. I didn't have a camera at the time and had no idea of how to post a photo, so what was the point? The internet was still relatively new, and passwords and screen names were things I never had to think up before. When it came time to choose a name, I wanted something that didn't give away any secrets about who I was, I didn't know who might be trying to spy on me. I was looking out the window and Wilson was just laying in the sun, being brown as he was, and that was when BrownDogWilson became its own personae. When I started shooting photos I started putting a BDW logo on my shots, that way if they were bad I could just blame it on that BDW guy. The only problem now, 10 years later is hardly anybody knows who I am, by my real name at least. Everywhere I went, people called me BrownDog, and it just stuck! You can Google my real name and come up with a couple links, but you Google BrownDogWilson and you will find my complete photo history!

I am glad I was able to spend 15 years with my pal, and he shared some very important events of my life and he will never be forgotten. He may be gone, but his name will carry with me for the rest of my life, whether I like it or not.

Godspeed Willy, you will be missed but not forgotten.

--BDW

Words: Kristen Beat

On December 15th 2009 Feld Motorsports held a dress rehearsal in Los Angeles for the Nuclear Cowboyz Tour. This will be a 15 city tour in which athletes will bring freestyle motocross to cities across the nation. The pilot performance for press and friends gave the athletes a chance to show us what they'll be doing come January.

Athlete Nate Adams explained his involvement in Nuclear Cowboyz, "It's really cool, we are all friends. We all come here to have fun and do a show so it's a different really cool vibe. It's not as stressful on the mind or body, it's a steady paycheck we're all happy."

Mike Mason, another performer featured on the tour had this to say, "It has been a lot of work we have been here eight or nine days the first day was a walk show and we got into riding. There are about ten scenes and we've been working! This is the first time dirt biking has felt like a job. We had a time to get here worked all day had lunch worked some more and went home and went to bed like we were old men."

"Once things get tuned up this will be awesome. As a rider it's a little repetitive in our heads but once we get going, 15 weeks with all these guys just riding a show instead of a contest is going to be a blast. We are excited to get to hangout and have fun. We do fun tricks and have a break and yeah there are scary tricks too but there is less pressure. It should be fun."

Pyrotechnics, rock music and dancers were the base elements in the Nuclear Cowboyz composition. What made this show absolutely explosive was the freestyle motocross. Each bike was choreographed in a synchronized manner relative to the show which made for a chaotic and impressive exhibition of FMX, like nothing ever seen before.

Brian Deegan critiqued the show, "It's the best riders out there and it's super good, yeah there are little things they could do to make it better, but I'm a fan of anyone who can make a good freestyle show. The sport needs this. The show really needs an announcer or someone to explain it. In the Midwest people will really like it though. Overall it was a good show."

Throughout the show fans were actively following the thematic plot of the story. Audible notions of awe and excitement were heard throughout the arena. Janelle Knight of Temecula California stated, "I wanna save a horse and ride a nuclear cowboy!"

As a spectator Destin Cantrell enjoyed the show as well, "It is really cool, it's a great show to watch and there is a lot of good riding in it. I thought it was awesome."

For a full rundown of the schedule and rider information, visit the Nuclear Cowboyz Tour website, www.nuclearcowboyz.com.