AUTHOR: NOVIK GLOVES

With the beginning of each new race season, everyone that follows the sport tries to figure out which racers have done they’re off-season homework and will be a series contender throughout the year.   A lot can be told from the first few rounds on how the season will unfold.  With the first three rounds out of the way, and Round four of the AMA Monster Energy Supercross Series is about to take place, we can start to get a idea of which riders will have a consistent presence in the series and which riders just had a good round.

There is a young rider that is relatively unknown, but for the last two rounds has consistently knocked out some decent results in this year’s extra-stacked Supercross Lites West class.  His name is Bruce Rutherford, and after two rounds is currently sitting 13^th in points behind Jimmy DeCotis and Ken Roczen.   After meeting up with Bruce at the Phoenix Supercross round, there are quite a few things that are impressive about Bruce and his father Bruce Senior. The biggest thing that stood out is the simplicity of their racing efforts.   

After walking around for quite a while looking for the #795 bike, we finally came across his pit area in the back corner of the privateer pits.  Bruce and his father were franticly trying to change out the handlebars that had been bent in practice, with a pair that was slightly less bent off of his spare bike.  Being parked quite literally in the shadows behind the Rockstar Suzuki Team rig, a regular reminder of his competition was announced as factory tuned 250fs would echo off the stadium block walls with intimidating regularity.   Bruce was equipped with a bike not too far from a stock machine, with only a few aftermarket parts.   Bruce came to the gate with a large amount of heart and talent, and planned on doing battle with the fastest riders in the world.

Bruce went out that evening and transferred right into the main event. He proved he can run with the best of them, resulting in a 13^th overall finish in the main. 

One of the most humble, polite, and easy going riders on the circuit, we took a few minutes to let everyone know a bit more about the rider named Bruce Rutherford.

So tell us a little bit about yourself.  Where are you from and how old are you? Seems like a generic way to start an interview, but in this case I think it’s necessary.
Ok, yeah great!  My name is Bruce Rutherford, and I am 20 years old.  I’m from Murrieta, California. I’ve grown up here and been living here for pretty much my whole life.

Not too much is known about you so far.  Was Anaheim 1 was your first Supercross race?
Yeah it was…  I was planning on racing some Supercross rounds last year, but got hurt just before the start of the series.  So I had to sit out last year with a shoulder injury, which was a bummer.  But being my first Supercross races, I wasn’t really too sure how the transition from motocross to supercross would go. I actually feel really comfortable out there on the track, and am getting more and more excited about the series.  Supercross is pretty nice because everything stays clean for the weekend.  I like it a lot so far, it’s been fun.   

So you sort of snuck up on everyone and turned some heads last year outdoors, and now this year in SX.  What have you done on the amateur side of racing?
I didn’t really have a huge presence in the amateur stuff.  As a younger amateur, you know on 50s and 65s we had some major support from KTM, and I won a few national titles at World Mini’s and Ponca City.  As a teenager, I went to public school, and I put some focus on finishing up high school for a few years. I always continued racing, but really started to pick it up again when I was 15 or 16 years old, and got back into racing full on.  

I did some racing this summer at the Outdoor Nationals, which went pretty well.  I ended up qualifying in 8^th at Pala this year, and actually lined up next to Dungy in the motos, which was a little nerve-racking! (laughs)  I think that got to me a bit, but it was really cool, and I enjoyed it. 

Well this year, you have proven you can run well in your class.  What do you think it would take for you to get up into the top 10 or even top 5 positions?
The last two rounds went well, and I think to get up a couple more spots and get to the top few positions, I would say just putting together a few little things.  I think starts need improved, and maybe corner speed.  But I’m just a couple seconds off the pace of the front guys.  If I can consistently put all those little things together, I think I’ll be there with them.  

Looking at your bike, it’s really not too far off of a stock bike.  Do you consider that a big disadvantage especially in the Lites Class?
I really try not to think about that too much to be honest.  I have what I have, and I just have to make it happen with that.   I think with the support of everyone around me, it’s good and we can be competitive with everyone on the track. 

Looks like you have some support from Pala Raceway…What’s up with that?
Well, actually I’ve been working there for quite a while, maybe about a year and a half or so.  I work there part time now as an equipment operator to make a bit of extra cash, which is definitely needed, ya know?! (laughs) The guys from Pala have been very supportive with my riding and traveling.  So they’ve been awesome, and very helpful to me.  Also too, it’s really fun to be involved with all they’re national events and help them out with that. 

So what’s the plan for this 2011? What are your expectations for yourself, and plans for outdoors?
I am just planning on finishing out the West Coast Supercross rounds and keep improving.  That’s all I can ask for I think?!  I hope to get some top 10 finishes, and hopefully finish inside top 10 in points.   Outdoors it’s very difficult to be competitive on a 250 so I may try to run the 450 class depending on what happens.  Either way, 250s or 450s it will be good…I’m excited. 

Who has helped you get to where you are now? Who would you like to thank?
Well first and foremost, I’d like to thank my family.  My mom and dad for sure, Pala Raceway, of course you guys from Novik Gloves, Motohabitat.com, Rocket Exhaust, RaceTech Suspension, Shoei Helmets, John Burr, and Goolsby Motosports. 

Well Bruce, we’re going to be cheering from you this season!  Thanks for spending the time to talk with us and letting everyone out there know a little bit more about you.
Thank you and everyone else for the support!  See you this weekend..

 —–

About Novik Gloves: We truly appreciate the opportunity to help out the riders that need the support and exposure.  We proudly stand behind Bruce Rutherford and wish him the best this season and into the future. 

More information about Novik Gloves can be found at www.novikgloves.com

Racer X: Scott, tell the readers about where you are from and how you got into motocross.
Scott Champion: I am from Temecula, CA and my Dad got me a PW50 when I was 4 years old.  He grew up riding and racing and got me into it.  We would always get our gear on and go ride into the hills, behind our house for hours and it was all I wanted to do.

When did you start racing? Did you race any big amateur stuff?
My Mom or Dad never pushed me to race or anything like that.  We would go to the hills, the desert and tracks to just have a lot of fun.  I really wanted to start racing when I was 11. I didn’t do a lot of big amateur races because my Dad couldn’t get the time off of work and we honestly didn’t think I could handle those big races at the time. I did Mammoth one year on 80s, World Mini one year, and the Amateur Open race one year.

How did you make out in those races?
I didn’t do very well.  I was in the top 10 but never did that well.  After those races I knew where I was at and just kept riding and having fun with it.

Champion has been solid this season, making two consecutive mains.
Photo: Simon Cudby

So you turned pro in? Then what did you do for races?
Well a buddy of mine and my Dad’s friend, Bob Scholten got me hooked up with Steve Butler at Yamaha in ‘08. I started doing some testing for them and was kinda how I was still riding dirt bikes because my bike situation was not that good at the time. With just the wear and tear that the bikes get, we couldn’t afford it anymore. I was basically done racing and just riding and testing for Yamaha. I got a job at Jay’s Board shop in Temecula and worked there for a while. Then I got a job at Active ride shop because I used to skateboard a lot as well and enjoyed that. At the same time I did a couple pro races to get my pro license and got a little exposure. I called Riley Racing because I heard from a friend that they were looking for a replacement rider. They said to come out to Phoenix to watch me ride and the next week I was on a full team to do Washougal, Southwick, Millville and Steel City!How did you do at the Nationals?
My first national was at Washougal, where I qualified 17^th. I struggled in the races a bit because the suspension I was using was set up for the guy who I replaced and was not used for the longer motos. I finished 27th overall I believe at Washougal. At Southwick, I qualified 4th overall and finished 13th in the second moto. Everyone on the team was really happy and so was I, and all of my friends and family.

Is this your first year of Supercross?
No, I did West Coast Supercross in 2009, with Riley Racing. I made all the rookie mistakes but learned from all of them. My best finish was a 17th.

How is this year going for you?
It’s going good. I feel like I am getting better each weekend and getting into the mains.  I’ve crashed on both main event starts this year so I haven’t really been able to show what I can do with those guys. But I am looking forward to Oakland this weekend and the rest of the series!

Champion and girlfriend Erin Normoyle.

A lot of readers might not know this but your girlfriend is Erin Normoyle and is part of the TV crew for the Nationals. How did you guys meet and how is that going?
Yeah, we met in ‘09 and used to hang out a little bit and ride 110s.  At Glen Helen that year, I was borrowing a friend’s bike to race and was only planning on doing Glen Helen. At the race she came up to me and asked if I wanted to travel with her to the rest of the races and the rest is history. It’s going good and she helps me out a lot.

What’s a normal day like for you during the week?
Wake up, do bike work, get gear together, go ride…eat lunch. Then go to my trainer Charles Dao’s and do it all over the next day.

Do you have a mechanic that helps you at the races?
For the first two races, my buddy Kyle was helping me just at the races on Saturday. We have known each other for a long time and work good together. He knows what fires me up and helps me a lot. He goes to school at USC and couldn’t make it to LA this weekend so we found another guy to help out which worked out. During the week I usually do bike work myself and keep everything going.

How do you get from race to race? Do you travel by yourself?
Erin and I just go in my truck. At A1, we hooked up with SPY and pit out of their motor home.  At Phoenix we just had my truck and some chairs. The team I ride for Revolution2MX travels with us as well last weekend. We had a cool trailer to pit out of and get out of the cold!

What’s the plan for the rest of the series?
I’m not sure for Oakland, Revolution2mx might be taking the bikes and Erin and I might ride the train or just drive up and pit out of the truck. Not really sure yet and still trying to make plans.

After Supercross do you plan on racing the Nationals this year?
I really want to but if I don’t have all of the pieces together, I won’t. This last year was really hard to keep it all going. I was so stressed I couldn’t even ride my motorcycle. Without the travel budget, the parts, a mechanic, and all the pieces that are required, it doesn’t work and we learned that the hard way.

A lot of people don’t realize how hard it is to be a real privateer. It makes it hard to perform your best. What do you think about how the top privateer awards?
I honestly know nothing about them. At Budds Creek this year, Tapia walked up with a huge check and I was like how did you get that and he said you had to enter online and all this stuff. So maybe I should look into that!

At Washougal you got a chance to ride for Factory Yamaha. How did all that come about?
At Red Bud, Guy B asked if I wanted to do the 2010 Yamaha YZ250F intro at Washougal and of course I wanted to do that. I flew up that week before Washougal and rode for a couple days. The last day, I was putting in a long moto and they were watching me. I came back and they all surrounded me and asked if I wanted to ride the Factory Yamaha 450 that weekend. They were all really cool guys and I appreciate them giving me that great opportunity, as well as, Guy B inviting me up there for that.

Can Champion extend his main event streak to three at Oakland?
Photo: Simon Cudby

Was it easier or harder, when you rode for them compared to a day when you were doing it on your own?
It was way easier!  All I had to worry about was riding that bike as fast as I could.  Although, I struggled with the suspension a lot cause it was so stiff. It wasn’t easy going from Erin’s CRF250 to a Factory Yamaha 450, thats all I’m going to say! (laughs)  First moto, I pulled off as I was just getting beat up. Second moto, I crashed on the start and came back to 19th.  My palm on my right hand was ripped open so bad from holding on and I just tried doing the best i could.

It must have been hard not being prepared to ride a 450 and just hoping on and expected to do well?
It was very frustrating, and still is when people ask how I did. But at the same time, everyone at Yamaha put zero pressure on me. I put the most pressure on myself and didn’t get what I wanted. It was an awesome day though and a cool opportunity.

How do you think your results would be right now if you were on a team that took care of everything and you just had to show up and race?
That’s hard to say. I’m not gonna be like that or be that guy who tells everyone he’s going to do this do that. I just want an opportunity that gives me all the pieces I need to be successful then I can show what I believe I’m capable of.

Someone told me your riding a older bike right now. Is that true?
Yeah it’s a 2009 Kawaski KXF250.  I rode Erin’s ‘08 Honda last year in outdoors and just try to do the best I can with what I have.

Do you have a lot of aftermarket parts?
I have Enzo doing the suspension which is really good and a good motor guy but that’s about it.

Well good luck with the rest of the series! Is their anyone you would like to give a shout out to?
Thanks Chris.  Yeah, I want to thank Revolution2mx, Warren and Brown Precision Tools, Dunlop, Enzo, Spy, No Fear, United Distributing, Vertex Pistons, Hotcams, Deft Family, Works Connection, Renthal, C4mxODI, MotoPro Graphics, UFO, Braking, Ride Eng, and last but not least Erin, my Mom, my Dad, Kyle B, & all my friends and family who have always supported me!

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Go Vicki! It will be interesting to see how she does…

AMA Arenacross Series Interview of the Week:
Women Motocross Pro Vicki Golden Prepares to Join the Men

AURORA, Ill. (January 26, 2011) – While the 2011 AMA Arenacross Series Championship continues to be dominated early by TUF Honda’s Jeff Gibson, a new storyline is developing as the Arenacross Lites Western Regional Championship returns to action this weekend in Denver.

In recent years, the female contingent of the sport of motocross has grown considerably to the point that women have the opportunity to be professionals in their own series. However, on Friday and Saturday night, a new chapter will be written in the growth of females in the sport when Vicki Golden makes her debut alongside the men in the Arenacross Lites class.

Golden is a Southern California native still in the early stages of her career. She has proven to be one of the fastest women in the country and is looking for a new challenge. What better way than to go toe-to-toe with the rising stars of the AMA Arenacross Series in the Arenacross Lites class?

We caught up with Vicki to see how this opportunity came about, how’s she’s adapted to the very technical discipline of arenacross, and how her training is going for this weekend’s race.

Vicki, what made you decide that you wanted to compete in the AMA Arenacross Series?

“Supercross and arenacross is just something I like riding. I enjoy it a lot (actually). Plus, I’m going to be riding anyways since it’s the offseason right now (for motocross). The women’s class has a really long offseason so this is a great chance to keep me racing all year. Really, it’s just something I love doing so I figured I might as well go for it.”

How do you feel about the opportunity to compete alongside the men? Do you have any awareness of the significance of it?

“I’m really excited to be racing, especially in arenacross because there are a lot of good riders in (the series). I’m excited to do something new. It’s still just riding my bike, but it’s a chance to learn different skills. It’s great to be riding as a woman in arenacross and show that we can do it (too).”

How has the transition from motocross to arenacross been? What did you do to acclimate yourself?

“My style fits arenacross and I think that’s why I enjoy it so much. I have a lot of riders that compete giving me tips and helping me out any time I need it. Guys like Ben Evans and Bryce Vallee, they are more than willing to help me out while we’re riding together. It took a lot to get started, but I’ve adapted really quickly and I just love riding it.”

What do you think the biggest challenge will be?

“Probably just getting through everything and doing so consistently. I’d really just be happy to get the first race out of the way and all the butterflies. Hopefully I’m able to make it into the night show and then the main event and try to get some points going.”

Who will you be riding for?

“It’s myself racing technically, but I have a lot of people helping me out – Resner Builders Hardware, Factory Connection, Vortex, Fox Racing, Works Connection, Yoshimura, Donn Maeda at Transworld, K&N Filters, Throttle Jockey Graphics, X-Factor Goggles, Leatt Brace and Miki Keller. There are just so many people that I don’t want to forget anyone because I can’t thank them enough for the support.”

How does it feel to have so much support from the community?

“It’s awesome. To have all of the support I’ve received is amazing. We were thinking about running just a stock bike and see what I can do with what I have, but everyone has been really supportive and is hopping on board with me. It’s just been awesome to have so many people behind me”

What kind of expectations have you set for yourself not just for this weekend, but for the remainder of the Western Regional Championship?

“I just hope to be competitive, really. I know I can be, so I just want to get in there. I think it’ll help me be more aggressive for racing next season than simply riding alone, so I think that’ll be a big plus as well. Ultimately I just want to get as many points as I can.”

What are you hoping comes from your participation in the AMA Arenacross Series and what do you think your participation in the series means for women’s motocross as a whole?

“I just hope it inspires them. I’m inspired to do it just because I love it. If other (female) riders see me do it than maybe they’ll want to try it too. Or maybe if it just makes someone want to even hop on a motorcycle (for the first time). Whatever it is, I hope that it’ll be inspiring for other women to ride.”

Round four of the 2011 AMA Arenacross Series kicks off in just a few days from the Denver Coliseum in Denver, Colo., on Friday, January 28 and Saturday, January 29 starting at 7:00 p.m. MT!

New for 2011! Live timing and scoring from each round of the AMA Arenacross Series. To follow the intense racing action live, log onto

Motorcycle Talk Show for January 25, 2011- Nick Wey, Ken Roczen, David Rasmussen, Jake Zemke, Chip Yates

www.pitpassradio.com

Advance, North Carolina (January 25, 2011) – Top talent and industry insiders from the motorcycle world give their uncut opinions and race stories. Get your weekly motorcycle news live from Pit Pass Moto Weekly. Pit Pass Moto Weekly is now heard in over 50 countries around the world.

5 pm to 7 pm Pacific – Motorcycle Radio streaming individual interviews from www.pitpassradio.com, or download the program from our archives to your ipod or mp3 player anytime.

Nick Wey, Supercross Racer – Valli Motorsports Rockstar Yamaha

Wey is a veteran in the Supercross series and continues to produce solid results. Last year he was the sole rider on the TiLUBE Brown Motorsports team and was called up to ride the Factory Kawasaki when Villopoto got hurt. He finished the Supercross series in 7^th place last year. This year he’s on the VMS team and is proving he can do well on the Yamaha as well.

www.nickwey.com

Ken Roczen, SX Lites Rider – KTM
 This 16 year-old rider from the east side of Germany may be the fastest German rider U.S. fans have ever witnessed. Ken turned pro in 2009 finishing 5th in the MX2 World Championship in his first year and returning in 2010 to finish 2nd in the MX2 World Championship at only 16 years old. He is currently racing in the AMA West Supercross Lites Series before returning to Europe for his third attempt at the MX2 World Championship title.
www.ktmusa.com

David Rasmussen, Motorsport Manager – AXO

David has worked in the motorcycle industry for over 20 years and joined AXO just a little over a year ago. He’s in charge of managing rider support, both professional and amateur, as well as international distributor sales. In 2011 his main focus is to put AXO back on the map in the U.S. by supporting Supercross teams and riders. This year they are sponsoring a number of riders including TiLUBE Racing’s Matt Boni, Matt Goerke, and Manuel Rivas.
 www.axo.com

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Jake Zemke, Formula Xtreme Champion – Project 1 Atlanta
 It was announced that Zemke will be riding in the 2011 Daytona 200 for the Project 1 Atlanta team for a one race deal with the hope of attracting additional sponsors. Zemke won both races in Daytona in the superbike class in 2010 and the Daytona 200 in 2006. He also won the AMA Formula Xtreme Championships in 2002 and 2008. This past year he raced for the National Guard Michael Jordan team in the superbike class and finished in third place overall.
 www.facebook.com/project1atlanta

William “Chip” Yates – Road Racer, Team Owner, Chief Designer – SWIGZ.COM Pro Racing Electric Superbike

In January, 2010, Chip Yates and his two volunteer engineers Ben Ingram and Robert Ussery set out to fulfill an outrageous goal: to design, build and race an electric superbike capable of delivering gasoline bike lap times with no outside funding or full-time staff.  Difficulties and setbacks abounded – a patent-pending front wheel KERS braking system was required and invented, Chinese batteries were scrapped, budgets ran low and the bike was banned from TTXGP and FIM e-Power competition just as it neared completion.  But on January 9, 2011, the small team made history as Chip rode to two podium spots against gasoline powered superbikes, setting the fastest lap time of any bike in his second race and a top speed of 158 mph on the front straight at Auto Club Speedway.

www.chipyates.com

Crew at Pit Pass Radio

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Pit Pass Moto Weekly is a syndicated motorcycle talk show heard across the U.S. on radio stations and around the world via the internet at www.pitpassradio.com. The show airs every Tuesday from 5-7 pm Pacific, 6-8 pm Mountain, 7-9 pm Central, and 8-10 pm Eastern at www.pitpassradio.com. Companies interested in advertising on the show or marketing partnerships can contact Ed Kuhlenkamp by clicking on the contact tab in the menu and make sure to list advertising in the email.

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Memo with Team Sahlen

Team Sahlen fully prepared for the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona

Team Sahlen enters this year’s 2011 ROLEX 24 Hours at Daytona with a full on assault to march to the front of the GT field. Not just another simple racing event, this twice around the clock event calls for intense preparations to be ready. And for Team Sahlen, these preparations started as soon as the 2010 season ended. Immediately following the season, Team Sahlen tested on 3 different occasions at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. This was then followed by the Grand American sanctioned test at Virginia International Raceway.
After a short break, Team Sahlen then returned after Thanksgiving to the last 2010 Grand Am Test that was held at Homestead International Speedway. Then at the start of the new year, Team Sahlen attended the “Roar before the 24” test at Daytona International Speedway. All of this testing has kept the crew at Team Sahlen hopping. But despite all this extra effort, spirits within the team are high. And as well they should be as these efforts have led to Team Sahlen being at the sharp end of the Mazda contingency in the GT time charts.

Not only has the crew been very busy working to prep the SpeedSource built RX-8s, but several other divisions of the team have been putting in extra hours. The Engineering Team led by Catherine Crawford Wallace has been focusing on ways to maximize the potential performance of the SpeedSource built Mazda RX-8 on track. The Graphics Department has been putting in extra time, coming out with a new paint scheme and design on the Team Sahlen Mazdas. This led to rave reviews from fans and competitors alike at the “Roar before the 24”. In carrying this look forward, the new look also transferred to a new Vinyl Wrap of the Trailer. Additionally, the graphics team has redesigned the Fan Card Stands, Team Flags and many other small details. And no crew can be successful without a full stomach, and feeding 50+ individuals for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner will mean over 600 meals will be served during the weekend. Beyond planning meals, the Team Sahlen Catering division has been busy making enhancements to the look of the Hospitality area by purchasing new supplies and decorations.

For this year’s event, Team Sahlen will again be entering 2 Mazdas in the GT class, #42 & #43. Both of these RX-8s will also be contesting the full 2011 ROLEX season. Drivers for Team Sahlen will be Memo Gidley, Joe Sahlen, and Joe, Wayne & Will Nonnamaker. Over the years, Team Sahlen has captured a series of Top 10 in class results through the years (2010: 7th, 2006: 9th, 2005: 9th, 2004: 4th).

Lead Driver Memo Gidley shares his thoughts – “I’m excited for the 24 and Team Sahlen. Getting ready for the 24 really started for us at the VIR test at the end of last season. Team Sahlen has really started to come together and the hard work and initiative that the team has shown over the last few months to be a contender has been awesome. The 24 is such a grueling race and really the ultimate gauge on Team readiness. I know the team over the next couple of weeks is going over everything on the car with a fine tooth comb to try to eliminate any potential problems. For me, the next couple of weeks will be pushing myself as hard as possible in my training programs to try to make the race as easy as possible. But no matter how much preparation we all do, this race is never easy! I can’t wait for the challenge.”

Team Sahlen Leader in All-Time Starts Will Nonnamaker is excited as he has ever been for the 24 Hours – “Even before I started driving, this is the one event I have always wanted to be a part of. This marks my 8th start in the event. And I can firmly say that this is the best position we have ever been in leading up to the race. Everything seems to be really coming together. Our Driver line-up is super strong, the Mazda is a great car, and all divisions of the team are operating like a fine oiled machine. The competition is really tough this year, but we hope to be one of those fighting it out at the sharp end of the field.”

The ROLEX 24 Hours will start at 3:30 pm on Saturday January 29th. Team Sahlen will be entering 2 Mazdas in the event against a full field of 30+ GT competitors. The race will be televised on SPEED TV, with 14 hours of Live coverage.
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• Bell Helmets
• Marin Bikes
• Shawn Thomas Automotive at Infineon Raceway
• Gatorz
• Thunderbird Creative Media