Anaheim Two Interviews

Making the Main's staff writer, Kendra Keene, managed to get a few minutes with the boys from Team Suzuki's 125 class and Cernics Red Bull Suzuki's Travis Pastrana. Check it out.

For Kyle Partridge Interview
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For Broc Hepler Interview
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For Travis Pastrana Interview
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Just a bit of Old School

Before most of us were born there was a breed of motorcycle riders that were truly pioneers. No safety equipment, no modern electrical, no suspension to speak of. And handling? Those guys just grabbed on, twisted the throttle and went WFO. And they'd do anything to ride.

Here's a picture of my friend at the ripe old age of 21. The bike is a Harley, circa 1941. And my friend? That's Sanford Marshall. Right now he's 85. He just had knee replacement surgery. And if he could, he would jump on a bike and take off. Enjoy the picture.

Five Minutes with Kyle Partridge

You can try an Internet search but you won't find much on young Suzuki rider Kyle Partridge. At least not in the way of a bio history or anything. What you will find is Kyle's name on list after list of finishes in the amateur class and in everyone's publication of the 2005 Team roster from Suzuki's Support Team Motoworld Racing. At 6'3", Kyle stands heads above his competition and is trying to race past them at the finish line. MTM's Kendra caught up with Kyle after a disappointing evening at Anaheim 2 where Kyle failed to make the main event.

MTM: So Kyle, give me a run down on how the day went for you.

PARTRIDGE: I did pretty good in my day qualifier, I got second. In my heat race I got a dead last start and came back to eleventh, so I missed it by two. Then in the LCQ I had a bad spill on the third lap and was out for the evening. So it didn’t go to good, actually.



MTM: Did you learn anything out there tonight?

PARTRIDGE: Today was actually the best I have ever felt riding Supercross. I have some things I have to go and work on this next week. Hopefully I can come back next week and be ready to go.

MTM: What was going through your head out there on the track?

PARTRIDGE: The first couple of races I was pretty nervous. When you have 40 to 60 thousand fans watching you it’s pretty nerve-racking. But you have to get used to it and I am getting used to it a bit more. It’s kind of like an outdoor race or an amateur race, with people watching you.



MTM: So what do you have to do this week to prepare for next week that will get you to the main event?

PARTRIDGE: Well, my stamina is there. I have to work on my corner speed, charging up to jumps, just normal things a rookie has to get used to doing differently. I have to be charging the whole time.

MTM: Are you having fun out there?

PARTRIDGE: Yes, of course! If I wasn’t I wouldn’t be out here.



MTM: Are you getting a lot of pressure being in the big rig this year?

PARTRIDGE: No, not bad actually, because it’s my first year and they don’t expect a lot out of me. They are just hoping for me to progress each week and get better and better. And I think they’re happy that I’m riding faster, getting better, I’m riding smoother. So I think that Paul and Glen and all the guys at motoworld and my mechanic Dana, are more than happy with me.

MTM: Well you look fast out there and I wish you the best of luck next week.

PARTRIDGE: Thanks, I appreciate it.

Five Minutes With Broc Hepler

At just 18 and in his second year as a professional motocross/supercross rider Broc Hepler has slipped under the hype radar and accomplished more in his first year of racing than most riders will do in their entire career. In his first year of racing Hepler was runner up to James Bubba Stewart in both the 125 Outdoor National Motocross series and the THQ AMA 125cc East Regional Supercross Series. In doing so, Hepler earned Rookie of the Year Award for 2004.

This year Broc Hepler continues his quest for a title riding under the Makita Suzuki factory tent. In Anaheim One Hepler thought he had an edge due to all the mud. As an East Coast rider, Hepler is familiar with mud riding and believed the conditions would favor him in the evening’s main event. Unfortunately, the evening didn’t go well. A week later, Hepler grabs the holeshot and rides to his first victory.



MTM’s Kendra caught up with young Broc Hepler before the evening’s events at Anaheim Two. Here’s what he had to say.

MTM: Broc, you are one of the youngest guys out there on the track and yet you are also one of the fastest. How does that make you feel? Does it put more pressure on you?

HEPLER: It feels great. I have been working at this for a long time, since I was five years old, actually. So I have been racing forever and it’s finally paying off to where you can see you are accomplishing a lot of things. So that fulfills all my dreams and I just want to keep winning.

MTM: What’s a normal day like for you?

HEPLER: It’s not too bad really. I get up pretty early and get out to the supercross track. I do several motos, working on different things. Then I go back to the house and do some road work on the bike for cardio. After that I get to rest and take it easy. It’s not too busy but I need to have some time where I’m not on the bike.



MTM: Roger is always saying rest and boredom are a racers best friend. Do you take that advice?

HEPLER: Yeah. When I go to a track to ride, I do my motos and get out of there. You don’t need to spend any more time there than you need to to get your training done. It’s when you stay too long and you get tired, that’s when mistakes are made and you end up hurting yourself.

MTM: As young as you are, are you still in school?

HEPLER: I went to public school up to the tenth grade. But then I was able to finish early. So I got to see all my friends up until then and plus I didn’t skip out on any of the work I had to do for school.

MTM: I appreciate that. A lot of kids are looking up to you and to see that you finished school will help them see the importance of good grades. I know the parents will be please. Good luck tonight.

HEPLER: Thank you.

Editor’s note: In Jason Weigandt’s article for RacerXill, he wrote, "What did Broc Hepler eat for breakfast this morning?" This comment was in reference to Broc’s uncharacteristic crash in the main event. At the time Broc was reeling in Ryan Sipes who was in first place at the time.

Jason, I don’t think it was what Broc ate for breakfast that caused the crash. I think Broc was still thinking about the cool interview he had with Making the Main and was looking forward to seeing the picture of he and Kendra online.

Five Minutes with Travis Pastrana

Truly this season was suposed to be one that would go down in history. One rider that always makes any race an exciting thing to see is Travis Pastrana. His amature career had everyone believing he was the next big thing. When Travis turned professional he made good in his first season, winning races and exciting fans. But from time to time his other activities have gotten in the way; gotten in the way of his traing schedule and his health. This year was supposed to be different. From all accounts he was ready. Then, in an appearence in Europe, Travis reinjured his left wrist. As the season start closed in, Travis decided to race with a protective cast to help the ligaments heal further. In Phoenix it became clear that he needed more time to heal.

So Travis made the decision to sit out a few races to let the wrist heal completely, then he could race at full speed and be competitive. MTM's Kendra caught up to Travis at Anaheim 2 for a quick update.



MTM: As you are well aware of, you are part of the big hype about this season. Everyone was so excited to see you racing. After last weekend everyone is wondering how you are doing?

TRAVIS: I’m really bummed out, actually, I mean, This year I was really focused on coming into the season healthy and to stay health. Unfortunately I did the wrists in a feature race over in Europe and they are just not healing as fast as I’d like. I thought I could ride with the cast on and be more competitive but I wasn’t. So now I’m going to take the time to get the cast off. I have to be 100% to race those guys out there. That’s what everyone has been telling me but trying to do it is tuff.

MTM: Roger Decoster has been a good influence on you and the other riders with his experience and background. I heard that Roger told you to succeed at SX/MX you need to be rested and board.

TRAVIS: Yeah that’s exactly what he told me. Where’d you hear that? I’ve always done all my training, I’ve always worked hard. The biggest problem for me is when I’m done training, when I’m supposed to be resting, I’m out there doing freestyle or something else fun just to pass some time. But the key is to get rested.




MTM: Speaking of freestyle, how’s your mom doing?

TRAVIS: My mom broke her neck. It was a really freak accident. She was on the front of Mike Jones’ bike, which probably isn’t the smartest thing to start with but it seemed like a good idea at the time. It was a foam pit though. We haven’t had too many injuries in the foam pit, unless you miss the foam pit. Mike Jones wasn’t going to miss the foam pit. He’s jumped into the foam pit a million times. But this time he messed up and went in upside down. When it happened we were all laughing but then she didn’t come out laughing. But the good news is she’s doing well.

MTM: When you’re out there riding you look like you are having so much fun. That’s what make watching you ride such a thrill. Tell me, what were you thinking when you pulled a nac-nac next to Kevin Windham when you two went over the triple together in Vegas last year?


Notice the look on Kevin's face!

TRAVIS: I don’t know actually. I had a helmet camera on and I’m used to always thinking about getting coolest shots for the videos and it hit me, ‘This has never been done before. I wonder how this will look? A nac-nac look to Kevin.’ My goal in Vegas was to just get out of the qualifiers and into the main. I knew Kevin was faster and had been coming on strong from the outdoor season. I was just having some fun.

MTM: Great talking to you. Thanks again, Travis.

The King is Back

Here are a few photos of Jeremy McGrath taken by Chris Patey, our staff photographer.


Even the flagger had to take a look at McGrath.


Jeremy in the lead in his heat race.


Photos by Chris Patey

Anaheim One a Total Mudfest

With all the hype, something had to give. Check out the full write up on the 250cc series by Ken Keene.
Click Here For Story

A Special Day For a Special Girl
A long journey ends with an unexpected bonus.
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Mud Makes a Mockery of the Hype

Just as predicted, the crowd showed up, the riders showed up, the media showed up. But then, so did the rain. Who would have thought that mud would be the biggest factor in the opening round of the THQ Supercross Series for 2005, especially in sunny Southern California. With the rain, all the hype that the mainstream media has been banking on got washed away. And in the end, it was Kevin Windham taking the 250cc main event.

Some said Kevin was an excellent mud rider but most didn’t give him much of a chance. Many people thought these past few weeks might have been too much for him, with the birth of his second daughter and the suicide death of his mechanic. The pundents said his head wouldn’t be in the game enough to win. But, as Kevin has proven in these last few years, he has grown up. "Slow and steady." Kevin said, when asked how he did it. And that was the key to the evening for everyone. Survival was the key and Kevin did a better job of it than anyone else.

But what happened to the hyped guys? Only one of them finished the night on the podium. The other two lost precious points and perhaps the championship. Carmichael said going into this race, "The championship isn’t going to be won at Anaheim but it could be lost there."



In the first heat race, James "Bubba" Stewart had a bad start and went down almost immediately. When asked after the heat race what happened, James said, "I was an idiot." But Stewart got back up and showed amazing skill and speed as he worked his way up to the front. He would go down a few more times and even stall the bike once but Stewart would go on to win his heat race.

In the main, Stewart was never really in it. After numerous falls, Stewart settled in to a steady pace. Unlike his rookie season in the 125 class where he would self destruct out of frustration and desire, Stewart started gathering points by staying on two wheels and slowly passing all the way up to fifth place.



Chad Reed had his best riding in his heat race. Getting out front, Chad blew through the first triple, leaving Carmichael doing the double and rolling the third jump of the set. Chad looked like he was ready for Ricky and was going to run away with it. Carmichael never let off. When Carmichael passed Reed in the in the sand section, Reed stayed with it and passed Ricky back in the triple. But his lead would not last. Ricky came back to win the heat.



In the main, Reed got a bad start and never got going. In fact, he fell so many times that his front wheel locked up from being impacted with so much mud. At one point in the main, Reed was on the sidelines kicking his front wheel to try to get it free. Reed would finish 16th. Now Reed is 15 points in back of Carmichael, 20 behind Windham, and 11 back of Stewart. Reed is not out of it, by any means. But to make up that kind of deficit Reed is going to have to ride the series of his life.



Ricky Carmichael came into Anaheim with two wins under his belt. Granted, his competition was far less than those who would show up at Anaheim. Still, Carmichael appeared to be ready. All day long Carmichael seemed ready. In the pits, Reed and Stewart kept well behind the barriors and away from the fans. Both signed autographs but in a limited fashion. On the other hand, Ricky Carmichael was easy going with the crowds, signing autographs, taking photos, and taking an occasional phone call.



But in the heat race as well as the main, Ricky took command and never looked back. In his heat race, Reed got out front but it didn’t take long for Carmichael to move past Reed and take the heat win. In the main, Carmichael took the holeshot. It looked like Carmichael would run away with it until the mud bogs got him and he went down just past turn three. Because of his short legs, Ricky was at a considerable disadvantage in trying to start his bike. Soon Windham would pass him for the lead. Ultimately Ricky held on for third, being passed by Mike LaRocco as the race concluded.



In the end, the fans became the biggest winners. We saw Mother Nature bite the media hype in the butt with pouring rain. We saw the King of Supercross lead his heat race for a few laps.



The old champ fought his way back to the podium, the new kid got a lesson in humility, and the current champ found out he’s got a fight on his hands if he is going to keep the title. And the fans proved once again that the sport of Supercross is bigger than ever. Who will win the championship? Only time will tell. See you in Vegas!

All photos taken by staff photographer Chris Patey.

First Look at Anaheim One

With the race only a few days away, all I can think about is Supercross. So I bolted from the office with my camera in hand, hopped on the freeway and headed to Anaheim. All I wanted to do was see the track. To know that it was, in fact, being built. I wanted to see for myself that during this break in the weather the crew at Dirt Wurx was getting busy.

So I drove through downtown Los Angeles like it was a Saturday morning. Where were the rest of the cars? Where was the terrible Los Angeles traffic? It’s 11:30 am, there should be at least a pile up or two. I felt like the freeway god’s were playing with me. I expected there to be trouble any minute. It was scary. I was down in Anaheim in about 45 minutes.

As I pulled in the place looked deserted. But, as I drove around to where the pits should be, off in the distance was a lone RV. I didn’t need to get too close to know it was James Bubba Stewart’s. All alone in the far corner of the parking lot. What’s really cool was that there was no one to tell me to turn my truck around and get lost. So I drove up to the RV like it was my job. Got out and knocked on the door. I waited and knocked again. Was I about to wake Bubba up from a nap? Would he show up at the door in his tighty whites? Would he invite me in for a Red Bull? Not I think today. All I got was this picture of his RV.




So I drove around to see how much more access I could get. The different vendor crews were setting up their pit areas. I just drove around and waved like I belonged. One of the guys from the THQ Supercross big rig asked me where he could pitch some of his trash. I directed him to the big dumpsters under the Big A.

But what I really came to see was truck loads of dirt being moved inside. There was none. Not one single truck. But I could hear the tractors inside the Stadium. So I parked my truck and started walking towards the entrance to the field. The only obstacle was the security guard. An older, likable gentleman in his late fifties. So I walked up to him and said, “Hey, I have to go out there and take a few pictures of the track while they’re building so I can get it up on the website.” He said, “Sure just be careful, stay to the right so you don’t get run over by one of these tractors. These guys drive ‘em like they were bumper cars.” “Thanks!” I said and walked on down the ramp and on to the field. How wild is that?



Now I’m standing on the track at the foot of the finish line jump. Cool, I’ll get a picture of that. Bam! Camera battery is dead. Doesn’t that beat all. Big deal, I’m on the track and no one is telling me to leave. I stroll around, checking out the work the crew is doing. The track looks great. The dirt doesn’t look muddy at all. As I move around the track I notice the podium is set up and no one is around it. You got it. I stepped up, turned to the stadium, raised my hands in victory. Why? Because in my heart I am a ten year old boy who just scored big time. Plus, from my point of view, I was the fastest guy on the track, period! On this day it was all me baby. Ricky? Where were you? Chad? No where in sight! Bubba? Wake up baby boy. This was my day and I was in complete control!

That’s about the time I noticed a guy on a tractor just sitting there staring at me. Oops! Time to go. I casually strolled out of the stadium, up the ramp, right by the guard, pausing to thank him, jumped in my truck and I was outta there.

Can’t wait for Saturday. Rain or shine, it’s going to be a huge day. Give a shout out to Kendra or me.