October 2019
Racer X Illustrated
October 2019
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Davey Coombs
Reason For Being
By Davey Coombs
Davey Coombs
Reason For Being
By Davey Coombs
T

he single most influential piece of motocross media ever produced was On Any Sunday, Bruce Brown’s real-time ode to the American motorcycling explosion of the late sixties and early seventies. It followed the riding exploits of, among others, Hollywood movie star Steve McQueen and friends, and introduced and inspired the next generation of motorcyclists. It was even nominated for an Academy Award in 1972 in the category of Best Film Documentary.

RacerX October 2019 Edition
That conundrum has created a challenge for TV directors going back to the days when only one race per year aired on TV—the 500cc U.S. Grand Prix at Carlsbad—and it having to resonate with viewers who would just as soon be watching figure skating or cliff-diving from Acapulco.
The sequel On Any Sunday II, on the other hand, was a disappointment. It followed a decade later with a different director who tried to follow the same script and, in some cases, even the same scenes. It’s since been thrown on that large stack of cringeworthy VHS and DVD motocross movies that not even Blockbuster wanted on their shelves.
David Pingree
Electronic Ping
By David Pingree   Racer X Instagram   @DAVIDPINGREE101
David Pingree
Electronic Ping
By David Pingree   Racer X Instagram   @DAVIDPINGREE101
M

y job here at Racer X has certainly evolved over the years. After hanging up my boots at the end of 2003, I started as a full-time employee in charge of editorial, event coverage, and ad sales, among other things. I was invited to the Indy Trade Show one year, but after being overserved at the Have a Nice Day Cafe with Jesse Rooke and his crew and then covering my hotel bathroom with vomit, they didn’t invite me back. Shocking, I know. Then, as I got pulled into the Supermoto scene more, I opted for a retainer position that required me to produce certain web and print content each month. As video demand grew, we started leaning into bike intros and testing, and that has become a big part of my role here now.

Jason Weigandt
Voice Box

By JASON WEIGANDT   Racer X Twitter  @JASONWEIGANDT

Jason Weigandt
Voice Box

By JASON WEIGANDT   Racer X Twitter  @JASONWEIGANDT

I

’m bordering on 20 years behind the industry curtain, which puts me on the verge of becoming that jaded, know-it-all old guy who thinks he knows better than everyone else in the room.

I don’t do that. I still believe this sport is awesome, and the more I learn about other sports and the troubles they face, the more I want to stick to our strengths. No sport is perfect, but motocross and supercross in America have enjoyed a pretty steady run for nearly 50 years, and there are many motorsports that would kill for that kind of stability and consistency.

RacerX Supercross rider coming around a corner
This is bonkers, but open-facead helmets add personality and make the sport look as hard as it actually is. Dirt bike racing is a cardiovascular test, but since you can’t see the athletes sucking wind, you can’t see it.
So I don’t like to rock the boat with radical ideas and suggestions. However, since I’m paid to think about this sport 24/7, I’ll occasionally come up with some absolutely wild ideas, none of which should or could be tried but are fun to think about. So that’s it. Think about it.
Three brutal races pushed everyone’s training programs to the brink
WORDS: JASON WEIGANDT
PHOTOS: JEFF KARDAS & RICH SHEPHERD
“TOUGH DAY—THIS track is brutal as always,” Eli Tomac said after this year’s Southwick National. “I was pretty worn out trying to catch those guys [in the] second moto.”

Wait, wait, wait. Eli Tomac was worn out? Yes, a rugged two-week Lucas Oil Pro Motocross stretch through Florida’s heat and humidity and then Southwick’s brutal roughness even took a toll on the usually indefatigable Tomac, with RedBud serving up more wear and tear the next weekend.

Tomac was far from alone. While his (normally) fatigue-free late-race charges are akin to a cyborg, even a robot would have struggled in these races. With today’s training programs hyper-tuned to push the riders during the week while trying to leave enough in the tank for the weekend, science was put on notice for three summer weekends.

Three brutal races pushed everyone’s training programs to the brink
WORDS: JASON WEIGANDT
PHOTOS: JEFF KARDAS & RICH SHEPHERD
“TOUGH DAY—THIS track is brutal as always,” Eli Tomac said after this year’s Southwick National. “I was pretty worn out trying to catch those guys [in the] second moto.”

Wait, wait, wait. Eli Tomac was worn out? Yes, a rugged two-week Lucas Oil Pro Motocross stretch through Florida’s heat and humidity and then Southwick’s brutal roughness even took a toll on the usually indefatigable Tomac, with RedBud serving up more wear and tear the next weekend.

Tomac was far from alone. While his (normally) fatigue-free late-race charges are akin to a cyborg, even a robot would have struggled in these races. With today’s training programs hyper-tuned to push the riders during the week while trying to leave enough in the tank for the weekend, science was put on notice for three summer weekends.

Bennett War
Behind the scenes for the making of Bennett’s War, Forrest Films’ ode to motocross, the military, and all things Americana
WORDS: DAVEY COOMBS
THE OFFICIAL SUMMARY of Bennett’s War goes like this: “After surviving an IED explosion in combat overseas, a young soldier with the Army Motorcycle Unit is medically discharged with a broken back and leg. Against all odds he trains to make an impossible comeback as a motocross racer in order to support his family.” Directed by Alex Ranarivelo (American Wrestler, Dirt), the film stars Michael Roark (Magic Mike, Beauty and the Beast) as Marshall Bennett. Among the supporting cast are dozens of motocross racers and thousands of fans who attended a few recent rounds of the Pro Motocross series.
Bennett War
Behind the scenes for the making of Bennett’s War, Forrest Films’ ode to motocross, the military, and all things Americana
WORDS: DAVEY COOMBS
THE OFFICIAL SUMMARY of Bennett’s War goes like this: “After surviving an IED explosion in combat overseas, a young soldier with the Army Motorcycle Unit is medically discharged with a broken back and leg. Against all odds he trains to make an impossible comeback as a motocross racer in order to support his family.” Directed by Alex Ranarivelo (American Wrestler, Dirt), the film stars Michael Roark (Magic Mike, Beauty and the Beast) as Marshall Bennett. Among the supporting cast are dozens of motocross racers and thousands of fans who attended a few recent rounds of the Pro Motocross series.
Hollywood Moto
Celebrating 50 years of world-class motocross at Unadilla
The National Years
FIFTY YEARS AGO, Unadilla was built as a European-style natural-terrain motocross track—which made sense. Supercross had yet to be invented, and because the era’s biggest events were international competitions like Inter-Am, Trans-AMA, or U.S. Grand Prix races, those were the kinds of races Ward Robinson wanted for his upstate New York track. It wasn’t until the mid-eighties that the balance of power in global motocross shifted to supercross-influenced AMA races, and that meant fans were more interested in seeing all the top U.S. riders than just a select handful going up against Europe’s best. With all that in mind going into the 1989 season, Robinson asked to again host both a 250cc U.S. Grand Prix as well as a standalone AMA Pro Motocross race.
Celebrating 50 years of world-class motocross at Unadilla
The National Years
FIFTY YEARS AGO, Unadilla was built as a European-style natural-terrain motocross track—which made sense. Supercross had yet to be invented, and because the era’s biggest events were international competitions like Inter-Am, Trans-AMA, or U.S. Grand Prix races, those were the kinds of races Ward Robinson wanted for his upstate New York track. It wasn’t until the mid-eighties that the balance of power in global motocross shifted to supercross-influenced AMA races, and that meant fans were more interested in seeing all the top U.S. riders than just a select handful going up against Europe’s best. With all that in mind going into the 1989 season, Robinson asked to again host both a 250cc U.S. Grand Prix as well as a standalone AMA Pro Motocross race.
We visit the south of France to check out Wheels & Waves, a stylish annual festival celebrating motorcycles, art, surf, skate, and music
WORDS: DAVID LANGRAN
PHOTOS: KATI DALEK/kayadaek photography
The ever-stylish Dimitri Coste.
We visit the south of France to check out Wheels & Waves, a stylish annual festival celebrating motorcycles, art, surf, skate, and music
WORDS: DAVID LANGRAN
PHOTOS: KATI DALEK/kayadaek photography
French Dressing
Factory Tech Tip
WORDS: Scott Adkins
PHOTOS: ANDREW FREDRICKSON
GRIP WIRING
Factory Tech Tip
GRIP WIRING
WORDS: Scott Adkins
PHOTOS: ANDREW FREDRICKSON
W

iring your grips on is an added precaution so they don’t come undone during a moto. Here’s an in-depth look at how a factory mechanic does it.

First, I like to use .025 width grip wire. I think .032 is a little too big and .020 is a little too small. I measure out about 10” of wire, and I use a little piece on top of the canister to determine our length. I always start to the outside of the grip first, just in case there’s any air trapped under the grip. As you start to wire, it will force that air back out. If you start on the inside first, all the air is trapped.

After that, cut the very end off leaving 2-3mm sticking out. That’s just beyond the ridge, if you’re running something with a waffle. If you’re running something without a waffle, just estimate the 2-3mm. After I cut, I like to bend the outside wire toward the inside of the grip. Then same as the center one. I like to bend those two toward the inside of the grip.

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