Kanney and the rest of the eventual top-3 overall (Jesse Robinson and Chris Bach) started on the 2nd row.

Congratulations on the win. It’s got to feel pretty good after the rough start to the season you’ve had.
Yeah, it feels really good. But, I’d have to win the last four races for it to make up for how bad the first part of the season has gone. Even then I don’t think I’d really be satisfied with it. A lot of the things that have happened to me this season have been out of my control but even so I don’t think one win is going to make up for it.

Well, the last part of the season seems to be when you really come on strong so it wouldn’t be too surprising to see you grab a few more wins in those races.
Yeah totally, I’m always really confident at Unadilla and Indiana and I like the new track at Lafayette, TN and I like St. Clairsville as well so I’d like to get wins at all four of those but everyone is riding well and everyone has a lot of motivation so anything can happen. So all I can do is keep doing what I’ve done and try and do my best and hopefully I can do like I did at Snowshoe and close the deal.

Talk a little bit about the race at Snowshoe. You didn’t start on the front row there, do you think that was to your advantage?
I think it was a little bit to my advantage. I caught the guys on the first row pretty quickly and was able to pass them and when that happens they know immediately that they have a lot of work to do and it kind of catches them by surprise. But to tell you the truth, I was so prepared for this track and for this race that it would’ve actually been nice to start on the first row. By the time I had gotten around all of the guys on the first row I had already lost my goggles because of all of the mud from going through behind them and for me to start on the front row and be able to maybe pull the holeshot and stay clean it would’ve been nice. Anyway, I think when you’re prepared for a race like this the row you start on is pretty insignificant. I started on the 2nd row so did the other two guys that finished in the top-3 overall. Even last year we saw David Knight win from a row even further back so I think if you’re really prepared you could start from any row and win, even the first.

After spending 3 weeks riding rocks, Kanney was confident coming into the Snowshoe GNCC.

Were there any times out there in the first lap where you were able to take advantage of those guys in front of you finding a bad line or anything like that?
I caught them quite quickly, only a mile into the race or so. I was only behind Cory [Buttrick] for a few seconds before he fell trying to pass Mullins, and after that I could see Kailub [Russell] leading and he slid out and we all were able to get around him. From then it was just Josh Strang, Charlie Mullins, and Paul Whibley in front of me. I think when I passed Whibley it was up a rocky uphill, and it just seemed like whenever I was able to make a pass it was because they just weren’t that fast in the really rocky stuff or they made a mistake. Charlie wasn’t really attacking in the rocks the way I was and then Strang slid out so it wasn’t really anything like I was given a better line by them it was more of them making their own mistakes or just not pushing hard enough.

I heard that leading up to the race you had ridden rocks everyday for three weeks, that had to do a lot for your confidence coming in.
Well, yeah, I’ve been riding rocky stuff really my whole life but I had been focusing on it a lot the past three weeks. For one thing, to have grown up riding rocky stuff is a big part of it but the focusing on it lately was key. For me, the rockier the parts of the track the more confident I was. I knew those were the sections the other guys would be making the most mistakes and not being that aggressive. To tell you the truth I was a bit hesitant when I got to the front but I was pulling so much time in the really technical stuff that when I got to some place with ruts I was afforded the time to really slow down and pick a good line.

Kanney and Bach spent little time waiting around and moved to the front of the race very early.

We had seen some smack talk between yourself and Chris Bach on Facebook leading up to the race. I know you and Chris had spent some time riding together prior to the race and you guys really looked comfortable together out front in the race.
Chris called me after Millfield and we talked about rocks a bit and I told him he was more than welcome to come ride with me and I’d teach him all that I could and at least take him to all of the places that I’d be riding. He ended up spending 5 or 6 days here riding and we went out in the hills here and we tried to ride a race pace on the trails and it was really good for us. We were able to push each other and I knew right away that he’d be pretty good. For someone that’s from Indiana where all you have his corn fields, to come up here and pick up the rocks so quickly was pretty impressive. But to tell you the truth I was surprised at how quickly he was able to pass all of the guys right behind me. It was nice to be in a battle with him and it was quite enjoyable. It was just like when we were practicing together back in New York and that took a lot of pressure off.

Yeah, I noticed when you guys got to one of the nasty sections down at the bottom of the mountain, you both kind of stopped and looked at each other before going through the mud and it really looked like you were just out on a trail ride having a good time.
I think that’s exactly what it was. There were a few sections out there in the woods when we were riding together and we’d get to a rock garden and I’d look for the biggest rock in the rock garden and just huck it off the rock–to major applause from the spectators–but that’s really what I do when I’m riding at home and that’s how it carries over into the race. I talked to Chris after the race and he told me he was doing the same thing. I think that with riding rocks it’s something that you really need to have fun doing because it’s not the kind of thing you can race the way you are used to. Normally we go as fast as we can see, and in rocks you can see as far up the trail as normal but you have to have the discipline to only go as fast as you know you can without making a mistake. For us to turn that into a fun riding style was a big part of the race.

Nate's advice for racing in the rocks? Try your best to have fun while doing it.

Watching a lot of the guys racing, and even talking to some of the different racers you could see that most of the people out there weren’t having a lot of fun.
Yeah, I could tell immediately when I caught some of the guys on the first row where they were going to be going wrong and where some of them would be having some problems. That was good for me to see, because I could see if they didn’t learn quick they were going to be having some problems. It’s really important to be able to do a race like that and enjoy it.

Towards the middle to end of the race you got hooked up with Jesse Robinson and there for a while he had actually pulled away from you a bit. Were you concerned you might not be able to run him down before end of the race?
Yeah, absolutely. Jesse really caught me by surprise. When I stopped for fuel, I got really lucky we got it done as quick as we did because I didn’t even hear him go by. He was already a few turns in front of me and I happened to notice the green numberplate out of the corner of my eye and I saw it was Jesse and I knew that I had to start pushing. It was lucky that he didn’t get there any quicker than he did because I didn’t hear him and if I hadn’t seen him then I wouldn’t have known that I was passed. It was a bit of a surprise how he got past all of those guys one by one and kind of snuck by me on the down low. Then when I went out after him it was a really fast pace. He had started racing for the finish at the halfway point and I had to push quite hard to try and catch him. There were parts of the track where he was certainly faster than me and I had to try and limit the damage in those sections and then push in the other sections.

At what point after you got around him did it sink in that you were going to get your first win of the season and a $10,000 pay day along with it?
Well, actually, the first pass I made on him didn’t stick. It was kind of a weird situation. There was the section at the bottom that was quite muddy and there was the line through it and the line around it that Buren had said in the rider’s meeting was 3/10ths of a mile longer. When I got there on the last lap I was in front of Jesse and there were some of the boys helping KTM there and they were pointing me to go through the power line mud section. It kind of caught me off guard because I had gone through it the first lap with Bach and felt like we were lucky to make it through. So when I saw the boys pointing me that way I was a bit shocked, but I just figured they had been there for a while and were able to make a line off to the side  where it was still dry enough to make it through. As I was making the turn to go for it they yelled to me that I needed to be wide open and I understood immediately that they hadn’t made a line but they were just saying if I was wide open I might make it. I knew that it was too much risk and I turned around immediately and Jesse had already committed to taking the long way around so I went into the woods after him. Fortunately for me he didn’t know I had turned around and when we got to the spot where we came out it looked like he had thought I had made some time on him and he was pushing really hard to try and ‘catch’ me. So he was having to push and take the risks and I was able to just try and ride my best without making a mistake and hope to keep it close enough that I could make a move in the last 3 miles of roads and rocks where I was faster. He ended up making a mistake and getting cross rutted and stuck and I was able to get by him and make it through that last section to the finish.

Jesse Robinson put up a serious fight in the closing laps of the race.

So, what are you going to do with the $10,000?
I’ve already put it in my savings account. I know no one likes to hear the stories about putting win money into savings but the truth is I didn’t do anything wild!

That kind of brings me to my next question. Do you have any idea what you’ll be doing next year? Have you started talks with KTM at all?
Everything is up in the air. We’ve talked about it but very casually. I don’t even know if KTM has their plans set for what direction they want to go next year. If it were up to me I’d like to stay and pursue the GNCC Championship again but at the moment I can’t say that I know anything. I think that a few years ago in off-road it was normal like guys that I have been doing would be able to get a 2 or 3-year contract but with the economy the way it is everyone is going year-by-year.

The last couple of years it’s pretty much been a joke in the GNCC pits that when it’s contract time Nate Kanney is going to pick it up and grab a win or two to make sure he gets a deal for next year. But this year you actually started before the break! You could’ve had a podium at the Penton if your bike hadn’t let go at the end and then obviously the win this year, that was two pretty good races in a row.
Yeah, it’s pretty funny. I was hanging out with Chris Bach, his mechanic Ben Weathers and his girlfriend Lauren before the race at Snowshoe, they were joking around that I was being compared to a motocross rider, I won’t say who I was compared to, but I’m the off-road version of this guy and I flake out all year and then I go pull out a win out of nowhere when it’s time to get a contract and that’s who I’ve become. It’s a pity that’s what it looks like to people because it’s obviously not how I plan things out, I always try and do my best. But, it is funny and I have a sense of humor about it and can at least laugh about it. But the truth is in Somerset I was entirely confident I would win that race like I was in Snowshoe, it’s a shame I had a problem with the front brake and ended up losing control and crashing. And then at the Penton a similar type of thing, two miles before the finish line I have an engine failure and I lose out on 2nd place. These things happen but the truth is when you have so much bad luck in one season no one cares anymore when you’re that close to finishing and you have bad luck again. That was something that motivated me at Snowshoe–getting to close to finishing on the podium or winning those races but no one cares if you don’t close the deal.

It was a good day for KTM as they swept the top-4 overall spots!

Everyone always says that they want to go into the summer break with the momentum, but it’s such a long time until we go GNCC racing again. What are you going to do over the break to keep that up?
I’m going to do the National Enduro in Maine. So I’ll be starting to get ready for that race. But I think I won’t be doing so much off-road riding anymore, I think in the last four races of the season motocross speed will play a bigger part so I’m going to start training a bit more on motocross and the amount of off-road training I’ll be doing will be for preparing for the Enduro. I’ll just keep training and keep pushing to try and be ready for those races.

Your teammate Kailub Russell and Suzuki’s Josh Strang are going to be racing some outdoor nationals this summer, starting with the Red Bud National this coming weekend. Is that something you’ve ever considered trying?
Yeah, it’s been on my mind for almost five years. I’ve always wanted to try and race the Unadilla national, it’s just something I’ve always wanted to do. This is the most serious I’ve been about doing it but I’m a bit tentative. I don’t want to take the risk and injure myself and not be able to perform at the last four GNCCs. At the moment it’s all up in the air. I told my mechanic that for now I want to see how Kailub and Josh do at Red Bud and then see, but I’m a little bit behind the eight ball, I haven’t even gotten my pro license yet so it might not even be possible. I know this lady named Rita and she might be able to help me get a pro license but I’m not sure.

Okay, this is the last question I’ve got for you. It looks like you’re not going to be a part of the USA ISDE team this year, what are your thoughts on that?
I’m a little bit bummed. It’s something I’ve always been passionate about and something I feel like I’m more than competitive about. But, what can I say? I’m bummed I’m not going but I support the team that is going 100%. I think that all of the riders that were chosen will be really good for the team. I know Kurt [Caselli] works really hard putting together the team and if that’s the team he’s chosen to go whether it’s his choices or the team that’s elected by the politics involved I support all the riders involved. It would be selfish of me to be upset that I’m not on the team, the truth is I want to see the American team do well whether I’m on it or not. Effectively I was replaced by Mike Brown and who can argue that was a bad decision? If I was going to have to lose my spot on the team to someone I couldn’t be happier with who they have chosen.

Alright man that’s pretty much it. Thanks for taking the time out for this interview.
No problem man, thank you!

Buttrick and Bach give Kanney a serious champagne shower.

Ashburn has won the first 3 GNCC rounds in the Open A class. | Photo: Donna Ashburn

Hey, Jordan, what’s going on?
Oh, I’ve just been riding and enjoying this warm weather finally. I hate the cold!

You have to be pumped about how your season started?
Yeah I’m pretty happy with it. I’ve just been looking to get top amateur this year. Chris [Bach] got it last year, so that’s my goal.

I remember reading on the internet a month or so before Florida that you got hurt, and we weren’t sure if we’d even see you down in Florida.
Yeah, I got together with another rider while riding motocross down in Florida. He hit me from behind and we went down, I couldn’t really avoid it.  It was on my mom’s birthday! I ended up with a bruised liver and I bruised a lung.

That’s pretty gnarly! What kind of rehab did you do?
Well, there really wasn’t much I could do. The doctor down there told me I couldn’t ride for 3 or 4 months which wasn’t good. But we got back home and the doctors up here told me I could ride in a month. So I rode bicycles a lot, and tried to stay in halfway decent shape. For the first couple weeks we didn’t think we were going to be to Florida or Georgia, but we went to the doctor a couple of weeks before Florida and he said I could ride, so we went for it.

After bruising a lung and his liver, Jordan wasn't sure if he'd be able to race Florida or Georgia. | Photo: Donna Ashburn

That had to be a big blow to your confidence going into Florida. What kind of expectations did you have before round one?
I knew I wasn’t in the best shape going down there. I was going down there to just get a top-5 for sure. But to win, I was definitely happy with what I got.

Did you start out the year figuring you’d be the top amateur?
There are a lot of fast guys like Teddy Mullins in the 4-Stroke A Lites class and there’s a couple of other fast guys in my class and anything can happen. But, me and Chris battled it out [for the top amateur] last year and I wanted to get top amateur before I move on up.

What do you think about how well Chris Bach is doing in XC1, does that make you want to move up?
Yeah me and him rode together a lot last year and kind of pushed each other. He trained really hard this winter and he’s doing really good. I feel like I have to do the same thing when I move on up.

When will you go pro? Do you think you’ll race XC2 on a 2-stroke or straight to XC1?
I’ll probably go to XC2. I wouldn’t mind going back to the 2-stroke, it doesn’t really matter to me. I like the 250F too, I had one last year and I liked it. It just depends on if I can get a deal or not.

Ashburn is notorious for his mud-riding skills, and he put them on display at Steele Creek with a season's-best 15th place overall finish. | Photo: Donna Ashburn

Do you feel like there’s any advantage to be on a 2-stroke?
They’re a little faster, no doubt, but the 250F hooks up so much better and you can pick up a lot of ground because they’re not spinning all the time. They’re a lot smoother.

What’s it like starting in the back and having to push through to the front?
It’s really chaotic a lot of times. You better hope you get a good start, because if you don’t it doesn’t make for a lot of fun! You have a lot of guys to pass, but once you pass those people you’re riding by yourself, everyone in front of you is gapped out and your pretty much stuck there.

How do you push when you’re out there by yourself?
I honestly don’t really know! Whenever you get out there by yourself, you’ll find that you push yourself for a ways, then all of a sudden you’ll notice you’re not pushing anymore and you’ve gotta get back on it. It’s pretty hard. The only thing I can go by is the pit boards and that’s how I know.

You ride for Kawasaki, who seems to kind of be inching back its GNCC support in favor for more WORCS guys. How did that deal come about? How much support do you get?
I had a good year last year and they just helped us out this year. There wasn’t a lot of money out there at all, so to get what we got last year was pretty good. We get a lot of help through them but it’s not like a pro deal, it’s an amateur deal.

What kind of training to you do?
I’m just kinda on my own. I ride road bikes a lot during the week and ride as much as I can, weather permitting. Ride pit bikes now and then and just kind of do my own thing. I’ve been working on trying to get my overall finishes up and trying to figure out that last hour.

If you wrap up the Open A championship early, will you move up to a pro class?
I’d definitely like to. Once I get everything wrapped up I’d like to, yeah. That would help my overall out. But we’ll just have to see how things go.

Alright, Jordan, that’s pretty much it. We’ll see you down in South Carolina!
Okay, thanks!

After a slow start in Florida, Russell has won the last two races of the series, including the Steele Creek Round, one of the few races he didn't win last year.

Hey, Kailub! Congratulations on grabbing your second win of the season at Steele Creek and on the 3^rd place overall finish. At the beginning of the race it looked like it might be another dogfight between you and Jason Thomas but you were able to make a break on the second lap, take us through your race.
Well, I got a good start and kind of just followed Thomas around for the first lap and couldn’t get around him. Right before the finish on the 1^st lap I noticed something going on with my throttle, I had a little crash before the finish and I ripped my whole throttle tube off. I guess when I was adjusting my levers before the race I had loosened the throttle tube and forgot to tighten it back up!. Thankfully, I saw my mechanic Hollywood like 3 turns later and I stopped he fixed it. After that I put my head down and charged and was able to catch back up to Thomas, he made a bobble and I was able to get around I pulled away. I started to catch XC1 riders and I’d make a pass on them and pull away and eventually I had worked my way all the way up to Charlie Mullins and we rode together for a while and I was able to get around him, too.

In the past you struggled in mud races, it seemed like it was a combination of your stature and maybe even a bit of a mental block. What’s changed that’s helping you be more successful in mud races?
I really don’t know, lately I just seem to have a lot of fun in the mud. To be honest, I didn’t really think of it as a mud race, the first three laps were perfect. As it rained harder it got worse and the last lap, the lap they didn’t count, was the only lap that was really muddy.

Kailub could be the first rider to ever win a GNCC overall from the 2nd row.

When you get up into the XC1 guys and start putting yourself into a position for a top-3 overall finish, it’s pretty much the talk of the race in the pits and over the PA. We’ve even seen mechanics mention it to XC1 riders on their pit boards in the past. How hard is it for you to keep focused on the race and winning your class, and not the overall?
It’s hard to keep your mind off it, it really is. But, when I catch those guys I just have so much more fun than normal because I really don’t like riding with anyone in my class, all I want to do is break away from everyone that I’m racing against in the XC2 class. It’s so much easier to follow the XC1 guys and see what are the good lines and what lines aren’t, and just have fun riding and racing. It’s hard not to think about it but I just try and focus on the race and keep pushing.

What are your thoughts on the ruling to allow 2 strokes into the XC2 class? Were you concerned that 250F wouldn’t be able to compete?
I wasn’t really too concerned about the horsepower, because the bike isn’t really a problem for me since I’m so small. I also really don’t think there’s a “2-stroke track” out there–I don’t think there’s a track that favors them. The only place I see them having an advantage is off the start and the only guy out there whose bike is as fast as mine is Thomas’s.

Last year in Florida you won by nearly 2 minutes, this year it seemed like you never really found your groove. What happened at the Florida GNCC?
Well, I went down off the start but, honestly that didn’t bother me too much. I got into 3^rd really quick and then into 2^nd by the time we were into the woods. Then I kind of pumped up a bit so I dropped back and once the arm pump went away I started to ride better and catch up. I started riding good and felt really good – but for some reason I didn’t tape my hands like I usually do for Florida races and I ended up getting really nasty blisters on my thumbs and just couldn’t push hard. It was basically all I could do to hang on to the finish, I was riding with my thumbs over the tops of the grips because it hurt so bad.

Kailub didn't tape his hands before Florida, and paid the price with some gnarly blisters that slowed his pace.

So going into Georgia you weren’t dwelling on your performance in Florida?
No, I wasn’t really worried about it because I was riding well but the blisters really got me. I don’t have too many concerns about being able to win in the XC2 class, I know we’re all pretty close and speed and some days some guys are faster than others. But I’m confident in my speed and I feel like I can be up there battling for wins regardless of the conditions.

There’s always been a lot of talk about your training routine, or lack of one. Can you give us an idea of how you train?
I started at the beginning of the year training really hard and after I didn’t do well at Florida and Georgia I reverted back to the old Kailub Russell and I’m just sitting around doing nothing at home – it worked out pretty well for me in North Carolina!

Do you really want me to put that in the interview?
Yeah, why not? It’s the truth! [Editor's note: I'm not so sure it really is the truth.]

Riding the momentum of two straight wins, Russell heads to the Big Buck GNCC with a lot of confidence. He finished 3rd overall there last year and says it is one of his favorite tracks.

People always want to talk about who trains harder, when obviously to race as hard as all of you guys do for 3 hours you’re all in pretty good shape. It seems to me that the thing people either love or hate about a rider is their confidence, sometimes thought of as cockiness. How do you keep your confidence high going from a bad race like in Florida to wins in Georgia and North Carolina?
I feel confident going into every race, but some days I really feel like riding and I just know I’m going to do really well. Other days I don’t know what happens, I just have an off day. This season started out pretty good, and yeah in the past I’ve had those years where I did really good like the year I won 200A [Russell led every lap of the first 9 200A races in 2007] and then those bad ones like my first year in XC2. I think that’s all really in my head, I know I’m capable of winning and running up front every race. I think it’s really a positive thinking thing before the race and during the race, and regardless of the weather. I never did enjoy racing in the rain and now I could care less about racing in the rain and I don’t care anymore what happens. We all have to race the same track, and I know I’ve been told that a million times, but for some reason it has finally sunk in. I know that if I want to continue to doing this for a living I need to have my head on straight and make my worst races count.

Let’s switch gears a bit, what went through your mind when you came upon that huge bottleneck on the 6^th lap in North Carolina?
When I first got to the hill and I saw Cory and then Josh. Everyone was telling me to stop and I couldn’t’ figure out why I in the world I would want to do that! So I moved up the hill a bit and my mom told me that there were a ton more guys up the hill and it was pretty much impassable. So we just kind of sat there and I was talking to Cory. Whibs ended up coming around and passed us all and ended up making it, but the officials had said the race was called already and that was the smart, fair thing to do. I think that if they had kept it going that there would’ve been maybe 10-15 of us that could make it up and then there’d be all those guys stuck the next lap. The only way to reroute that section of the course would’ve been to have guys racing up and down the main road with campers leaving and that would’ve been a seriously dangerous situation.

Alright, Kailub, that’s about all I’ve got. Thanks for taking the time to talk to us.
No problem, thank you!

Bach and girlfriend Lauren are living the GNCC dream out of the back of Bach's van!

Alright, Chris, has it finally sunk in that you’ve finished on the podium at the first two GNCCs and are currently sitting 2nd in points?
It’s set in somewhat. I’m trying to not let it set in too far, this is a 13 round series and a lot can happen from now until then.

Coming into the season did you honestly have any idea that you would be in the mix battling for race wins right off the bat?
No way! I knew I had the speed and fitness to have some good races. But I have never raced these guys before, and they are the best in the world, so I really had no clue on the pace they run or how mine would compare.

Yeah, tell us what it’s like racing against those guys. Last year you won the top amateur award and had some really good rides overall, but you probably never saw the top XC1 guys out on the track.
Exactly, even though I had some good runs inside the top-10 and top 5 overall, it’s all on adjusted time, so you never see anyone when you are that far back in the A classes. I actually enjoy the racing a lot better in the XC1 class. It seems that there is a mutual respect kind of thing, and everyone is clean and the caliber of riders is 2nd to none. You don’t really have to worry about anyone gooning out and cleaning you out or doing anything stupid. You can focus on just racing your scooter.

It seems like a lot of riders do well on the adjusted time, and then struggle a bit when they’re racing head-to-head with the guys. Over the past few years we’ve seen Cory Buttrick make huge runs in from the 4 Stroke A lites class, literally passing the XC2 guys, but he didn’t come in and win every XC2 race, same with Thad DuVall in XC1. What’s the difference that’s letting you actually do better racing head-to-head?
I think I haven’t taken quite as big a leap as those guys did. I didn’t come into this season wanting podiums. or even top 5s. I went to Florida wanting a top 10, and to go to GA healthy and be around 4th-7th. Those kids have had a lot of pressure on them to do really well right off the bat, and being a privateer I didn’t/don’t have that pressure. I just ride and do the best I can.

No one, including Bach, would've predicted his 2nd-place finish at the GNCC season opener in Florida.

Yeah, I think that makes sense. Give us a little bit of an idea, from your point of view, the big differences in being a privateer compared to the factory guys?
Obviously you have your support differences, with bikes being supplied and an almost endless parts supply. But I think something that a lot of people over look is the “team” atmosphere. When a factory guy comes to a race, all he has to worry about is making sure his jersey and his pants match, and twisting the thing on the right of the bars. They don’t have to worry about if their bike is ready, will their sprocket make it through this race, who’s going to pit them. If they do have someone to pit them, are they going to screw it up? There’s so many variables as a privateer, and 90% of those are eliminated with the factory guys. The less variables you have, the more you can focus on just racing, and that alone is worth a lot. Parts and stuff is huge, but in my case I think my bikes are awesome. KTM makes great bikes right off the showroom, and with RidePG doing my suspension and WMR in FL cleaning up my motors, I feel my bikes are just as good as any factory bike out there.

In Florida, when you were going through the pits the entire KTM team was out there cheering for you. How did you feel about that? It was cool, but at the same time these are the same guys that looked you over for a ride last year and here you are putting it to all of their riders.
[Laughs] Yeah, it was awesome to have them behind me. They didn’t really “over-look” me, because if you look under that tent you can’t deny the list of talent and the stacked resumes. Steward is kinda the new guy, but he has a stacked amateur resume too. Everyone under that tent deserves a job, and I was just some kid who had some good overalls. Like you said it’s tough for amateurs to move to XC1 and do well, so it’s not a big deal I didn’t get signed. I’m just glad that my hard work is being recognized and they are standing behind me 100 percent.

He may not have a factory ride, but he works under a factory trainer in Robb Beams.

Tell us some about the hard work that you’ve been doing. I’ve talked you a good bit over the winter I know you’ve been doing a lot of work under the direction of Robb Beams of MotoEndurance.net.
Yea, I got a chance to work with Robb Beams of ‪MotoEndurance.net‬ over the winter and he’s helping me put the polish on my program. We spent a lot of time analyzing my program and my fitness and doing different assessments and things to find out where I was versus where my goal to be was, and any holes that we found, we plugged and tried to make as perfect of a program as we could, and I think we are pretty close right now.

I know you don’t want to divulge any secrets about your training, but can you give us a general idea of what a daily workout routine consists of?
Our off season stuff was pretty insane. I would have a morning workout, lunch, then an afternoon workout, and I would usually finish up by about 2 or 3pm and then the rest of the day you just hang out. This was 5 days a week, and riding or racing on the weekends. Pretty stacked. Now that we are in season we just work to maintain what we built in the off-season, through mostly seat time on the bike and testing and everything. I’ll be racing usually 3 out of 4 weekends from now until Ironman, so balancing travel and race prep with my training becomes the key deal. But that’s why I have Robb and MmotoE–so I don’t have to think about it, I just do what I’m told! [Laughs]

With RPM KTM stepping on board, Bach will be pitting in the main pro pit right next to the KTM semi.

Given your great start to the season, have you changed your goals or expectations for what you’d be happy with come the last round in October?
My goals and expectations have gone up a bit, but not much. Like I said earlier, this is a long series, 13 rounds, and we race for 3 hours, so a lot can happen at a race. I just want to keep myself in a place to be in contention for podiums, and stay a solid top 5 guy. Come round 13 I want to be a top-3 contender, and if I finish the series top-5 in points that would be awesome. I have a lot to learn this year, and I’m going to have good and bad days just like everyone else. So I’m taking it one race at a time, but looking at the big picture too.

You’ve obviously turned quite a few heads so far this season, and caught the attention of some new sponsors. Tell us about the addition of RPM as a sponsor and how that’s going to change your program.
The RPM/KTM team deal is going to be huge. It’s actually not a new sponsor per say, as they were going to help me out West, but new to the sense of an official deal for 2010. New deal, old relationship kind of thing. Basically with the help of RPM racing, the Factory KTM team can help me out through RPM. My program is staying the same, and RPM and KTM have been awesome and understanding and are allowing me to keep all my current sponsors as I move over next to the semi. So basically the only thing that is changing is now I have RPM Racing and factory KTM behind me at the races, and I will be pitting out of my own EZ-Up tent next to the factory KTM rig, and RPM will be helping me out with parts support and some other things. So in short, I will be riding for Team RPM/KTM, backed by Performance

After two rounds, Bach sits 2nd in the points behind Josh Strang.

Super Cycle, ClockworkKTM, Maxxis, FMF, Rekluse, FLY, SCOTT, Renthal, Hoosier Trail Riders, Advanced Auto Care, SIDI, Service Master, Inc, and ‪MotoEndurance.net‬.

Alright man, that’s about all I’ve got for you. Thanks for taking the time to talk to us and good luck at the rest of the races.
Thanks for the interview! ‪Digitaloffroad.com‬ is definitely my go-to site for off-road content.. and of course the fantasy league!

Strang spent his winter in Australia and then California, and the hard work is paying off.

Coming into the season did you have any idea that you would have won the first two rounds and sitting with the points lead?
After all of the training and riding I’ve been doing back in Australia I figured I had a pretty good chance at winning, but not many people have been able to win both races. My goal was to really try and finish top 3 in both races, I probably wouldn’t have been happy without a win but it would’ve been a better start than last year. And also, given the crash I had a few weeks before the season started we were all a little bit worried about how I was gonna go, but thankfully everything went to plan.

I’m not too sure many people even knew you had a bad crash before the season started, so explain a little about what happened.
We didn’t tell many people, I figured it’d be better to keep it kind of hush-hush, but yeah, I had a crash practicing moto one day. It was pretty gnarly, at first I thought I had busted my femur. I cartwheeled and my handlebars punched me in the side of the leg. I got it x-rayed and it was okay, but I ended up having to do a week’s worth of physio. I think I got away pretty lucky there for sure.

After running out of gas in last year's Florida GNCC, Strang left round 1 this year with a points lead.

The Florida GNCC is so different than all the other races in the series and a lot of guys seem to spend so much time down there riding in the sand, but you didn’t get to Florida until the Friday before the race and you ended up winning.
It’s a sand race and I’ve always felt reasonably comfortable in the sand. We have a bit of sand out here in California and I really don’t feel the need to ride in it for that long to get ready for just one race. I went and rode Croome one day and felt good so I didn’t really do a whole lot of sand riding. I think a lot of guys go down there early to get out of the cold but I was out here in California where it wasn’t cold and there wasn’t any snow so that was kind of a bonus for me.

Leading up to Florida you had been doing a lot of motocross racing but you hadn’t done an off-road race since the Japanese Cross Country race back in November. Were you feeling prepared coming into Florida having not done a GNCC-style race in close to 5 months?
Some people need to race to get up to speed but I’ve been riding motocross and I think that’s what works best for me. I’ve just been pounding out the motos and it seems to be working good for me.

A winter of riding motocross in California has Strang confident in his speed.

Last year you ran out of gas in Florida and had to play catch up in the points all season long. This year you’re in a much better position, and kind of ironically Paul Whibley ended up running out of fuel in Florida this year and is in a similar situation that you experienced. Are you thinking much about having that point lead right now?
Nah, you can’t think about that at all. It’s a really long series and a lot can happen. Like you said, Whibs ran out of gas in Florida but I really think that he’s going to be a factor the rest of the series. He’s the guy that won last year and there’s a reason he won, he’ll be strong for the whole championship. And there’s obviously a lot of other really fast guys and I’m not ruling anyone out at the moment. So yeah, I can’t think too much about a small championship lead and two race wins this early.

These first two GNCCs we’ve seen guys really sprint the first few laps of the race and try to open up huge leads. In both races you’ve kind of just played it cool and it’s worked out for you. Is it your plan to take it slow like that, and do you get nervous when a guy has pulled a minute lead after a few laps?
I’ve done a lot of hard work over the off season to be able to finish how I finish. But those guys can sprint but what’s the point if you can’t keep it up for the last few laps when it really matters. I’m sure I could sprint with them but they end up having problems and don’t win the race. I’m not trying to be a smart ass or anything, but I think I’m a smart racer and I seem to get good results and I don’t want to change what’s working for me. Sometimes I guess I do get a bit worried, like Thad was riding really good over the weekend, but he’s riding so fast that something is gonna happen. And obviously something did happen, he clipped that tree and went down really hard. I really just have to focus on my own race and not worry too much about what anyone else is doing.

Knowing it's a long season with a lot of fierce competitions, Josh is keeping his first to race wins in perspective.

We’ve heard that Thad crashed really bad but haven’t heard exactly what happened. I’m assuming it must’ve been pretty gnarly because you literally stopped on the side of the trail to tell me that he crashed and it looked bad, I’m not so sure how many guys would give up time in a race to let someone know about that.
He was just far enough ahead so I couldn’t see exactly, but I just saw him and his bike flying through the air. There was a rut coming through the corner so he may have gotten cross-rutted and clipped the tree. But whatever it was it wasn’t good and I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. Thankfully he’s alright and I guess not too long after I passed him he got back up and was able to ride it back to the pits. You know, if I was laying out there in the middle of the trail I really hope someone would stop and let someone know I was there! It’s just the right thing to do and I was worried for Thad and I just felt like it was what I should do.

Okay, let’s switch gears a bit, what’s it like being the only guy in that big Suzuki rig?
You know so far it’s been pretty good. There are times when I kind of wish I had someone to go ridding with. But at these last two races we had 6 people or so there and everyone of them wants me to win. Everyone is pushing for me to win and there’s no mixed emotions like if there was another rider and obviously his mechanic would want him to win. Right now I really think it’s better than having more than one rider. I know I’ve got a good team behind me and they’re all super pumped right now!

Well, that’s pretty  much all I’ve got. Thanks for taking the time for the interview and see you in North Carolina next weekend!
No worries, thank you!

It's official, Paul Whibley will defend his GNCC Championship as a member of the AmPro Yamaha race team.

Okay Paul, the big question on everyone’s mind is what bike you’re going to be riding next season and for what team?
Yeah, I’m not too sure when everyone over there will be ready to make the official announcement, but, yeah, I’ll be riding for the AmPro Yamaha team next year.

So are you pretty excited?
Yeah, it’s gonna be pretty cool to be riding for Randy. He’s obviously got a very well established and proven team. Randy himself has won a lot of championships and a GNCC Championship with Barry a few years back so obviously they know what they’re doing.

I know you had a really good relationship with JT and Gretchen Bennett and everyone else at the JG Racing Geico team, was it hard to leave those guys?
Yeah definitely. To be honest I was hoping to be able to remain with those guys next year but Kawasaki had some pretty big cutbacks and they basically told me a few weeks ago that they wouldn’t be able to help me at all next year because of those massive cutbacks. They basically told me to do what I had to do to get a ride somewhere else next year. JT was very disappointed and he had been bending over backwards to make it all work and the last piece of the puzzle just fell apart like that it was a definite bummer.

Do you feel like maybe you won the GNCC Championship at the worst time? It seems like if this had happened 3 or 4 years ago every factory would’ve been knocking down your door with offers.
Well you can also look at it as though I won at the best time, because you really needed to win to be able to get yourself a decent ride. I know a lot of guys that are really struggling to get rides this year, guys like Jason Thomas that finished 3rd in the Lites class and 7th overall, and I heard he’s going back to England and he might not even be racing next year. It’s a bad time to win this series with the economy, but at the same time I’m glad I won so I was able to get a good ride.

Have you been able to get in any seat time on the new bike?
I actually just got one here.

There will be a lot of changes in Whibley's program for 2010, but he's become a pro at changing brands between seasons.

Will you be riding the all-new YZ or the WR?
I think we’re going to be starting the season on the WR and moving to the YZ later in the season after some development. But I’ve actually got a YZ here at the moment. I get pretty well looked after by the importers here in New Zealand and they were able to get me a 2010 YZ that they had. I did a race on it in the weekend and I won a local cross country. I got it on Friday and went out and raced with it and won on the weekend. The bike seems really good, it’s got some new features on it, but it all seems good. With a bit of suspension work it’ll be really good.

Over the last three GNCC seasons you’ve raced on three different brands, a Honda, a Suzuki, and a Kawasaki. Now you’ll be racing a Yamaha, why do you think you’ve found yourself moving around so much?
It was never my intention to move around like I have. I’ve always been a Honda rider here in New Zealand and I was always trying to get a Honda ride overseas and when I was able to land that ride with Scott Summers it was great, but Honda wasn’t a real big player in the GNCCs and we ended up moving to Suzuki. I thought that could be a longterm relationship working there and that didn’t pan out, and I had really thought that the deal with Kawasaki last year would’ve been a longterm relationship as well but again that didn’t pan out. It’s kind of tough to just stick around with one team and create some brand loyalty and it seems that this Yamaha thing will actually be for a few years and I’m hoping that it is.

You made a seamless transition from the Honda to the Suzuki, and then from the Suzuki to the Kawasaki, with your results steadily improving each year as you changed brands. Do you feel like your at any disadvantage every year because of the switch?
I think it puts me at a little disadvantage and that’s why I always need to get back to riding here [New Zealand] as soon as possible. That’s the way I operate back here in New Zealand, I get a bike when I get back here as soon as I can and start testing and developing. This year I’m a little behind because it’s taken so long to get the deal sorted out. I’m probably a month behind where I would like to be. I usually start riding again in late November but it’s been December now before I started riding again. The time here for me is good for me to get a setup working and by the time I get back to America in late January I’m ready to make the final changes with the team and get ready to go racing again. Obviously it would be a lot easier to just stay with one brand and just continue developing what I’ve got established already but it hasn’t worked out like that.

In 2010 Whibley will be on his 4th brand in as many years. Has any GNCC racer ever won a race on each of the big four brands? | Photo: Dave Scearce

Will you be living in Ohio again or will you be staying in South Carolina close to the team HQ?
We probably will stay down in South Carolina near Randy’s–that’s the current plan as of right now–I know he’s got some nice facilities down there and we’ll be trying to stay down there and take advantage of all that. I think it’s a good place, not too far from Hickory, NC where we normally base in the beginning of the season. There are a lot of guys around there to ride with and a lot of tracks to ride so it should be good.

Will you be defending your OMA title next year as well as the GNCC? Will we see you compete in any other series like Endurocross?
That’s the plan at this stage. The OMAs are a fun series and they’re good practice and training so that’s the plan to do them again. I’d like to do some more Endurocross races. It’s something that I never really planned or wanted to do but after doing one I think I’d like to do another one but with some more testing and practice. I feel like my result at the first one was pretty poor, but I couldn’t really expect too much at my first go since it’s such a different type of racing. But, yeah, they’re good fun and I’d like to try them again.

Do you know who’s going to be your mechanic?
Scotty is actually going to stay back here in New Zealand–that was actually always his plan. After coming back and helping me in America he decided he wanted to go home to New Zealand and start to set himself up there. I believe that Randy’s mechanic Dale will be handling all the bikes for the team next year.

There’s the old saying that it’s easier to win a title than it is to defend it. Do you feel that way?
I guess I don’t feel like that yet. But I guess when I get to the races and there’s a big number one on my bike and people are expecting me to be winning all the time I might. But at the moment I don’t feel that. I’m just going to go out there and give my best like I’ve always done and whatever happens happens. I’ll be happy if I give it my best and put my best result in. I think next year is going to be tough, Josh Strang is going to be really tough. He’s obviously going to be really disappointed about not winning the championship and I’m sure will be hungrier and training really hard, and the same with Charlie [Mullins]–wherever he ends up–I’m sure he’ll be out there with a point to prove that he’s capable of winning the championship. With Cory Buttrick moving up as well there’s going to be plenty of fast guys as well.

Alright, Paul, thanks a ton for taking some time to talk to us. Is there anyone you’d like to thank?
I’ve got to thank the entire Geico team for helping me out, they’ve done a really great job. Now I’m looking forward to bringing some wins to the Yamaha team and doing good things for them.

Kanney had a rough 2009, but is looking for a solid season back with KTM in 2010.

Before we get too far, congratulations on your win at the Ironman. I know that 2009 was a really rough season for you and it had to have felt good to go out with a win.
Yeah it was awesome to win that race, it a was long hard year and it was like every other race was a tough pill to swallow. When I look back on it and everything I went through, the results don’t make it seem like as bad a year as it could’ve been. I know what I went through and to have the results I did I’m happy about the season and decisions I made like switching to the 450.

Talk about that a little bit, you were one of the last guys to switch from the two stroke.
Yeah, I think Barry Hawk switched right before me, and then Kurt Caselli was the last guy to switch, maybe a race after I did. To be honest, there’s still some things about that bike that I like better, but in general the 450 is better, especially for GNCC racing. I’ve been getting a lot of heat from everyone for switching, but making the fans happy isn’t gonna win me a championship and I kind of had to suck it up and make the move.

You said what a rough year 2009 was, is there anything you can take from this season and put it towards 2010?
I think last year I overtrained and overworked to make up for some of the injuries I had. I put way too much pressure on myself and took it way too seriously, and that ended up taking its toll on me mentally. I’m going to try and start the season without so much pressure, start it healthy and fit and I think I can do really well next year. I have as good a chance as anyone to win the championship. I really just want to try and eliminate all that negative stuff and turn everything into a positive and make it happen.

For more info on Endurance, check out www.theresaortolani.com

For the past 4 years you’ve been working with Theresa Ortolani on a book, and I finally got a copy in the mail yesterday. Talk a little bit about the book Endurance.
I actually haven’t even seen it yet! I need to go pick one up from Ian so I can check it out! It’s a huge relief that it’s finally done, I know Theresa worked long and hard on that and every time she was about to finish it something would come up. I’m really excited and really happy for her. She’s doing the premiere for the book in NYC in 3 weeks and that should be a lot of fun as well.

What was it like having a photographer follow you around all the time?
Honestly, it was annoying! [Laughs] Nah, it was cool, I had one or two of my best friends with me all the time, it was nice to have them with me on the road trips. They were there to work and shoot, but it was nice to have them around with me on the way to the races and after the races, someone to talk to and eat dinner with and all that stuff. I’m not really a big fan of having the camera in my face all the time so I’m glad that part is done.

The book starts with you winning the Unadilla GNCC back in 2006, and man, you look like such a kid!
I guess I do, I mean it seems like just yesterday and then I think about all the stuff that has happened since then—moving to Europe and riding the WEC, to coming back and racing for KTM— and you realize it’s been a few years. It was definitely a long project but it’s cool to have it all recorded.

After a rough start to the season, Kanney finished strong with a podium finish at Unadilla and a win at the season finale in Indiana.

It’s one of those things where not many people will have that opportunity, to have a book based around their life. It’ll be something you can show your grandkids!
In all honesty I feel kind of awkward about it, but at the same it really is pretty of cool.

What are you up to over the winter?
I don’t have my plan for the winter just yet, I know for sure I’m not going to do a winter like I always have where I leave for 4 or 5 months. I want to spend more time at home and fly to California to test and then drive down South every now and then. The idea behind it is to not be burnt out at the start of the season.

Can you ride in New York over the winter?
There’s actually a winter series up here like an hour and a half from here, but I don’t know if I’d really pursue that, I might drive 3 or 4 hours to Maryland or New Jersey to tracks that have good dirt and aren’t frozen. I’ll spend a lot of time in California and Florida, but I want to spend a lot more time at home.

It seems like you’re getting a bit older and learning more about what works for you.
In the past, I didn’t have confidence unless I knew I worked harder than anyone else. I have more confidence now knowing that maybe I’m working a little bit smarter than everyone else, that I have a program that fits me really well . In the past if I’d show up at the first race and I hadn’t been down South for 2 months I’d have no confidence. Now I have a lot more confidence, I know what me and my bike are capable of, and it’s not about the other riders, it’s about me going out and putting in a good performance.

Will we see you at the GNCC banquet?
I wish I could be there, but that week is just so gnarly. We’ve got suspension testing and photo shoots for KTM, the Endurance book premiere is that Thursday, and then the GNCC banquet on Saturday so I really haven’t even figured out how I’m going to do the book premiere and the testing and just don’t see a way I could fit in the banquet as well.

Alright, well hopefully we’ll see you sometime over the winter. Thanks for doing the interview!
No problem, thank you!

ENDURANCE: Down and Dirty Off-Road Racing by Theresa Ortolani is available for purchase at www.theresaortolani.com

The penultimate round of the ’09 US Endurocross series is set to be one of the most important races of Taddy Blazusiak’s career. After injury derailed his championship winning hopes in ’08, this year he has dominated the series and has every chance of securing the prestigious #1 plate this coming weekend in Denver, Colorado. With the opening round of the Indoor Enduro World Cup then taking place one week later in Sheffield, England the KTM Enduro Factory Team/Red Bull backed rider has been busy training and testing ahead of these two important events.

Winning the ’09 US Endurocross title is a very real possibility this weekend, are you aiming to win the race in Denver or simply do enough to secure the championship?
‘I have a pretty decent lead in the championship so I’m looking for another win. It’s the second round of the Triple Crown, which is important, as there’s a big prize available there. But the championship is the most important thing to me. Ideally, I’d like to win the championship by finishing on top of the podium.

So what do you think it’s going to take to secure the Endurocross title this coming weekend?
The same as it usually takes to win any race – a good start and a mistake free race. Getting away at the start makes such a big difference. My starts have been pretty good this season so I’m hoping I can make things easier for myself by getting out front early. After that I need to make no mistakes. It’s not easy staying out of trouble for eight laps, but that’s what I’m hoping to do.

Have you been practicing hard or taking it easy in recent weeks?
I’ve been working hard. We’ve been testing a lot as well as getting lots of time on both Endurocross and motocross tracks. I feel like I’m in good shape and I’m really enjoying riding so I’ve been doing lots of training and riding recently.

After your second place result at the last round of the Endurocross championship you raced the Powerline Park GNCC, and finished sixth in XC1. Were you surprised by your performance?
I wasn’t 100 per cent sure what to expect before the event, but I have done a few cross-country races in Europe. I rode my Endurocross practice bike with soft suspension and a small tank. I really enjoyed the race, and was fourth in XC1 for a while. It was great practice and a great work out. I had to stop for fuel more often than most riders but I still ended up with a decent result, which I was pleased with. It was just a one-off ride though.

It seems every aspect of your racing is better than ever at the moment. Are you happy with the way you’ve come back from your injury last season?
Yeah, definitely. When I first started racing extreme and indoor enduro events I had the skills and speed to be at the top but I didn’t have the experience. I’d never been behind a start gate before and wasn’t used to racing side-by-side with other riders. I know what to expect now, and how to race with others. I’m a bit more in control now, too. Everything has come together – I have a couple of years of experience and have learned a lot about racing an enduro bike.

Finally, what would it mean to you to be able to start the opening round of the Indoor Enduro World Cup on October 31st knowing you are the US Endurocross champion?
It would be great. If I had the Endurocross championship wrapped up I’d really be able to give the first IEWC race everything. I’m really looking forward to the event because European indoor enduro racing is very different to Endurocross in the States. I guess winning the Endurocross championship this weekend would take some weight off my shoulders. I could give the last round in Vegas everything then, too.

Don't let Steward's size fool ya. He's still just a kid, although he doesn't ride like one! | Photo: Krista Shaw

Alright, Steward, before we get too far, why don’t you tell the people out there a little bit about yourself.
Well, I’m 15 years old, and I’ve been racing since I was 4. I started racing GNCCs on 65s, and I’ve been racing them every year since. I’ve been pretty fortunate to be able to win a GNCC class championship every year since then except one.

I remember watching you race last year, when you were still only 14 thinking there was no way you should still be racing in the Youth races. You looked like a man out there!
Yeah, a lot of people thought I was older than I was, or that I was riding a bored out bike or something. Since I weighed 175 pounds, they didn’t think it was possible for me to win riding a 105 and be able to win. It was just one of those things, I was still young and wasn’t ready to move up to the big bikes at the nationals yet.

You’re just a pretty big guy, right? How do you think that will workout for you as you move into the XC2 Pro Lites class?
Well yeah, I’m 6 feet tall and weigh right around 200 pounds. I don’t really think it will be a problem, because I just came off the 200cc and the 250 four stroke is definitely faster. I’m riding the SX and it’s definitely faster. It pulls pretty good and it hooks up way better so I don’t think it’ll be much of a problem

Steward gets in some moto practice on his KTM 250SX | Photo: Krista Shaw

I know this past week you’ve been staying with Kailub Russell, who is leading the XC2 class in points. How has it been riding with him?
He’s definitely faster than me, and he makes a lot less mistakes than I do. But, I’m pretty much riding over my head trying to keep up with him, so I feel like If I keep my head straight, I think I can get a podium this weekend. You know, if I just ride at my own pace and not try and push too hard. I think I’m faster from this past week of riding with him and seeing what lines he takes and stuff like that.

So obviously you’re trying out XC2 for these final 3 races, do you have any concrete plans for 2010?
I don’t know anything as of right now. I’d like to work with KTM again but you never know. But, that’s what I’m planning on, being back with KTM and racing the XC2 class.

Everything I hear about you says you’re a pretty wild kid. That you get loaded up on energy drinks before your races and all sorts of stuff like that.
Oh yeah, I load up on energy drinks. Before a race the first thing I do is eat like a 1,000 pounds of food. Then I drink a 5 Hour Energy, finished off with a Red Bull, and I top it all off with an Aquafina. I’ve done that every race for the past two years and I’m not about to change!  I’m a little bit superstitious. I’m all hyped up on the line and I’m ready to go! Everyone says I’m gonna have a heart attack by the time I’m 20, but at least it’s for a good cause!

Man, that’s pretty wild. Do the energy drinks wear off or anything?
I don’t know, about the last lap I start getting tired. The more that I eat, the longer I last. At Snowshoe I ate 7 pieces of cheesecake, 2 hamburgers, and a Cliff bar. I saw the 2 lap card and I was ready to go for longer. I notice a lot of people don’t eat at all before the race, and I eat as much as I can. That’s one of things Jason Raines taught me and it definitely works.

Talk a little bit more about the training and stuff you did with Jason Raines.
We worked with each other the whole year I was in the 12-13, up until the beginning of last year. Every time I’d go he’d keep telling me the same things, and you know, you just get better and better because you forget stuff that he told you before and I always get better. I also worked with Steve Hatch last year and he taught me a lot too.

Steward follows in the footsteps of past GNCC Youth Champions Kailub Russell and Cory Buttrick as he moves into the pro ranks. | Photo: Krista Shaw

What kind of training do you do?
I train a little bit. I ride, and sometimes road bike. That’s about it. Right now my road bike shoes are falling apart since I rode in the rain so I haven’t been doing too much of that lately. Just riding really.

How do you see your race going on Sunday in your XC2 pro debut?
Well, I’m guessing I’m not gonna see that I’m in first on the pit board when I come through. Usually that gets me mad and I ride faster, so hopefully I don’t ride over my head and crash. I hope I can keep my head on straight. I don’t know if it’ll happen, if it doesn’t I’ll probably end up on the side of the track somewhere!

Alright Steward, good luck on Sunday and hopefully we’ll see you take the checkers and not on your head out there somewhere!
Thanks! Before I go, I’d like to thank a few people if you don’t mine: My mom and dad, my sister and grandparents. FLY Racing, KTM, KTM Hard Parts, Smith Optics, Shoei, Michelin, Fastway, Pro Moto Billet, Jason Raines and Steve Hatch. Oh, and my girlfriend said I need to thank her in the next interview, so thanks!

Photo: Krista Shaw

Alright Kailub, it’s been a while since we’ve seen you. The GNCCs have been on a two-and-a-half-month break but you came out here and looked like right where you left off.
Yeah, I got a decent start then I made some mistakes and I worked my way backwards, which isn’t typical for me. I just put my head down and started charging and ended up catching those guys, then I’d crash and they’d get a little ways back ahead of me again. It was pretty frustrating because it seemed like every time that I would catch up, I’d make a stupid mistake that would drop me back again.

Is there added pressure in the fact that you’re so close to wrapping this championship up and having the two guys you’re battling with right in front of you?
Yeah it’s pretty difficult, and maybe that’s why I was making mistakes, I really want to beat Cory [Buttrick] and Jason [Thomas] so I can get this title. I know if I don’t beat them it’s just one more race that I’m going to have to do.

So you’re saying that when you wrap it up you’re definitely moving up to the 450s, is that right?
Yeah, exactly. I’m really wanting to win the next race so that I can ride the 450 at the last two rounds.

Is that going to be what your gonna do next year? You’re not gonna stick around and defend the championship?
Well, at this point nothing is set in stone, but I’m pretty certain I’ll be on a 450. This whole season I’ve done all my practicing on a 450. It worked out really well for Thad doing that last year, and so far it has been pretty good for me. I really like riding the bigger bike and I’m hopeful that I’ll be up on the front row next year racing XC1.

Ok so the next race we’re coming up to is pretty much your home track, you live pretty close to there. Do you feel pretty confident on racing at Yadkinville?
Yeah, definitely. It’s not a real fun track, but it’s not that bad—it’s just hard to pass and it’s kinda dusty if it doesn’t rain. Hopefully the weather will be good, I know we’re supposed to get some rain this week so hopefully the track will be in good shape. It’ll be really nice to be able to sleep in my own bed and stuff, hopefully that works in my favor!

Okay Kailub, thanks again for talking with us. We’ll see you in a couple of weeks!
Alright, thanks!