Off the Groove

In this week's episode, we recap the Texas race weekend, look ahead to round 4 in Calistoga, and catch up with an up-and-coming AFT Singles rider Cameron Smith. We talked to him prior to the Texas event, where he had his best results of his 2018 season. We talked about how he got into riding motorcycles, his transition to racing at the pro level, and his goals for the 2018 season and beyond. 📸 Jodi Johnson 00:24 - Texas recap/Calistoga preview 02:03 - Cameron Smith intro 02:41 - Talks about the big wreck in Atlanta and how he’s been since the crash 04:35 - Talks about where he’s from and all the other riders who were born there 05:44 - How did you get into motorcycles? 06:44 - Talks about first time riding a motorcycle and his first race 08:02 - Do you have a favorite racing memory? 08:59 - Talks about his transition from amateur level to racing pro 10:15 - Whats been the biggest change racing on the pro level? 11:29 - Talks about the importance of racing non-national events as a privateer 12:17 - Talks about almost missing the season finale last season due to travel issues 14:14 - Walks us through his 4th pace finish at the 2017 Springfield TT event 16:23 - Talks about why each race during the 2017 season was special to him 17:19 - What do you do during the off-season? 18:05 - Talks about what motivates him to work hard throughout the offseason 18:34 - New sponsor and partnership mentions for 2018 19:29 - Are you and Cory Texter teammates? 19:48 - Talks about what he’s learned watching Cory race 20:44 - Expectations coming into the 2018 season 21:13 - Talks about the competition in the AFT Singles class this year 22:06 - Talks about his race program for 2018 22:56 - How do you decide what changes needs to be made for the bike? 23:46 - What do you rely on more when you’re on the track, the lap times or how you feel? 24:53 - Daytona talks 26:24 - Atlanta talks 28:07 - Expectations going into round 3 in Texas 28:52 - Talks about expectations for the west coast swing 29:43 - Talks more about why racing outlaw events helps him through a season 30:33 - How do you prepare for a race track you’ve never been to before? 31:08 - Talks about Williams Grove and why he’s looking forward to that race in 2018 31:56 - GRAM’S QUESTION: What are your plans for college and beyond? 32:54 - How cool is it to see yourself on TV? 33:40 - Who is your favorite motorcycle racer today? 34:20 - Do you follow any other sports? Whats your favorite team? 34:33 - Talks about his love for sprint car racing 35:27 - Favorite place to eat on the road? 35:47 - What do you do with all your trophies? 36:20 - Do you have a favorite trophy? 36:39 - Who gets the victory lap when you win your first national? 36:58 - If you could bring in a new sponsor to flat track, who would it be & why? 38:00 - Shout-outs and thank yous

This week's guest is the tuner for the #23 team in the AFT Twins class, Ben Evans. A former racer with a long flat track resume, Ben was nice enough to take time from his busy schedule to talk with us after the team's podium finish in Atlanta. We talked about how he got into the sport, the challenges that come with preparing three different brands of motorcycles for the 2018 season, and his relationship with his rider, Jeffrey Carver Jr. 📸 Jodi Johnson 00:24 - Scottie Update 02:56 - Ben Evans intro 03:57 - “…not a lot of TV watchin’ or movie watchin’ for me…” 04:18 - Quick overview of the #23 team’s plans for the long six week run 05:52 - Where were you born? 06:45 - How did you get into flat track? 09:36 - Why did you pick #69? 11:23 - When did you realize you had a passion for working on bikes? 14:09 - What other riders have you wrenched for? 15:50 - “…there’s never enough hours in a day…” 16:34 - Talks about how his relationship with Jeffery Carver Jr. began 20:46 - Talks about why the two work well together 22:32 - Does the fact you ride as well, help with the trust issues between you and Carver? 24:38 - Who makes the call on what bike you ride each race? 26:40 - How hard is it to maintain the different brands of bikes? 28:15 - Talks about upcoming testing sessions 29:20 - Who sets the goals for the #23 team? 30:48 - Daytona talks 32:41 - Talks of Atlanta race weekend 34:44 - Talks about Carver running that high line just OFF THE GROOVE! 36:20 - Are there any other events you’re looking forward to going to this season? 37:22 - GRAM’s QUESTION Whats the biggest change in flat track? 39:28 - Do you have a favorite race track? 40:31 - What’s your favorite thing to eat on the road? 41:14 - Any up-and-coming racers we should have an eye on?

This week, we catch up with Kenny Coolbeth Jr., a flat track legend who recently announced he'd be retiring at the conclusion of the 2018 race season. We talked about what led him to a career racing motorcycles, take a look back on his twenty-five years of flat tracking, and talk about what is next for him after he hangs up the steel shoe. 📸 Flat Trak Fotos 00:24 - Scottie Update 01:03 - Kenny Coolbeth Jr. intro 02:17 - Scottie rambles off an insane amount of stats 03:16 - How tough was it to make the decision to retire after the 2018 season? 04:05 - Where were you born? 05:00 - Talks about the first time he ever rode a motorcycle 05:51 - What about riding a motorcycle made you realize you wanted to make it a career? 06:28 - Talks about riders he looked up to growing up 07:12 - Talked about riders he learned from 07:58 - Talks about his first race 08:58 - Talks about how his father inspired him to race 09:24 - First Grand National win 10:18 - Scottie talks about the first time he saw Coolbeth race 12:06 - Is there one particular season that sticks out to you more than others? 14:10 - You worked with a lot of great mechanics…Is there one that sticks out to you? 15:00 - What was the hardest part of the 2017 season for you? 15:35 - What did you learn from the 2017 season? 16:30 - Talks about how the opportunity to ride for Nila Racing came about 19:19 - Will you be riding an Indian Motorcycle the entire 2018 season? 20:17 - Talks about the first time throwing a leg over the FTR 750 21:15 - Talks about his training routine and studying race video 25:42 - Talks about his number plate auctions for the 2018 season 27:15 - Where you happy with the results from Daytona? 28:22 - Do you think the outcome would have been different had we raced Saturday night? 29:03 - Did the rain delay affect you or the bike set-up? 29:35 - Are you looking forward to Texas? 30:25 - Are there any goals you’ve set for yourself in your final season? 31:14 - Is there any chance you’d come back for another season if you win the title in 2018? 31:50 - What are you planning to do after flat track? 33:20 - What is the biggest change you’ve seen for flat track over your 25 year career? 34:44 - Who is a young up-and-comer you have had an eye on 35:28 - Any amateur racers we should be looking out for? 36:00 - Why did you choose #2 and #31? 36:39 - Do you have a favorite track? 37:02 - What do you do with all your trophies? 38:13 - What will you miss the most & the least after you retire? 39:44 - Who has been the best racer you ever competed against?

We caught up with Jarod Vanderkooi prior to last weekend's race in Atlanta. We talked about his expectations heading into the second round of the 2018 season, what its like to have an opportunity to ride an Indian and Harley-Davidson factory bike in a six month span, and his love for B-Dubs. 📸 Jodi Johnson 00:24 - Scottie Update 01:03 - Jarod Vanderkooi intro 01:32 - Who the hell is this? 01:55 - Where did the new nickname come from? 02:49 - How did you get into motorcycles? 03:36 - Talks of his family of racers 04:06 - The tale of ole Kill-switch Vanderkooi 05:12 - Talks about the first motorcycle races 06:11 - Talks of winning his first pro race at the Springfield Mile 06:54 - Talks about his successful 2014 season 09:28 - Rookie of the year in 2015…anything stick out? 10:40 - Expectations heading in 2017 with Richie Morris Racing 12:56 - Talks about the progression of the 2017 season 13:56 - Talks about getting the call from Indian Motorcycle to ride for Brad Baker 15:59 - Talks about the chance to ride bikes from the two factory bikes in a 6 month period 17:55 - When did you find out that you would not be returning to RMR? 20:00 - Is the training you did in Florida heading into the 2018 season going to help you? 22:36 - Talks about his mechanic for the 2018 season 23:40 - How are you communicating with the team? 24:25 - Talks about pre-season testing prior to Daytona 24:51 - How cool is it to ride for the factory team? 25:31 - What were the first impressions of the XG750? 26:19 - Talks of bouncing things off teammate Sammy Halbert 27:38 - Did you see Stevie Bonsey losing his tire in Daytona? 29:20 - Talks of his day in Daytona 32:04 - Expectations heading in Woodstock for Round 2 33:11 - Who is your toughest competition for 2018? 33:22 - What is your favorite race track? 33:56 - Why did you choose #20? 34:50 - Whats your favorite place to eat while on the road?

This week we caught up with Stevi Smith. We talked about her own racing career and what its like growing up in a flat track family. Balancing a full-time job while managing her fiance J.R. Addison's race team, she still makes time to contribute to several others in the flat track community each race season. 📸 Jodi Johnson 00:24 - Scottie Update 01:53 - Stevi Smith intro 02:56 - Whats it like growing up in Michigan? 03:36 - Talks of growing up with Scott Parker & Jay Springsteen 04:06 - How did you get into motorcycles? 05:06 - What was the first bike you rode? 05:26 - Talks of “stealing” her older brother’s number 05:58 - Did you get Bryan’s hand-me-down bikes? 06:36 - Do you have a favorite race motorcycle? 07:02 - Do you still ride and race? 07:18 - Do you have a favorite race memory? 08:05 - Did you ever get to race against Bryan? 08:46 - Why did you stop racing? 09:33 - Talks of what its like growing up in a racing family 10:18 - How did you and J.R. Addison meet? 10:56 - Do you have a favorite memory with J.R.? 11:38 - What is something people would be surprised to know about J.R. Addison? 12:21 - Talk about what it meant for Bryan to win his Grand National Championship in 2016 13:07 - Talks about the hometown reaction after Bryan’s championship 14:24 - Talks of J.R. winning Rookie of the Year in 2016 15:00 - Talks of winning the Brintlinger Award of Excellence in 2016 16:22 - Talks about starting the Brintlinger Foundation 18:49 - What was it like to see your brother rocking’ that #1 plate? 19:38 - What does Stevi Smith do in the off-season? 20:53 - Explains how to get Parker Norris to dance 22:08 - What are the expectations for the #24 team in 2018? 23:02 - Any fond memories from the 2017 racing season? 24:10 - Talks of J.R.’s struggles at the Lima Half-Mile 25:30 - What was your take on the 2018 Daytona TT? 26:58 - Talks of J.R.’s proposal after this year’s Daytona TT event 30:01 - Who is your best friend at the race track? 31:14 - Talks about her thoughts on recent AFT changes 32:32 - Who is an up-and-comer we should keep our eyes on? 32:55 - Any amateur racers we should look out for? 33:38 - What do you and J.R. do with all your trophies? 34:21 - What is your favorite race track? 35:30 - “I love hearing the box van start up…” 35:51 - Talks about her love for the Waffle House 36:51 - Talks about other things she does to support riders 37:50 - Thank yous and sign off

Caught up with 2-time Singles champion and 2-time Grand National Champion, Jake Johnson. We talked about what brought him into the sport, his extensive resume (including his brief hiatus from flat track), and his transition to Estenson Racing for the 2018 season. 📸 Jodi Johnson 00:24 - Scottie Update 00:59 - Jake Johnson intro 01:41 - Jake talks moto 02:59 - Where were you born? 03:31 - How’d you get into motorcycles? 04:27 - Did you know you always wanted to race? 05:00 - Do you remember your first win? 06:02 - Was there a racer you looked up to growing up? 07:21 - Do you feel like one of the old guys? 08:55 - Talks about his two Grand National Championships 09:50 - Talks about why he briefly stepped away from the sport after championship seasons 12:18 - Talks about how he got back into racing after stepping away 13:47 - Talks about getting the call from the factory Harley-Davidson team 15:08 - What were your expectations coming into 2017 with Harley-Davidson? 17:03 - “Thats what keeps me going, those championships and those wins” 18:24 - Talks about his day at the 2017 Buffalo TT event 20:49 - What point did you know you weren’t coming back to ride for Harley-Davidson? 21:27 - Talks of how Estenson came into the picture for 2018 23:13 - When did you know for sure the Estenson deal was a real thing? 24:06 - “I hope to be with Estenson throughout the rest of my career” 27:00 - Talks of relationship with mechanic, Teddy McDermitt 28:03 - Are you guys focusing strictly on Yamahas for the 2018 season? 30:03 - Talks through his take on the 2018 Daytona TT 35:15 - Do you just stay focused on the National events? 37:07 - Talks of instructing at the Texas Tornado Boot Camp in Austin, TX 39:30 - Who gets the victory lap after your next win? 40:13 - Any riders coming up we should keep an eye on? 41:05 - What do you do with all your trophies? 41:42 - Do you have a favorite trophy? 42:13 - What track are you looking forward to the most in 2018? 42:21 - How cool would it be to win a grand national on a Yamaha?

This week we catch up with Dave and Rhonda Waters. A great conversation with two great people who have been supporting flat track for decades. We talked about how they met, why they became team owners, and the challenges that come with balancing a full-time business along with two race programs. 00:24 - Scottie Update 00:42 - Dave & Rhonda Water intro 02:21 - Dave’s flat motorcycle racing background 03:21 - When Rhonda met Dave 03:40 - “I was too good, so they made me race with the guys…” 05:03 - What drew Rhonda into motorcycle racing 06:04 - Dave talks of current state of the sport 07:06 - What made you want to start a race team? 09:19 - Talks of being the only team running a KTM program 10:25 - Is Wyatt going to be riding the Yamaha more than the KTM (in 2018)? 11:25 - Was the 2017 with Wyatt a successful one in your mind? 12:14 - “…I didn’t know what Wyatt really looked like until I met him in Daytona…” 14:38 - Talks of what led to Wyatt jumping to a the AFT Twins class 15:41 - Story behind Sandriana Shipman joining the Waters Auto Body team 18:32 - Talks about the teammates meeting each other in Salem, OR at the One Moto Show 19:19 - Scottie lists the past riders who have rode for Dave and Rhonda 20:06 - Talks about 2018 plans for the team 21:10 - Talks about goals/expectations for the first two races 22:17 - What is your favorite race track? 24:15 - Funny Ryan Wells story 25:45 - Chad Cose jumping like a spider monkey 26:35 - Thoughts on the podcast 28:27 - If you were put in charge of AFT, what would be the first thing you would change?

Caught up with Bronson Bauman this a week before the season opener in Daytona. We talked about what its like racing for legendary tuner Bill Werner, his girlfriend (who also races), and his expectations for the upcoming season. 📸 Jodi Johnson 00:24 - Scottie update 01: 52 - Bronson intro 02:15 - What have you been doing since winning Flat Out Friday? 04:12 - Talks of being a take-charge kinda guy 04:52 - What is it like to race for Bill Werner? 07:12 - How did you get into flat track racing? 08:46 - How is Illinois livin’ different from California 10:22 - Bronson walks us through his Flat Out Friday 14:18 - Talks about TT and woods riding 17:12 - Thoughts on 2017 22:19 - Talks about his offseason training 24:12 - If I win my 1st grand national, I’m taking 5-6 victory laps 24:45 - Talks of how he met his girlfriend, Allyx Camp 26:22 - Thoughts on the one bike qualifying from Flat Out Friday 27:15 - Who is your toughest competition in 2017? 27:47 - Do you have a favorite track? 28:24 - Why are you #37? 30:01 - What do you do with all your trophies? 30:56 - “Free candy, free puppies” 31:33 - Vanderkooi distraction and Bronson’s take on the new nickname 32:30 - Funniest moment from 2017 32:50 - If you were put in charge of the AFT series, what would be the first thing you’d change? 33:50 - Why we do, what we do…

This week, we put in a call to the man at the top, the CEO of American Flat Track, Michael Lock. We get to know the man behind the flat track resurgence, what drew him to the series and motorcycles in general, and expectations for the upcoming AFT season. 00:24 - Scottie update 00:47 - Michael Lock intro 01:30 - Talks of Flat Out Friday event 04:38 - Where are you from originally? 05:20 - How did you get into motorcycles? 09:05 - Talks of what inspired him to become a leader 10:55 - Talks of how his relationship with American Flat Track began 14:00 - What were your first impressions of the sport? 17:01 - Talks about changes to the sport over the past few years 19:39 - “…some things that are going to happen in the next 60-90 days are going to be game-changers…” 20:57 - Talks about changes to the race format in 2017 25:26 - Talks of the future of the Superprestigio 27:05 - What has Michael Lock and AFT been up to this off-season? 29:02 - Is there a reason behind why you have to ride one particular brand of motorcycle per event? 34:33 - “with no disrespect to the twins guys, my favorite three races (of 2017) were Singles races…” 36:17 - Teases a major AFT Singles announcement coming in the next week 37:04 - Michael talks of the advisory group and what it means to him and AFT 40:38 - Talks of new multi-year deal with NBC 44:15 - What else can we expect in 2018? 46:00 - “Grams gotta know…” 50:36 - “…I want the best riders in the world competing in American Flat Track…”

Caught up with THE Johnny Lewis last week. We talked about the inspiration behind JL10 Training, his supermoto days, and his passion for motorcycles and the sport that has had an enormous impact on his life. This man has his hands in just about every aspect of flat track racing and loves to share his knowledge. 00:24 - Scottie update 01:20 - Johnny Lewis intro 02:40 - what have you been up to since Perris? 03:32 - “it’s one of those roller coasters you don’t ant to get off of...” 04:42 - what is the story behind JL10 Training? 07:51 - Talks of Cole Zabala 09:21 - Talks of Dallas Daniels 10:23 - “flat track is a very secretive sport” 11:26 - how do you customize training programs? 13:55 - “the motorcycle is a tool” 14:38 - Talks of sponsoring Chase Saathoff 17:14 - Talks of supermoto day’s 19:39 - how did you get into motorcycles? 21:35 - how do you feel about riding the most brands of twins into main events? 23:35 - Talks about the opportunity to race an Indian in 2017 28:20 - talks about the race finish in Perris, CA 32:37 - talks about partnership with RMR for 2018 35:44 - Johnny Lewis on an Indian again in 2018??? 37:45 - ever think about running a full season? 41:00 - Talks of vegan lifestyle on the road 42:18 - funniest moment of 2017 43:22 - if you were in charge, what would be the first thing you’d change? 45:45 - Who is your toughest competition? 46:42 - What do you do with your trophies? 49:14 - What is your favorite track?

Last week, while everyone else watched some other "flying tomato" capture gold in the 2018 Winter Olympics, I spent my time catching up with the 2017 AFT Singles Champion, Kolby Carlile. We got his take on last year's roller coaster season, talked about what he's done to build upon that success for 2018, and even discuss future plans of a possible twins ride for 2019. 00:24 - Scottie update 02:06 - Kolby Carlile intro 02:43 - What the heck were you doing in North Dakota? 03:46 - Talks about his move out to Phoenix 04:19 - Have you been riding a lot this off-season? 05:26 - How’d you get started in flat track? 06:19 - Talks of family supporting his racing 07:45 - Scottie’s helmet shop visit 08:54 - Thoughts on Lima race 11:11 - Talks of adversity in Calistoga 12:04 - Talks of tuner Andrew Butler 14:22 - who is going to be your stiffest competition this year? 16:04 -Talks of team dynamics and new teammate 17:28 - Talks of old teammate, Sammy Halbert 19:24 - Talks of future with Estenson (Twins?) 21:00 - Will you be racing non-nationals? 21:14 - “...I’m gonna be on an Indian...” w/ audible Scottie gasp 22:45 - talks about pressure to keep the #1 plate 24:08 - what’s your favorite race track? 24:58 - Buffalo Bill 25:55 - If you were put in charge of AFT, what’s one thing you would change? 26:51 - Supercross talk 27:32 - What do you do with all your trophies? 28:22 - Talks of that Tommy Duma Championship ring 29:05 - “Its such a dream come true…”

Caught up with Ryan Wells earlier this week during his drive home. We talked about the sequence of events that led him to Richie Morris Racing, his rookie season racing twins, his new home in Michigan, and his new love for ice racing. 00:24 - Scottie update 01:59 - Ryan Wells intro 02:49 - ice riding talk 05:39 - “I get my groove on” 07:42 - “ice riding is such a killer workout” 08:27 - how’d you get into flat track? 09:21 - talks about his bigger little brother 10:33 - “I love doing non-nationals...” 11:25 - talks about the timeline for his move to singles 13:26 - do you feel your 2017 was a success? 14:15 - what were your expectations heading into last season 15:10 - what’s the biggest difference between the singles/twins bikes? 16:22 - what was it like working with Jonny Gott? 19:12 - Wells’ Johnny Gott impression 19:40 - talks about decision to make the move from NY to Michigan 22:30 - “I ride with Jared, train with Bryan” 23:24 - what’s it going to take to win the 2017 Champion? 25:07 - any added pressure to win given Shayna’s success on the bike in 2017? 26:37 - “if I can bear Shayna Texter on a mile, that'd be the highlight of my year” 27:26 - who is your toughest competition in 2018? 27:56 - will changes to the singles class impact your chances to win a championship? 28:50 - Daytona talk 29:30 - rapid-fire questions

This week, we catch up with Mikey Rush. We talked about his privateer effort with G&G Racing, lessons learned from the 2017 season, and goals his for 2018. 00:24 - Scottie update 02:26 - Mikey Rush intro 03:44 - How’d ya get started in flat track? 04:35 - Why is flat track addicting? 05:41 - Rush talks about his team, G&G Racing 07:22 - Talks about preparation for the 2018 season 08:21 - Talks about privateer life 09:49 - Daytona 2017 11:30 - Is there one race that stands out to you? 12:08 - Talks of learning to ride miles on a twin 13:17 - Do riders help you with mile drafting or is it learn as you go? 13:33 - “If I was a fan, those are my favorite riders…” 14:41 - Talks about how having one bike benefits his program 16:06 - Thoughts on working with JD Beach in Perris 17:20 - How do you get your mind right to go racing? 18:53 - “…if it wasn’t for this guy, I wouldn’t be racing at all” 19:45 - Talks of NBCSN/FansChoice.tv broadcasts 20:50 - Do you have a favorite race track? 21:21 - Goals for 2018 22:35 - Talks of getting that first twins race

This week, we catch up with NBCSN pit reporter, Heather Debeaux. We talked about how she got involved in racing, working in television, and of course...flat track. 00:24 - Scottie update/Heather intro 01:35 - The “girl in the purple shirt” 02:38 - When Scottie met Heather…her intro to flat track 05:19 - Heather talks about her introduction to racing and on-air reporting 08:13 - talks about her first on-camera interview with Jimmie Johnson 12:18 - “…I could be a mechanic” 12:50 - Suggestions from the “King of Cool” 14:21 - “Shayner Texter” 15:44 - Kenny Roberts nuts 16:36 - Heather talks about her love for flat track 18:48 - What are your favorite racing tracks? 20:57 - Talks about training for a fitness competition 22:40 - “I really want a trophy” 25:21 - Take-aways from the 2017 season 26:53 - Jeffery Carver and hair ties 28:00 - Thoughts on racing in Daytona 29:30 - Buffalo Chip experience 32:46 - Expectations for the 2018 season

Caught up with this "California Kid" earlier this week. We talked briefly about his 2017 season, the big announcement he made during his "off-season," and his goals for the 2018 season. 00:24 - Scottie update/Cose intro 01:14 - What have you been up to since the end of the season? 02:27 - talks of signing 2018 deal with Indian Motorcycle Motorcycle of OKC 04:27 - Thoughts on the people involved with Indian Motorcycle of OKC 05:48 - Talks of Tom Englehart’s involvement in his program 08:52 - How did you get into motorcycles? 11:55 - Cose talks about announcing during Springfield ST in 2017 13:05 - Talks take-aways from 2017 14:24 - “It’s on my shoulders to get it done” 15:05 - Thoughts on Daytona TT 16:43 - Talks of racing in OKC in 2018 with “home-town” support 17:52 - Talk of struggles at Buffalo Chip 21:29 - What are you doing to prepare for the 2018 season? 22:33 - What are your goals for 2018? 23:34 - Ever thought about what you’d do after your first grand national win? 25:04 - “I think we’ll see some of the best racing we’ve seen in flat track…” 26:17 - Talks of racing Kenny Coolbeth on an XR750 in Savannah 29:57 - Thoughts on the FTR750 production bike 30:46 - Favorite AFT tracks 31:02 - Talks about love for Canadian cushion tracks

Caught up with this "radical racer" earlier this week. On his way down to Florida, with wife and child loaded in the van, we talked through his decision to run the in the AFT Singles class in 2018, the "joys" of a running his own privateer effort, and his expectations and goals for the upcoming season. 02:37 - talks about the 2017 season & his mindset heading into 2018 04:22 - talks about his decision to run the AFT Singles class in 2018 05:27 - talks about selling his Twins and his Singles racing program 07:32 - “Pink toolbox & a borrowed van” 09:20 - talks about putting his Singles program together for 2018 09:50 - talks about new mechanic, Robby Bobby 10:50 - talks about his offseason training w/ riders 12:10 - “Old man by two days…” 14:11 - talks about his competition for the upcoming season 15:37 - Mama Tried talk and concrete racing 16:38 - talks about racing Jared Mees on concrete 18:42 - talks TT racing 22:08 - talks differences between Singles/Twins riders 23:11 - “Singles could be the premiere class…” 24:51 - “A lot of these racers are robots…” 25:48 - talks about his 4-part series for Cycle World 30:27 - talks about racing his sister, Shayna 33:32 - talks about the Philadelphia Eagles & love for all sports

Caught up with one of the most entertaining tandems in the AFT Singles class, Jesse Janisch and Morgen Mischler, or as we call them, Team MJGR. We talked about ice racing, the teams highs and lows from the 2017 season, their super secret team radio communication set-up during races, and plans for the 2018 season. 01:06 - MJGR intro 02:30 - You guys both ice race don’t you? 05:58 - How Jesse Janisch got into racing flat track 08:15 - Merg’s background 10:58 - “When Merg met Jesse” 12:36 - What is M-J-G-R? 14:14 - Talks of racing inside Daytona International Speedway 17:32 - Thoughts on round 2 in Atlanta 19:20 - Thoughts on racing in Charlotte 21:00 - Jesse talks about frustration with coming second to Hayden Gilliam 22:32 - Talks of racing in OKC 23:26 - “We may or may not have radios inside out helmets…” 27:25 - The guys talk Buffalo Chip 29:03 - Talks of the Black Hills event 30:47 - Jesse talks about winning Peoria 32:34 - Merg talks about his 2nd place finish at the Springfield short track 34:51 - Talking Texas 36:58 - Jesse talks about running a full season in 2018 37:21 - Are you guys satisfied with your 2017 season? 38:04 - Whats the deal with the floral? 38:56 - What are you guys doing to prepare for 2018? 39:57 - Do you guys do any training? 40:49 - Jesse shares a funny story from Kentucky 42:30 - If you were in charge, what would be the first thing you would change?

Caught up with Brandan Bergen, tuner for Brad Baker. While 2017 was his first season with Indian Motorcycle, this guys is no stranger to flat track and turning wrenches. We walk through his transition from rider to tuner, his return to flat track, and his roller coaster 2017 season. 📸 Fernando CM 01:06 - Bergen intro 02:35 - Bergen backstory 03:20 - Riding for and working with Johnny Gode and Dave Zanotti 07:20 - Discussion about Brandan tuning sprint cars for World of Outlaws 12:22 - Bergen talks about how his opportunity with Indian Motorcycle began 16:40 - Talks about going to events in 2016 to work with Brad 17:34 - Talks about knowledge learned from Sprint Car racing that applies to motorcycle racing 20:19 - Thoughts once Brad went down in the inaugural Daytona event 22:04 - Thoughts coming out of the second event in Atlanta 23:16 - Talks of issues in Charlotte 27:41 - “I remember being very angry…” 33:43 - Takes the blame for Lima 39:07 - Talks of challenges at the Buffalo Chip event 43:35 - Discusses Brad’s training incident leading into Texas 47:10 - How did you guys make the call to have Larry Pegram in Brad’s place? 48:02 - Talks about finding out about Brad’s incident 50:04 - How was it working with Larry Pegram? 52:05 - How did you guys settle on Vanderkooi riding the bike for Perris, CA? 56:30 - “I think people are gonna see a brand new Brad Baker in 2018” 57:50 - What is your favorite part of being a mechanic? 1:01:23 - What advice would you give to up-and-coming racers?

Made a call across the pond and caught up with Oliver Brindley prior to his 19th birthday. We talked about how he got into motorcycles, his 2017 season, and how he plans to build upon his successful first full season racing in the AFT Singles class. OLIVER BRINDLEY 01:06 - Oliver intro 01:55 - Quick get-to-know Old 02:41 - What have you been doing since you went back to England? 04:00 - When did you first get into motorcycles? 05:00 - Differences in racing England/US 05:43 - Talks of his father racing side-cars 06:48 - Oli talks of taking notes after each session 08:42 - What made you want to come race flat track in the US? 10:38 - Talks about his first time coming to the US to race flat track 13:00 - Talks about buying Bryan Smith’s bike & help from others in the pit area 14:45 - Talks about racing in Daytona 16:03 - Oli’s suggestions for possible changes to Daytona TT for 2018 18:03 - Talks of issues at Springfield TT 18:58 - Talks about reason he was unable to start his bike during Red Mile semi 19:18 - OFF THE GROOVE!!! 20:50 - Talks of racing in Oklahoma and Lima 21:44 - Talks about racing inside the Buffalo Chip and Sturgis bike week 23:38 - “I love that track, Black Hills…” 24:25 - Had you ever raced Peoria before racing there last year? 25:22 - What type of changes would you make for yourself before Peoria 2018? 26:55 - Talks of racing Springfield short track 28:10 - Thoughts on the 2017 season and goals for 2018 32:17 - What does the Superprestigio to you? 33:14 - “The nicest place I’ve been was __________” 34:00 - Oli talks about his favorite non-sanctioned events of 2017 36:03 - “Its Brilliant” (Oli’s statement when asked why race flat track in the US) 36:50 - Talks about his flat track hero, Chris Carr 39:35 - The New Oli/Deubler Deal

Caught up with Jeffrey Carver Jr. a few weeks back, prior to him announcing his partnership with Indian Motorcycle. We talked through his 2017 season, his relationship with tuner Ben Evans, and get to know the rider behind what is shaping up to be one of the most interesting privateer racing efforts for 2018. 01:06 - Carver intro 01:48 - Carver talks yoga and how it benefits his program 03:57 - Carver tells us what he’s been up to since Perris, CA 06:15 - Carver’s thoughts on 2017 Daytona TT 09:03 - What changes would you make to the track in Daytona? 10:30 - Carver talks battery issues in Arizona 13:22 - Carver talks of brake issues and “parachuting” in Kentucky 14:08 - Van issues leading into OKC 15:32 - Carver’s thoughts on podium finish at Lima 17:31 - Carver talks about the first time he met Brad Baker 19:00 - Carver’s thoughts on transitioning from Singles to Twins class 21:53 - Carver’s thoughts on the Buffalo Chip 23:52 - Carver talks about the week leading up to his 1st Twins win in Texas 27:07 - Talks of Perris and momentum heading into the off-season 30:39 - Carver explains how he hooked up with tuner, Ben Evans 33:53 - “…and feel it from the ass…” 35:19 - Talks to TT issues in 2017 & plans to improve on TT races in 2018 37:43 - Thoughts on winning on a Harley-Davidson in Texas 38:51 - “in another 20 years, I think an XR could still come out & win a national.” 39:59 - Deubler gets funky on a guitar solo…

Caught up with #14 Briar Bauman about a month ago, prior to him receiving the news he'd be competing in the 2017 Superprestigio in Spain. We talked about his 2017 season, what he has been up to since the finale, and plans for the 2018 season. 01:06 - Briar intro 01:50 - What have you been up to since the end of the 2017 season? 02:22 - Briar talks of his 2nd passion, hunting 05:06 - Thoughts on racing in the inaugural Daytona TT 06:15 - Issues in Daytona 08:05 - Any ideas for changes this year for Daytona? 11:01 - Do you stay and watch after mechanicals? 12:34 - Talks race in Charlotte on the XR-750 13:40 - Explains Sacramento mechanical…1/2 master clip + tire = 1 lucky Briar! 15:40 - Talks about troubles in Springfield 17:22 - Talks about struggling with mechanicals and the turning point of his season 19:34 - How’d you get good on the cushion? What were you thinking about heading into Lima? 20:33 - The Briar/Deubler Deal 21:17 - Talks about mindset after winning his first AFT Twins main event 23:51 - Thoughts on face-planting at the Buffalo Chip 25:32 - Thoughts during race-ending red flag at Buffalo Chip 28:00 - Thoughts on new jump and podium finish in Peoria 29:39 - Another podium in Williams Grove and thoughts on racing close to home 31:14 - Talks about finishing 10th at the season finale and going “all-in” in the final laps 32:31 - OFF THE GROOVE!!!! 33:05 - Talks about racing for Dave Zanotti Racing 34:40 - 2015 vs. 2017 seasons 36:22 - Talks of working with working with Dave Zanotti and Michelle DiSalvo 39:20 - Plans and goals for 2018 41:24 - Joking with Jared Mees…”he was a choke artist”