Dunlop Download - June 2015 by Monza Imports

JUNE 2015

Hands of a builder, page 10

CONTENTS

THE AMAZING JOURNEY OF CAREY HART

DUNLOP RIDERS RULE IN GNCC

RUSSELL RIPS IN AMA NATIONAL ENDURO

ON THE COVER:

VICTORY RACES TO THE CLOUDS

Josh Hayes scored an historic

CHANGING FORTUNES AT ROAD ATLANTA & VIR

DOUG POLEN RIDES DUNLOP TIRES LAP OF HONOR AT VIR

DUNLOP SWEEPS HANGTOWN AMA MOTOCROSS OPENER

BUCKET LIST

THE CHAMPIONS

SUPERCROSS 2015

UPCOMING EVENTS

50th Superbike win at VIR. Photo: Brian “Happy 50th” Nelson

Dunlop has gone social, so join the conversation on our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest pages, and check out our latest videos on the Dunlop YouTube channel. @RideDunlop

Dunlop Download magazine is published for Dunlop Motorcycle Tires by Vreeke & Associates. www.vreeke.com

THE AMAZING JOURNEY OF

CAREY HART Dunlop-sponsored Carey Hart is one of the most iconic characters in our sport. A top privateer motocross racer, Hart became a household name among extreme athletes and fans for landing the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first backflip at the televised Gravity Games in 2000 in front of millions of viewers. Still an active freestyle rider decades after that defining moment, Hart went on to become a successful entrepreneur with a string of tattoo parlors, his own reality show, the Hart and Huntington clothing company and a nightclub in the Las Vegas Hard Rock; most recently he became the co-owner with Ricky Carmichael of RCH Suzuki Racing. New fame came when he married rock star Pink, and along with it the need for some peace and quiet.

CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO OF HARTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S AMAZING JOURNEY

DUNLOP RIDERS RULE IN GNCC After five rounds in the 13-round 2015

name for 150 points. And that’s saying a

went down and restarted dead last.

AMA AMSOIL Grand National Cross

lot, considering just how grueling these

“It was a tough day straight from the

Country Series, one trend became clear,

three-hour-long GNCC events are.

start,” Russell said after the race. “The

there’s still plenty of racing ahead, and

Meanwhile, second place in the

track was slick and a lot worse than I had

anything can happen. However, one trend

standings with 118 points is another

anticipated, but it got better and better. It

is clear: If you want to climb the podium,

Dunlop rider: Rockstar Energy Husqvarna

took me a good bit to catch the leaders,

riding on Dunlop tires is a great way to

Factory Racing’s Josh Strang. After

but it was one of those days you wanted

get there.

nailing down four consecutive runner-up

someone in front of you. That last lap I

finishes he had to settle for a fourth-place

knew I needed to minimize mistakes and

Dunlop-sponsored Kailub Russell is

finish at round 5, the Limestone 100 in

ride well, and I was able to do that.”

riding his Factory FMF KTM in the

Springville, IN.

premier XC1 Pro Class, and as 2014

This latest victory also serves as a career

champ he’s on a tear to keep that

Russell’s Limestone win didn’t come

milestone; it elevated Russell’s GNCC

number-one plate on his bike—can you

easily, as rainfall the day before made for

total wins to 27, surpassing legendary

say five for five? Russell is absolutely

challenging track conditions. Shortly after

1980s racer Ed Lojak for third place on

perfect on the year with every win to his

the start, he collided with another rider,

the list of all-time winners.

RUSSELL RIPS IN AMA NATIONAL ENDURO Dunlop-shod factory KTM rider Kailub Russell enjoys full control of the 2015 AMA National Enduro Series after the fifth of 10 rounds finished up in Park Hills, MO. In fact, three of the top five riders in the points standings were Dunlop-sponsored, including Russell in the points lead, KTM teammate Russell Bobbitt in third and Andrew DeLong on a Husqvarna in fifth. There is scarcely a greater test of a rider, bike and tires than an enduro, which requires racers and their equipment to generate mistake-free speed under wide variations in terrain over six special tests. In the most recent event, the Lead Belt National Enduro, Russell scored his first overall win of the year in particularly tough conditions that included slippery woods sections and plenty of water crossings. In doing so, the KTM rider mastered the course perfectly, winning four of the six tests along the way and finishing second in the other two. At the finish, Russell had clawed out an advantage of 1 minute and 37 seconds over the second-place rider. The 10-month-long series revs up again in Upton, WY, on June 14. 8

VICTORY RACES TO THE CLOUDS Victory Motorcycles and Roland Sands Design have joined forces to conquer Pikes Peak with a machine built by Sands and his RSD staff and powered by a prototype engine from Victory. We caught Sands mid-build and asked him what it was all about.

RSD SPONSORED BY DUNLOP 11

MY HEART HAS ALWAYS BEEN ON THE RACETRACK SO THIS IS A PERFECT WAY TO GET BACK INTO RACING WITH FACTORY SUPPORT DOING WHAT I DO TODAY— DESIGNING ONE-OFF MOTORCYCLES. DD: What was the genesis of this project? RS: Victory is looking to establish a high-performance brand. The obvious way to do that is through racing and building high-performance products. They’re doing it with drag racing and now by taking on Pikes Peak with RSD and a prototype product. Why did Victory take this on? They wanna go fast. A prototype engine is a huge deal. What do you think of that level of commitment? It’s a huge amount of effort from a lot of people and it shows Polaris is committed to the Victory brand. With Indian coming on board it took a lot of attention initially and Victory was in the shadows, so I see them working to reestablish the brand while attempting to separate it from Indian. This motor is a big step in that direction. The guys who have been working on the project, Alex Opperman in particular, have been doing this project predominately off the clock, so they really believe in what we’re doing. What’s the most important at Pikes Peak in terms of the bike? What’s most important is to make Cycle World’s Don Canet, who’s riding the bike, comfortable. Of course it’s got to be lightweight and fast and handle well. Those are all things we’re working towards daily. This project is really insane because we are building a racing motorcycle in two months from scratch on a tight budget, so every decision is critical. Fingers-crossed it works as good as we hope it does.

WE GET THE SATISFACTION OF BUILDING A ONE-OFF RACING MOTORCYCLE WITH A BEAUTIFUL AND RADICAL ONE-OFF MOTOR FROM VICTORY FOR AMERICA’S GREATEST ROAD RACE. Is Pikes Peak becoming our Isle of Man? It’s about as close as we get here in the States. There are other hill climb races, but Pikes is the longest running and the most grand. What does your bike have that other entries don’t? I’m not sure what else is coming. But I would venture to say it will be the only ground-up, hand-built-in-the-USofA prototype motorcycle running up the hill. What does this project mean to you personally and RSD? My heart has always been on the racetrack, so this is a perfect way to get back into racing with factory support doing what I do today—designing one-off motorcycles. And this bike being designed specifically for Pikes Peak is timed nicely with RSD going in a more high-performance direction. So it’s the right move and an interesting story as well. What do you get out of this? We get the satisfaction of building a one-off racing motorcycle with a beautiful and radical one-off motor from Victory for America’s greatest road race. What does Victory get out of this? They get race cred, the tie-in with RSD and a strong marketing message that touches both the racing and custom world with what will hopefully be a successful Pikes campaign and a beautiful finished product. But I think both those things ring true for both RSD and Victory. We want the same things out of this. It’s a really good collaboration. Motor just showed up...got to go!

CHANGING FORTUNES AT ROAD ATLANTA & VIR

RIDERS SPONSORED BY DUNLOP

CAMERONBEAUBIER 22

“It was probably one of the lowest points of my career,” said

Other riders who pulled out impressive results at the

Yoshimura Suzuki Superbike rider Roger Lee Hayden after the

dreary Road Atlanta event were Joe Roberts who won both

MotoAmerica race weekend at Road Atlanta. Hayden set pole

Superstock 600 races on his Meen Yamaha, Josh Day who

for the April 19 event—his first of the year—but with both

won the Superstock 1000 contests after being a last-minute

races run in wet, at times very wet conditions, keeping a huge-

replacement to the Yamalube/Westby Superstock effort,

horsepower motorcycle rubber down was a challenge.

and Superbike rookie Jake Lewis who finished on the

Unfortunately, Hayden crashed out of both Superbike races

podium—twice—in his first rain race on the Yoshimura

held at Atlanta.

Suzuki Superbike.

Riders who were able to stay aboard and upright in the tricky

Lewis said, “I was always a good rain rider, but I was having a

conditions capitalized all weekend long. Yamaha Superbike

tough time getting used to it on the 1000. My parents talked to

rider Cameron Beaubier did his first ever Superbike double,

me and told me they had confidence in me and reminded me I

winning both races at Atlanta. He departed the red Georgia

was good in wet conditions. I woke up Sunday morning and

clay with a 30-point lead in the championship.

decided to push harder and it paid off. I got a lot of my confidence back racing in these conditions, and it feels great

“I struggled a lot in the wet in the few outings we had last year.

to be on the podium. Hopefully I can keep it up as the season

To get two wins in the wet, sketchy conditions today was good

goes on.”

for my confidence. In the first race Josh [Hayes] and Roger [Hayden] were riding really good and it was a bummer to see

In practice and qualifying there was a sound on the track not

Roger Lee go down. I put my head down and started clicking off

heard in some time in U.S. national racing—a Ducati

laps. I just kept going, kept going. I had a good feel in the wet. I

Superbike, and one lapping very quickly. Young racer Huntley

didn’t want to throw it down, but I just kept clicking off laps.”

Nash took a week off college to enter the Road Atlanta MotoAmerica event on the LTD Ducati. Atlanta is his home

Even Beaubier was shocked when Hayden pulled away and

track, and friends and family were on hand to see him qualify

also when he eventually crashed out. “‘Oh, man, he’s gone,’ I

fourth in the wet. A crash and mechanical gremlins killed his

thought,” said the California rider. “I was struggling a little bit

dream of a podium finish in Superbike at Atlanta, but Nash

with grip. I saw Rog crash, then I saw Josh [Hayes] crash. It

was back in action at VIR, and always threatening.

was a bummer. I want to race those guys to the finish. I just kept trucking along.”

The pendulum swung the other way at Virginia International

The biggest news on Saturday was the return of former

hard—to win both of VIR’s Superbike races, scoring his 50th

Superbike champion Josh Herrin to the winner’s circle in the

and 51st career AMA Superbike wins. Roger Hayden

U.S. Herrin, riding a Meen Motorsports R6, won Saturday’s

performed a minor miracle by finishing second in VIR’s second

Supersport race by .482 of a second. On Sunday it was

Superbike race. As the series hits June, Beaubier leads Hayes

Herrin’s rival Garrett Gerloff who took home the top

131 to 115 in the MotoAmerica Superbike championship

middleweight prize.

points tally.

Raceway (VIR) in mid-May. Yamaha’s Hayes rebounded—

ROGER LEEHAYDEN 24

JAKELEWIS 26

GARRETTGERLOFF 27

JOEROBERTS 28

JOSHHERRIN 29

50 WINS 30

Josh Hayes made history at VIR. He became only the second rider in the 39-year history of AMA Superbike racing to win 50 Superbike races. The first rider to achieve the magical milestone was Mat Mladin. Hayes followed up his historic win with another victory on the second day of the VIR double-header, bringing his total to 51 winsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;all of them on Dunlop tires.

DOUG POLEN RIDES DUNLOP TIRES LAP OF HONOR AT VIR Doug Polen rode the Dunlop Tires Lap of Honor at the MotoAmerica race at Virginia International Raceway (VIR), led the fan ride, signed autographs and presented the Superbike trophies on Sunday. Polen came up through the amateur ranks, winning races across the country before turning pro. He competed in AMA races before focusing on the World Superbike Championship, which he dominated in both 1991 and 1992 on a Fast By Ferracci Ducati. In the 1991 title chase, he set fastest lap at 13 different tracks, a single-season record that remains to this day. The following year, he not only won the World Superbike Championship, he also competed in enough rounds of the AMA Superbike Championship to finish third. In 1993, he was back in the U.S. full time and won the AMA Superbike Championship. Two years later, he won the prestigious Suzuka 8 Hours with teammate Aaron Slight on Hondaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s RC45. In 1997, he set his sights on the World Endurance Championship and won it two years in a row. Polen won extensively on Dunlop tires, and he was known as one of the best development riders in the paddock. He worked closely with Dunlop to develop race tires throughout his professional career. 32

DUNLOP SWEEPS HANGTOWN AMA PRO MOTOCROSS OPENER If you weren’t on Dunlop tires, you weren’t on the podium. That’s how clear

2-1 to edge out Red Bull/KTM Factory Racing rival Marvin Musquin (1-2 motos)

the advantages of the Geomax MX32 and MX52 were for Dunlop-sponsored

for the overall win, with Team Dunlop alumni Chris Alldredge (5-3) likewise on

riders at the season-opening 2015 AMA Pro Motocross Championship in

the box on his Pro Circuit Kawasaki. Rock River Powersports/Yamaha-

Sacramento, CA, on Saturday, May 16. But that’s not too much of a surprise

mounted Alex Martin (6-4) and Star Racing/Yamaha’s Anthony Rodriguez (7-6)

since the last four champions in both the 450 and 250 AMA Pro Motocross

rounded out the top five—all on Dunlop Geomax tires.

series got there on Dunlop tires. Then in the premier 450 class, Factory Connection/Honda’s Eli Tomac simply Dunlop has won nearly two-thirds of all AMA Motocross and Supercross titles

ripped the field apart, dominating the Prairie City SVRA’s famous loam with

since 1972.

breathtaking efficiency. He won the first moto by 22 seconds and the second by an astounding 1 minute and 31 seconds, leading all 33 race laps in the

The longest-running event on the AMA Pro MX calendar, the annual Hangtown

process. Red Bull/KTM Factory’s Ryan Dungey turned in robust 2-2 motos

Motocross Classic is eagerly awaited as the start of the outdoor season. In the

for second overall, and Jason Anderson (3-7) grabbed third overall in his 450

250 MX class, Star Racing/Yamaha’s defending champion Jeremy Martin went

MX debut for Rockstar Energy/Husqvarna.

ELITOMAC 36

RYANDUNGEY 38

JEREMYMARTIN 40

MARVINMUSQUIN 42

CHRISALLDREDGE 44

JASONANDERSON 45

BUCKET LIST WSBK CHAMP BAYLISS TO RACE AMA PRO FLAT TRACK MILES

One of the most storied names in motorcycle racing

Halbert has been great. I really look forward to my time in

tracks, and then back to dusty mile bullrings that once

history is returning to the grid so he can cross a few

the U.S. of A.”

littered the country.

champion and MotoGP race winner Troy Bayliss has

Bayliss will race a Ducati strongly resembling the firm’s

And it is primal: Speeds top 130 mph before riders throw bikes sideways for the first turn.

items off his own bucket list. Three-time World Superbike signed a deal to race all of the AMA Pro Flat Track Grand

new Scrambler model. His teammate on the Italian

National Mile races in the summer of 2015. Bayliss will

machines will be Johnny Lewis. Bayliss will use his

race a Ducati for Lloyd Brothers Motorsports, starting at

signature number 21, and the machines will be painted

When Bayliss checks his first mile dirt track off his bucket

the iconic Springfield Mile.

yellow and white when he rolls his booming twin out

list, he’ll be on Dunlop tires for the first time since he

for practice.

raced the AMA Superbike series in 2000. Dunlop’s Sportmax® DT3 is the official tire of AMA Pro Flat Track.

A lifelong dirt track racer, Bayliss has been a fan of the sport but never raced flat track in the U.S. where

Bayliss is no knob-level stranger to the U.S. dirt track

Made in Buffalo, NY, the DT3 was developed by guys like

it originated.

scene—he has trained and raced with Yamaha rider JD

Jake Johnson, Brad Baker, JD Beach, Bryan Smith,

Beach in Kentucky, and has long wanted to enter a Mile.

Hayden Gillim and Kenny Coolbeth.

“Dirt riding and flat track racing are where I cut my teeth

He feels that the cerebral and precise method of attack

as a junior,” said Bayliss. “Everything I learned on the dirt

required on the Miles will play into his strengths as a rider.

Bayliss has raced on legendary racetracks from Phillip Island in his home country of Australia, to Laguna Seca in

helped me through my career in road racing, and to find myself back where it all started takes me to my roots. To

There’s nothing in the world like racing on the clay miles.

California, to Donington Park in England. Now the former

race the Grand Nationals will be a challenge, but to

Dirt track is generally regarded as the oldest form of

MotoGP race winner will turn a wheel at another less

compete with the Lloyd Brothers on the Ducati had to be

motorcycle racing in the world; dirt track racing predates

paved but no less legendary circuit: the Springfield Mile.

done. Flat track is on the up here in Australia. We have

the AMA, and even Harley-Davidson. In the very early

run the Troy Bayliss Classic for the past three years, and

days of two-wheeled sport, motorcycle racing

Legend has it the fastest riders at Springfield never let

mixing it up with Henry Wiles, Jared Mees and Sammy

basically started as dirt track, then moved to board

off the throttle.

THE CHAMPIONS The list of riders who have won AMA Pro Supercross and Motocross Championships includes virtually every legend in the sport. Name a rider who left an indelible mark on the record books, and chances are Dunlop tires carried him there. From 1973 when Gary Jones won the 250 National Motocross Championship on Dunlops to 2015 when Dunlop-sponsored riders swept all the Supercross titles for the fifth year in a row, Dunlop riders have won an astounding 136 SX and MX championships, more than all the other tire companies combined. Some of the greats broke records and scored multiple titles in multiple classes: Jeremy McGrath, Jeff Stanton, Ricky Johnson, Jeff Ward, Ricky Carmichael, Broc Glover, Ryan Villopoto, Doug Henry, David Bailey, Bob Hannah, Ryan Dungeyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; the list is seemingly endless.

RICKYJOHNSON 48

RYANVILLOPOTO 50

BROCGLOVER

JEREMYMCGRATH 52

TRAVISPASTRANA 53

RICKYCARMICHAEL 54

BOBHANNAH

JEAN-MICHELBAYLE 56

JEREMYMARTIN 57

DAVIDBAILEY

JASONANDERSON 58

WILHAHN

MARKBARNETT 59

DONNIEHANSEN

TREYCANARD 60

DOUGHENRY 61

GARYJONES

BLAKEBAGGETT 62

STEVELAMSON

GREGALBERTYN

JUSTINBOGLE 63

MICKYDYMOND

JUSTINBARCIA 64

JEFFWARD 65

JEFFSTATON

JEFFEMIG 66

ELITOMAC

JAKEWEIMER 67

BROCTICKLE

TYDAVIS

JOHNNYO’MARA 68

CHRISTOPHEPOURCEL

MIKEKIEDROWSKI 69

CHADREED 70

KENROCZEN 71

RYANDUNGEY 72

SUPERCROSS 2015 Tight and exciting racing with loads of brand parity

was still a huge crowd for the East/West Shootout, which

marked the AMA Supercross season for 2015, giving fans

pitted the best of the 250 East racers against the top

all around the country plenty to cheer about. Inevitably

250 West riders in head-to-head competition. To nobody’s

and inexorably, the top riders in each class—450 SX,

surprise, that final night in Las Vegas proved a sure bet for

250 SX West and 250 SX East—charged their way to the

brilliant racing, with Musquin defeating all comers in the

head of the standings to decide all three championships

Shootout to claim top gun honors among all 250 riders.

prior to season’s end. For jobs well done, our

Meanwhile, Dungey capped off a great year with his eighth

congratulations go out to Dunlop-sponsored Ryan

win of the season—a career-best accomplishment—to

Dungey, Cooper Webb and Marvin Musquin in their

close out the long, wearying 450 series.

respective championship-winning efforts. With that, Supercross 2015 is now history, with more

While these early coronations eliminated some of the

head-to-head drama coming up quickly for the outdoor

suspense leading into the season finale in Las Vegas, there

Motocross season.

DUNLOP NOW HAS 136 CHAMPIONSHIPS IN AMA PRO SUPERCROSS AND MOTOCROSS, MORE THAN ALL THE OTHER TIRE COMPANIES COMBINED

RYANDUNGEY Hard to believe, but KTM’s Ryan Dungey didn’t win a SX race in 2015 until round 5. But by season’s end he had racked up eight wins in all, in a dominating display of speed and consistency.

DUNLOP RIDERS HAVE WON EVERY SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP FOR FIVE YEARS IN A ROW ON GEOMAX MX32- AND MX52-PATTERNED TIRES

MARVINMUSQUIN Following an injury-plagued 2014, Marvin Musquin more than made up for lost time by cranking out an early championship for Red Bull/KTM Factory Racing in the 250 SX East series.

COOPERWEBB Yamahaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cooper Webb started out hot and stayed hot in 250 SX West racing. By the close of round 7 he had racked up five wins to amass a commanding points lead and nail down his first AMA Supercross title.

UPCOMING EVENTS June 6 AMA Motocross Round 4 Muddy Creek Raceway Blountville, TN

June 20 AMA Pro Flat Track Round 5 Hagerstown Speedway Hagerstown, MD

June 27 AMA Pro Flat Track Round 6 Allen County Fairgrounds Lima, OH

July 17-19 MotoAmerica Round 7 Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Monterey, CA

June 6-7 GNCC Round 8 Sunday Creek Raceway Millfield, OH

June 20-21 GNCC Round 9 Snowshoe Mountain Resort Snowshoe, WV

July 4 AMA Pro Flat Track Round 7 Du Quoin State Fairgrounds Du Quoin, IL

July 18 AMA Motocross Round 8 Spring Creek MX Park Millville, MN

June 12-14 MotoAmerica Round 5 Barber Motorsports Park Birmingham, AL

June 26-28 MotoAmerica Round 6 Miller Motorsports Park Tooele, UT

July 4 AMA Motocross Round 7 RedBud MX Buchanan, MI

July 25 AMA Motocross Round 9 Washougal MX Park Washougal, WA

June 13 AMA Motocross Round 5 High Point Raceway Mt. Morris, PA

June 27 AMA Motocross Round 6 Budds Creek Motocross Mechanicsville, MD

July 11 AMA Pro Flat Track Round 8 Indiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis, IN

August 8 AMA Motocross Round 10 Unadilla MX New Berlin, NY