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“What is ‘West Racing’?” I said to Cameron Bellamy as we sat on the starting line of a moto. I was staring at the sticker on his front fender. “He’s a guy who helps me and a few others out. He’s been really good to us,” he said. Soon I started seeing “West Racing” on other front fenders: Tony Evans’, Eric Gillen’s, Nathan Tiearney's (right) and lots of others too. So who exactly was “West Racing”?

West Racing, it turns out, is Richie West. West is a 30-year-old rider who works as a sales manager for Jones-West Ford (and, yes, he is a relation to the original “West” in Jones-West Ford.) West had long wanted to help up-and-coming riders, and in 2003 he began doing just that, giving support to a handful of local racers whom he believed would benefit from it.

Today his list of riders has grown to 17, and his operation recently became a pilot team for MDK Motorsports. I caught up with West to find out what West Racing is about, and what drew him to this in the first place.

What made you want to get involved with supporting motocross racers?
Motocross is just a passion of a mine. But I’ve never been as good at it as I wanted to be, so I wanted to help other guys who might be able to make it to the next level.

How long have you been supporting riders?
Since 2003. It started out as a kind of brotherhood thing. My friends Chris Padgett and Danny Tester and I made a pact awhile ago that whoever made it first (in business) would help the others with motocross. So I’ve been trying to do just that.

What kind of support do you offer your riders?
I have different programs for all of my riders. I might help with anything from entry fees and fuel, all the way up to bikes and modifications. Plus our team is now part of the MDK pilot team program, which means that we get help in the way of motors and suspension from MDK. For example, we’re building a bike for our rider Tony Evans to do all of the big amateur stuff next year, Loretta’s and so on. And I help Nathan Tiearney with money for travel and tires and things like that.

We also have a staff that includes team manager Turtle Wikoff and Michael Brandes, who helps us as a riding coach. Michael’s an amazing talent, so when we need help with a rider’s technique we send him down to him. I also hope to have all my riders set up with MDK motors and suspension by the end of ‘08. It’s been a big honor for us to be included in the MDK program.

What are your goals for the program?
Just to be an amateur support team that helps riders make it to the next level, to be a stepping stone. We have a lot of guys with us that have a lot of experience. Turtle has been everywhere in motocross and really has a lot to offer. He's been involved with videos and freeriding as well as the racing side of things. He's been really instrumental in helping me get West to where it is today. Same with (team rider Justin) Mastalka. It would be really cool someday to see one of my riders riding for American Honda, and maybe wearing my sticker at the same time too.

What do you look for in a rider?
I’m very strict about the riders I take on. I always look for clean-cut, all-American types. But I should clarify: to us, clean-cut, all-American is more of a state of being. Tattoos and haircuts don't matter as much as attitude does. We do like some of the bad boys, just as long as they don't act like bad boys when representing their sponsors. 

When it comes to their riding, we try to take on guys who ride with heart who could use some extra help. We have all sorts of different riders. Matt Bussell, for example, is a really technical rider, while Turtle is more of an on-the-gas type. But everyone who rides for the team has something to offer.

For more on West Racing and its riders, visit www.westracing.org

Posted by beaupre716 at 08:40 PM | Permalink

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Like all aftermarket exhausts these days, the LeoVince X3 pipe has a tough job to do. It has to not only outperform today’s stock exhausts--which are pretty good, for the most part--but it also has to distinguish itself in a market full of four-stroke exhausts of every shape and material. But on my CRF450 it did just that, delivering a highly usable midrange surge that produced competitive power in a uniquely quiet and low-key way.

Function Having just taken a Pro Circuit Ti-4 exhaust off my bike, the LeoVince system initially sounded tame in comparsion to the stout tone of the Pro Circuit. But that polite note mostly dissolved upon the first roll of the throttle. Right from the low end, the LeoVince system picked up with healthy torque and a throaty bass rumble. And that surge carried all the way through to the lower part of the high end, where it asked me politely to shift again. But despite the crisp delivery, the LeoVince's tone is slightly more subdued than some of its competitors--a good thing in this world of increasingly noisy thumpers.

At first, the mid-centric delivery felt strange since I had been riding for months with the Pro Circuit pipe. The Pro Circuit system explodes with a midrange hit that carries fairly high in the powerband--and makes enough noise in the process to let you know that you’re going fast. But the LeoVince system does its best work when it’s in the heart of its upper-midrange rumble--a stretch of the powerband that sounds more like a percolation than a scream. Once I realized this, I learned I could carry the bike a gear tall without losing thrust. Better yet, I could use a high gear to snake through tight sections, relying on the system’s torquey delivery rather than the clutch. I suspect vet riders who prefer to stay away from the rev limiter may also particularly enjoy this linear midrange surge.

Compared to the stock exhaust, the LeoVince system adds considerable power throughout the low and midrange without taking anything from the top. In fact, the top-end power may also be improved (as LeoVince's dyno charts claim,) but it's hard to tell on the track since the midrange is so strong in comparison to that of the stock pipe. That said, a rider who switches his stock pipe to a LeoVince should be prepared to shoot for the midrange sweet spot. You can rev out the LeoVince pipe if you want, but doing so wastes its greatest assets.

Form The fit and finish of the Italian-made LeoVince is top notch, and its titanium construction tips the scales much lighter than the stock system, right on par with the other titanium offerings on the market. It mounts up using a sleek carbon fiber ring mount on the canister and vibration dampening springs at the cylinder.

Another perk is the head pipe’s carbon fiber guard. This trick-looking piece not only protects against damage, but also prevents the head pipe from burning your pants. Were all my pants not already ruined by months of running the guard-free Pro Circuit head pipe, that little piece would be saving me lots of money. I’d really like to see every pipe manufacturer start including a guard like the LeoVince’s.

Verdict While I still can’t bring myself to say anything bad about my Pro Circuit system, the LeoVince pipe offers an enticing alternative to the Pro Circuit’s rev-it-and-hang-on style of power (and provides a very distinct edge in both power and weight over the stock exhaust.) With the LeoVince pipe, you get very competitive thrust without the need to rev to the moon. And for a short-shifter like myself, that’s a beautiful thing.

Rating (out of 10): 9 This is a very good pipe--just remember that you needn’t scream it to get the best from it.

MSRP: $865.00

Tested on: 2006 Honda CRF450R

Contact: Big Valley Honda at 775-322-4311 or www.bigvalleyhonda.com or www.leovince.com

Posted by beaupre716 at 09:21 PM | Permalink

Fallon, Nevada; August 10-11, 2007 

With 15 racers and a $10,000 purse on the line for two nights of racing, the Pro classes were anybody’s game. Or at least they would have been, had Tiger Lacey (221) not been so against losing anything all weekend. Lacey won every heat and main event he rode to claim a $3,000 cut of the purse--the largest amount possible for a single rider.

Lacey mastered the compact Fallon layout early in the weekend and then used steadily good starts to put himself in front during nearly every lap of his motos. His style was decidedly smooth and methodical, and no other pro was able to match his consistently fast and mistake-free laps.

Behind him, other notables on the weekend’s podiums included veteran pro Greg Schnell (second in Friday’s 250F main and third in Saturday’s,) Team Green rider Tye Hames (third in Friday’s 250F and 450 features and second in Saturday’s 250F event,) Hollister, California’s Billy Jurevich (second in both 450 races,) and, the sole local pro to score a podium, Nathan Tiearney (third in Saturday’s 450 main.)

Speaking of Tiearney, the local favorite found bad luck coming at him at all angles. After suffering mechanical failures with both his CRF250 on Friday and with a borrowed Honda on Saturday, Saturday’s 450 main was Tiearney’s last chance to shine, and he did so via an aggressive pass on Hames to take the third spot late in the race.

In the Intermediate classes, it looked like Friday’s 450 victory would belong to Taylor Bittner--until a yellow flag came out just as he rocketed up the face of one of the circuit’s more menacing doubles. Trying to slow down but still half-committed, Bittner’s YZF launched tentatively skyward, just far enough to dig its cases violently into the face of the second jump. Rolling to an ominous stop, Bittner dropped his bike and fell to the ground, both wrists badly broken.

After a confusing situation with an on-again/off-again red flag, Chico, California’s Colin Clay scored the victory, and then backed it up on Saturday with another win. In both cases, Wayne Appleton claimed second, and then went on to claim each night’s 250F victory.

The mini action featured Dylan Galliett and Kole Ackerson swapping each evenings 65cc Beginner wins, with Galliett topping Friday’s event and Ackerson earning the victory on Saturday. In the process, Galliett also sealed the Triple Crown 65cc Beginner title, as Saturday’s racing marked the close of the five-race series. Ackerson earned the second spot for the series.

The weekend also featured some solid freestyle action courtesy of X Games medalist Matt Buyten and local heroes Kenny Bell and Greg Garrison. After all three riders worked up the crowd with countless variations, Buyten ended the night on a high note for the fans with some very smooth backflips.

Or so I heard--I was too banged up after crashing out both nights to drag my camera out to see it.

Here are more images from the weekend:

Ryan Ferris was one of the local Pros to ride strongly amid the carpetbaggers (and occasional puff of dust.) He earned sixth in both 250F mains. 

MC Adam Portue chats up Schnell after Friday's 250F main.

Bittner's cases left a nasty mark on the face of this jump.

Galliett spots his landing in Saturday's 65cc Beginner main. 

Sure, I missed Buyten's backflips, but I did catch this extended nac-nac by Garrison.

30+ Intermediate Steve Borjeson floats in front of the lights.

The fan got to meet the pros up close at the post-race autograph signings.

The 450 Intermediates dice for position.

Kenny Bell had his tricks dialed.

Jesse Leeper ran out front in the Junior classes.

Derek Woolford shoots through darkness.

Buyten had plenty of conventional tricks to complement his backflips.

At the end of every main, Lacey was all alone at the top. 

For full race results, visit silverpeakmx.com. 

Posted by beaupre716 at 09:35 PM | Permalink

As deep as my affection for motocross is, I do have one major hang-up with the sport: I don’t always like watching it. In fact, when I can’t ride myself, and there’s nothing to do but watch others ride, it can be downright torturous.

I realize that must sound sacrilegious, coming from someone who is a sort of motocross journalist. But I suppose that’s because I consider myself a rider, and when I’m watching others ride I don’t feel like a rider. I feel like a watcher, which, in my book, is an inferior feeling to feeling like a rider. I can tolerate--and even enjoy--watching when I know I’ll get my turn to ride too. But when I have no expectation of getting to ride myself, I’d much rather be entirely apart from the whole process (the exceptions to this are big-time Pro races, at which I can pretend like I’m learning some things.)

I was reminded of these facts when my clutch started slipping in practice at the last race at Mustang. When I felt it the first time, a sense of dread ran through me. I knew that if my clutch burned out completely, I would still have to stay and watch because I had agreed with the promoters to take photos and post a report on the race.

So, fearful of the boredom and angst I’d experience in a full evening of watching others race, I lined up for my first moto with my crippled bike, hoping that I was mistaken about the clutch and that everything would be fine. I was trying to play dumb. It didn’t work. After casing most of the jumps and looking like something of a squid, I finally crashed when I laid the bike into a rut and found that I didn't even have the thrust to stay upright. I called it a night.

Afterward, I was so disappointed that I just wandered the track with my camera, avoiding the pits so I wouldn’t have to explain to everyone why I wasn’t racing. Having to explain my situation again and again would just remind me of how I couldn’t ride each time I explained it. So I just went about my work, in flip-flops rather than boots, trying to focus on my shooting so I would forget that I should actually be riding.

Sometime during the night, it occurred to me how strange it is that a single race evening off the bike--even though I’ve participated in 20 years worth of races that were just the same--is enough to make me feel so apart from racing. When I’m at the races as a rider, I feel involved, tied to the excitement of everything. But when I’m turned into a spectator, I feel like just some guy who wandered onto the track with a camera, someone who really has nothing to do with the interesting stuff that’s going on. 

I was pretty glad when the night was over. As the dust settled over the track and the lights went dim, I felt a little more at ease, a little less like I was missing out on something. But I didn’t dwell on the feeling. Instead I just thought about how I needed some clutch plates...and maybe a back-up set too. 

Posted by beaupre716 at 12:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)