Welcome to Site Lap.

If one were to compare the start of the season to the start of a race, I would call this time of year “first call to staging.” Last minute preparations are underway and the scramble and scurry to make sure everything is tweaked to their proper places are underway. Then it inevitably happens, and someone or a few people are faced with an issue and everything they worked for seems to fly out the window. They scramble harder in hopes of just making it to the gate on time to line up. The struggle is real and it just got even more real for some.

Last week we mentioned the unfortunate changes that Sean Taylor was forced to make at what seems so last minute. This week news of another big change in another AMA Pro ATV racers plans and many may be a little shocked. It comes late in the off-season and it is a monumental change that may affect a couple of different programs. The good news is for this rider is that he can and has adapted in the past and each time remains a true threat.

The #88 Joel Hetrick mentioned last week that he had some big news he would be announcing this week. Well, you may have already heard, but if you have not, here it is. Joel Hetrick will not be riding for the Liquid Wrench JB Racing Pro Team. Last minute changes and shuffling has ended in this huge move by one of the series top contenders.

Joel told me that something big was brewing and that obviously always gets us excited. What is that news? Well we can finally say since the cat is out of the bag so to speak. Joel said to me, “I’ll be on a Honda and I will get you a full list and details of sponsors soon.” I was like, “Okay!? So you will not be on the Liquid Wrench JB Racing Pro Team? Have I missed something here?” And he said, “No, this all just happened recently and it caught me by surprise too. I’m not sure what happened and it may be best. I’ll be better off I think in the long run. Honda doesn’t have a good of a contingency program as Can Am but that’s shouldn’t be an issue at all. It’s not what I wanted but I am already pulling a second faster so I’m happy about that.” He said he would be riding for Walsh, Elka and Maxxis with DASA Engines as his main components to his team.

As Gloop reported last week Joel is busy pounding away laps at Greg Pafford’s in Louisiana. I asked him about the upcoming historic Fly Racing ATVSX at Daytona International Speedway and he told me after it all settled in that, “I think it’s going to be super fun! Literally, I probably have never been more excited about racing a track before. This is huge and I am putting in serious work to be in the middle of the podium at Daytona. The strategy for the rest of the season is going to be holeshots and podium finishes every moto. That’s the key to a championship and that’s the goal for 2015!”

I spoke also with #84 Thomas Brown earlier this morning and he seems to be pretty busy himself. Brown says he and his mechanic Nate Hibbs had been working hard. He added that the team has come together nicely and that he would provide a lot of more details on that next week for us. He said though in a nutshell having Nate and his knowledge along with his (Thomas’s) dad to help on many of aspects of the team he has been afforded an easier transition than expected.

As far as the Fly Racing ATVSX he couldn’t be more excited at the prospects of what this could mean to the sport. He said has spent time with some of the world’s top motocross stars and they just don’t seem to understand what a quad can do. He said this is going to be step one into bringing this all to the limelight, which we have all been working so hard to make happen. Brown, like everyone else, will head to Daytona Bike Week and the inaugural Fly Racing ATV Supercross at Daytona International Speedway with high hopes and the dream of walking away as its first champion.

Once again, as the ATVSX approaches we remind you to make your plans and finalize them. Don’t forget to pre-register and secure your spot in history. All the details are available on the ATVMotocross.com website. You can also follow links to any questions concerning the event and the 2015 Mtn. Dew ATV Motocross National Championship.

Next week I will have details on the upcoming Mtn. Dew season opener at Echeconee and one of its first ever co-sanctioned events in ATVMX Nationals in history. SEQuads a regional ATV championship will co-sanction the event and with recent growth and increase in series involvement 2015 is expected to be historical and growing year for the young organization.

In the Loop with Gloop 

Recently Chad Wienen visited the Daytona International Speedway and said, “The speedway is such an awesome facility! Starting the 2015 season at such a historical place and having the first ATV Supercross is going to be once in a life time.” 

The 2014 Champion, Chad Wienen, has been down in Florida training with the 6-time GNCC National Champion Chris Borich and Yamaha’s Johnny Gallagher. 

One name that you will most likely hear about in 2015 is Tim Detling. Tim was sidelined last year due to injury however, he was in attendance at a couple rounds last year to show support for his team, Vechery Racing. He has recently been training with Joel Hetrick in Louisiana. When i asked Tim about his training he said, “ I’m working hard to get my speed and conditioning back since my injury. I’m really fortunate to have the opportunity to race again, thanks to some awesome sponsors. My goals are to run for the Pro Am championship and end the season with a top 10 in the Pro class.” 

 

Let's Hear From Ken Hill:

So we go from no news, to a little news to a lot of news and Joel Hetrick seems to be right in the middle of most of it this week! It seems Hetrick had some engagement photos taken down south with his soon-to-be wife Carlie Moser, so from everyone here Congrats! Also, Hetrick wasted no time on making an announcement that he would be riding a Honda. There is no doubt he can win on anything so the change to me is not a huge game changer. What could be is how he takes his fired up attitude and applies it to training and the first few rounds.

It’s not too early to build some hype about another bar-to-bar battle IF the top riders can keep things tight in the first three rounds. I do not cheer for any one rider but, if Chad Wienen gets a jump on points he will be incredibly hard to beat this season. A fired up Hetrick will be a handful no doubt, but what about a few others? John Natalie wants to win at the ATVSX at Daytona so bad he can taste it! A win there, it being an inaugural race, at such an historic venue would be a huge accomplishment for not just Natalie but anyone! The fever pitch that should envelope this event will be insane. It really could be anyone’s race to win and that should really make for great racing, plus that may help kick start one of the best ATVMX seasons we will ever have.

We still have a few weeks to fill before round one so, I won’t dive too deep into the “what if” game but it sure is fun to think about!

I cruised social media to see what folks are up to and it appears that many are finishing builds and getting race rigs ready to roll. Ronnie Higgerson finally got some new sneakers for his truck and was en-route to start his training. 

All through the ranks of the Racin’ Nation there are signs of life that are starting to show! The winter is far from over and everyone seems to be busting at the seams to get things started. The weather here has been ok, but I am ready for some warmer temps! It makes it hard to see the pictures from so many who have already traveled to warmer destinations but, it won’t be long until we are all together again to do what we do! Be safe in your travels and safe in your training!

ICYMI:

 The Racer X Show #4 features highlights from a big night of racing in Oakland, California with the fourth round of Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship. Also featured, exciting highlights from round three of AMSOIL Arenacross, featuring Ricky Carmichael's Road to Supercross in Colorado Springs, Colorado. We also explain a recent change in the Women's class structure at the Rocky Mountain ATV/MC AMA Amateur National Championship presented by AMSOIL.

Host Greg White caught up with Team Honda's Trey Canard to hear all about his first 450SX win since 2011, as well as a little more about the recent on-track controversy. Greg also chats with Babbitt's Monster Energy Kawasaki's Jacob Hayes, who grabbed the AMSOIL Arenacross win on Friday night in Colorado Springs. Catch The Racer X Show online now, only on RacerTV.com.

 

That’ll do it for now. Till next time, God Bless Your Heart and All Your Vital Organs.