Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/103448
INTERVIEW P112 2011 AMA NATIONAL ENDURO CHAMPION RUSSELL BOBBITT Bobbitt fought through a few injuries. The AMA honored Bobbitt with this year's AMA Racing Rider of the Year Award. final round for the fourth time in his career. The AMA was so impressed with his courage and raw determination, that it awarded him the 2011 AMA Racing Rider of the Year. Impressive, especially when you consider some of the other riders he was going up against for the award, like Kurt Caselli, Taddy Blazusiak, Charlie Mullins and Patrick Smage. We visited with Bobbitt at his home in Georgia and talked with him about the 2011 season and all of the adversity that he had to overcome to be this year's enduro champ. First of all, how does it feel to win the Rider of the Year Award? It feels great; it is definitely something every rider strives to win. It was a really cool surprise 110-117 Bobbit Interview.indd 112 for me; I didn't even know I was nominated for it until I got to Vegas. And once I saw all the other riders that we nominated, like Kurt Caselli, with his hare and hound and WORCS titles and his ISDE win, and then Taddy with a perfect season, and then Charlie and Smage, well, I didn't think I had a chance. It was really an awesome feeling when they called me up there and it was I wanted to make a change. I something I worked hard for, so spent more time riding over the it was really cool. winter, and I started racing a little bit more local stuff before the After losing the title to Mulfirst national came around. I did lins in 2010, you admitted that season was a disappointment some national hare scrambles for you. Did you change up and some SETRA stuff. I was any part of your off-season having fun racing those events program to get ready for this and I think it kind of got me feeling more enthused before the year? I was definitely frustrated with first round. I'd say that would be my results from last year and the main change. It was fun and 12/9/11 2:27 PM