Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

So who Is this Laansoo guy, and what is he doing beating many of the factory riders at the opening the AMA Motocross Championship Series at Hangtown? These were some of the big questions people were asking after Juss Laansoo finished fifth overall in the 250<:c class on his Motosport OutletlWhite Brothers! MSR-backed Honda. Well, Laansoo is 22 years old and he is from Estonia, his mentor is former factory Yamaha racer Jim Holley, and he hopes to land a factory ride in the United States. And if he keeps on performing like he did at Hangtown, his hopes may very well come true. Actually, this is not Laansoo's first appearance in the United 5tates. You might remember him also putting in stellar performances at the final round of the series last year at Glen Helen. We caught up to the friendly rider at Hangtown after he Impressed the factory team managers, the media and the fans with his 5-B moto finishes. en: First of all, tell us how you met Jim Holley. jusslaansoo: Jim used to ride for factory Yamaha in the States, and I know a Finnish guy - Finland is next to Estonia Pekka Vehkonen, who used to ride for Yamaha factory Europe, so they were friends. I know Pekka from my dad and he has helped me out a lot in Europe, so I told Pekka one day that, "You have connections to go to the States," so he hooked me up with Dim Holley Racing] and here I am. en: How does Holley help you? jusslaansoo: Oh, he helped me get into the team, he helps with my fimess, helps with my mind, everything - everything thanks to Jim Holley. I also live at his house. en: Why would you rather race In the United States than In Europe on the GP circuit? jusslaansoo: I think all the best riders in the world are in the United States, and that's why I am working hard to someday be in the top also. It's better here for me, racingwise, than in Europe. So far, I was a privateer - not so good conditions for a privateer in Europe. To be honest, I don't like the GP series and how they organize the races; not so many of the guys can enter the race, and I think that's bullshit. The factory guys are so much ahead of everybody, so I thought I'd give it a shot in the United States, and here I am. en: What were you doing during the Supercross Series? jusslaansoo: I was getting ready for the outdoor season, because I didn't ride Supercross this year. I try to do Supercross next year, so I was preparing for the outdoors. I really didn't have so good preparation for this race, I had a strange virus [strep throat] for one month and didn't go away, and I was tired all the time, and I had to take some time off. That's why I had the problems with my hands today [blisters]. en: What are your ultimate goals? jusslaansso: I like to learn to ride Supercross next winter, and after two years I'd like to be top five consistently in Supercross and outdoors. I'm working for top five, but I don't know how it's going to come out, because all the other guys are doing the same job. You cannot always tell, but that's what I'm working for and that's what I'm dreaming about. en: What are your plans next year? jusslaansso: Next year for sure, 250cc class. I am a big guy and it's better, I think it's safer in the big jumps, and if I make a mistake in the corners, maybe more torque to jump, so I think it's better. en: 1\No-stroke or four-stroke? jusslaansoo: I ride whatever I have. en: Is motocross big in Estonia? jusslaansso: It's getting pretty popular, because 10 years ago we got free, like an independent country, and since then it has been going up, people are earning more money and more small guys are racing. We have a couple of pretty fast guys in GP, four GP guys. So it's really popular for a small country like Estonia. By Kit Palmer Kurt Caselli: Europe Bound the top American at the International Six Days Enduro. This year he is giving the World Off-Road Championship Series a serious run, as well as contesting selected Grand National Cross Country races. Leading up to the sixth round of the WORCS series, Caselli sat in second in the points chase, right behind defending champion Nathan Woods. We caught up with the speedy young racer to find out about his plans for this year and the future. eN: How has your season been going so far? Team KTM's young off-road star Kurt Caselli has been turning in some impressive finishes this season, and for the last two years this 22-year-old that calls Palmdale, California, home has finished as kurtcaselli: It's been going really good. I had a few bad races, and I've had a lot of good, consistent rides. Every week we are doing testing on suspension, the motor - just a bunch of different stuff. It's only going to get better. KTM is really helping me this year and giving me a lot of support behind me. So it motivates me to work even harder during the week to go out to race good during the weekend, but so far so good. We are halfway through. After this race [round six of WORCS in Taft, California], we will be exactly halfway, and I think I'll have a good shot at the championship. So if we keep going the way we are going, hopefully I'll end up with the number-one plate. CN: What is the deal with your trip to Europe that is coming up? kurtcaselli: I'm leaVing June 20 and I'm going to ride a GNCC in Maryland, the WiSp. Then after that, I'm going to fly to Munich and stay in Austria for a little bit. Kari Tianen hooked me up with a bike and all that stuff. So it's kind of cool I get to go ride two world enduros. So hopefully it will just be a good learning experience. I want to do pretty well, but at the same time it will just be good to get to go ride over there with those guys and then, when I come home, I have a lot more experience. I'll be gone for like a month and a half, staying with Alex, this guy that works at KTM, and I get to visit the factory. It should be pretty fun. CN: Are you going to try to focus on the ISDE this year? kurtcasseli: Yeah, I kind of want to do well again at the ISDE. I think I do pretty good at those races. So if I keep being consistent at each Six Days, hopefully one year I can get back and do a whole World Enduro Series. This year will be really good, because I'll get a lot more experience in the World Enduro because those guys, that is all they race, and it's pretty much the same format as Six Days. So hopefully this year in Six Days it will be kind of like the same and I'll do pretty well and have a little more knowledge when' I go into the race. CN: So at some point you would like to do an entire World Enduro Series? kurtcaselli: Yeah, hopefully I can do the whole season. I kind of want to race everything, so it's just a good series to ride, I think. By Brendan Lutes

• Cover