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/128389
Utah Governor Attends Colorado Motocross A mong the 22,600-plus fans taking in the /""\action this past Sunday at Lakewood, Colorado's Thunder Valley Raceway was the governor of the neighboring state of Utah, Jon Huntsman Jr. (R). Huntsman, an avid motocrosser and huge fan of the AMA Nationals and supercross, brought the president and CEO of the Utah Sports Commission, Jeff Robbins, and his two boys, John and Will, to Thunder Valley to take in the action on Saturday and Sunday. Huntsman walked around the pits and met with the likes of Roger DeCoster, Ricky Carmichael, Kevin Windham, Mike Brown, Mike Alessi, Nick Wey and Nathan Ramsey. Following lunch at the Suzuki tent on Saturday, Huntsman took a moment to talk to Cycle News about his love of the sport of motocross and what the sport means to the great state of Utah. In addition, the governor and Robbins spoke with numerous dignitaries at the event - including the AMA:s Steve Whitelock - in regards to possibly broadening Utah's sports event portfolio. Tell us about your background In motocross. When did you first get started, what kind of bikes you have had over the years and such? I started riding at about 12 years of age on a Yamaha 50cc enduro. I lived across the street from a close friend [Richard Marriott, of the Marriott Hotel family), who was one of the early pioneers of motocross in Maryland. Richard had a CZ and encouraged me to ride, so, ever since then I have been a lifelong rider. Raced Suzukis and Yamahas - even had a Maico "'90 back in the late 19705. Now I'm back into it. I have a Honda CRF'"50R and have actually entered a couple races recently in the Sportsman class in Utah. We understand your boys race as well, Yes, I race with my boys, Jonathan, I"', and William, 12, and have come to find out that motocross is very much a family sport. Two generations. rallying around a motocross track. Both boys are very committed to the sport. They're good athletes and good riders and are in tune with the art of competition and fair play. It also teaches them to focus more and set goals. And for them, at that age, those are very important things to learn. You have _ the sport of molDCI .... grvw since its haIqon days here in the United States. From On Any Sunday, through the Cartsbad GP broadcasts on ABC's "WIde World of Sports," through the advent of supercross and up to today's skyrocketing growth In popularity, comment If you would on the history of the sport of motocross through your eyes. It has definitely gone mainstream, and, of course, it's global. I perceive the sport now as being light years ahead of when I started riding. I was part of the first generation of riders, part ofthe Roger DeCoster generation. And Roger DeCoster's generation didn't have fathers who rode, and now you've got fathers who ride with their sons. So I think the largest, most significant transformation that I've seen is that motocross has become a family sport. And that wasn't necessarily the case when I was coming up. In addition, you also have the technological innovations, which are obvious. But you also have the social aspect, or the family bonding, which is now associated with motocross. As a rider, you are very In tune with what it takes to pilot a motocross bike at speed • across a rugged motocross track. So, at the AHA National motocross race here, how Impressive are these Pro racers to you 1 Make no mistake about it: These young men here racing are among the best athletes anywhere in the world. As a rider myself, I made a point to speak with Ricky Carmichael on what he does to condition himself. So, along with mental focus, the athletes that we're seeing here this weekend are also among the most fit in the world. And that's interesting to note, because I know that conditioning does govem the way in which they live their lives. The food that they eat, and the way they spend their off-hours, these guys take this sport very, very seriously, and Utah Govemor Jon Huntsman (center), with his two sons, talks with Moklta Suzuki monoger Roger DeCo...r (right). it's all about maintaining strength and endurance for what is the most physically demanding sport in the world. What's the general opinion of your colleagues In government of you being the only motocross riding governor In the country? Well, they look at me cross-eyed sometimes [laughs]. I'm not a golfer, so they know they're not going to invite me out for a game of golf. But if they want to meet me at the racetrack, we'll have a conversation. I admit I'm a little bit unorthodox in that sense, but I'm not unlike the emerging generation of Americans who are committed riders and committed to the sport. You find them now in the govemor's chair. You find them as CEO.. In fact, one of my very good friends is the CEO of Dell Computer [Kevin Rollins]. He [Rollins) has a motocross track right in his backyard in Texas. Here he is, one of the top CEO. in America, taiking to a govemor. And what did we talk about the last time we got together? We didn't talk about the global economy - which we do sometimes. No, the last time we were together we talked about the state of motocross in America. Merriman, Cervantes Win World Enduro DoublesUFO Corse Yamaha's Stefan Merriman claimed a double class win in the Enduro 2 event at the sixth round of the World Enduro Championship in France, an effort matched by KTM's Ivan Cervantes in the Enduro I class. Merriman finished comfortably ahead of E2 championship leader Samuli Aro on both days. Winning in the dry and dusty conditions by 35 seconds on day one, Merriman then topped day two by just under 10 seconds. Cervantes, meanwhile, did likewise in the Enduro I class on both days, the championship leader stretching his advantage over Yamaha's Marc Germain, 292-234. Merriman's win lifts him to second in the championship standings after missing three days of racing early in the season due to injury. Aro leads the title chase, 270-219, over the Australian after finishing second on both days. KTM's Alessandro Botturi claimed third on both days. The French round of the World Enduro Championship series saw Dakar hero David Fretigne return to the World 14 AUGUST 3, 2005 • CYCLE NEWS Enduro series. He finished fourth on day one but struggled on day two. "It's been a really good weekend for me, as everything has gone to plan," Merriman said. "The special tests were really dry and dusty and the extreme test was really challenging. i didn't make any mistakes on either day, which I was pleased about. I only got beaten on three special tests on day one in the E2 class, but on day two I didn't want to push too hard, as there were so many rocks on the tests. It's great to win again though."Merriman, Cervantes Win World Enduro DoubiesUFO Corse Yamaha's Stefan Merriman claimed a double class win in the Enduro 2 event at the sixth round of the World Enduro Championship in France. an effort matched by KTM's Ivan Cervantes in the Enduro I class. Merriman finished comfortably ahead of E2 championship leader Samuli Aro on both days. Winning in the dry and dusty conditions by 35 seconds on day one, Merriman then topped day two by just under 10 seconds. The state of Utah was home to the THQ/AMA Supercross Series for a c0uple years. We understand you are here in Colorado this weekend on sort of a fact· finding mission, possibiy looking to get a supercross _ _ race back In Utah. We have about 200,000 registered motorcycle riders and enthusiasts in the state of Utah. I encourage safe riding. I encourage responsible riding. I encourage people to stay on trails that are designated for riding, and we've got a lot of great motocross tracks in the state. We are an outdoor state. We like outdoor sports. We like extreme sports. We are the youngest state in America with an average age of 2"'. A third of our population is 18 or younger. So, motocross is a sport that has taken a fairly sizable portion of our state by storm. We have a lot of people committed to the sport of motocross, and I hope I represent them proudly. And I also hope that in the next year or two we can get back on the National circuit, because I think you'll find that the state of Utah will provide as warm a welcome to the sport of motocross as any state in America. Pat Schutte Cervantes, meanwhile, did likewise in the Enduro I class on both days, the championship leader stretching his advantage over Yamaha's Marc Germain, 292-234. Merriman's win lifts him to second in the championship standings after missing three days of racing early in the season due to injury. Aro leads the title chase, 270-219, over the Australian after finishing second on both days. KTM's Alessandro Botturi claimed third on both days. The French round of the World Enduro Championship series saw Dakar hero David Fretigne return to the World Enduro series. He finished fourth on day one but struggled on day two. "It's been a really good weekend for me, as everything has gone to plan, Merriman said. "The special tests were really dry and dusty and the extreme test was really challenging. I didn't make any mistakes on either day, which I was pleased about. I only got beaten on three special tests on day one in the E2 class, but on day two I didn't want to push too hard, as there were so many rocks on the tests. It's great to win again though." II