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/128392
Scott There are a lot of things that Scott Cox could be doing with his weekends. As a high-powered motorcycle marketing firm Resource Marketing (which boasts FMF, KTM North America and RK Chain) as well as an accomplished professional whose work has been published in magazines all over the world, he plenty on his plate already. But as the president of North American Supermoto (NASMOTO), Cox shares a vision that sees the sport growing at the grassroots level as well as at the National level. We caught up with him at the Grand Prix of Cleveland to talk about the hows and whys of NASMOTO. en: Why are you bothering to do this? scottcox: This sport is important to me because I am personally bonded to Gavin Trippe. I live right next to Carlsbad Raceway and was at the original Superbikers Events. I want the sport to thrive, but you have got to start somewhere, and it was important to our partners at Red Bull that we establish things from the ground up. en: What do you think the NASMOTO Organization offers the sport? scottcox: When John and I sat down to really map this thing out and make the COX: decision to go forward, my thought was that if we can replicate what the SCCA has done for sports car racing at the Amateur level and their Pro level, if we can try to emulate that and get things organized and be able to provide other promoters the means and structure to put on events that their local guys can race in and then someday compete at a National level, then there needs to be a network. From the get-go, the regional promoters have been kind of a target. We never fancied ourselves as the promoters. We thought it would be best if we created the sanctioning body, and we could go out and contact the promoters in the regional areas. We would love to bring in our rules and method of running an event and then also attract some sponsorship money to help an independent promoter put on a better event. They are already doing it. They know what is best for their area. en: What are you trying to offer the spectators? What do you think Is the -hook"? scottcox: Supermoto, Supermotard, Superbikers, whatever you want to call it, was a made-for-television event. It was made for spectators. People can get up close to the track and they can see the riders. It is not like road racing or Up With NASMOTO going to a concert, where you buy the video or the CD. en: Talk about the kids and families angle In NASMOTO. scottcox: There are wonderful programs for kids in dirt track and youth motocross. There is no reason why we couldn't provide that on this platform. The kids are good. The kids ride, and you can see them out here, and they are turning great lap times. Dad and the whole family could become involved with this sport. I have ridden my entire life, but I don't want to go ride on a motocross track. Both of my knees are done, the shoulder, the whole bit. I can ride a Supermoto event, and I don't feel like I have been run over by a train the next day. Coming out here, you are not going to get beat up. It is all about finesse. Skills that you have learned your whole life on a motorcycle really do apply to Supermoto. en: Anything else you want to add? scottcox: Supermoto today is like motocross was in the early '70s. There weren't the big salaries; there wasn't the distance between the competitors and the fans. People can intermingle here, we have past champions here today sitting on a tailgate next to a guy that just rode in and tried racing for the first time. We don't want to just pound a region. We want guys that have never tried it in Washington State and guys in Kansas. This has to continue to be our goal. Mark Walbrlnk Henry Wiles: Ready for Takeoff? of his peers of the same age. His year-end results have been climbing as well. He was 42nd overall during his rookie year in 2002, then improved to 26th in 2003, then 19th last season. This year, Wiles is moving forward again. He currently sits 15th in the points heading into Peoria, on August 21. We caught up with Wiles as he was preparing to head back to the site of his first career GNC win. Since winning the 2004 Peoria TT, GNC racer Henry Wiles has been on an upward path in dirt track racing. The 21year-old Michigander turned a major corner in his career when he won Peoria, earning a GNC victory sooner than many en: You're the defending champion of the Peoria TT. Are you anxious to go back to the site of your first Grand National win? henrywiles: Yeah. We went back there once already in the spring, but I think that any time you can get out to Peoria, it's going to be a fun time. en: You raced the Hot Shoe event there In the spring, but the upcoming race Is the big Grand National event. henrywiles: It is, and we're trying to get the bike to where we can go back there and have some good results like we did last year. But you know, there's going to be some good competition from Chris [Carr], Johnny [Murphree], Joe Kopp and ... Who's the other guy that gets up there? That Henry Wiles kid, I guess. Those are the guys who always get on the podium, and they're going to be the toughest competition. Oh, and J.R. [Schnabel]. That's who I was forgetting. en: Tell us a little bit about your Harley program. You just made a big change to that not too long ago. henrywiles: Right. I've been riding for Eddie Adkins, and he has really been helping me out to where we're able to get the setups a lot better. On the cushion tracks, we really go good. Eddie's got a great setup for those. Nothing but good has been happening with Eddie. He's got years of experience, and I just get on the bikes and turn the gas. We've been having some crazy mechanical problems that have held us back lately. It doesn't matter if you're the fastest guy on the track if you're finishing fifth in the race. en: Do you feel like you have the potential to be the fastest guy on the track every time you go out there now? henrywiles: Well, on the big bikes we're still working and still getting our setups dialed in a little bit, but on cushion tracks I think so, and on little bikes I thinks so. We've just got to get the setups dialed in a little bit better for me on the big bikes on the clay tracks. We're getting close. When we get a little bit closer, we'll be in the hunt every week. Scott Rou•••au