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/128625
A Ben Ridd'e lf I'm at Podium One [a race track in Kentucky }, I ride eve ry day. I ride as much as I can . B y S T EV B Who are your sponsors? en Rid dl e ha s enjoyed a rather successful ama t eur c a reer . If it w asn' t for a few mechanica l m ishaps and in juries, a lot more industry people m ight be tossing his name around right now . For Q What do you do for fun? A with my little brother and ride. That's about it . I go to the lake a lot; I guess that's a hobbie. Team Suzu ki , Pod ium One , FM F , Marshall 's Rac ing , Thor , B ell , Scott , CT i , W ise co and Etnies. exampl e; while running up front in the 125cc Q You' ve had a couple of major setbacks in your motocross career, ha ven 't y ou? A A class at this year 's World Mini Grand Prix , Riddle' s pow er-v alv e b r o k e . And a few A few m on th s ago , I cas ed a double right befo re a ste p- up j u mp a n d e n de d up la unching off the step-up upsi de down . I landed months back, he cra shed hard and suffered maj or inte rn al injur ies, whic I di d ride my Z50 a lot, but it 's broke. I hang out upsid e down and ended up with a d islo c at ed set back h is collarbone [which had been broken previously] , c areer a few months. a fractured T - 1 vertebra , two broken ribs in my Even wi th his appa rent la ck of luck, 17 - back , a bru ised heart and a bruised lung. I was year -old Riddl e h a s a m as sed a h i g h l y c oug hing up blood . I thought I wa s dying . When respectable trophy c ase. He ha s wo n th ree I brok e m y co lla rbo ne, I was ab le t o st art run - Loretta Ly n n ' s titles , including th e 125 cc n ing after, l ik e , th r ee weeks. But with this Schoolboy class in 1998 and the 125 and inj ury, I co uld n't do any thing fo r at leas t three 250cc B classes in 1999. He won the 250 cc B class at the World Mini Grand Prix in 1998 , m onth s. It se t m e back at least six months [b ecause of the recovery tim e re quired]. the 250cc B class at the Mammoth Mountain Motocross in 1999. and the 125 and 250cc Q A Pro classes in the East Coast Fall Classi c Series in 1999. He'll make his Nationa l debut later this year, and he just might turn the heads of some of th ose who have looked w in so me ti tl es the re . Th en I'm going to hamton , New York , and Delmont, Pennsylva - Where are you from ? A year? I' m going to rac e Loretta 's and hopefu ll y rac e the last two Nationals of the year [Bi ng - right over him in th e past. Q What are your pla ns f or the rest of the r m fr om Louisville, Kentu c k y . ni a, rounds 11 and 12J. Q A Q AI What cla sses are y ou raci ng at Lo ret ta Lynn 's? 125cc A and 250cc A. When di d you start racing? What are you goals for our pro c areer? st art ed racing wh en I was 7 y ears ol d. Q SuzuId'. Ben RlclclIe will compete in this poIr's Loretta LJIUI'. _ , then tum Pro for the final two AMA Pro NatIonal rounds. How often do you ride? I want to rid e th e 125cc Nat ion als and finish in the top fi ve , or win the cham pi ons hi p, A nex t year. I hope to earn a fac to ry ride . B rian SwInk (11 wore th e n u mber-o ne plate proudly at Loretta's .. (Abovel Swink (11 and B udd y Antunez : Ant u nez went on to find su ccess in A renac ross racing. (Leftl Ryan Hughes (1 5) is now taking on the world. He won his first LL title In (Abovel Travis Pastrana: Need w e e xp l a in? 28 A UGUST 9 . 2 000 .' cue I e n e _ 50 199 0.