Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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INTERVIEW I 2 0 21 A M A G N C C N A T I O N A L C H A M P I O N B E N K E L L E Y P108 the terrain is very rocky, lots of roots. We have darker, loamy soil, but it's filled with rocks and roots. Then just randomly around we'll have these sand pits that are kind of more like orange sand. So, I get to ride in those a lot. It's kind of two total opposites. You get the techni- cal riding from the rocks and stuff and then kind of more of all-out speed in the sand. Just being a well-rounded rider is something I've always wanted to be. I just like riding and I like to be good at everything. It's always more fun when you're good at everything. So, that's something I just have always focused on and try always rid- ing different places, just with traveling around I think over the years it has helped me progress even more into a well- rounded rider." Kelley especially shined at the really gnarly tracks. "That's more from the NETRA hare scramble days," says Kel- ley. "Those tracks are always su- per gnarly there. Pretty tight and windy, and just the terrain they have out here is really technical. I would say I owe that to racing the hare scrambles. I remember going to races and doing laps and getting stuck all the time. I'd complete one lap and be like, all right, I got to try to get through this next lap. Then finally get through the last lap and wipe the sweat off my forehead and be like, all right, I made it. Those races were tough." Kelley attributes spending the last four off-seasons in Florida training with Kailub Russell and Charlies Mullins as a big part of his success. "That's been huge," says Kel- ley. "That's kind of, I would say, what jump-started it. That was when I first started working with KTM, as well. Work- ing with KTM, being able to go down to Florida and with Kai- lub and Charlie, that definitely just opened my eyes. That's where I learned so much. Before then, I would just ride and race and ride my bicycle and stuff for fun and use that as cross-training. I played sports grow- ing up through high school, so I kind of just did a whole bunch of things. Going down there, that's when I finally took it seriously and didn't work any other jobs. Just focused on the racing and learning how to actually train correctly. Being from Con- necticut, the winters are so harsh, so I would never ride during the winter. I would just pick up winter sports and snowboard and do all sorts of other things. So, going down to Florida and being able to ride and train all year in the brutal ter- rain. It's hot and sandy and rough. Just to be able to kind of see what Kailub did Kelley says he's able to use his height and long legs as an advantage with his racing.