VOL. 50 ISSUE 31 AUGUST 6, 2013
JOHNSON LEAVES ZANOTTI RACING
wo-time AMA Grand National Champion Jake
Johnson has left Zanotti Racing, the team with which he
won both his championships.
Johnson, reached by
phone last week, said he felt
like he just needed a change.
"It's just been something
that's been stewing in me for
quite a while, probably over
the last year or so," Johnson
said. "There's nothing anybody's done wrong. Dave
Zanotti, Ted McDermitt… everybody that I work with has
been great. I have nothing
bad to say against them in any
way. It was just something I
needed to do, I guess. I just
wasn't having fun going to the
races anymore. I was having
a hard time getting motivated.
"Ever since those two championships, there's been a lot of ups
cent decrease year over year.
Off-Highway sales remain the
only MIC segment to record better
year-to-date numbers compared
with 2012. The 38,277 units sold
represents 1,977 units and 5.4 percent gain over the previous year.
The biggest boost came in the
second quarter, as the Off-Highway's previous quarter tally was
17,548 – only a modest 76-unit increase year over year.
"I've been talking to a few
people, although nothing's
set in stone yet," Johnson
said. "It won't be too hard
to do these next two races
[Castle Rock and Peoria] because they're Singles races,
but right now I'm still working
on getting something lined
up for the Twins."
Johnson won the 2010
and 2011 AMA Grand National titles in his first two years
with Zanotti. He thinks that
early success might have
been part of the problem.
"When you win two championships with a team right
out of the box like that, it's
tough to top that," Johnson
said. "Expectations are set so
high that anything less than a
championship is viewed as
sort of a failure. I finished third in
the Championship last year and
a lot of riders would have killed
for a season like that, but I didn't
get any wins, so it was looked at
as a bad year. And I put pressure
on myself, too, because I want to
win."
Johnson said it's funny how
things come around in racing.
"Who knows? I might be
back with Zanotti in two or three
years," he said. "But for now, I'm
going to look for some new scenery and see if I can get motivated
and have fun racing again."
PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVE HOENIG/FLAT TRAK FOTOS
T
P27
Jake Johnson and his longtime team Zanotti Racing have
parted ways.
and downs. More downs than
ups. I think it's healthy for everybody to try something new."
Stevie Bonsey is the rider who
has benefitted from Johnson decision, as he was on the bike at
the Castle Rock TT and will be
there for the remainder of the
season.
Johnson was ranked fourth in
the AMA Grand National points
standings going into the Castle
Rock TT and he said he expects
to continue racing this season.
Larry Lawrence
