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/1542354
Chuck Schultz: Hungarg To Race Chuck Schulu is ttle team owner of the Subway/Coca-Cola/Honda team, and his riden, Jeff Gibson and Jason Thomas, have been doing a Sood job Eetting his team's colo6 inta the Supercross{lass main events regularly throughout the 2006 Supercross season, we qaught up with Schuh as the series prepares to ramp up again after the two-week break. cn: Now that th€ sup€rcross s€ason is winding down, what ar€ Uour thoughts on gour t€am's progr€ssP chuckschultz: I am really pleased with the performances that my riders, Jeff Gibson and .lason Thomas, have turned in. Thq/ both are in the top l0 for the World Supercross and the top l5 for the At'lA Supercross, and I am really happy this year- Everyone is healthy and we have a solid program. We have been able to put the Hondas up front when we can, and put ourteam in a good position. cn: wlll Jagon and J€ff bE rid- lng with Uou n€xt s€asonP chuckschultz: They are both on one- year contads, but we are already talking to them for next year, because they are great to work with, and we have a great team that works well together. We are waiting for sponsors and ad,usting budg- ets so we can be back in 2007 with another strong team. cn: Your t€am start€d out n€allg small. now gou hav€ a s€mi and som€ top-shelf riders. chuckschulk: Yes, we started out with Brad Rjpple, helping him with some stufl We had a motor home and trailer for the East Coast Supercross Series a few years ago. That same year, we helped James Polovolny and things have grown from there, We now have a semi, and it's great to be able to put our riders in the best environment possible: it's great to work out of, and more professional {or our sponsors. People think that because you have a semi you are bringing in a lot of money, but that is not the case at all. I have the semi, to make it easier for the team. We are happy with the support we have from all of the sponsors and Honda. We are trying to develop riders and be happy with a l0-2fth-place finish. I have tried to hire factory guys in the past, but it's tough to get them on a team with a smaller budget. Needless to say, we are happy to help the privateer riders. cn: 50 what do€s th€ futuP€ hold for thE t€am7 Ghuckschultzr We came out with a few things early last year, but were put on hold, so I am waiting to tighten up some loose ends before I announce anythinS. We have some stuff in the works. I want- ed to have two teams in 2006, but it looks good for next year. I am not saying anything until it happens. cnr Arc gou €xcit€d fon th€ upcoming NationalsP chuckschultzr lason and leff will ridefor us this summer and, unfortunateh we had to let KeithJohnson go, but we haye moved on and are looking forward to some top l0 finishes outdoors. tor for gour ridErs. chuckschultz: They are excited about it. because it's a bonus for them. The privateers do not get a big salary |ike the factory teams, so basically the money put up from the sponsors and the pro- moters helps them out so much. Patrick Smage: New Kid On The Block Wis€onsin's Patrick Smage is the new kid on the block in this year's AI"IA'/NATC National Trials S€ries, and at 15 years of age, he is one of the youngest riders to ever compete in the NATC'S most elite class. The 2@6 season will be SmaSe's Iirst full year in the Pro class and he was pushinS the top ride.s during the lirst four rounds of the series in Arizona and Oklahoma, but his inexperience kept him from scoring, in spite ofas well as he rode, We spoke with him after the Oklahoma round. cn: How did things go for gou in OklahomaP patricksmage: Pretty good, but it seemed like once a loop, I'd have some- thing bad happen, and I'd get a five for it in an easy section. I would clean it on the other loops, but it was iust little stuff, like I crossed over a support mark- er once and got a five. Another time, I iust didn't give it enough gas. I am riding pretty good, but iust have a few mistakes, cn: You kind of cam€ out of nowh€r€ last U€an How did gou gEt so good. so ,ast7 €sp€ciallg living in a stat€ wh€rE Uou hav€ lots of snow in th€ wintEn7 patricksma8e: We have a pole shed that I practice in during the winter. We have a bunch of limestone rocks and railroad-tie walls in it that I can ride on all winter. lonly 8ot to ride outside maybe twice all winter before Arizona, and it was iust small stuff out behind the barn, cn: Sinc€ gou practicc most of th€ tim€ in a baPn. gou proba- blg dont hav€ anuthing r€allg big lo rid€ on. ls it a big sur- plis€ wh€n gou g€t to stuff lik€ gou had in ArizonaP patricksmage: Yeah, rhere is no big stuff at all at my house. lt is all small, technical stuff. So it is a lot different coming to the Nationals. But I do pretty good on it for not practicinS it all the time. It iust depends on how big it is and the angles. cn: How did Uou €xp€ct to finish whEn gou cam€ into this U€ar? patricksmage: I didn't really expect to beat anyone or anything like that. I just wanted to get to know how it works, and keep on learning, and try to work my way up toward rhe end of the year - for next year. cn: What ar€ Uour ultimatE goalsP patricksmager I want to be National champion, and then I ,ust want to ride the World rounds and be up there with those guys some day. lwould like to make a living riding trials. Shdn Moore a o T cnr Th€ pn€stlg€ fon thE top pri- vatc€r has incrEascd ov€n th€ gears. ls that a motivating rac- I L.I ! \ r) rl a a I I ,i- I \* \ cn: How big of a jump has it b€€n to th€ Pro class? patri.ksmage: lt is mostly just getting to the time limit in the sections. You have to really hurry up, especially on the first loop, and then you end up making a mistake. 14 APRtr 26,2006 , crclE NEWS