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Nineteen-year-old Daniel Sani picked the wrong National to have the best ride of his life. While pretty much every eye in the large Washougal crowd was per- manently fixed on the Ricky Carmichael/ James Stewart duel, the number-86 Honda, ridden by little-known Daniel Sani, was mixing it up with the big boys inside the top 10. Afterward while everyone was still talking about Carmichael's crash and Stewart's victory, Sani was quietly and happily cashing in on his ninth-place overall finish. We chatted with Sani following his strong performance at Washougal. cn: After your ninth-place finish, many in the crowd might be asking: Who are you? danielsani: Who am I? I'm just this guy coming in the middle of the season, try- ing to stir things up, I guess. Mike Battista at MB1, and Tokyo Mods, Fox and Unbound got us to these races, so we came here to try it out. The results have been going up. Last weekend [Lakewood, Colorado] was 17th overall. This weekend was ninth. I'm looking to rest up for the week and go to Millville. cn: Wasn't your first-ever National just one year ago at Lakewood? danielsani: Yeah, on 250Fs. I had a little bit of bad luck on bikes, being-on-my- own deal. Now that I am under some good people, we have some consistency going and some good results. cn: When you got to Washougal, did you have any idea that you'd finish in the top 10? danielsani: No, actually to tell you the truth, I had a really bad fall Saturday. I clipped a lapper, it shot me into a fence, it took down a couple steel posts, and it broke a spectator's leg. I got a mangled and bruised back. We hurried up and got back to the rig. I didn't ride the second practice. I just iced up and tried to keep from getting sore. Actually I am sur- prised I was even riding today. cn: How was that start in the first moto? danielsani: I think I came out, like, third. The bike rips. It gets good starts, it's never a problem. It's a CR450 with a Tokyo Mods motor, Ron Wood does the motors, an ex-Honda factory guy. In the second moto, it was not as good, but I think I came around about eighth. I feel like my endurance is good and my setup is good. It's just putting the laps togeth- er. I made a few passes and David Vuillemin got me with a quarter to go. Then I held off Michael Byrne for the last three laps for a 10th that moto. cn: Where's home? danielsani: Clovis, California - Central Valley. cn: Did you do all the amateur stuff, Loretta's and all that? Or did you pretty much stay out West? danielsani: I am actually going to X Games next weekend, but, last year, I was racing Loretta's and took a red-eye there [after last year's Washougal National]. I made it there but forgot my gear. I am lucky I don't have to do it this year. cn: What was it like to run with the top 10 guys? danielsani: They have a lot of consisten- cy and maturity. Those guys have been doing it for so long, and for myself to just jump in at a young age, it's good for me to learn. You learn a lot from the older dudes. It's a big bike to be throwing around; you can't be making a lot of mis- takes on a 450. cn: So what happens now? Will your phone ring tomorrow? Will you get an agent? danielsani: Shoot, I'm the type of guy that turns the phone off and gets my work done before I start doing that. I am pretty low key. I will let my dad take care of the phone calls maybe. Steve Bruhn While Ryan Dungey and Josh Hill were making their highly publicized pro debuts at the Millville round of the AMA Motocross Series, 16-year-old Broc Tickle of Cary, North Carolina, was making his pro debut under somewhat more relaxed circumstances. Before moving to the pro division, Tickle fin- ished out his amateur career by winning the 250 A class at Loretta Lynn's this year. He also took second in the 125 A Pro/Sport class behind Hill, and in 2005 he won the Olympiad Award at the Mini O's. However, unlike Dungey and Hill, Tickle has yet to sign a major deal to ride as a pro, and at Millville, was still relying on the sponsors that got him through the amateur ranks. But with good rides at the rest of the outdoor series, Tickle hopes to make the kind of impression that will land him on a factory team for the 2007 season. Tickle was parked out- side of the pro pits at Millville when we spoke to him about his pro debut. cn: What are your thoughts about your first race as a pro? broctickle: I just want to go out and get a good start and finish up as high as I can. cn: What are your expectations? broctickle: Really, I am just trying to learn as much as I can and get some experience. I want to eventually win some championships, but right now I just need to learn and get consistent at it. cn: Right now you are compet- ing as a privateer. broctickle: Yeah, I am traveling with my dad and my mechanic, Wes Gauldin. I'm getting help from the same people that helped me during my amateur career: American Honda, Triangle Cycles, Honda Pro Chemicals, Chapman Performance, Thor, Scott USA, Total Control Suspension, and Seriousracewear.com. I haven't really had any offers on a pro team, so since I am basically a privateer, it makes things a little more low-key and less pressure. cn: I noticed that you are signed up in the Motocross class. broctickle: Yeah, I just think the 450 class is the way to go for me. I like the 450 and it suits my style better. cn: How would you characterize your style? broctickle: I like rough tracks. I really like tracks that are real loamy with deep ruts. I feel like I get faster when the tracks are really rough. cn: Do you have any Supercross experience? broctickle: Last year, after the Mini O's, I rode a little bit of Supercross, but that's all. I will be riding some Supercross after we finish the rest of the National series, though. cn: Do you have anyone who helps you with training? broctickle: No, I basically do everything on my own. I get some pointers from different people and I read the maga- zines to learn about nutrition and stuff. My dad pretty much helps me and has me on a program. cn: Is your dad the one who got you into racing? broctickle: Yeah, my dad got me a bike for Christmas when I was five and I start- ed racing. My dad raced a little bit when he was about 16 and he got me into it. cn: What are your ultimate goals? broctickle: I want to be a top-five rider in the next few years and be able to make a living racing. Shan Moore AUGUST 23, 2006 • C Y C L E N E W S 16 Daniel Sani: Turning Heads Broc Tickle: Under the Radar