For all you Ricky Carmichael fans who still love and miss the guy, you can still be active in Ricky's four wheel career. I hear there's an online poll for the 2009 Most Popular Driver of the Year Award for the Nationwide / Camping World Truck Series, and RC is on that list, so go cast your votes at their web site: http://www.nascar.com
October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. But Feld Motorsports, and their Supercross race at Anaheim February 13, 2010 will help with Breast Cancer awareness as well. Wear pink for that race folks! Anaheim 3 Supercross is going PINK! (I expect everyone to be wearing at least somethink pink : ) Click here for more info.
As every year, different riders come into the Premier Supercross class. 2010 is no different. One guy who rode the East Coast 250 Lites class for the past few years will finally make his debut into the 450 Supercross Class in 2010 - Matt Goerke will line up with a 450 Yamaha this upcoming season, and I have an interview with him below.
Matt will be on the MotoConcepts Racing Team - his team-mates will be Jeff Alessi, Dan Reardon, Ryan Sipes and Vince Freise.
Interview: Matt Goerke
Angela: Congratulations on a good ending to your 2009 AMA Motocross season. You've ridden Suzuki's in the past, and then towards the end of the season you got a temporary Factory ride with Yamaha. How was that experience and did you learn anything?
Matt: It was awesome. I got on the Yamaha and it was so fast and the suspension was so good. Right away at the first race I was getting the quickest lap times, but I also crashed a lot. By the second race I was on the podium, and by the third race I had won my first 450 race, so it was awesome.
Angela: You won round 11 at Southwick. Amazing!
Matt: Thanks. Yeah, it was such a good feeling. I had a crash in the first moto and finished 6th. In the second moto I had the last gate pick because I missed my original gate pick. I actually had the second gate pick, but I missed it because the officials said I was late to the gate. I had to start all the way to the outside, but I came out with a decent start, caught up to the leaders, and actually won the race. I was so pumped that I won the race .... and then I realized I had the overall on the day. It was awesome!
Angela: You actually finished 12th for the series, yet you missed three races in the middle of the series because of a broken leg, what happened?
Matt: It's not bad, considering I missed those races after breaking my leg. It happened at Freestone (Texas) in the first moto. I was in fifth or sixth and was going down the big straight away. I caught my leg in a rut and it just twisted and broke. I didn't fall ... but I felt it break. I took a few weeks off, then I came back at Spring Creek (Minnesota) and was ready to go again.
Angela: Approximately two months from the start of 2010 Supercross. Your thoughts?
Matt: I am going to be riding for MotoConcepts Racing Yamaha, and it really seems like things are going to be good this coming year. I also like this team because Steve Lamson is the Team Manager, and I've worked with him before on KTM. He taught me quite a bit so I am looking forward to working with him again. It should be good and I will be on the new 2010 Yamaha YZ 450, so that is great.
Angela: One of the biggest changes for you is you have been racing the East Coast Lites in supercross, and now you are moving up to
the 450 Supercross class.
Matt: Yes, I will be riding the 450 all year. That's going to be a big difference, and I am pumped because I believe I ride the 450 much better. I haven't had much time riding it in supercross except for a little bit at the US Open, and I only rode for a week before that. But I think I am going to do good.
Angela: With all that East Coast Lites time, you really haven't rode too many west coast supercross tracks. What will that be like for you?
Matt: I think I will be alright. I will be out in California for a month before the racing starts up, so I will have time to get comfortable and ready for whatever comes my way. Plus I always ride at Las Vegas, and that is considered a 'west coast' track, and I always do good there.
Angela: One other big difference is that a regional Lites supercross series only has seven or eight races, where as the 450 Supercross class usually has 16 or 17. That's a lot more rounds of racing!
Matt: Yeah, I got a lot more chances to do good! LOL
Angela: I like that attitude! OK, Supercross is right around the corner. You are from Florida and your team is on the West Coast. What's the preparation & practice schedule like right now?
Matt: I train and practice at home in Florida, and I will be going out to California soon to get to riding on that 2010 Yamaha YZ 450.
Angela: The MotoConcepts Racing Yamaha Team seems like a good deal for you. Have you worked with any of the other riders and when did you get everything finalized with the team?
Matt: I haven't worked before with any of our riders. I've only worked with Steve Lamson. We had our deal worked out before the end of the season. My friend Shane Yagen, who is also my agent, talked to them. It worked out good, and I had already signed the deal before I even got on the Factory Yamaha and did those last few National Motocross races. I am pumped because it seems with this rough economy it's really hard to get a ride right now.
Angela: I am excited to hear you are going to be riding in that Supercross class. It's going to be a good season. Thank you very much for your time Matt!
Matt: Yeah, it's going to be good. Thank you too.
As more information and details about your favorite racers comes my way I will be sure to get it out ASAP!
Source: http://www.supercross.com/mx-adventures/mx-adventures-rc-update-breast-cancer-a-supercross-matt-goerke-interview
Jean Michel Bayle Pit Beirer Christian Beggi Mike Bell John van den Berk
