NOVEMBER 2015 - Dunlop Motorcycle Tires

NOVEMBER 2015
I RIDE
TO WIN
Vegas is for gamblers, and at this year’s Monster Energy Cup the smart money was on proven winners.
Ken Roczen took home the big prize with 1-4-1 moto finishes against the best of the best. And a pair of
Team Dunlop Elite riders swept the support races; Casey Cochran won the KTM Junior Supercross Challenge, while Lance Kobusch came from behind to win both Supermini motos. In the Amateur All-Stars
event featuring the nation’s top 250cc A and B riders, Team Dunlop Elite alumnus Austin Forkner dominated both motos to keep his six-race Monster Energy Cup win streak alive.
KENROCZEN
RCH SUZUKI
AUSTINFORKNER
LANCEKOBUSCH
CASEYCOCHRAN
MONSTER ENERGY/TEAM GREEN KAWASAKI
MONSTER ENERGY/TEAM GREEN KAWASAKI
TEAM DUNLOP ELITE
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contents
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JESSY NELSON WINS USGP
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HISTORY-MAKING NATIONAL ENDURO CHAMPIONSHIP
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KAILUB RUSSELL SCORES GNCC TITLE—THE HARD WAY
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WORCS RACING CHAMPIONSHIP CHASE TIGHTENS UP
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RSD BUILDS AN INDIAN FLAT TRACKER
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DOWN TO ONE POINT
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MOMENTS OF INERTIA
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MOTOAMERICA WRAP-UP
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CAMERON BEAUBIER WINS 2015 MOTOAMERICA SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP
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2015 AMA MOTOCROSS SEASON WRAP-UP
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250 MOTOCROSS CHAMPION JEREMY MARTIN ON HIS 2015 SEASON
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CHAMPIONSHIP IRON
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THE MOMENT
112 UPCOMING EVENTS
ON THE COVER:
Cameron Beaubier beat his
teammate and four-time Superbike
champion Josh Hayes out of the
2015 MotoAmerica Superbike
title by a scant four points.
Photo: Brian J. Nelson.
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@RideDunlop
Dunlop Download magazine is published for Dunlop Motorcycle Tires by Vreeke & Associates. www.vreeke.com
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Jessy nelson wins UsGP
By dominating the FiM Motocross World Championship 250 class at Glen Helen this
september, Jessy Nelson became the first graduate of the Team Dunlop amateur
program to win an MXGp race on Dunlop tires. Congratulations Jessy on your
historic achievement, and for showing racers everywhere that anything is possible.
Are you next? Teamdunlop.com
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JessY NelsoN is A DuNlop-spoNsoreD riDer.
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history-makinG
national endUro chamPionshiP
With one round remaining in the 10-round 2015 AMA National enduro Championship series,
Kailub russell of the Dunlop-sponsored FMF KTM Factory off-road Team cemented his first
enduro title in heroic fashion. equally important, he set a pair of history-making marks in the
process: His father Jeff won the AMA National enduro Championship in 1991, and Kailub’s
winning efforts make them the first father/son duo to achieve this accomplishment. in
addition, he also racked up the 2015 Grand National Cross Country championship in
dominating fashion, thereby becoming the first rider in history to nab both off-road titles in
the same year.
overall, russell had a fantastic year of enduro racing. Despite a slight hiccup he made at the
rattlesnake enduro in pennsylvania in late July—he “only” finished sixth—russell either won
every other overall or finished in second place. But just as he was looking to wrap things up,
he injured a knee in september while representing the u.s.A. at the international six Day
enduro in slovakia. And that injury raised a big question mark for the september 27 Black
Coal National enduro. True to form, russell arrived in indiana determined to do his best. He
dug deep, rode hard and finished third overall to capture the crown.
Meanwhile, russell’s teammate russell Bobbitt still holds down second place in the enduro
series, giving the FMF KTM Factory off-road Team a clear shot at going 1-2 on the season.
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“i’m very honored to win another chamPionshiP
and am GratefUl to my team, my family and my
friends who have helPed sUPPort me this season.”
kailUb rUssell scores Gncc title
the hard way
Fans love the drama of a close championship
him to drop out of the competition. prognosis:
chase. But for riders, getting the job done
a torn ACl.
AsAp is the hallmark of a true winner. And so,
after only 10 rounds in the 13-round AMsoil
For most people, that would be end of story.
Grand National Cross Country series, an AMA
Yet less than two weeks later, russell rolled up
National Championship, Dunlop-sponsored
to the starting line in unadilla, New York, for
Kailub russell and his Factory FMF KTM
the next GNCC race. He needed a top-five
locked down the premier XC1 pro Class title.
finish to earn the championship. He finished
fourth, in an amazing display of speed and grit,
However, that’s not to say he did it the easy
to notch his third consecutive title.
way. in winning eight races and finishing
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runner-up once this season, russell amassed a
“it was a good day,” russell said after the
huge points lead: 104 points ahead of second
race. “if i was going to write down on paper
place. But GNCC is only one format of off-road
what i wanted to do, this would have been it. i
racing for the talented KTM rider. representing
was able to manage the race pretty well today
Team u.s.A., he traveled to slovakia in early
and i had a lot of fun on the track. i’m very
september to compete in the international
honored to win another championship and am
six Day enduro. After leading the event
grateful to my team, my family and my friends
overall, he suffered a knee injury that forced
who have helped support me this season.” 11
worcs racinG chamPionshiP
chase tiGhtens UP
Talk about doing things the hard way. As if World
ridden in three weeks. Yet he knew he had to salvage
off-road Championship series racing isn’t already
some points to help retain his lead in the series, since
tough enough, the current top two contenders in the
this was a special two-day, two-race event. To stay
2015 series, precision Concepts Kawasaki rider robby
home would cost him 50 points. unthinkable, at least
Bell and FMF KTM Factory support rider Gary
to Bell. And so he did what he needed to do. He
sutherlin, have also been forced to overcome some
finished seventh and eighth, good enough to earn a 39-
serious injuries and keep soldiering on. in doing so,
point cushion going into the final two races of the
both Dunlop-sponsored riders serve as prime
season with a total of 174 points.
examples of what this sport is all about.
At that same event, sutherlin put in two strong rides
A few weeks ago, Bell was sharpening up in a local
and carded 2-2 finishes to raise his ante to 135 points
motocross race at California’s Glen Helen raceway
on the season. This despite missing two earlier rounds
when he crashed hard. How hard? Way hard. After
due to a broken wrist. so he still has a shot at winning
sailing 30 feet in the air he faced the next jump,
the championship. But it’s looking tougher and tougher.
smashing his chin into the crossbar. The tremendous
impact knocked out nine teeth and fractured his jaw.
WorCs states that the winner of this series can lay
claim to being the best off-road racer in the nation.
An injury that serious would have most of us planked
By combining desert courses, technical wooded
out on the sofa for months. Not Bell. only three weeks
terrain and outdoor motocross-style tracks, riders
later he rolled to the starting line for the WorCs races
must be fast and versatile. Add to that description:
at straddleline orV park in Washington. He hadn’t
Tough as nails.
robbyBELL
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rsd bUilds
an indian flat tracker
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roland sands desiGn
(rsd) has been
ParticUlarly Prolific of
late, bUildinG everythinG
from a fUll-on victory
race bike to attack Pikes
Peak, to the latest
endeavor—a reimaGined
indian chief flat tracker.
sponsored by indian Motorcycles and Geico insurance, the
rsD Geico Chief racer rolled out at the 75th anniversary of
sturgis to the delight of a massive crowd at the Buffalo Chip
Campground. To underscore the racer aspects, sands
himself competed on the bike at the rapid City inaugural
Hooligan Half-Mile.
Built around a heavily modified 111-cubic-inch Chief engine,
the majority of the bike was fabricated in the rsD shop. The
crew dropped the stock fuel tank so it blankets the engine,
and it hung the big motor in a custom chromoly frame
featuring prototype rsD quick-change wheels shod with
Dunlop DT3 flat track tires, a solo rsD brake caliper, and a
lloyd Brothers Motorsports/Johnny lewis drilled, slotted
and vented disc brake at the rear. Front brake? real flat
trackers don’t have ’em, so don’t look for a disc hanging off
the modified Kiwi indian leaf front fork controlled with a Fox
shox DHX shock. The seat is suspended by a Fox Float air
shock. rsD prototype engine covers and era-inspired
floorboards round off some of the other details.
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what
roland
says
So what was the best aspect of this build
for you?
My favorite part was riding the bike after we
finished it at the sturgis half-mile. i’ve spent
some time on the stock Chieftain and it will
eat the miles in comfort but doesn’t tend to
do a lot for your adrenal glands. This bike
does. You can ride it pretty hard on the dirt,
and the light weight really lets the motor
breathe. You can get yourself in trouble on
it, which i like.
Was there anything particularly
challenging about the build?
The timeline was tough. We had just
finished the Victory project 156 and rebuilt it
after a crash and had to jump right into this
one for sturgis. But it was one of those
bikes that aesthetically we got right from
the beginning, so there wasn’t a lot of fixing
or trying to make things work. When you
build something from the ground up with a
motor in the middle of a table, the world is
your oyster. But it can also get you in a lot
of trouble if the bike doesn’t sit right when
you set it on the ground. This bike sat right.
There’s also just something about those
Dunlop flat track tires that make any bike
look bad ass.
What was most satisfying about
this project?
We fired the bike up at the shop and i took
it for a spin for the first time. There was just
a splash of gas in it, so i ran out at the park
by the shop. i parked the bike under a tree
in the shade and had a moment to enjoy the
effort and the bike by myself. it was a good
moment.
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CliCK Here For More iNForMATioN oN rolAND’s lATesT BrAiNCHilD
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down to one Point
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bryanSMITH
there are few Greater challenGes of man,
machine, horsePower and tactics than mile
flat track racinG. and no Greater Proof of
that than the second sPrinGfield mile of the
2015 season, held in early sePtember.
Heading into the event, astute fans could place their bets for
the spring edition of the race. By the time the springfield Mile ii
springfield’s winner on any of the Harley-Davidson Xr750
flags off, the riders have seen which teams have winning
pilots in the series, from reigning series champ and current
momentum and which have suffered bad luck. exiting
points leader Jared Mees to Zanotti racing’s Kenny Coolbeth
springfield’s final corner on the last lap the race looked likeit
Jr. to a contender on a factory Harley-Davidson. And the pre-
could be won by any number of different Harley-Davidson
race pick-a-winner didn’t end with just machines made in
Xr750 riders—all had the poise and position to capitalize.
Milwaukee: Brandon robinson on the latus Triumph also has
the mad skills and plenty of “Made in england” horsepower.
However it was Kawasaki-powered Bryan smith who put in a
in all, about a dozen riders have the wiles and the machinery
last-second draft pass on the Harleys and won. The Crosley
to pull off a win at springfield.
radio Kawasaki rider said after the victory, “We were all so
fast, and i was just trying to consistently stay out front but
As a racetrack, springfield is storied—AMA GNC motorcycles
conserve my tire at the same time. it’s literally like threading
have been racing there for over 40 years, and non-AMA races
the needle out there, and to come out on top of another
have been held at springfield since the dawn of motorcycling.
photo finish is exciting. i can really get the most out of my
Kawasaki engine on these mile tracks."
Also the shape of the track is slightly different than that of a
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normal mile track, and that nuance is one that riders have to
Jared Mees on the las Vegas Harley-Davidson Xr750
use to their advantage. september in illinois brings the dog
finished second, while Harley-Davidson factory rider
days of summer, those last days of brutal heat and humidity.
Jake Johnson (filling in for an injured Brad Baker)
it’s punishing for both man and machine.
finished third.
in some ways the fall springfield Mile is much different than
Mees leads smith by a single point in the championship.
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moments
of inertia
bryan smith’s kawasaki 650 flat track bike
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Gnc team owner and racinG enGineer
rick howerton is a driven, motivated man.
He talks about 100-hour work weeks like that might be a short
His machines are not defined by just horsepower, torque
week. He tells the story of his obsession with racing, starting at
curves or weight.
the age of 10 on his BMX bike outside the old Honda factory
dirt track shop in indianapolis. Then he moves on to the day he
Howerton breaks it down to what he calls “moments of
showed pictures of his Kawasaki-powered street tracker to
inertia.” To an engineer like Howerton, great portions of the
Bryan smith, whom he scarcely knew, and how that
racing puzzle are defined by those moments of inertia, by
culminated into a championship-contending AMA flat track
stabilizing the center of gravity and narrowing the frontal area
GNC team.
of the motorcycle. Howerton may very well be the most driven and gifted
Howerton’s educational process in dirt track racing began as a
engineer working in motorcycle racing today. The motorcycles
shop rat. When he was 12 years old, he would ride his BMX
he has built have a very elite fan club. When the indy MotoGp
bike from his dad’s indy fabrication shop to the Honda
round and the indy Mile last happened on the same weekend,
dirt track shop down the street. There, a pair of late, famed
MotoGp engineers and mechanics stood shoulder to shoulder
dirt track tuners, sparky edmondson and skip eaken,
near the Crosley radio Kawasaki. The men who work on
didn’t tell him to get lost, so he took that as an invitation to
MotoGp exotica every day, who know good carbon-fiber work
come back. Before he could even drive, Howerton was hanging
when they feel it, who are accustomed to every part smaller
out with Grand National Dirt Track champions Bubba shobert
than a mailbox being made from titanium, unabashedly stared
and ricky Graham. Along with eaken, they grew to be
at the machine rick Howerton and his crew had built. close friends.
When indianapolis-based Howerton speaks about the
Nearly any part of the Crosley radio Kawasaki is worthy of a
complexities of racing motorcycles, he does not do so in
technical dissertation. For example, we remarked on how nice
conventional terms like lap times, split times or elapsed times.
the bike's exhaust system looked.
seeing the capability and full-on mad skills displayed by rick
Howerton in his Crosley radio Kawasaki one might wonder when we
will see him working in superbike or even MotoGp. “i love dirt track
racing,” Howerton says. “i feel it is the essence of motorcycle racing.”
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Howerton’s “experimental” bike almost set the dirt track world on its ear when it rolled out of the truck earlier in the season. small
issues slowed the bike’s development while at the same time smith began to challenge for the championship. “What we need is a
reliable race bike right now and that’s what we have with our ‘conventional’ bike,” Howerton says. “We have pushed the experimental
into the corner until we have more time to develop it.”
“Funny you should mention that,” Howerton says. “The bread
sidelined for a portion of the season this year when something
and butter of the business my brother and i run is building the
thrown up or thrown off another dirt track machine struck him
exhaust systems for Honda’s indyCar effort and many of the
and broke his leg. Howerton has built his Kawasaki-based dirt
top cars in NAsCAr—Joe Gibbs, Hendrick Motorsports and
tracker to be both reliable and capable. “i think if you were
the Waltrip teams. so, the exhaust for Bryan’s current bike is
careful with your maintenance you could do an entire season
made from inconel. using inconel, a high-nickel material, you
of dirt track with just one engine rebuild on the Kawi engine.
can make the exhaust system out of a thinner wall material and
it’s that good.”
not lose a bunch of strength when it heats up like, for example,
stainless steel.”
like all ultra-competitive and driven people, Howerton is not
satisfied. There are things he would change about the bike if
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inconel is widely used in both the aerospace and
they were not in the championship hunt. But there’s always
nuclear industry. next season.
it’s interesting to see a jewel like the Howerton Kawasaki in an
“Next year?” Howerton scoffs. “i have a new bike ready to go
arena like professional dirt track racing where machines are
now. it has an upgraded frame and a new fuel cell and the
nearly required to be built like two-wheeled construction
engine and swingarm are repositioned for better weight
equipment. Going 120 mph in the ruts can tear a motorcycle
transfer. see, what we learned with the bike Bryan is riding
apart, or worse—Harley-Davidson rider Brad Baker was
now is that …”
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The entire Howerton effort and smith’s run at the championship were born when—then just a fan—rick
Howerton built himself an eX650-powered street tracker bike with help from the late skip eaken. Bryan
smith first saw a photograph of Howerton’s bike on a phone while sitting in scott parker’s bar in Michigan. 34
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CliCK Here To VieW THe MoToAMeriCA seAsoN WrAp-up ViDeo
motoamerica wraP-UP
chamPions crowned, and the fUtUre looks briGht
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riDers spoNsoreD BY DuNlop
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MotoAmerica’s rookie season of racing ended at New Jersey
at the beginning of the year, and it feels amazing to get it
Motorsports park in mid-september, with championships
done. especially for the whole roadrace Factory crew—they
crowned and confidence restored. Generally, when a rookie
work really hard and just to see the smiles on their faces and
goes racing he or she wants to get a solid footing and
to celebrate feels really, really good.”
understanding in order to move forward. The Wayne rainey–
led series accomplished that, and more, with a new superbike
Gagne won an impressive 13 superstock 1000 races
champion crowned and an old rivalry renewed.
in 2015.
Yoshimura suzuki and the Monster Yamaha team have been
Yamaha’s JD Beach had already wrapped up the supersport
fierce rivals in the superbike class for several years. Yamaha
title at indianapolis, while Joe roberts dominated the New
won the war this season—Cameron Beaubier took the first
Jersey event. in the final season tally, Beach won eight
2015 MotoAmerica AMA/FiM North America superbike
supersport races, Josh Herrin won four and Garrett Gerloff
crown—but suzuki pushed Yamaha hard in every race.
won two. Beach seems likely to move up to the superbike
Yoshimura suzuki’s roger lee Hayden formed the nucleolus
class in 2016, and all eyes are on roberts to see where he
of suzuki’s superbike effort, and while he went without a win
will race next season. roberts won nine superstock 600
in 2015 there is great hope for both him and Yoshimura as
races in 2015, making an incredible return to form for the
suzuki is due to introduce an updated GsX-r1000 model
former 600 phenom.
in 2016.
The brand-new KTM rC 390 Cup series wrapped up in New
in the final 2015 tally, Josh Hayes, now former superbike
Jersey with Gage McAllister winning the title. Anthony
champion, won 10 races to Beaubier’s eight. Yoshimura suzuki
Mazziotto iii and his Jimmy Winters Motorsports–backed rC
superbike rider Jake lewis had an incredible season, finishing
390 beat McAllister to the finish line, while Brandon paasch
on the podium and racing hard in his “learner” year.
finished third. For Mazziotto, the Jersey round was ultra
important as he’s a local.
“i learned a lot, and at times we had the speed to be right
there with the leaders,” lewis said. “i hope to step up my
McAllister won five KTM rC 390 Cup races in 2015 en route to
training program in the off season, and now that i have a full
the championship, while Mazziotto and Braeden ortt won two
year of superbike experience i think next year gives me an
each as well.
opportunity to be going strong and confident right out of the
box at the first race.”
The KTM rC 390 Cup top five finishers in the championship
will be rewarded with an invitation to silverstone to battle an
Among those superbikes was a new rider mixing it up—
international field of rC Cup racers in the British superbike
superstock 1000 rider Jake Gagne. superbike and superstock
Championship round. Those riders are McAllister, Mazziotto,
raced in a combined class in 2015, and Gagne had an epic
ortt, Hayden schultz and Justin McWilliams.
year on the roadrace Factory Yamaha.
Heading into 2016 the rainey-led MotoAmerica championship
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“We had an awesome year,” Gagne said after Jersey. “And we
has solid footing and good backing, and the future looks very
ended up with the number-one plate. That was the goal we set
bright indeed.
JoshHAYES
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cameronBEAUBIER
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JakeGAGNE
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JdBEACH
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JoeROBERTS
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GaGeMCALLISTER
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taylorKNAPP
JoshHERRIN
roGer leeHAYDEN
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cameron
beaUbier
wins 2015 motoamerica
sUPerbike chamPionshiP
When three-time world champion Wayne rainey
park on september 14. Beaubier put in two safe,
and his partners took over the AMA superbike
points-paying rides at Jersey to win the
championship, they did so, in part, to groom
MotoAmerica title by four points over his
American riders for international competition.
teammate, veteran champion Josh Hayes. While America had enjoyed a hugely influential
position in Grand prix dating back to riders
in many ways Beaubier is one of the brightest
steve Baker and Kenny roberts in the 1970s,
hopes for America to return to winning ways in
American presence in Grand prix has waned in
international competition. A Californian, Beaubier
recent years. There was a time when a rider who
has been racing since he was a child and has a
won the AMA superbike championship could
relatively broad resume when it comes to racing.
nearly count on getting a Gp or MotoGp ride
He’s raced a 125 in europe and a supermoto
based on that achievement alone. over time,
bike in California, and he won the 2013 AMA pro
however, fate and circumstances let
racing Daytona sportbike championship before
doubt creep into the minds of Gp and WsBK
moving up to superbike last season. team managers on the wisdom of hiring
American riders.
Before Beaubier even won the superbike title,
rainey strongly believed that his talent and
That could now change. capabilities meant he deserved an opportunity to
show what he could do in europe. Now, with a
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Twenty-three-year-old Cameron Beaubier won
rainey-led American superbike title under his
the 2015 MotoAmerica superbike championship
belt, Beaubier’s chances of heading to europe
with his performance at New Jersey Motorsports
are stronger than ever.
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2015 ama motocross season wraP-UP
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the 2015 lUcas oil Pro motocross
season Proved the aGe-old racinG adaGe
that to finish first, yoU mUst first finish.
in the premier 450 MX class this year, early domination by
his 2014 title. Kawasaki’s Joseph savatgy—the latest
Honda’s eli Tomac ended with a shoulder injury at round
successful Team Dunlop alumnus—took third overall,
three in Colorado, handing the advantage to KTM’s ryan
Husqvarna-mounted Zachary osborne finished fourth, and
Dungey. Dungey went on to score 13 moto wins during the
KTM’s Jessy Nelson (Team Dunlop elite Alumnus) took fifth.
12-round series to take his third AMA 450 MX title by a
Dunlop riders won every moto in the 250 class in 2015, and they
country mile. suzuki-mounted Ken roczen finished the
also occupied the top 25 positions in the final 250 standings.
season 100 points behind Dungey in second with three moto
wins. suzuki’s Blake Baggett and Husqvarna’s Christophe
Throughout the tough season, Dunlop tires strongly
pourcel rounded out the top five.
prevailed, with every fast qualifier at every round—and 84.8
percent of all qualifiers—riding on Dunlop tires. in the races,
in the 250 MX division, the slugfest between Yamaha’s Jeremy
Dunlop-equipped bikes swept the overall podium in every
Martin and KTM’s Marvin Musquin lasted all season. Both riders
single 250 moto to capture all 36 available podium positions.
were fast starters, with Musquin winning six and Martin four of
in the 450 class Dunlop-equipped bikes won 10 of the 12
the first 10 motos. event after event, they swapped results,
overalls and took 29 of the 36 available podium positions.
sharing victories and setbacks until the final round in indiana
As well, Dunlop riders earned 76.6 percent of available
arrived, with Musquin trailing Martin by just two points. And
points in the 450 class, and a staggering 99.4 percent of
that’s where the “you must first finish” adage emerged once
available points in the 250 class. Congratulations to ryan
again. Musquin’s bike broke in the first race, giving Martin a 20-
Dungey, Jeremy Martin and all the other Dunlop-sponsored
point advantage before the final moto. essentially, Martin only
riders who poured their muscles and minds, spirit and soul
had to finish mid-pack to be crowned champion, and that’s
into making the 2015 season such a fantastic one for
exactly what he did, finishing ninth to Marvin’s third to back up
American motocross.
blakeBAGGETT
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ryanDUNGEY
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JeremyMARTIN
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kenROCZEN
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marvinMUSQUIN
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JoeySAVATGY
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250 motocross chamPion
Jeremy
martin
on his 2015 season
As the defending champion from 2014, did you start the 2015 season more confident, or
else more nervous due to the increased pressure?
i started the 2015 motocross season feeling stronger than the previous year so i knew i was
ready to defend my title! running the big number 1 plate didn’t bring any added pressure. Is starting the Outdoor season so soon after Supercross finishes a good thing because
you’re so well practiced, or harder because you may be a bit used up as well as having to
change your riding style?
i personally like starting the motocross championship right away after supercross. Not many
riders are ready to face the challenge of the brutal hot summer months and continue to grind
through the summer! The Outdoor season came down to the last race and moto. How did you get yourself
focused going into that weekend?
Going into the last round i did my normal routine to get in the zone and told myself, “You’ve
trained your whole life for this moment. You’ve been preparing for it to come down to the last
moto of the year!”
JohnMCGUINNESS
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my dUnloP tires are so
Good that no matter what
race it is, sUPercross or
motocross, i rUn the
same exact tire in every
condition no matter what! In Moto 1, when you saw Musquin had DNF’d, did you try
to shove that into the back of your mind and carry on
racing, or was it a huge relief that let you enjoy the
moto more?
When i got signaled that the 25 machine was out, i was blown
away and bummed out because we were right next to each
other setup to battle for the rest of the moto. With the title still on the line, what did you tell yourself on
the gate before the final moto of the year?
Before the last moto when i was on the gate, i told myself,
“let’s finish the season off strong and get a holeshot and ride
your own race.” unfortunately i ended up going down a couple
turns into the race. i think my heart fell out of my chest! What does being a two-time AMA Motocross champion
mean to you?
it means everything to me to be able to be a two-time outdoor
champ now. it’s a long series that you can’t luck into winning.
it takes a lot of hard work and sacrifice to win an outdoor
national championship! How differently do you like your bike setup between
Supercross and Outdoor?
My set up for supercross and motocross isn’t too different.
The engine is a little faster for outdoors than supercross, and
obviously the suspension for supercross is much stiffer. What do you like most in a motocross tire and how do the
Dunlops provide it?
My Dunlop tires are so good that no matter what race it is,
supercross or motocross, i run the same exact tire in every
condition no matter what! Dunlop has me so dialed in
nowadays that i only run the Geomax MX32 patterns in the
front and rear everywhere i go! 72
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chamPionshiP iron
CAMERON BEAUBIER’S
MONSTER ENERGY/GRAVES YAMAHA YZF-R1
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Winning a championship is a team effort, and the team behind the rider spends an extraordinary amount of
time preparing racing machinery for battle. it’s all about giving the rider the best possible chance of
winning. The motorcycles that are ridden to titles are often as extraordinary as the riders themselves, so
we thought we’d have a closer look at some of the machines that will wear number-one plates in 2016.
JD BEACH’S
YAMALUBE/Y.E.S./GRAVES YAMAHA YZF-R6
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RYAN DUNGEY’S
RED BULL KTM 450SXF
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JEREMY MARTIN’S
YAMALUBE/STAR RACING YAMAHA YZ450F
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79
GAGE MCALLISTER’S
KTM RC 390 CUP RACE BIKE
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JOE ROBERTS’
WHEELS IN MOTION/MOTOSPORT.COM/MEEN YAMAHA YZF-R6
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JAKE GAGNE’S
ROADRACE FACTORY/ORION YAMAHA YZF-R1
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the moment
our two favorite shooters, simon Cudby and Brian J. Nelson, see
things through the lens that normal people don’t see. That’s what
makes them extraordinary photographers. Motorcycles traveling the
length of a football field in mere seconds or soaring 150 feet off a jump
are extremely difficult to capture. But just stopping the action isn’t
enough—it’s all about the moment, that fraction of a second when
something special happens to make a photograph memorable. Here
are some of Cudby’s and Nelson’s shots from the 2015 racing season.
roGer leeHAYDEN
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ryanDUNGEY
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bryanSMITH
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kenROCZEN
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indianaPolis motor sPeedway
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marvinMUSQUIN
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sPrinG creek motocross Park
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indianaPolis motor sPeedway
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JoeySAVATGY
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JdBEACH
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thUnder valley motocross Park
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JeremyMARTIN
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cameronBEAUBIER
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UPcominG events
October 31-November 1
GNCC Round 13
Ironman Raceway
Crawfordsville, IN
January 16
AMA Supercross Round 2
Petco Park
San Diego, CA
February 6
AMA Supercross Round 5
University of Phoenix Stadium
Glendale, AZ
February 27
AMA Supercross Round 8
Georgia Dome
Atlanta, GA
November 20
AMA Pro Flat Track Round 13
Orleans Hotel & Casino
Las Vegas, NV
January 23
AMA Supercross Round 3
Angel Stadium
Anaheim, CA
February 13
AMA Supercross Round 6
Petco Park
San Diego, CA
January 9
AMA Supercross Round 1
Angel Stadium
Anaheim, CA
January 9
AMA Supercross Round 1
Angel Stadium
Anaheim, CA
January 30
AMA Supercross Round 4
O.Co Coliseum
Oakland, CA
February 20
AMA Supercross Round 7
AT&T Stadium
Arlington, TX
©2015 Dunlop • P. O. Box 1109, Buffalo, New York 14240-1109 • 1-800-845-8378 • dunlopmotorcycle.com