 GENE CHRISTIAN Q: WHEN DID YOU START RACING? A: I STARTED RACING WHEN I WAS 11 AT A LOCAL TRACK HERE IN NORTH CAROLINA (EAST BEND) Q: DO YOU TRAIN AT ANY TRAINING FACILITIES, AND DO YOU FEEL THAT IT HAS HELPED YOU OUT? A: I CURRENTLY TRAIN AT SOB IN SOUTH CAROLINA. I'VE BEEN HERE SINCE I STARTED BACK RIDING IN THE MIDDLE OF JAN. THE SOB FACILITY , FACULTY HAS DEFINITELY HELPED ME SO MUCH! CODY GERHARD IS ALWAYS TAKING MY STRENTH AND CONDITIONING TO THE NEXT LEVEL. FREDDY NOREN AND MATT BURKEEN ARE ALWAYS PUSHING ME TO BE THE BEST RIDER THAT I CAN BE. IT'S ALSO GREAT TO HAVE PLENTY OF FAST RIDERS TO RIDE, TRAIN, AND PUSH WITH EVERY DAY. I'M EXCITED FOR THE SUMMER HERE AT SOBMX! Q: WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR 2018? A: MY GOALS COMING INTO THIS YEAR ARE TO STAY HEALTHY, AND KEEP SHOWING PROGRESS WITH MY RIDING! ALTHOUGH, IT WOULD BE NICE TO BE ON THE PODIUM AT LORETTA'S, AND EARN A TICKET TO MONSTER CUP THROUGH THE AX FINALS THIS WEEKEND! Q: ANY BIG PLANS FOR 2019? A: WELL, NEXT YEAR I PLAN TO RACE SOME EAST COAST ROUNDS OF AX TO GET MY ROAD TO SX POINTS THEN SPRING NATIONALS, AND LORETTA'S IN THE A CLASS. IM ALSO PLANNINGTO HAVE MY PRO-AM POINTS BEFORE THE START OF 2019 SO I CAN HAVE THE OPTION TO EITHER RACE OUTDOORS, OR WAIT TILL SX ROLLS AROUND IN 2020. YOU CAN FOLLOW GENE ON SOCIAL MEDIA !! CLICK ON THE IG ICON!!
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Q: HOW MANY TIMES DID YOU SHOOT SOMEONE WITH A NERF GUN THIS WEEK? A: AT LEAST 100 TIMES, PROBABLY 15 TIMES TODAY Q: HOW WAS THE TRACK THIS WEEKEND? A: THE TRACK WAS SURPRISINGLY GOOD AFTER A DAY AND NIGHT OF OFF AND ON RAINING. IT DRIED UP NICE BUT WAS SUPER ROUGH AND BRUTAL, ONE OF THE ROUGHER NORTH CAROLINA GNCC'S THAT I REMEMBER. Q: DID YOU FEEL LIKE THIS WAS YOUR ROUND? DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE IMPROVING EACH WEEK? A: EVERY ROUND I WANT IT TO FEEL LIKE IT'S MY ROUND, BUT IT'S A TOUGH JOB TO WIN SO TO GET THE WIN TODAY FEELS GOOD, AND I HOPE TO CARRY IT OVER INTO NEXT ROUND. I FEEL LIKE I ABSOLUTELY LEARN AND IMPROVE EACH WEEK. I SEE MY STRUGGLE IN CERTAIN AREAS AND I WORK ON THEM WEEK IN AND WEEK OUT! Q: FOR THE KIDS READING THIS, WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE YOU COULD GIVE THEM TO BE BETTER IN THE WOODS? A: BE PATIENT AND PICK GOOD LINES! SOMETIMES IT'S BETTER TO STOP FOR 2-3 SECONDS TO PICK A GOOD LINE IN A MUD-HOLE INSTEAD OF JUST BLASTING IT AND TAKING THE CHANCE OF GETTING STUCK FOR FIVE MINUTES! WHEN IT'S SLICK, SHIFT UP AND RIDE A HIGH GEAR AND KEEP YOUR MOMENTUM! FOLLOW THAD ON SOCIAL MEDIA The Empire State, better known for the big apple NYC holds its own sweet secrets located in upstate New York. Driving from Syracuse you'll find yourself headed north on Oswego rd until you come to a town called Granby. Within a population of no more than 7000, plenty of slightly rolling open fields "fenced" in by large pine trees, you'll find yourself at a brand new motocross facility know as The Compound MX. Professionally designed and built by MX Track Builders, the compound is a one of a kind, unique beyond measures addition to the entire northeast.
New York State is generally classified by open natural terrain usually filled with rocks. The only rocks you may find at The Compound are located in the beautiful sweeping entrance. As you enjoy the wooded entrance and continue further onto the property you begin to see the perfectly symmetrical jump faces, landings, and sides. The grass that covers the property is a sandy green/white color which comes with the naturally sandy soil in the area. As you pass the clean tan colored pull barn in the front you will find plenty of even open parking. A simple yet beautiful wooden fence lines the east end of the property adding that extra bit of character to an already excellent, vibrant facility. The track its self is a mixture of almost beach like sand, clay, and some natural soil. It contains nearly every feature a motocross rider could wish for from table tops to ant hills, doubles, triples, and step ups, it'd be hard to find any usual motocross track features to be missing. My personal favorite parts of the track were the more technical roller/rhythm sections in the center of the track which added some flavor to an otherwise very well flowing track. These sections could be a make or break situation for a lot of athletes. The compound is not shy of loft booters perfect for laying it flat and showing some skid plate. Although fairly intimidating the massive step up on the west end of the facility offers the most time a rider will have to relax when throwing in motos on a very rough track. Complimenting many awesome features at the facility comes a trainer who has deep experience in the sport of motocross. Scotty Drake, older brother of former amateur star Sunny Drake, offers limited training spots available to any rider. With years and loads of knowledge Mr Drake will lead the way in a new generation of motocross athletes coming out of the northeast at this top notch facility. Stay up to date with The Compound MX via Facebook and instagram and look for opening day in spring 2018! Be ready for the most unique and efficient way of signing up for your desired practice session and many more unique factors that will make The Compound MX the place to be in the future. Daytona RCSX, JS7 spring classic, Loretta Lynns, Ponca City, Mini Os. Just a few of the biggest amateur nationals across the United States. Many of us sit from afar and watch for updates through social media or by other means, some of us sit on the sidelines at the events cheering on our favorite riders. Then there are the few of us that attend and compete at these events. All the way from 50cc riders to the A class and even the Vet riders, these racers are the pinnacle of our year. We all go to have fun and enjoy racing but how do we mentally prepare for an event unlike those that we compete in locally each and every weekend?
Here are some of my tips as to how to make your week at any big event go as smoothly as you can make it!
Good luck to all the racers heading to the Winter National Mini Olympics next week! Eric Doty and myself will see you there! For more info or any questions please contact me at grossoCEtraining@gmail.com and be sure to follow us on social media!  We wake up to birds chirping as fog rolls across a freshly tilled layer of chocolate cake. The fog creates beautiful silhouettes of table tops and triple jumps in the distance. A sound comes from the PA system and next thing you hear is "good morning motocross racers!" A wholesome breakfast to fuel the day has been consumed and the bike is all ready for the first practice of the day.
The first sound of a dirtbike has rose above the facility grounds, you can feel the intensity and excitement in the air. Riders have spent all week honing their skills, pouring blood, sweat, and tears into their craft to be the best rider each weekend. Riders have finally taken to the track for practice, some going all out and winning practice while others are conserved and learning each inch of the ever changing course. Ruts begin forming like small crevasses and bumps begin to form leading into turns like a random series of small hills. The track is chewing up and getting gnarlier each and every lap. As the national anthem ends, fans and riders alike replace their ball caps on their head as they hoot and holler out of excitement showing respect and appreciation for the flag. The stage is set and the first races are ready to get underway as the each riders name and hometown are announced by the enthusiastic and passionate race announcer. Gates are packed, riders are ready, engine revs go up... the gate drop, and in an instant 42 fit and hungry for first place motocross riders all charge for the first turn in hopes of being the first rider through the turn earning them the "hole shot." Heart rates have sky rocketed, adrenaline rushing through each riders veins. The fans watching riders battle back and forth as their adrenaline soars and heart rates rise as well. Parents and mechanics are yelling and cheering at the top of their lungs in hopes of motivating their rider that little bit extra. Pit boards read "be smooth" "think" "push" as riders fly by lap after lap. As the moto winds down it becomes apparent which riders have the fitness to go the whole distance and which don't. Mistakes become more abundant for some riders and it becomes a war with the mind just to finish. The white flag finally comes out and there is a battle at the front. First and second are mere bike lengths apart with only a few corners to go. As they come to each corner the gap between the riders shrinks little by little. The rider in front will have to focus on what's ahead and make no mistakes while the rider behind continues to set up a winning pass. Two turns are left, barely a bike length between the two riders. The rider in second squares up the turn setting himself up for a chance to pass in the final turn! There is no time left to waste, the rider darts to the inside of the rider in front, the two are neck and neck coming out of the corner as the rider in second pulls a slight advantage! As the checkers fly, the rider who was in second throws his fists into the air in excitement as he barely edges out the other rider! All the dust and sound settles as dawn arrives. A track once beautifully groomed now littered with breaking bumps, deep ruts, and tear offs sits waiting for the next battle to take place. Racers and fans drive home into the sunset satisfied and fulfilled from a great day of racing as the fog begins to roll back in and set the stage for the next race. Tip of the week: "It's always worth it" Sometimes we are presented situations that we don't necessarily want to partake in simply because we believe it's too hard or it's annoying or we just plain don't see the purpose. Everything we do in life has a purpose, some of which we may never actually see. The idea of believing "it's always worth it" is to allow us to understand that everything we do has some effect on each of us. Something's may not turn out positive but learning and growing from those experiences is why "it's always worth it" Food of the week: Jackfruit Yes they are in fact that large, and actually larger even. Jackfruit are the largest tree-borne fruit and can weigh anywhere from 15 to 80 pounds! They are found in tropical regions of Asian/Indian subcontinents. The fruit tastes very sweet and similar to that of a pineapple, banana, and mango. In just 100g there are 95 calories, significant source of vitamin A and C as well as others. Has a great source of dietary fibers and is one of the rare fruits which is rich in a B complex group. Jackfruit are also a great source of quality sugars, potassium, magnesium, and iron. For more info or any questions please contact me at grossoCEtraining@gmail.com and be sure to follow us on social media! As athletes and actually human beings in general we are always seeking the "right" way to eat. We are all seeking an answer but when we search online we are given thousands of different links with different informantion. Therefore a common question that comes up when talking with motocross riders or any athlete or human in general is, "what should I eat?"
There is no perfect diet to consume as each individuals body is different as are our taste buds. An endurance athletes diet would consist of greater quantities of food and a higher carb intake while a sprint runner or professional motocross racers diet would consist of specific quantities of foods at specific times. This allows the body to work at peak performance for the duration of the short events (one and a half hour or less) while the endurance athletes diet provides the athlete with energy to be used over a longer period of time. We as humans have a very complex body that works in some remarkable ways. When we are too hot we produce sweat to keep the body cool, when we are cold the body shivers to produce heat from energy. When we listen to our bodies we can learn a lot and progress in the direction we want based on what our bodies are telling us. Many scientists or athletes like myself perform studies to learn about the body. For instance challenge yourself to the following...
We touched on 3 general subjects if you would like more detailed information you can contact GrossoCEtraining@gmail.com and follow us on social media! Nicholas Grosso Athlete, trainer, blogger Grosso Cross & Endurance training LEVI KILBARGER - OPENING A NEW CHAPTER
We sat down with Levi Kilbarger a couple days ago and asked him a few questions. Let's get this party started.
Q: Why are your CAMPS so important to you? A: I've worked with kids for several years now and just to see them progress through the camps, and watching them improve at the races is an amazing feeling to me. I get just as excited about watching my riders race as I do myself. It's a bit of a second chance to be able to teach the kids and better them on the things I did wrong in my own career. Q: What are your racing goals for next year, and camps? A: As for my racing, I have stepped away from Supercross/Outdoor Nationals. I will be mainly racing local races that my riders that attend the camps and/or use my suspension will be at. This gives me a chance to race for fun and also further assist the riders with the racing side of things. Q: What are a few of your greatest accomplishments as an Amateur rider, and as a Pro Rider? A: My first highlight would be leading Loretta Lynn's in the 2004 250B class and that was a real turning point for me in the confidence then going on to win Mini O's later that year. As far as my Pro career goes, there were lots of ups and downs but finishing 6th at the Indianapolis Supercross in 2009 was something I will never forget. Top 10's in Supercross were definitely my greatest accomplishments along with two National numbers. There are definitely things I look back and wish I would've done differently but I think everyone has that to a certain extent, and that is what I try to teach the younger riders to make them better. You can follow Levi on his Instagram: Kilbarger412 and also his suspension company : bonzi_suspension You can also follow Levi through our social media. Thank you! The trip started Monday 25, 2017. Levi Kilbarger and I started our journey heading to Florida to Justin Barcia's property. We drove straight through and we arrived Monday night to a couple very nice rooms. When we got up on Tuesday Justin's mom had made us some killer breakfast and then Levi and Justin did a workout, then they started getting the bike ready to test out the Bonzi suspension. When they went to start the bike it simply wouldn't start. Since we didn't have a charger to charge the battery correctly they had to have another battery shipped, and also order a charger so we wouldn't have to waste another day so they just decided to go for a run and spend some time in the gym.
Wednesday morning the battery arrived and it fired right up and the testing started. I have to tell you that when he got on that Honda he just looked like he was at home. When Justin went out on that track he just did his thing.....looked really good and comfy. Justin had so much fun out there that day testing the new bike and he had that look in his eye that this is going to be the year where he is going to do something big. Also for the people that are curious if Justin reads and manages is own social media....the answer is yes! He loves to interact, and keep up on his social media page. As the hours went on and the week went by, he felt and looked real good on the Honda. The stay at the Barcia's was a very cool experience because it was just the Barcia's, Levi, and myself spending a week training, testing, and just enjoying life to the fullest. I am going to finish this by saying that I wish Justin the best this year! If anyone has any questions about the stay please comment and I will answer them the best that I can. Thank you, and thank you to the Barcia's for having us down! This post is really to Thank everyone that has supported me this year! I would like to start this out with thanking the most important person in my life which is my beautiful wife Ashley. Without her I almost for sure know that I wouldn't be here, and where I am at now.
I started this year thinking how can I keep this year exciting and how can I be better, not only as a photographer, business owner, but as a person. I hope I was able to create, and continue to create great memories for everyone that they can cherish forever. I have had the opportunity to work with and for many great people and companies. I hope that we can continue working with them. Just to list a few that has been awesome to me over the last year. Levi Kilbarger (Bonzi Suspension) Levi and Chris Whitcraft riding camps! TRUEMX MX GRAPHICS MPR KOSTER RACING S&S MOTORSPORTS CUSTOM POWER SPORTS LEVI KILBARGER A&Y PERFORMANCE RACER X MOTO-IT MOTOSPORTS MD FCC MOTORSPORTS I'm sure I missed a lot of other people that made this website possible. THANK YOU!! I want to end this with thanking everyone who has booked me, purchased photos, or just dropped in and said hello! I also want to Thank Racer X for giving me an opportunity to shoot for them, which is as a photographer that enjoys shooting MX it's truly amazing, and an honor! Lastly my TEAM RIDERS and their parents! Danny Miner Austin Ceresna Justin Stalling Gregory Evans Bryce Adams Trevor Maley Brock Wagner Thank you, Eric Doty It was some weekend! We would like to hear what you guys think about this weekend at Briarcliff MX. I think the owner/staff did an amazing job of keeping everything rolling the best that they could do. What do you all think?
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