Dirt Rider Test Riders Race Supercross

PP: Back to the supercross rounds, what are you goals for the year?

RY: Anaheim one, I missed the night show by just over a second. I'd like to make every night show and make some mains.

PP: What's the hardest part about being a privateer?

RY: Probably just that you know at the end of the day you're putting all of your eggs into one basket and you're funding your own career. I buy my own tires, I'm tightening my own spokes and cleaning my air filters. It's just all on you. My dad helps a lot, but he has a job, also. Also it's hard to have a competitive motor in the Lites class, and if you do have a competitive motor it's hard to make it last. I have a decent set up with a cam, a high compression piston, and some porting, but it's nothing special. I'd be willing to bet I'm 5 to 7 horsepower down on the factory bikes, and I'd be willing to be I'm one of the heavier guys on the Lites bikes at 170 pounds. My practice bike is a stock 2007 with bald tires and bent rims. It gets the hand me downs from my race bike when they're worn. I can't really practice supercross on it because it's so beat, and I can't practice on my race bike unless I want to show up at the stadium with my race bike hammered and haggered with too many hours on it. On my practice bike I took the hourmeter off when it got to 100 hours because I didn't want to know how many hours it had on it. Every time it starts I'm like, 'God, Honda did something right.' I should be on a Honda commercial. I change the oil every other ride and change the air filter every ride, so there's something to be said for routine maintenance.

PP: How are you treated out there on the track by the factory stars?

RY: I think from every guy out there, from James Stewart who's the fastest guy in the world, to the guy that's ten seconds off the pace, I think we all have a common respect for each other out there. A quote I always think of from my dad is, 'If it was easy, there'd be sixty thousand people on the starting gate and twenty in the stands.' I respect everyone out there. Anyone that wants to say something when I don't make the night program, they can come out and try my program for a week. I'm the most overworked, underpaid person around. It's tough, but at the same time you do it because you love it.

PP: You mention you give riding lessons. Give me a riding tip for the novices out there.

RY: The biggest thing I see is kids coming up want to learn the style before they work on fundamentals. I see kids on 80s or 60s that are trying to ride the bike so hard, but they can't even do the proper technique through the corners yet, and they're trying to throw all this style over the jumps.

PP: If someone wants riding lessons, how do they get in touch with you?

RY: They can call me at Ricky Yorks Motocross School at 949-573-8602, my e-mail is ryorkk@yahoo.com.

PP: Who are you sponsors for 2009 SX?

RY: My 09 sponsors are Performance Motorsports in San Juan Capistrano is helping me out with bikes, Doug Dubach at Dubach Racing helped me out a ton when no one else really would. Moto Mods (949-485-0340, Izzy Lopez) is the company my mechanic runs. I don't pay him but he stays up late nights working if I have to do a bottom end or something major, and has paid out of his own pocket to help me out. Sobe beverages, Fusion graphics, Gaerne boots is helping me out a ton. Troy Lee Designs came through with some help, Scott goggles, Asterisk, and Pro Wheel just hooked me up so I can have fresh rims and sprockets.

PP: What are your outdoor plans for 2009?

RY: I want to ride Glen Helen and I really want to go to Canada and ride the Canadian series. I want to go up there where I think I can do better and get more exposure than if I raced the AMA Nationals. I just want to get some results, and have people see that with support that I can be a contender and make mains and be a serious rider who has potential.

UPDATE: Ricky injured himself before Anaheim 2 and will likely be out for A2.

Chris Barrett will be there at A2 with the #426 CRF450. Stop by and say hello at his pit. I'll bet if you ask him ten times he'll give you some Dirt Rider stickers.

But really just wish these guys luck if you see them, because they're chasing the dream we all have. And maybe at some point this season we'll see both of these racers on the line in the main, grabbing some AMA Supercross points.