The Weekly Dirt: March 7, 2012 – Dirt Rider Magazine

Welcome to the Weekly Dirt, the place to go each week to catch up on the world of off-road. This week we’ve got a special mix of off-road tid-bits, so let’s get to it!

Photo by Stephan Legrand

On the SX front, Lites ripper Justin Barcia has made it three in a row and does not seem to be slowing down anytime soon. The kid is fast, aggressive and has an awesome style on the bike, making him a favorite among fans both in person and watching from home on TV. Of course, we received several press releases relating to Barcia this week, but our favorite was the news blast from Freegun Underwear stating that Barcia has signed with them. This in itself is not overly wild news, but the photo that Freegun sent of Barcia with a moustache is amazing! Say what you want about his facial hair, but Barcia is the man to beat right now and I think that gives him the right to rock any sort of facial hair configuration that he pleases!

Photo by Adam Booth

Speaking of Freegun, the French company recently sent Dirt Rider a boatload of product-and by product, we mean underwear. They offer Vegas-themed undies, American flag undies, some signature #800 Mike Alessi undies and a collection of Ashley Fiolek replica undergarments that have a bunch of smiley faces and sponsor logos on them. While we have not yet had a chance to wear the new goods yet, there is no doubt that flashy underwear will make you the most stylish human in the pits for the five full seconds that you spend in undies in between changing into and out of your gear. Head over to www.freegun-underwear.com to see more!The F.A.S.T. (Federation of Athletes Sponsors and Tracks) has recently come up with a very cool way for riders to experience all of the moto glory that Southern California has to offer. Here is how it works: motorcycle enthusiasts can now purchase a “F.A.S.T. Pass” for $55 per month which will give them unlimited access to three of the best tracks available in Southern California: Milestone in Riverside, Perris Raceway in the city of Perris and Pala Raceway in San Diego County will all honor the “F.A.S.T. Pass”. For each month you hold a “F.A.S.T. Pass” you can also have a free buddy pass added to your account where you can bring out a friend who holds a membership allowing them to ride free. Pretty cool, eh? Visit www.MotocrossFAST.com for more info.

Photo courtesy of Paul Clipper

Legendary off-road journalist and two-wheeled philanthropist Paul Clipper has recently posted several e-books for sale on Amazon.com, including The Art of Trail Riding and The Best of Last Over. Clipper has been in the industry forever and is known for his witty humor and articulate-yet-conversational bench racing style. If you have a kindle or e-reader, check some of these titles out…you will dig them!

The Husqvarna ACU British Sprint Enduro Championship is the UK’s newest off-road motorcycle race series. The simple to understand, day-long format caters to the best enduro talent in the UK and has been attracting some big-name stars and super-fast pros. At the series opener it was Frenchman Johnny Aubert (KTM) and David Knight (KTM) that shared victory in the Elite class. With Aubert absent at this weekend’s round in Monmouth, Knight will try to continue his winning ways, as well as making sure the younger Manxman Danny McCanney doesn’t top the overall classification once again. Knight will unquestionably arrive in Monmouth determined to re-establish himself at the top of the pecking order.Finishing second overall at round one, Poland’s Taddy Blazusiak (KTM) returns to the BSEC eager to improve on his previous result. Continuing to use the series as preparation for his upcoming US Endurocross championship defence in May, the newly crowned SuperEnduro World Champion could face a strong challenge from the vastly improved Electraction TM mounted Jordan Rose.
Now fully recovered from a knee injury sustained prior to round two, American Ricky Dietrich returns for rounds three and four aboard a Husqvarna. Showing speed to challenge the Elite frontrunners at round two, Dietrich will be determined to put his difficult season opener behind him and show his true potential. Mixing in the former Grand Prix motocross star turned enduro rider, Tom Church (KTM) along Si Wakely (Husaberg), Jamie Lewis (Husqvarna) and Daryl Bolter (KTM), the Elite category is sure to be another closely fought class.Here is a full schedule of the BSEC:2012 Husqvarna ACU British Sprint Enduro Championship

If you find yourself in the UK between now and the end of June, do your best to check one of these events out and be sure to let us know how it went!-Chris Denison

Photo by Shan Moore

Cory Buttrick got his first national enduro win in over a year at this past weekend’s Sandlapper Enduro in Salley, South Carolina, putting himself in contention for the 2012 title. The FMF/KTM rider won two of the six tests in the 65-mile race and never finished outside the top three in the remainder of the tests. It’s been a long road back to the top for the Ohio rider who suffered from a mysterious health issue all of last year which robbed him of much of his strength. Buttrick won two races in 2010, but went on a long dry steak in 2011 after suffering flu-like symptoms off and on for most of the year. Buttrick is healthy now and seems to be back on his quest for a national title.A bit of insider info here, Bart Hayes of RidePG and WP USA told me today that he’s prepping a bike for FMX/MX star Robbie Marshall to ride the opening round of the GNCC series in River Ranch, Florida. Marshall, who recently jumped over a helicopter in Australia, spent much of last year doing FMX events and motocross races in Australia, but is back in the states and scheduled to ride this year’s Daytona Supercross. Bart told me this when I was visiting his new North Wilkesboro, N.C. complex, which houses a massive retail shop, the Ride PG operation and WP USA.In addition to Marshall, Glenn Kearney will be riding the first GNCC, as well, filling in on the FAR Husqvarna team for the injured Andrew DeLong. After spending a couple of years on the GNCC and National Enduro circuit, Kearney moved back home to Australia for the 2011 season when he was not able to secure a ride here in the states. It’ll be good to see the likeable Aussie at the opener.Here’s some good news for the ladies, for 2012, the GEICO AMA EnduroCross will add a five-round series championship for women. After the buzz that the first ever Women’s EnduroCross final created during last year’s X Games 17, a separate Women’s class was added to the Everett Washington and Las Vegas finals events. Maria Forsberg won the X Games and Everett events and then Louise Forsley; the current AMA Trials champion, showed up at the Las Vegas finals and claimed the win.So, this year, five of the eight GEICO AMA EnduroCross rounds will include a women’s class with points being awarded similar to the men’s Expert class to determine the 2012 Women’s EnduroCross Champion. For both the Women’s class and men’s Expert classes, the first two rounds will provide the opportunity for riders to earn spots in the X Games Enduro X, which is a stand-alone event but will provide points for the championship series in both classes.The Women’s class will be included at the following 2012 GEICO AMA EnduroCross rounds:

For more information, go to www.EnduroCross.com.-Shan MooreThat’s all for this week, check back this time next week for more scoop from the world of off-road.