Watts Hangs It Up
Maybe. The 2000 GNCC champ might have to call it quits from racing if he wants to avoid having a total knee replacement within the next five years. I chatted with Shane Watts to find out how serious his injuries are and what he has brewing for the future. According to Watts, the latest problem stems from an anterior cruciate ligament injury he's been living with since the Hancock, New York, ISDE Qualifier in 2003. He said he's kicking himself now for never giving his body enough time to heal, adding that Ricky Carmichael did it correctly-"Carmichael said it's a four-month injury, then I'm taking four months off."
Although he has sold his house and is staying with his girlfriend prior to heading home to Australia to take care of some business there, he plans to be back in the States about the time you read this. In the meantime, he said he has some serious thinking to do. He really wants to race but doing so could mean undergoing a knee-replacement operation, and he's less keen on becoming a cripple more quickly. So the plan might be to milk another 15 to 25 years out of his stock joint, even if it means giving up something he loves. Watts pointed out that he still has a lot left on his to-do list in life, such as hiking on a volcano and other active-lifestyle items, that would not be possible with a bum knee. As for what he would do for a j-o-b, the Aussie admitted he has a few things in the works but can't comment on them until they're more concrete. So he's in low-key mode until then.-Bryan Nylander
KTM Baja Bike
KTM is going to Baja with a full works bike. None other than Malcolm Smith christened the test mule pictured here on its first Stateside ride. A fitting rider, having won the first Mexican 1000, (the precursor to the Baja 1000), Smith teamed with another desert legend, J.N. Roberts. The bike is based on the factory rally racer, running an LC4 engine, slimmed up and made ready for the frequent pit stops of the peninsula instead of all-day unassisted African racing. And interestingly enough, this one displaces about 500cc, whereas the rally bike is a lot closer to the 700cc mark. The riders will be the U.S. Dakar squad of Scot Harden, Kellon Walch, Chris Blais and Andy Grider.
Langtown Backyard SupercrossThe 20th annual, and most likely the last, Langtown Backyard Supercross was again held at its undercover Southern California residential-neighborhood location. And it isn't really that underground when you almost need an AMA pro license to sign up for the once-grassroots minibike event. For the first time the event included modified 50s, which had to compete in the same class as stock 100s. The track received one of its biggest makeovers in a long time. The traditional "hippy" bus jump painted with four small busses heading to Unadilla, Carlsbad, Saddleback and Hangtown, was torn down and replaced with a wooden jump structure painted to resemble a "Langtown Unified School District" yellow school bus. After all, it is more of a wholesome family event these days.
The racing was tight, and in the pro class Timmy Weigand outraced, outslammed and out-thought Chris Gosselaar for his second Langtown victory in as many years. Both were mounted on BBR-built bikes. DR tester Matt Armstrong took a Two Brothers Racing CRF to the final podium spot. A seven-time champ, I couldn't even make the main event, hitting the ground while leading my semi-night over! As usual, the event played to a (literally) packed house of invited guests. -Jimmy Lewis