Ben Townley: We hope he gets through SX healthy, so we see his speed in 2007.
MX
Ryan Villopoto: The champ and heir apparent?
Andrew McFarlane and Josh Grant show flashes of brilliance.
Travis Preston
Strong Finisher
The last couple of races of the season were very muddy, so when I showed up to Glen Helen and the track was dry, it felt like the start of a new season! That made the racing feel fresh again. I got a little burned out on all the travel this year, but the racing was a lot of fun. I'm going to take a few weeks off and enjoy a little vacation, then get ready for January with my supercross training. I'll start doing sprints and some higher-intensity training, as well as a whole different type of riding. I don't know what is going to happen as far as teams, because I have nothing set up right now. I started relaxing a lot toward the end of the season, and I sure wish I could have done that sooner. As for the little supercrosses that take place after the Nationals, those things suck! I have been racing all year long, and if I were to race the McGrath Invitational, I would have to go straight from Glen Helen, take a day off and then start practicing supercross. I will be starting the Canadian rounds in December, so I definitely need a break now.
Tim Ferry: Going green as James Stewart's teammate.
Tim Ferry
Factory Again
I'm going to jump straight into supercross now while I am in the rhythm of riding-I'm actually going to start this week. If I can transition right into indoor-type riding, it will help. I'll get my bike ready in the first month, then work on endurance after that. Once we get the bike good, it's fairly consistent in supercross. We take a lot of time to prepare because we have the time. The outdoors are tricky because bike setup sometimes changes every week based on the conditions. I'm going to be riding for Kawasaki next year, so I'm really stoked. Moto XXX is a little bummed-I had a fun year here and it was a good experience. They got me back to the next level. But it will be great to be on factory equipment again.
John Simanovich
Utopia Optics
I'm glad the Nationals are over. For myself, being a goggle guy, it was a rain-filled summer, and that means a ton of work. I have a lot of good things to say, because my riders rode well and I really got used to the swing of things with the brand. Now, I have a few weeks in the office to line up some contracts and stuff, but then we are back at it for supercross. I'm looking forward to it.
Tom Carson
Asterisk
There's not really a break for us, since we just got a new Asterisk mobile medical center that is going to keep me busy for a few weeks. From here, we are going to the McGrath Invitational, the U.S. Open, the Long Beach Supermoto and then off to Florida for the Winter Olympics. I get a little break, but it is still a lot of work without the outdoor series. The outdoors always throws in Mother Nature, so it has been a mess lately and can be extra grueling. I wouldn't say supercross is less difficult to get through, but it is definitely cleaner!