Newbury Park, CA. The 2009 AMA Monster Energy Supercross series again headed East, this time to the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia. Without a doubt, it was the single most successful outing ever for the MDK/Warthog Racing Academy in particular as well as for the professional racing community. And this success was not based on results but instead a young man with a lot of heart and the help of modern science.
MDK/Warthog Racing Academy rider #374 Cody Gilmore astounded everyone. Over the past two years Cody has been fighting a rare and malignant form of spinal cancer. Most expected to never see Cody ride again, much less prove that he is indeed still among the World's Best in the sport of Supercross.
Cody proceeded to place the 27th fastest lap time in practice, a benchmark from which he kept improving; he finished a strong 7th in front of Blake Wharton in his heat. In the main, Cody's lack of track time caught up with him, relegating him to a 19th place finish. Still, for all those that know Cody, he won. He won our hearts and minds and he, for now, has beaten his toughest competitor - CANCER. Look for #374 to surprise the hell out of you the rest of the year. The kid is special. And special thanks to Jeffery Tomlinson, Warthog Racing's Chief of Logistics, for funding Cody's ride this year with the Warthog Racing Academy.
All of our other accomplishments in Atlanta pale in comparison to Cody's, although they are worth noting anyway.
We are excited to announce the addition of Amateur sensations Tyler Wharton and Justin Sipes to the Warthog Racing Sounder. With the support of all involved, we expect great things from them.
All nine Warthog Racing Academy riders qualified for the night show, including the backbone of the Warthog Nation, Mastercraft's Heath Voss.Others making the cut included Eric Sorby, Tyler Wharton, Dennis Jonon, Jacob Saylor, Ryan Smith, Spencer Dally, Cody Gillmore, and Logan Martin.
The heats weren't as good to Heath Voss as they have been most of the year; he finished 10th in his heat and went on to finish 3rd in the LCQ.
As Agent 86 Maxwell Smart used to say "He missed it by that much". Heath will be back next week to reclaim his god given position in the main and protect his "Top Privateer" status
Eric was under the weather and had a bit of an off night as did Jonon, Smith, Dally, and Martin. Look for all these boys to be in the main soon!!
On the upside, the aforementioned Gillmore as well as Jacob Saylor, and Tyler Wharton stormed the Lites main, finishing 19th, 14th, and 11th, respectively. Good showing boys.
This soliloquy would not be complete without mentioning the two riders who graduated from the MDK/Warthog Racing Academy last week. Based on their outstanding performance to date, Tyler Bowers and Vince Friese were hired by MotoConcepts Racing, a member of the Warthog Nation. Both Tyler and Vince easily qualified for their respective mains. Tyler ran as high as 10th after passing both Kevin Windham and Timmy Ferry!! Good job boys and we wish you the best of luck for the remainder of the season.
This season would not be possible without our committed and actively engaged sponsor/partner group. For 2009, we have teamed up with the following entities: MDK Motorsports, MDK Speed, DeCal Works, Smooth Industries, Motorcycle Mechanics Institute (MMI), P-LoK, MotoConcepts, Transworld Motocross, LocoMX.com, Vanquish MX, DT1 Air Filters, MXResultz.com, Devol Engineering, Liquid Performance, LongShot Racing, CP Pistons, VP Fuel, Dunlop, The Plumber Inc., MB2 Raceway, Edgile Consulting, MX Sports, Vortex, MotionPro, Dana K Business Parks, The Whitaker Wellness Institute, Atlantic Promotions, NXTAgency, Relentless Media, MotoTees, RacerX Illustrated, Dirt Rider Magazine, Motocross Action Magazine, MartialMoto, Honolulu Hills Raceway, L&M Racing, and Fire and Police MX.
With this fine group, anything is possible. And special thanks to Feld Motor Sports. Because of their full support, dozens of privateers get the opportunity to live their dreams.
Take care and we'll see you at the races!!
About Warthog Racing:
Warthog Racing (WR) is a unique company formed to better the sport of motocross. WR is comprised of two distinct entities: the not for profit Warthog Racing Academy, created to conceptualize, fund, and execute meaningful programs aimed directly at supporting the privateers; and Warthog Enterprises (WE), which focuses on merchandise and entertainment products.
About MDK Motorsports and MDK Speed Equipment:
MDK Motorsports, LLC and MDK Speed Equipment, LLC are privately held companies and part of the MDK brand family of motocross related products and services. With 30 years of experience in Aerospace Engineering and a passion for high performance 4-stroke motocross bikes, MDK Speed Equipment delivers technology and products that have not been previously available to the general public.
AS 9003 aerospace manufacturing protocols are used, along with countless hours of dyno, flow bench, and track testing to enable MDK SE to provide products and services that deliver great performance and durability.
MDK Motorsports and MDK Speed Equipment are located in San Jose, California.
About DeCal Works:
Founded in 1989 by Ron and Janeen Joynt, DeCal Works has been the industry leader in pre-printed backgrounds and custom graphics for over 19 years. With a passion for racing, DeCal Works has since its early days, focused all its attention in supporting amateur and privateers riders.
About Smooth Industries:
Smooth Industries LLC is the leader in Officially Licensed Motocross apparel and accessories using images and the likeness of the sports biggest names including Jeremy McGrath, Travis Pastrana, Chad Reed, Ryan Villopoto, Kevin Windham, Monster Pro Circuit Kawasaki, Rockstar Makita Suzuki and more. It is our goal to provide quality motocross themed products for fans of all ages, giving them fresh and innovative designs to express their passion for not only their favorite riders and teams but the sport itself in hopes of continuing to aid in the overall growth of the sport of motocross. For more information, please visit our website at www.SmoothIndustries.com
About Synergy Racing Technologies:
Synergy Racing Technologies is a group of sponsors and individuals whose mission is to: conceptualize, fund, and execute meaningful programs aimed directly at supporting the Privateers thus helping to progress the sport we love. SRT is focused on providing their riders with the best platform to succeed while making optimal use of race team resources to maximize sponsorship value.
About MotoConcepts:
MotoConcepts is a Pacific Northwest Manufacturer of innovative and unique Motorsports accessories designed for the professional and recreational rider. MotoConcepts is proud to partner with top motocross companies like MDK Speed, Warthog Racing, Smooth Industries, and DeCal Works to help support the MCRMX team. For more information visit www.MotoConcepts.com