Good news!

I haven't posted an update in a few days, due to some news I have for you guys. While doing my daily routine of screwing around on Facebook, I saw that Eastern Dirt magazine was looking for a photographer for the Nationals. I jumped on the opportunity, and the staff accepted my offer. I will be shooting at Freestone, Thunder Valley, Red Bud, Millville, Unadilla, Southwick, and Steel City.

As well as taking photos for Eastern Dirt, I will also be writing race reports for them. They even want to me to write weekly updates from our Cross Country trip, just like what i post on here, so they can post it on their website. Therefor, I may not be updating this as much. Once things get going with the Eastern Dirt guys, I'll post up a link on here to my journal entries and race reports.

I'm really excited to have the opportunity to work with the Eastern Dirt crew. Wish me luck!

http://www.easterndirt.com

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We've been in Texas for a week now, it's super hot! It's been about 100 degrees with a lot of humidity every day. We spent the week riding at 3 Palms Motocross Park, it's an awesome facility! They have 3 big bike tracks, a 2 mile woods single track loop, a freestyle compound, a pitbike track, and two kids tracks. They even have a track set up in a lake for jet skiing. It was a major wake up call riding here, coming from Southern California! The tracks are very hard packed in CA, where as here, there's a lot of sand. My favorite!

Due to rain showers, we're stuck hanging out at a truck stop for today. We're heading to Freestone tomorrow to get situated for Saturday's National.

A Whole Lot of Nothin'!

As I sit here writing this, it's about 9:30 on Wednesday evening. We were unable to ride today because of a recall on the refrigerator in the motorhome that needed to be fixed, so we had to find other things to keep us busy. Julie and I worked on school work quite a bit today, after a little field trip we went on.

Where did we go? The Chaparral Racing headquarters in San Bernardino, CA. I thought the shop that I work at was big! Chaparral has a heavy history in the motorcycle industry, and is still quite popular out here. They're shop and warehouse took up a whole block! I couldn't believe how much motocross gear they carry.. I think they covered every brand!

Hey John.. Can you imagine stocking these oil racks!?

After going to Chaparral, we made a quick pitstop at walmart.. only to find a replica Honda Red Bull Racing CRF 250r on display on top of a bunch of Red Bull. It looked kinda cool! The ratchet belts holding the bike up were starting to rip though.. ut oh.

Tomorrow, our plans are to ride at Perris Raceway under the lights from 4-9 PM. I got to ride the track a few weeks ago, but it was pro day. Needless to say, the place was stacked with pros! Tomorrow should be more mellow. After we finish up at Perris, we're going to head to Pala for our last day of riding in California. :[

Hangtown Recap & Photos

Features - Hangtown MX Race Report & Pictures

Hangtown 2010 has came and went, and is officially in the history books. Weather was perfect, but it cooled down quite a bit by the time the last moto of the day came around.

The biggest surprise of the weekend for most was Geico Powersports Honda rookie, Eli Tomac. If you read my last update, he was my pick coming into the weekend. Eli dominated the amateur motocross scene. If he can stay healthy for the remainder of the season, he will without a doubt be a contender for the title. Also on the podium with a solid 3rd place finish was Tomac's teammate, Trey Canard. Christophe Pourcel put in a good ride to wrap up the 2nd place spot.

Walking around the pits this past weekend, there was lots of talk about Mike Alessi. He opted to race this weekend on KTM's new 350 four stroke bike, and he showed exactly what this new machine is capable of. Mike has always been notorious for his massive holeshots, and lacking 100 cc's didn't change that! He was still running upfront. Mike took 2nd overall with 4-1 moto finishes. The defending champ, Chad Reed, got the overall win with 1-3 moto finishes. Sitting in the 3rd place podium position was Davi Millsaps, with consistant 3-2 finishes.

I've always favored watching the Women's motos over the guys' classes. In my opinion, the racing is more exciting. It's incredible how fast these girls are, and they get faster every year. There was no stopping the #2 ride of Jessica Patterson, who took the overall win for the day with back to back moto wins. 2009 WMX Champion, Ashley Fiolek, was close to Patterson in Moto 1 until a slight fall pushed her back to the 3rd place position. Tarah Gieger got around Fiolek after the fall, moving her into 2nd place. Fiolek ended the day with 3-2 moto scores, and rounding out the podium was Gieger a 2-6 finish.

Next stop, Freestone!

Hangtown Preview & Jimmy Decotis Interview

Features Below - Hangtown Track Preview, Interview with Jimmy Decotis #613

Well, this is it guys! The first round of the Outdoor National Championships is finally here. After a few weeks break from supercross, all the riders must be itching to get back outdoors. With the forecast calling for mostly sunny skies and the temperatures just under 70 degrees, conditions for racing will be excellent.

Amateur day for Hangtown 2010 is in the books, it was a great day of racing. I didn't do as well as I had hoped for, the girls are a lot faster out here. The track was an absolute blast for sure! The dirt was great. There was a ton of sand mixed in, and I felt right at home in it. It makes me miss being able to race Southwick every weekend! The crew here at Hangtown kept the track well watered and hosted a great day of racing for everyone to enjoy.

What are everyone's thoughts on the season opener this weekend? Mike Alessi isn't riding a 250f, or a 450.. but a 350? This is going to be interesting for sure, as he is running it in the 450 class. Also, under the Geico/Factory Connection Honda rig is newly signed rookie Eli Tomac. I don't know about you guys, but I can't wait to see how Eli does in his first national. I watched him practice at Glen Helen about a week ago, and he looks great.

As many of you know, we're on a cross country trip. What I've noticed throughout my travels, spending time at many tracks.. James "Jimmy" Decotis is creating quite the buzz. "That privateer kid" came out into this past supercross season swinging, leading laps in his first ever heat race. Jimmy has a ton of heart, I know he is going to go far this season. I got a chance to catch up with Jimmy and ask him a few questions via text message about the race this weekend.

KC- Hey Jimmy! Do you feel like youre prepared differently for the Nationals this year after getting a season of supercross under your belt? Did you change your training schedule?

Jimmy D- Absolutely. I've been working really hard and I believe that I belong up front after the SX season. I'm just looking forward to the outdoors and hopefully progress more every race. I have an awesome bike right now and I feel like I'm riding better than ever. I'm more motivated than I've ever been and I'm excited for the season.

KC- That's great to hear! As a kid, were you homeschooled? Did you get away from the cold weather up in Massachusetts every winter by going down to Florida?

Jimmy D- Yeah when I was about 14 I stated going down to Florida for the winter time, and I think it helped me a lot. I did homeschooling when I was in Florida, but I would go to public school when I was home in MA. It was tough to balance it out but it was all worth it.

KC- What are your thoughts on this weekend's race at Hangtown? Do you feel that youre prepared both physically and mentally?

Jimmy D- Yeah, I'm excited for the race. I'm definitely prepared and feeling really confident for tomorrow. I'm just a little anxious to start racing haha but I'm looking forward to he series. I've never done all the rounds, so it's going to be more of a learning year than anything for me.

KC- Well good luck Jimmy and kick ass! I know all of New England is going to be cheering for you. Is there anyone you would like to thank?

Jimmy D- Thank you Katie, and thanks to everyone from New England for cheering me on.. hopefully I can be the next Dowdy haha. My dad, my mechanic Keith Clickstein, Pro Circuit, Factory Connection, JP3 Graphics, Kenny G's Performance Tuning, Renthal, Hinson, Scott Goggles, Renegade Fuels, Shoei, No Fear, and Dunlop.

A little about me!

There hasn't been too many exciting activities going on here within the past few days, therefor there hasn't been many updates. Sorry about that guys! For those readers who do not know me as well, I thought it might be cool to write a little bit about myself.

First off, the name's Katie.. Kaitlyn Nicole Cyr to be exact. Currently, I am 17 years old, and I live in a small town by the name of Coventry, Connecticut. I live with my Mom & Dad, and I also have an awesome brother, who's 25 years old. My entire family (even the extended family!) are all very supportive of my racing, and I appreciate it very much. I work at a bike shop a couple days a week, it's my first job.

I am a Junior in High School. I was involved in a pretty bad accident at Steel City on September 6th, forcing me to become homeschooled. I guess that's what happens when you try to catch a rock with your eye socket.. really. A girl landed off a jump pinned, and a rock must have been in her roost. It actually shattered everything in my face besides my jaw.

Care for the laundry list of broken bones? Both cheek bones, both eye sockets, both tear ducts, my forehead, my sinus cavity, and my nose. My nose, sinus cavity, and right eye/socket got the worst of it. Because of the incident, I only have about 50% of the vision that I used to have in my right eye. Surgery was required to fix my face. The doctors placed a titanium plate in my nose as well as 4 screws to hold it in, and they also replaced my shattered eye socket with a plastic one. Of course, they needed a screw for that one too. I don't let this stop me from racing though, I was back on a bike 28 days after the accident.

Racing dirtbikes professionally always has been, and still is, a huge dream of mine. I started racing 3 years ago on an RMZ 250 at the age of 14. I guess you could say that I was a bit of a late bloomer! When doing local races at home, you can find me in the Women's/Female class, and also the 125 C classes. I really enjoy racing with the boys more, it teaches me to be more aggressive. My best finish in the guy's class this year was a 2-2, for a 2nd place overall. I was so stoked! My ride for the 2010 season is my 2009 RMZ 250, and a 2007 RMZ for a back up bike. I have always felt super comfortable on my Suzukis, they're great bikes.

Along with racing big bikes, I absolutely love to ride my pitbike. I picked up pitbike racing during my 2nd season of racing motocross. They're so much fun to ride with friends, but also can be a challenge to race! My pitbike started off as a brand new 2008 KLX 110, then the modifications began.. yikes. Let's just say, everything's modded.. besides the frame! I have 1 NEMA Pitbike championship, and 2 Masters of Mini's championships. I'm going for a 3-Peat this year!

What does a kid like me do when I'm not racing? School work of course! Okay, okay.. besides that. Just like any other teenager, I love to spend time with my friends. I was pretty sad to leave them all when we left for this big trip, but I love them to death and fortunately, they are supportive of my racing. One hobby of mine that I really enjoy is photography. Of course, shooting motocross racing is my favorite, but from time to time I need to switch it up a bit!

Featured below are some of my favorite shots that I've taken over the past 2 years.

I may be young, but I have big dreams for when I "grow up". I would love to get more in-depth with writing and photography, both can be relaxing and fun. My dream job would involve me becoming a Police Officer for the State of Connecticut. It's an awesome job with great benefits. Hmm.. Maybe for the State of Florida, actually. CT is way too cold in the winter!

One question that I have been asked quite a bit recently is, "What do you hope to gain from your trip across the country?" I am really hoping to gain confidence in my riding. Motocross is a very physically demanding sport, but having the proper mental focus is also extremely important. I feel that riding so many different tracks is going to help me adapt to different conditions more effectively. I have only been gone for two weeks, and I already feel stronger and more loose on my bike.

Holy crap, time has absolutely been flying by since I started writing this an hour ago. I really could use some sleep, but if there is anything else you guys would like to know, feel free to leave a comment!

I would like to thank my awesome sponsors for this year's racing season, without them, this trip would be a lot more difficult! First, my Mom & Dad! Factory Connection, Motowear USA, No Fear, Monster Energy, Spy Optic, Gaerne Boots, Renthal, Dunlop, Vinco MX, Pant Saggin Dezign, Motorsports Nation, and Twin Air. Thanks guys!

6 days, 5 tracks

The past week has been pretty busy! I've ridden at 5 different tracks in the past 6 days. I'm tired, but I'm trying to take full advantage of all the seat time I've been getting! Sunday was Pala Raceway, Monday was Milestone, Tuesday was Perris, Wednesday I took a day off, Thursday was Glen Helen, and then today I rode at Competitive Edge. It's so crazy how SoCal has SO many tracks so close to each other!

I really liked most of the tracks, with the exception of Milestone. It was fun for the first half of the day, but then the track got boring. Pala had the best dirt, in my opinion. It was a pretty nice sandy mix, and the track wasn't too hard packed. Glen Helen had some gnarly hills!

I can honestly say that I've ridden with most of the top pro's this week. As for the girls, Ashley Fiolek, Jessica Patterson, Vicki Golden, Tarah Gieger, Elizabeth Bash, Penni Cyrus, and a few others. The guys? Ryan Dungey, Nick Wey, Christophe Pourcel, Dean Wilson, Trey Canard, Eli Tomac, Brett Metcalfe, Andrew Short, Davi Millsaps, Josh Grant, Tommy Searle, Max Anstie, Michael Byrne, Kyle Cunningham, Cole Seely, Wil Hahn, the list is endless! On any given day of the week, it's almost guaranteed that you'll see atleast a few top dogs out practicing. It's awesome to watch them and learn new lines. I can't wait to see how Eli Tomac does in his first year pro, it's always the most fun watching the rookies shine in the pro class.

Included below are a few pictures of me riding at Glen Helen, as well as some photos that I took of a couple of the pro's. My Dad's photography skills aren't so bad!

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Ryan Dungey

Ashley Fiolek

Max Anstie

Cole Seely

Busy busy busy

The past few days have been pretty busy, which is why I haven't posted an update in a couple days. Our first stop on our trip was to Las Vegas, for the Mini Moto SX Championships in the Orleans Arena. I was super nervous coming into the event, it was my first "big" race that I've ever done. There were riders from almost 10 different countries.

My first practice on Thursday was only 5 minutes long, and the lap times didn't count towards anything. About an hour later, I had a 2nd 5 minute long practice, and the lap times counted towards gate pick for the Qualifier race. I had a 5th place lap time in the 2nd practice, which gave me 5th gate pick.

In the qualifier race, I got the holeshot and ended up finishing 6th. The 6th place finish qualified me for the main event on the following day, Friday. On Thursday night after my 2 practices and qualifier, I got a good night's rest and got ready for the main event on Friday night.

When Friday rolled around, I was really nervous and didn't know what to expect. I knew there were going to be a lot of people watching and it would get pretty crazy. I lined up on the starting gate towards the inside, because I knew if I could get a good jump off the line, I could push the other girls wide. My start went exactly how I could have only hoped! I ripped the holeshot and lead my main event for just over a lap, got passed, and held 2nd place for an additional lap. After the 2nd lap, Tatum Sik and Jackie Ives passed me, leaving me in 4th. By the end of the race, I was still in 4th. I was really hoping for a podium finish, but I was very happy with how I did. Now I know what to expect for next year!

After the race, my Mom and Brother had to go to the airport to go home. :[ I ended up hanging out with my friend Sammy, Vicki Golden, and Jackie Ives for awhile that night, we had a lot of fun. We had an ice fight in the 15th floor of the hotel, and we mobbed scooters all around the hotel. That was fun. We didn't even wake anyone up til about 3! Oops.

Sooo many people

Me, Tatum, Jackie

In the lead!

Main Event Holeshot

We left Vegas yesterday morning, and came straight to Southern California. We're staying down here for the week, riding at a bunch of different tracks. Today, I rode at Pala Raceway. They're hosting the last round of the AMA Nationals in September. The whole facility was pretty awesome. They had a Pro track, a Vet track, an Amateur track, a pitbike track, and a kid's track. I rode the Pro track for the first half of the day, and finished out the day on the Vet track. The Pro track was nothing like any of the tracks back home, the dirt was really different. Lots of big jumps! Vicki showed up half way through out the day, I got a couple of good pictures of her. Her whip's are pancake status.

Vicki's all healed up and ready for the 2010 Pro Motocross season to start.. watch for her, #6 on the MotoConcepts YZ250f. She's going to kill it this year!