I headed to San Fran expecting the usual mud-fest. With everyone’s fingers crossed for a somewhat dry weekend, it paid off. Everyone was pleased that we made it thru this San Francisco Supercross without having to break out the serious rain gear and without mud. The track workers took good care of the track by covering it Friday night and they limited practice on Saturday to prevent too much damage. This strategy worked leaving the track in super condition for the night show, and the little rain that we did get made for amazing track conditions.

The rider’s made positive comments about the condition of the track. They claimed the track was excellent and in perfect condition for racing. And for sure San Francisco brought us another weekend of just that, amazing racing that kept us on our toes. There was so much going on and a lot to follow when it came to the race action that night. The speed on the track was super fast paced and did bring a lot of errors. It took a toll on the riders. As I kept my eyes on the track I noticed a lot of guys going down or bouncing off the track. Both the Lites and Supercross class had their share of mishaps. Watching the battles and serious passing taking place was awesome!

This year we are seeing more great support for the privateer riders. The privateers do face some challenges when it comes to making it to the races and trying to make it into the main events. They do not have that factory support which means they have to work a lot harder. They are an intricate part of Supercross and they are making their presence known and gaining support. The main goal, as for all riders, is to make the Night Show! We are seeing many privateers’ do just that. The privateer, often called the unique breed, has to confront each of the challenges that come with each race; preparation, practice, and of course, money. Recently we’ve seen a lot about the Wonder Warthog Racing Team. This is a remarkable team that gives the privateers a chance and a great deal of help that doesn’t have them working out of their own trucks or box vans. WWR is here to help our sport of Supercross/Motocross to become the standard by which all other motorsports are measured. The WWR team is growing immensely and getting a lot of positive attention.

Even factory riders are stepping up to contribute to privateers. Millsaps came up with an idea to adopt a rider by helping them out with some extra cash for the races. Last weekend he randomly picked three lucky privateers from the Wonder Warthog Racing program to donate a total of $5,000. With the random draw he gave $2500 to Geddy Karrle and $1250 each to Ryan Grantom and Bryan White. It’s a great show of support. Anyone can be apart of the ‘Adopt a Rider’ program to help out the privateers. I think it is a great way to help these guys out and lend a hand. I think the experience of a privateer plays an important roll of appreciation each and every weekend they go forth to qualify for the night show. These guys help make Supercross, you can’t just have the factory guys, and they are also helping this sport grow even more. To learn more about a privateer’s life, check out Joe Oehlhof’s wife’s column. She paints the picture for what it’s like each week to compete. It is truly a family effort with heart and dedication.

Next weekend we head back to Anaheim for the 3rd time this year. I plan on resting up this week and catching up on some school work, and try to enjoy some bit of warmer weather here at home. See everyone back at Anaheim .

See you at the races!

Brittney George

Miss Supercross
missupercross@yahoo.com