'09 Supercross Prep: Introducing the MCRMX Team 3

Photo Gallery! Click the following link for a 15-photo gallery of images from the MCRMX Team Intro.

We’re always excited to see new race teams in the pits, and one of the more interesting additions for ’09 is the MCRMX squad. The riders include Frenchman Benjamin Coisy, Aussie Daniel McCoy, and Cole Siebler and Jeff Alessi from the U.S. Mike Genova and Andy James are lifelong friends, and the two businessmen are the backers behind the new team. As Mike explained, “We’re a couple of kids who grew up with nothing and started our own businesses and had some success, and we decided that success we could translate into us being here today.”

From left to right, it's Daniel McCoy, Cole Siebler, Benjamin Coisy, and half of the team ownership, with Mike Genova.

“We’ve always kind of had the desire to own a race team. So this year we made the decision to do that, for a couple different reasons. One is because we’re motorcycle fanatics. Andy still races two days every weekend, two classes, and is one of the premiere professional riders in our area in his age. I’m still as slow as ever, and getting slower. We ride motocross, we ride flattrack, we ride snowmobiles, and vintage motorcycles. We like to ride motorcycles and are enthusiasts. We’ve been doing it our whole lives and enjoy it. That said, we wanted to be in the motorcycle racing industry on a professional level, and this is our effort.”

Continuing, Mike explained, “My company is Leisure Concepts. We manufacture products for the hot tub industry, and we’re in a specific category that’s the accessory end. We’re the largest in the world at what we do. Andy has a steel fabrication company that builds bridges, buildings, things like that.”

Leisure Concepts makes the steps used to climb into the team's rig, but they make them for the hot tub market. The Moto Concepts Moto Pad? That one's made specifically for the moto market.

“About six or eight months ago, Leisure Concepts decided to introduce some products to the motorcycle industry…injection-molded products, things that will help you to use your motorcycle. You’ll see some of those products currently, and see some of them coming out in the near future. What we decided to do was brand our company, and to bring attention to the products and the company, we decided to get into the motorcycle racing industry. Moto Concepts was born from Leisure Concepts, and this is our effort to broadcast the company name and those products. That’s what Moto Concepts is all about, to try and bring quality products that the industry is excited to use.”

“If you look out there you’ll see that there are not a lot of major sponsors on that truck. There’s a lot of support from smaller sponsors, so Andy James and I are the major sponsors of this team. It’s easy for us to do it the first year, but it’ll get a little harder for the second and third year if we don’t get some help. So we are looking for some help, and looking forward to that. That’s how the team concept came about.”

The team's setup is very clean and professional...and they've left plenty of open space on their team rig for sponsorship assistance.

“Why did we choose to get into the motorcycle racing industry now? We think the timing is great. We think that the door is open. Because of the economy, there are a lot of good riders that we can employ. We believe the DMG (Daytona Motorsports Group) is going to bring a lot to the industry, and we want to get in on the ground floor of that. We think it’s a good time.”

There were quite a few chuckles in the room when Mike added, “Some people would scratch their heads and say, ‘In this economic times have you lost your mind?’ Potentially we have.”

The first pro race for Moto Concepts was at Washougal in ’08, with a 40-foot fifth-wheel trailer, and a pair of riders. Cole Siebler was the best-known, and doubled as rider and crew chief. After making the decision to go ahead with a full-on race effort, they hired Al Albiker as Team Manager. In the past, Al owned Champion Cycles with Zach Osborne’s parents. Helped KTM develop the 65 and 85cc bikes along with Zach, and he was also Zach’s mechanic for his whole amateur career…47 or so amateur titles, and also when he was riding for Red Bull KTM.

Jeff Alessi is the fourth member of the team, and the only 250F rider.

When Zach got injured, Al was Mike Alessi’s mechanic for about the last seven outdoor Nationals in ’07. When Zach moved to Yamaha, Al took over the Team Manager’s spot for the KTM Jr. Team. Of course, Al’s understandably excited, and said, “With this team, I have Mike Genova as my boss, but he’s relying on my for the years of racing experience that I’ve had, and working with those riders, and bring that to the team. The group of guys that we’ve got, I’m really excited. I can’t wait to get racing. That’s when everything shows. I just want to get to Anaheim 1, start racing, and take it from there.”