3 for 3 - Rapid Fire Questions with TLD's McElrath, Nelson, and Oldenburg

Jessy Nelson
1) What’s been the hardest part about coming back from an injury?
With any injury the hardest part about coming back is the missing seat time. You’ve missed time on the bike & time testing, while everyone else has had that. You’re kind of playing catch up trying to build back up (to race shape). But I feel good and think we’ve made it back to that place where I don’t feel behind.

2) The start at Glen Helen is the longest on the circuit, how important is the start there and how nerve wracking or intense is it going wide open into that big first turn?
I like this start. I think where we struggled last year, we’ll be more prepared this year. We’ve got our bikes figured out and ready for a long drag race. The first turn is always sketchy, but there is a lot of room around Talladega (Glen Helen’s first turn) so it’s nice that it isn’t tight.

3) If you weren’t a dirt bike racer, what other career path do you think you might have taken?
My first instinct is to say astronaut. But mountain man sounds more like me. Go off the grid, not do anything. You couldn’t find me up in the mountains somewhere.

Shane McElrath
1) What do you think the key to doing well at Glen Helen will be?
The weather isn’t supposed to be too bad, so that can definitely play into our favor this year. Last year, we saw the track get so rough. This year, we got to go to Hangtown first and that track got really rough, so we have a good setup coming into this race. I think that riding on the edge here is risky, but I think that’s what it’s going to take to beat some of the field here.

2) Most challenging part about outdoors vs supercross?
The most challenging part about outdoors is forcing yourself to settle down and realize you have 35 minutes to work with, where as in supercross, you make one mistake and you are already behind and the race is half as long. So to make the first half of the race as clean and fast as possible and then settling in during that second half to continue to click off laps.

3) If you weren’t a dirt bike racer, what other career path do you think you might have taken?
I took drafting and design in high school and I really enjoy that still, so I could see myself having done something with that. Pretty much anything that’s hands on like that.

Mitchell Oldenburg
1) What’s been the best part of joining the TLD race team?
Just having a great group of guys around me to help me achieve my goals. Everyone has the goal to be out front and are very supportive to help me get there.

2) What outdoor round is your favorite?
I would have to say Millville. I grew up near there and racing there, so it’s pretty much my home track.

3) If you weren’t a dirt bike racer, what other career path do you think you might have taken?
I like cardio and the athlete side, so I would have probably pursued something maybe with cycling or running.