AMA Arenacross Series Interview of the Week: GPF/Babbitt’s Kawasaki Team Manager Josh Woods

Last
weekend, the team’s second-year rider
Daniel Aulsaybrook overcame a four-point deficit in the Eastern Regional
Championship to claim his first-career professional title. As the 2010
season
comes to a close this weekend in Denver, the Woods’ are offered the same
opportunity in the conclusion of the Western Regional Championship as
arenacross rookie A.J. Catanzaro carries a 20-point advantage into the
final
two nights of racing.

Both
Aulsaybrook and Catanzaro have been solid throughout the entire season
and the
GPF/Babbitt’s team has undoubtedly been the team to beat in the AMA
Arenacross
Lites class. We caught up with Josh Woods to talk about the opportunity
to
sweep the regional championships this season and what it means to the
Georgia
Practice Facility (GPF) to achieve such tremendous success.

Josh, talk a little
bit about your season. Last weekend Daniel won the Eastern Regional
crown and
now A.J. has the chance to do the same this weekend in the Western
Regional. Is
this something you thought the team could achieve at the beginning of
the year?

That
was the goal we set out for. Our whole idea for putting A.J. out west
was
because this was his first arenacross (season). In fact, Grand Rapids
was his
first professional race. So we wanted to get him some experience before
he had
to start his points race. We tried to align ourselves with the best
riders we
thought were available and Dano was prepared and ready coming in so we
thought
he’d be a good choice for the east. He started off (the season) with a
bang
with a second place right off the bat, but then he struggled for a few
rounds
after that with some injuries. (However), he was able to rebound and
really
came through over the last couple races and came alive. He did what he
had to
do to get the (championship) for us.

What went into selecting
these two riders? Daniel got hurt before the season started last year
and A.J.
was a last-minute decision this season. What made you stick with
Aulsaybrook
and decide Catanzaro was a good fit for the team?

 
Well
obviously with Dano we saw things that we liked last year with him and
his work
ethic. Unfortunately he ended up getting hurt and I think he had a real
good
shot at it. He was just starting to come alive. So this year, he got him
down
to GPF early and he was ready to go when the season started. We were
actually
between a couple riders for our second guy and it came down to December
before
we actually made a choice. There were a few guys we were looking at and a
few
guys on the fence about wanting to do supercross but didn’t have much
going. A.J.
just happened to be training here at GPF for Mini O’s and I saw him on
the
supercross track on a 450. At the time I didn’t really know A.J. but I
could
instantly tell he had a lot of talent. Things kind of came together. I
talked
to his dad on the phone along with A.J. a couple of times and everything
worked
out to where we put him on our practice bike and before we knew it we
were on
our way to the first round. It was right around Christmas time before he
really
committed to our program so he didn’t have a lot of time to do training
for
arenacross, but he learned quick and used the first couple rounds to get
his
feet wet and now he’s riding like a seasoned veteran.

You’ve been on both
sides as a former rider and now a team manager. With that being said,
since you
really understand what it takes to be successful in each aspect, how
difficult
is it to achieve what your team is potentially going to accomplish this
weekend
in sweeping the regional titles?

It’s a little bit of
luck and talent. Like I said, the whole package has to come together.
Our bikes
have been great all season. We haven’t had a mechanical (issue) yet,
knock on
wood (laughs). Also, the riders have to be fit and stay healthy for the
whole
season. Things have just come together. In a way there is a little bit
of luck
involved and things have worked out well for us this season, but a lot
of that
comes with preparation too. This is our fourth year doing this now so
I’ve used
all of my knowledge and background that I have to put together the best
program
we can. My dad, with his mechanical background, builds the best bikes,
but we
also try to make them reliable. I just think we have a really good
package.

But, you know, GPF is
probably the biggest advantage we have. Having a place where the guys
can train
is just a huge advantage for them to have the tracks, do the training
and get
out there with the guys they’re riding with. We have some of the top
supercross
guys down here so it’s really just a combination of things. Everything
kind of
fit together this year and it’s worked out the way we wanted it to.

With a facility and a
team philosophy dedicated to grooming young riders into arenacross
champions
and giving them the best opportunity possible, what does it mean to GPF
to
achieve such tremendous success this season?


Its awesome because this is exactly what we set out to do with the
arenacross
team is take some young guys who have the talent and the work ethic to
make it
happen and help them get to that next level. A lot of people ask me if
it’s hard
for me to go to the races every weekend to watch and not race and not be
out
there with those guys. But it’s really not because it’s very rewarding
for me
to watch those guys and work with those guys and see them get better
every
week. It’s very rewarding and a lot of fun for me and my dad. We have a
great
time with this team and working with the guys this year like Dano and
A.J..
They’ve done all we could have ever asked of them and they put in the
hard work
and it’s shown down the stretch. They’ve had a couple bad races here and
there,
but they’ve been consistent. We also couldn’t have done it without the
sponsors
making the bikes as good as they have. It just takes the entire package
and its
all come together this year really well for us.

What is next for the
GPF team? Do you make the move into premier class on 450s? I know both
riders
have taken their chances out there in the Arenacross class. Or do you
just keep
moving forward and try to defend the titles and maybe bring in some new
riders?


I really don’t know what’s next for our team. I would like us in the
450s and
keep grooming riders but in a way I’d kind of like to stay a Lites team.
Continue down the path that we’re on and maybe come in with some new
guys next
year, maybe keep one or two. I just have no idea what the future holds. I
would
love to continue working with young guys and groom them and with the age
limit
changing as far as getting your pro license (for supercross), I think
you’re
going to see more and more young guys taking the arenacross route. I
think
that’s a great step. There are a few guys out there ready to go pro at
16, but
it’s a very small few. Arenacross in my opinion is a great stepping
stone for
them and getting them ready for that. We have some great riders here at
GPF that
are coming through the ranks right now and I’m pretty excited to maybe
work
with them in the future.

Advance
tickets are available for this weekend’s Denver Arenacross at the Denver
Coliseum Box Office, Ticketmaster charge by phone and ticketmaster.com. Tickets
cost $2 more the day of the race.

Fans
in attendance also can take part in the Track Party on Saturday from 5-6 p.m.
for the chance to meet the riders and get autographs. Simply recycle
any MONSTER
ENERGY can at the gate entrance for FREE admission.
Must
have valid Saturday event ticket to enter.

Tickets
for all rounds of the 2010 season can be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com
and www.arenacross.com.

For more
information on the AMA Arenacross Series log on to www.arenacross.com.

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