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Jeff Ward.. Right now we’re putting everything together with Josh Grant.
"you must not follow the gay ass social networking medium known as Twitter too close"
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MXA: When did the whole team deal come together?
Jeff: I’ve been wanting to put together a 250 team now for a couple of years. I wanted to branch out from Troy Lee and have more control over certain things. I was working with Troy and their guys, and I have been with Troy forever. So I was trying to do my own deal, and I have some investors. There are people that wanted to do a team. I had meetings with Roger DeCoster, as well as Kawasaki. We’ve been trying to put things together, but we didn’t really have the infrastructure. Then I saw that Mike Kranyak wanted to keep his race team going. At first the team was up for sale. I realized that Mike and I were both trying to reach the same group of people and have the same goals, so I called up Mike. He thought it was an interesting idea, so we met over breakfast, and in about an hour we talked and decided to join forces.
Mike Kranyak has worked with James Stewart and Chad Reed, while you’ve talked about forming a 250 team. Have you reached common ground in terms of riders, or even the class you’re going to focus on?
Yes. Our plan is to have two 450 riders. Right now we’re putting everything together with Josh Grant. There are a handful of other guys still out there. We’ll look and see what the next best thing is that works for our situation and our budget. We’re definitely going to be in the 450 class. Mike’s previous team riders, with Reed and Stewart, were phenomenal. The infrastructure of that team is first class. Now we’re meeting with sponsors and getting the shop tied together. We know that it’s the first year and we’re late in getting things going. We’re ramping up more for next year than this year. Even with the manufacturers, no one really has anything available. We’re in the process of working all of that out right now
The L&M team has never committed to racing the Nationals. Is that decision going to change for the 2012 season?
Yes. That’s our plan. I can’t speak for everyone, but I think they want to go outdoors. Of course any team would love a break, because then they can spend time with their families. However, as a racer, it might be nice taking a little break, but after a few weeks you’re itching to go back out and race. I’m a hardcore outdoor motocross guy. I like seeing these guys race the outdoors and work hard. It helps with Supercross the following year, because there’s not a big break. Definitely the outdoors is in our program.
Will the team still be on Yamahas, or are you looking into working with another manufacturer?
We’re looking at working with another manufacturer. I don’t believe that we will be with Yamaha. We’ve talked with Kawasaki and Suzuki. Nobody has a lot out there. Due to my relationship with Kawasaki, I think it would be great for the future to make the team bigger and better with them. Everyone at Kawasaki seems to want to do it, but it’s all about putting together a program that works. If we have to buy bikes or do whatever, then that’s what we will do. We’re going to make sure that the riders are happy with what we do have to offer. We’ll build and do whatever needs to be done to make that happen.
Can you shed light on some of the sponsors that are already on board with the team?
It’s too early to tell. We have a few calls to make on a couple of sponsors. Right now nothing has been inked and done, but everything is moving along extremely well. When the team deal was announced it seemed like the flood gates opened. We’ve been getting calls from riders, manufacturers, clothing companies and aftermarket businesses. We haven’t jumped the gun, because there could be several delicate situations with conflicting sponsors.
As a former Kawasaki factory rider, you must have sone insight in Villopoto's season. Was Ryan Villopoto’s season the most successful year ever for a racer in this sport?
If you look at it from a money standpoint, I’m not sure. Who knows what James Stewart gets paid? However, for a one-race deal, then heck yeah. There’s no way anyone has come close to that, except for a Championship bonus. For a night’s paycheck, it was huge. I won the 250 Supercross and National title, as well as the Motocross des Nations, in 1985. One year Jean-Michel Bayle won all three classes in the same year. As for Ryan Villopoto, he had a good year! I would definitely liked to have won that much money in one day. When I raced it would have taken three years of salary to get a million dollars!
Pit Row
I heard that Davi Milsaps was at Pala Raceway this week riding a Kawasaki. I haven’t heard much about where he might go, in fact, the last I heard he was hoping to stay with JGR. Maybe now that Stewart is there he has more say in who his teammate will be? Either way it is interesting to see Davi on a Kawasaki. Is he prepping for the Wardy/Kranyak team? I’m totally guessing there, folks. I’ll let you know if I find anything out for sure.
Would be interesting to see grant and millsaps on the same team
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