Inside The Dirt Lab

How would you take on the Factory and top Satellite teams with very little funding and resources? How do you prepare your your body and bike to go 30 minutes plus two laps against the best in the world? You go to out to your local "Dirt Lab" and ride endless laps. You test countless engine and suspension settings. You work with the best aftermarket companies and focus on performance and reliability. You go back to your garage, your shop, your own local "Dirt Lab", and prepare your machine for tomorrow's testing session. You stay however late it takes, until all the work is done, and that preparation gets you onto the starting line for main events.

Jesse Black, showing off some Dirt Lab gloves from Novik earlier this year.

The Dirt Lab philosophy is what the core of our sport is about. It is a man, woman, and machine against the track. We all started riding in a dirt lot somewhere, then progressed to motocross tracks, hare scramble courses, and long desert loops. It's how much time and effort you spent in The Dirt Lab that determined how fast, how long and ultimately how much satisfaction you get out of racing motorcycles.

Ryan Clark and Jesse have been teamed up for quite a while, both as a rider/mechanic combination, and on ventures like the original Dirt Lab location.

Technician Jesse Black founded The Dirt Lab on this principle. As a motorcycle rider, racer, and technician for nearly two decades, he knows the results come from putting in your time. While working alongside professional AMA racer and Team Solitaire owner Ryan Clark since the 2005 season, Black realized most of their time was spent between the test tracks, the race shop and the road. He affectionately coined the culmination of all these things as "The Dirt Lab." The duo posted solid results in the 2006 season finishing ninth overall in AMA Supercross and 12th overall in AMA Nationals, along with winning the Montreal SX in 2007. They expanded Team Solitaire's efforts working with MB1 Suspension's Mike Battista as Team manager for 2008. Hiring riders Bobby Kiniry and Kyle Partridge to head up the lites regions proved effective, as they posted many top ten finishes. With the highlight of the season being #45 Kiniry taking the 3rd step on the podium in San Diego SX behind the likes of a focused Jason Lawrence and a young Ryan Dungey.

Bobby Kiniry, leading the way at the Last Vegas Supercross finals, in the Lites West heat.

At the end of the 2008 series when Jesse decided to open a shop in Phoenix, Arizona, he fittingly named it "The Dirt Lab", and partnered with Clark on the venture. The two based the shop on racing, with the look and feel of the pits on the pro tour they were accustomed to. Offering a open service area, plus their knowledge of years of racing and riding to the public, it instantly became a moto racing hotspot. When asked what The Dirt Lab was about, they came up with the slogan, "All Things Moto," which sums up the realm of parts, services and accessories they deal with. The Dirt Lab has started from meager beginnings just as Team Solitaire had, always focusing ahead and seizing opportunities during hard economic conditions.

Clemente DeSalle, back when he wasn't quite as well known in the U.S., riding a Dirt Lab Honda at Washougal.

When offered the chance to work with then relatively unknown GP privateer Clemente DeSalle for the 2009 Washougal MX National, The Dirt Lab stepped up and built a race bike for DeSalle. With his specifications and no seat time prior to Saturday practice, the Belgian rider and Dirt Lab-tuned bike sat on top of timed qualifying after the 1st session. Clement then had a breakout ride in the first moto taking third place in the always stacked 450 class.

DeSalle, working his way around the Washougal course.

How much of a breakout? Desalle did catch a little extra attention from the AMA, with post-race inspection to ensure that their privateer machine was legal, and they passed with flying colors.

When privateers do well, it sometimes catches the attention of the officals, who wonder how they're beating some of the U.S. stars.

These days, Jesse's hanging a little closer to home, and focusing on The Dirt Lab business, rather than spending his More recently, Dirt Lab graphics on Jacqueline Strong's KTM in WMX competition, and has been working on expanding his Dirt Lab business ventures.

Jacqueline Strong, racing at Millville under the Dirt Lab banner.

"Focusing on the growing shop, launching the web store www.thedirtlab.com, and recently opening The Dirt Lab in Salt Lake City, Utah, has taken a lot of energy and time," says Black. But I always remember the reasons I got into this sport, the people and friends you make along the way, the awesome days at the track or on the trail, the bikes you build that just run fantastic...I think it's actually the sport that got into me. This is my way to give back to it and remain a part of it. I hope to run into all of you at the races, the practice track, the trail...your personal dirt lab."

Jesse has been a longtime fan of Vital MX, and has offered up a 15% discount to Vital viewers who place orders on thedirtlab.com (use vitalmx in the coupon box at checkout). Do you want to take advantage of his years of pro-level experience with a tech question? You can email him at Jesse@thedirtlab.com. He's also available for dealer inquiries, accepting applications for sponsorship opportunities, and Dirt Lab franchise opportunities.