Industry Insights | Ft. Brian Kranz 5

In this edition of Industry Insights, Brian Kranz, who spent eleven years wrenching for Eli Tomac and accumulating wins and championships talks to us about finding his passion for working on bikes, his career, and a life-changing event. Brian wracked up 83 wins, six championships, and now works as the Testing Coordinator/Technician for the Kawasaki race team.

For the full interview, check out the Vital MX podcast right here. If you're interested in the condensed written version, scroll down just a bit further.

Jamie Guida – Vital MX: How's it going, Kranz? It's been a while since we've talked. How are you?

Brian Kranz: Yeah, it has. I've been down and out the last year and a half. I'm just getting back into the swing of things.

Vital MX: Yes, you have, and I want to get to that. First, let's start with your background.

Brian Kranz: I grew up in Southern California around the Santa Clarita Valley in the Valencia area. I grew up riding and racing tracks in SoCal and always worked on my own stuff, where I developed a passion for working on motorcycles. That led to me attending MMI (Motorcycle Mechanics Institute) after graduating High School. I was lucky enough to get a job at Yamaha of Troy, which was based out of Valencia, about a month after graduating from MMI. That's where it all started. That was towards the end of 2003, and that was the first race team I worked for.

Vital MX: Did MMI teach you everything you needed to know? Or was a lot of it hands-on?

Kranz: A lot was hands-on. MMI gives you a solid foundation of motorcycles in general but is more geared to put you in a dealership. They don't really teach you the racing side. I did have a performance class where I got dyno jet certified, but it's geared to put you in dealerships. The racing side is something you have to luck into.

Vital MX: How far did you go in your amateur racing career?

Kranz: I was ok. I didn't go pro. I was a local intermediate rider, which made me want to be a mechanic. I realized I wouldn't be a professional racer or make a living at it, but I loved working on motorcycles. I always had the cleanest bikes at the local tracks, and that's when I decided to go to MMI and broaden my knowledge to see where it would take me.

Vital MX: It took you to Y.o.T. first. How did that gig come about?

Kranz: They were based in my hometown, and one of my buddies worked for the race team. He was a shop guy, and I got my foot in the door to be a helper with him, working around the shop and doing little odds and ends. We would help the mechanics, and a few months after starting there, Danny Smith's mechanic moved up to be a full-time suspension guy. That opened up a mechanic position, and they gave me a shot. That was my first rider in 2004.

Vital MX: You have to have the right skills, but It really is luck and who you know sometimes.

Kranz: For sure. It is so much about who you know. As you said, you must have some motorcycle skills and knowledge, but knowing people and networking goes a long way.

Vital: In those first couple of years at Y.o.T., what lessons did you learn that stuck with you?

Kranz: I learned a lot there. I was so young and green that I tried to take in as much as possible. I did a lot of work with Frenchie, who was the Crew Chief at the time. I learned a lot from him, spending days going to Yamaha and running things on the dyno. I was just trying things and would take it all in daily. I would bust my ass to help out as much as I could, and it was really good. I stayed with Danny for two years there. Then he went to Motosport Honda, and I went with him. He ended up going to do Arenacross shortly after that. I've been fortunate to work with a lot of good guys.

Vital MX: The most notable 'good guy' was Eli Tomac, who you started working with in 2010 at Factory Connection Honda.

Kranz: I went to Motosport with Danny Smith in 2006. In 2007, we lost Honda at Motosport and became Motosport Kawasaki. That year, I was a full-time engine builder for the team. The team was supposed to fold, so I started talking to the guys at Factory Connection. I went there for the start of the 2008 season. Bobby Hewitt actually kept the Motosport Kawi team going, but I had already committed to Factory Connection. So, I started there at the end of 2007 and worked for Josh Grant in 2008. Then Josh went to JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing), so I worked with Metty (Brett Metcalfe) in 2009 and '10. Then, I started with Eli at the end of 2010. 

Vital MX: You worked with Eli for eleven years. How was it getting to know him early on? 

Kranz: Eli was very quiet and shy. It was hard to break that shell, but as the years went on and we had a lot of success, he trusted me and my work. That's why we could work and stay together as long as we did. Our relationship was always good. Eli doesn't open up to many people, but he has changed a lot in the last few years. I think that has to do with growing older and starting a family. That changes everything. It's been great to see him open up a bit, be more interactive with the people, and smile. He was so much 'business only' for so long, and it's good to see him loosen up a bit.

Vital MX: I agree. I think he's enjoying it more. Were you wrenching for him when he won his rookie race at Hangtown in 2010?

Kranz: No, I wasn't. He did that during my last run with Brett Metcalfe. I started with him at the end of that season. I was there for the start of his Supercross career in 2011.

Vital MX: You guys went on to win multiple championships. Talk about how that first 250 Supercross championship in 2012 felt.

Kranz: It was amazing. To win any title is so special. 2011 was his rookie year, and 2012 came down to Vegas. It was us against Broc Tickle, which is funny because I work closely with Broc now at Kawasaki. I think he won that title by one or two points (It was six). Honestly, I think it was a blessing not to win because back then if you won the title, you had a year to defend and then had to move up. He would have had to move up at a young age, and I don't think he would have been as ready as he needed to be to make that move. It was crazy with it coming down to the wire in our rookie year. Then, getting it done the next year was really cool. I thought we were going to back it up in '13 as well. We started the season on fire, winning the first three races, but then we had a big crash in Oakland. That set us back, but that first championship was special and something I'll never forget.

Vital MX: You did win the outdoor championship in '13. Comparing the indoor vs outdoor championship, does one mean more to you as a mechanic?

Kranz: For mechanics, an outdoor title is much harder to get. The bikes are getting destroyed in every moto, and it's a lot more grueling and work. Supercross, in general, is fairly clean and easy. As far as workload, the outdoor title is harder to get. It's crazy what they do to these motorcycles in the outdoor races.

Vital MX: You also have to look at a mechanic's other roles. You usually get there a day early, build your bike, set up the tent, etc. You get there early in the morning, stay late at night, and then get up the next morning and work on bikes in the hotel parking lot. It's not just wrenching on the bike for a few hours.

Kranz: Oh, for sure. Honestly, race day is kind of easy. All of our work is done two or three days before that. That's when all the real work is put in.

Vital MX: Let's jump to 2016 when Eli left Honda to go to Factory Kawasaki and took you with him. How did that discussion go, and what did it mean to you that he wanted to take you with him?

Kranz: The discussion was pretty short and sweet. He told me he was making a move and wanted to take me with him. It was an easy answer for me. It was, "Yeah, let's do it. Let's keep this rolling." So, we went to Kawi, and our first year there was tough. We had some ups and downs, and it was a learning curve. We finally got rolling, and things were clicking in '17. From there, we started winning a lot of races. We were able to rack up four titles.

Vital MX: Were there any significant changes in how you did business from Honda to Kawasaki? Anything you didn't like or something you liked better?

Kranz: Moving to Kawi was a big change because it was much more corporate than anything I'd done before. Before going to Kawi, I didn't even know what HR (Human Resources) was. I didn't know it was a thing, and it was a big thing. You have to pay attention to stuff when working in that environment. Going from race teams doing whatever we wanted to that atmosphere was a big change.

Vital MX: Did the corporate side take any of the fun out of it?

Kranz: I don't want to say it took any of the fun out. You just had to do things a bit differently at times. We still had a blast.

Vital MX: The first premier class championship came in the 450 outdoor season of 2017. Then, later, the first Supercross title was awarded in 2020. What are a couple of moments that stand out through all the success?

Kranz: Well, we did three in a row in '17, '18, and '19. They are all so special. Just winning a race is something so elusive to many riders and mechanics. Winning a championship is incredible, and to win three in a row outdoors was something I never dreamed I'd be a part of. It's so hard to do. To win that first one was awesome. The second was even better. Then, going three in a row was like, "Is this actually happening right now?" It was cool.

Vital MX: Did the first Supercross title feel like a monkey off your back?

Kranz: Yeah, for sure. Unfortunately, it was that crazy Covid 2020 year when things were weird. So, it wasn't all that cool. I mean, we won the title, which was amazing, but in Salt Lake, we were down on the podium, and it was just Eli. We had none of our team there. No one down with us to celebrate and be pumped up together. It was really weird, and the only thing that was a bummer. We still got it done, and honestly, it almost felt like we won the Supercross title twice that year. We took the points lead in Daytona, and it all went away for a couple of months. Then it was like starting over when we got to Salt Lake. I'm happy we were able to get it done there.

Vital MX: Are there any non-championship career highlights? Whether it be traveling or bucket list items.

Kranz: Winning Monster Cup. We did that twice. We won the million dollars one time, which was cool and special. I also always enjoyed doing Motocross of Nations even though I wasn't able to be a part of the winning team. We went there and got podiums. We got seconds and thirds, and that was always a fun race. It's super special. I wish we could have won it and brought the trophy home to the USA when I was a part of the team, but it's a tough race to win.

Vital MX: In 2021, you decided to step away from traveling as a mechanic and became the Testing Coordinator and Technician at Kawasaki. What made you make that decision? I know you have a wife and three kids. Was that the main reason?

Kranz: That's exactly it. I was getting burned out on the travel, grind, and being away from my kids. As you said, I have three kids at home who are ten and eight, and my son is five. It was time for me to be around more. I was starting to miss things I'd never get back. They were starting to do sports and extra-curricular stuff, and it was time to make a change. Once Eli told me he was leaving Kawi to go to Yamaha, it was an easy decision not to go with him. I would have had to uproot my family in California to move to Florida. It wasn't in the cards where I was in my life then. It was a perfect opportunity to break away and start something different.

Vital MX: The decision sounded fairly easy, but once A1 came around, did you feel you were missing out? 

Kranz: Oh, I was a wreck. It took me about half the season to chill out and realize, "This is my life now. I'm not traveling every weekend or at the races on Saturdays." Yeah, my wife didn't think I was going to make it. I was walking around the house like a wreck, but it didn't take too long, and it became more normal being away. I enjoy what I do now and being a part of the race team. I have a big influence on the motorcycle behind the scenes.

Vital MX: Was it what you expected once you got into the role? What are your roles in that position?

Kranz: We hired Broc Tickle as our full-time test rider, and I work closely with him. We help develop the motorcycle and try to make things better. This year, we have the 2024 model, which is a completely new model. We were busting our butt to develop it and come up with settings for the guys so when they jumped on it, they were happy and comfy as quickly as possible. That's my role. Testing parts and trying to make the bike better. If it's good, we give it to Jason (Anderson) and AC (Adam Cianciarulo) to try.

Vital MX: Is your role only with the race team, or do you have some connection with the production side?

Kranz: It's the race team only.

Vital MX: Is there any communication between the production and race teams? Do they let you know what is coming so you can prepare?

Kranz: We have a relationship with the production side of things, and that relationship has been getting better and better. Japan has been becoming more involved with what we do, which is great. We love having them involved and understanding what we are doing here. It's such a huge asset for us.

Vital MX: Earlier, you mentioned you were down and out recently. In September of '22, you were diagnosed with Tcell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, which is a scary and rare form of cancer. I believe you found a lump under your armpit. Walk us through that time.

Kranz: Once I got off the road and stopped traveling, I was able to put a lot of time into myself. I was doing a lot of mountain bike riding and racing, and I was in the best shape of my life. One day, I felt a little lump in my armpit and thought it was weird, but I didn't think much about it. A couple of weeks later, I went to Mammoth on a camping trip and did some mountain biking there. Then I came home, and that week, that lump blew up huge, almost to the size of a fist. I knew something wasn't right, so I went to my doctor. I had a chest x-ray, and he said to go get a CT scan right away. I was still feeling ok at that point. I wasn't sick or anything. I got the CT, and they saw the lump under my armpit and they found a big nodule on my chest, along with some other stuff going on. They said, "You need to go get a biopsy." I did that, and they diagnosed me. All this happened within two and a half to three weeks. As soon as I was diagnosed, I drove to San Diego and checked myself into the emergency room. I said, "I have cancer, and I need to start treatment right away." That's where it started. I didn't even have an oncologist or anything. I was being guided by my best friend's wife, who is a nurse. She had the biopsy set up for me and had me in talks with an oncologist I was going to work with. Once they got the biopsy, the oncologist saw the diagnosis and said, "We don't have time to wait for you to meet with me. You need to start treatment right now."

Vital MX: Thank God for your friend's wife. 

Kranz: For sure. My wife and I drove down to San Diego, unaware of what was happening. Our lives just got flipped upside down. Luckily, I ended up at a good place called Jacob's Medical in La Jolla, California. I spent a month in the hospital there and started on heavy treatment. That is still going on. The heavy stuff kind of ended four or five months ago, but I'm still in what they call maintenance. I'm still in treatment until March of 2026, but it's a lot lighter. I'm in full remission, and I have to finish my protocol. I have to pray and hope I never relapse, and it never comes back.

Vital MX: How gnarly was the treatment? How sick did it make you?

Kranz: It's hard to put into words. It is the most terrible thing you can go through in your life. I was very, very sick. At one point, the chemo gave me pancreatitis, which put me back in the hospital for over a week. That was probably the worst pain I've ever felt in my life. Dealing with all the side effects of chemo is the hardest part. It's so much stuff from being sick, nauseous, neuropathy, and I always have a tingling in my fingers. A lot of people get it in their feet, too. Just last month, I had one heavy round of chemo, and it crippled me. I couldn't walk for a few days because it messed up my legs' nerves. They're pumping you full of poison, and it destroys everything. Good and bad. It's crazy, but I'm happy to be here and back working. I'm getting some normalcy back, and I'm building some strength. 

Vital MX: Let's end this with some positives. I saw you back at the races at A1 with Kawasaki. Sounds like you'll be at a few of the races. That has to feel good to be back and around the crew. 

Kranz: Yeah, it was awesome to be back at the races, catch up with everyone, and see all the familiar faces. After everything I went through, the support and love from the industry have been so awesome and overwhelming. It's humbling. It's cool everyone stepped up to help when I was in a time of need.

Vital MX: Did you get to see Eli over at Yamaha?

Kranz: I did go by there Saturday morning to his rig and hung out for a bit. He was in and out, and we talked for a few minutes. Nothing crazy, but I was able to see him and catch up.