Vital MX Forum QNA: Blake Wharton

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Blake Wharton
GuyB
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GuyB
Edited Date/Time 4/10/2017 4:41pm


This week's guest in the Vital MX Forum QNA is Blake Wharton. Blake spent several years in the pro ranks with the GEICO Honda and Rockstar Energy Suzuki squads, after a great amateur career. He's shown some musical skills over the years, and is now turning his attention to the writing side while exploring a variety of different events for Racer X. We ran into him this weekend at Glen Helen, where he was checking out the race while riding a TM two-stroke. He's definitely a guy who's been there and done that, on a variety of levels.

Just like always, bring your best questions, and he'll be peeking in here this week to answer them. Keep it respectful, and ask questions that you would like in a face-to-face meeting.

If you want to see previous Vital MX Forum QNAs, click the Forum QNA tag below the subject line. (Check below to see what it looks like.)


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davistld01
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davistld01 11/28/2016 2:16pm
11/28/2016 2:16pm
So...going kinda off-moto here, but how do you like UNT & Denton? I hear you have a moto club there. Are you still racing in North Texas at local races when you have time?
Motoxdoc
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Motoxdoc 11/28/2016 2:28pm
11/28/2016 2:28pm
It was fun watching you race....and your brother too! You both seemed to have what it takes to continue on. I was wondering why you quit racing at that top level?...injuries, lack of finances or did you just lose interest?....or was it more like the industry lost interest in you? It's good to see you out on a TM and that you still enjoy riding MX. I hope your future endeavors are as successful as you were/are fast, rock on!
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MX Guy 11/28/2016 2:31pm
11/28/2016 2:31pm Edited Date/Time 11/28/2016 2:39pm
Do you think more pro level MX athletes should transition to Supermoto? In your view was/is it the same fun? More laid back maybe?
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kmp1219 11/28/2016 2:34pm
11/28/2016 2:34pm
What was it like riding a Factory TM Supermoto bike in Europe? I would imagine it's not an easy transition to slick tires.

Thanks for being one of the good guys of the sport, best of luck with College, Music and Journalism! You have a lot of fans on here.

The Shop

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mb60
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mb60 11/28/2016 2:40pm
11/28/2016 2:40pm Edited Date/Time 11/28/2016 2:40pm
Blake, big fan of you since I saw you push your bike back to pits at a freestone national. Seemed like it was about 110 degrees that afternoon. Do you ever see yourself working in the industry such as Hahn or Short testing for somebody ? Thanks for taking these questions and good luck with your degree and music in the future.
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philG 11/28/2016 2:41pm
11/28/2016 2:41pm
You seemed to enjoy your trip to Mettet, and you rode pretty well for a first time there .. thanks for being so accessible and doing the TV stuff with me, was cool to meet you.

anyway , the question.

Will you be back next year??

Phil
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Falcon 11/28/2016 2:57pm
11/28/2016 2:57pm
We have some music fans on this site as well. Tell us some of your musical interests and why they are appealing to you.
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fanopj1 11/28/2016 5:17pm
11/28/2016 5:17pm
More of a comment. You gave my son your jersey at the Daytona supercross in 2010 and signed it for him. You made his weekend and I wanted to thank you. Would love to see you back out there tearing it up. Best of luck to you in your future endeavors.
Blake Wharton 11/28/2016 5:20pm
11/28/2016 5:20pm
Falcon wrote:
We have some music fans on this site as well. Tell us some of your musical interests and why they are appealing to you.
Hey Falcon, I started playing the guitar at age 14 and began writing originals around age 19. I've always felt like extreme sports and rock n' roll were born out of the same spirit. I grew up listening to the greats of 90s grunge like Sound Garden and Alice In Chains. I've been fortunate to have the chance to record with Bobby Capps of .38 Special and some of the guys from 3 Doors Down. We are looking at booking some shows in the near future so be on the look out for us. Maybe I'll see you at a East Coast SX.
Blake Wharton 11/28/2016 7:19pm
11/28/2016 7:19pm
potatoflake wrote:
Llamas or alpacas and why?
Alpacas of course. They have the most expensive fleece in the world... much like myself.
Blake Wharton 11/28/2016 7:24pm
11/28/2016 7:24pm
fanopj1 wrote:
More of a comment. You gave my son your jersey at the Daytona supercross in 2010 and signed it for him. You made his weekend and...
More of a comment. You gave my son your jersey at the Daytona supercross in 2010 and signed it for him. You made his weekend and I wanted to thank you. Would love to see you back out there tearing it up. Best of luck to you in your future endeavors.
Hey fanopj1, glad to have been apart of those great memories. I'm hoping to be back at Daytona this year for the return of AMA TT. We'll keep you posted as it develops.
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FahQ 11/28/2016 7:42pm
11/28/2016 7:42pm
Any chance of you showing up at any of the two stroke nationals on a factory TM 300?
Maybe an invite to Glen Helen?
Blake Wharton 11/28/2016 7:44pm
11/28/2016 7:44pm
philG wrote:
You seemed to enjoy your trip to Mettet, and you rode pretty well for a first time there .. thanks for being so accessible and doing...
You seemed to enjoy your trip to Mettet, and you rode pretty well for a first time there .. thanks for being so accessible and doing the TV stuff with me, was cool to meet you.

anyway , the question.

Will you be back next year??

Phil
Likewise Phil. Mettet was a great experience. Yes, I hope to return next year and maybe even bring some Americans with me. A lot of talented Supermoto guys over there. Would love to see the sport flourishing state side again.
Blake Wharton 11/28/2016 8:05pm
11/28/2016 8:05pm Edited Date/Time 11/28/2016 8:05pm
mb60 wrote:
Blake, big fan of you since I saw you push your bike back to pits at a freestone national. Seemed like it was about 110 degrees...
Blake, big fan of you since I saw you push your bike back to pits at a freestone national. Seemed like it was about 110 degrees that afternoon. Do you ever see yourself working in the industry such as Hahn or Short testing for somebody ? Thanks for taking these questions and good luck with your degree and music in the future.
Hey mb60. I remember that DNF at Freestone, kept me off the podium if I'm not mistaken. You're right, Texas was a tough race but I always enjoyed performing in front of the home crowd. As far as your questions goes, yes, I'd certainly consider one of these unique jobs riding and testing for a SX or MX team. As our sport has grown it has opened up this opportunity for retired/semiretired riders to continue to use their skills and stay involved in the industry.
dbrunski125 11/28/2016 8:11pm
11/28/2016 8:11pm
Hey Blake.

Do you think the suzuki rmz 250 is an under appreciated bike? The general moto community for the most part really enjoys bashing the bike. You spent a large portion of your racing career on an rmz 250. While the bike you rode was far from stock, I'm curious what you think of the bike compared to the other manufacturers.
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Grenader26 11/28/2016 8:29pm
11/28/2016 8:29pm
I loved watching you race but the big question is what influences has Justin Blocker had on your hair care?
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Phillip_Lamb 11/28/2016 9:15pm
11/28/2016 9:15pm
Thanks for taking time to answer questions.

Do you feel at this time in your life, that if an offer to race sx came along, would you take it? or are you done with that part and would rather explore other disciplines, (including supermoto) such as off road or endurocross?

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snackfedbear
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snackfedbear 11/29/2016 3:38am
11/29/2016 3:38am
If you could go back in time and attend any one live musical performance, who/ what would it be?

By the way thanks for taking the time, and MUCH respect for the talent on and off a dirtbike.
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rhargrave431 11/29/2016 8:01am
11/29/2016 8:01am
Any regrets you have in the sport? You obviously had a stellar career but anything you wish you had done different?
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potatoflake 11/29/2016 12:25pm
11/29/2016 12:25pm
potatoflake wrote:
Llamas or alpacas and why?
Blake Wharton wrote:
Alpacas of course. They have the most expensive fleece in the world... much like myself.
You're a class act Blake.
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JG463 11/29/2016 8:39pm
11/29/2016 8:39pm
Hey Blake,

Thanks for taking the time and hanging out with us.

Tell us about your V7 Racer. What do you have done to it? How's it ride? Do you ride on the street much?

I co-own an Indian dealership and am wrapping up this build. It is a 2017 Indian Springfield. Just need to add a few things here and there. The bike is a p-51 bomber theme.

If you get the opportunity try out some of the Hooligan racing. It is a blast!



T Man 345 11/30/2016 12:01am
11/30/2016 12:01am
Hey Blake,

If the verse of a song are corners, the chorus a large triple, the bridge a filthy long whoop section, and the the guitar solo fireworks popping over the chequered flag with a big flat whip... Do you think it`s fair to say modern Alice In Chains is like AMA SX series, and modern Smashing pumpkins is like Flat track?

Sincerely,
T Ballz.
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SJK 11/30/2016 12:46am
11/30/2016 12:46am
Hi Blake, can you tell us something more about your trips to Israel and when you are planning to go again. I spent weekend in Eilat and had so much fun with Avi and friends at Eilat motocross tracks and also doing some freeriding stuff in deserts there too Smile
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Fearo 11/30/2016 8:57am
11/30/2016 8:57am
Hi Blake,

How was the TM 250/300 2-stroke?

If I'm not mistaken, you've ridden the 2017 KTM/Husky 250s, correct? How is the TM compared to those bikes?
Blake Wharton 11/30/2016 3:14pm
11/30/2016 3:14pm
davistld01 wrote:
So...going kinda off-moto here, but how do you like UNT & Denton? I hear you have a moto club there. Are you still racing in North...
So...going kinda off-moto here, but how do you like UNT & Denton? I hear you have a moto club there. Are you still racing in North Texas at local races when you have time?
Hey davistld01, the UNT Moto Club is underway and we have some pretty big things planned. Keep on the lookout for us at the Dallas SX. I have been racing some internationally as of late, but nothing local. As the club evolves I will begin to become more involved at the local level.
Blake Wharton 11/30/2016 3:22pm
11/30/2016 3:22pm
Motoxdoc wrote:
It was fun watching you race....and your brother too! You both seemed to have what it takes to continue on. I was wondering why you quit...
It was fun watching you race....and your brother too! You both seemed to have what it takes to continue on. I was wondering why you quit racing at that top level?...injuries, lack of finances or did you just lose interest?....or was it more like the industry lost interest in you? It's good to see you out on a TM and that you still enjoy riding MX. I hope your future endeavors are as successful as you were/are fast, rock on!
Hey Motoxdoc, a great question. I'd say most professionals in the sport will face all of these challenges at some point in their career. For me, it was an injury in 2014 that put me on the sidelines. From there I decided to focus on school and writing. It's good to be riding and racing again. There's nothing like time to revitalize one's motorcycle passion. Who knows what the future will hold, as I'm looking to do several events this year that will keep me on the starting line.
Blake Wharton 11/30/2016 3:32pm
11/30/2016 3:32pm
MX Guy wrote:
Do you think more pro level MX athletes should transition to Supermoto? In your view was/is it the same fun? More laid back maybe?
Hi MX Guy, this is actually something we have seen in the past where pros retire from SX and land a spot in Supermoto. Compared to a full season of SX and MX, you're right, Supermoto is more mellow but I think you'd see that change as the number of participants increases. I believe Supermoto would be a great place for not only guys who are "aging out" but for young privateers who lack support in their own motor sport to make the switch to. This in turn could provide them the opportunity to gain support and continue to race.
Blake Wharton 11/30/2016 3:40pm
11/30/2016 3:40pm
kmp1219 wrote:
What was it like riding a Factory TM Supermoto bike in Europe? I would imagine it's not an easy transition to slick tires. Thanks for being...
What was it like riding a Factory TM Supermoto bike in Europe? I would imagine it's not an easy transition to slick tires.

Thanks for being one of the good guys of the sport, best of luck with College, Music and Journalism! You have a lot of fans on here.
Hey kmp1219, the guys at Factory TM Racing definitely have Supermoto figured out so that made my transition a little smoother. But yes, switching from nobbies to slicks can certainly take some time getting used to. Overall, I have found Supermoto to be a great way for guys to cross-train regardless of the motorsport. Thanks for the support and kinds words.

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