K&N's Redemption Racing Shakes off the Muck at the Canadian MX Nationals
- 16 Aug 2011
Redemption Racing, the K&N sponsored Canadian motocross team, has only been in existence for a year. K&N Race News spoke with team owner, Josh Snider, to get his take on how things are progressing. "I started Redemption Racing last year in 2010. I had been managing Team Faith from the U.S, in Canada, four years previously to making the decision to become a separate Canadian race team. This year I have a first year pro rider in the MX2 class, Eric Jeffery, and in the western ladies class I had Lauren Jung, from southern California, and I compete in the MX1 class with, Kelly Smith, joining us in MX1 for the final round of the series. Southern Ontario is where I grew up and where I call home, but I also spend a large amount of time in Alberta, where I work for the winters in the oil patch, so Lethbridge, Alberta is my second home."
How many races are in your series, how far into the season are you, and how are things going overall? "There are nine rounds in the Canadian series that go from West to East and we have completed in eight of them. I'm happy overall with how things have been going. Eric has moved himself up in the points 8 positions in the last two rounds. I'm having some good motos, but need to be more consistent. The MX1 class has a much deeper field this year which has made for closer racing. The ministry has been going excellent as well. There are always better ways to do things and better results to obtain as a team, but with every round the team has been working together and making improvements. We are all striving for the same goal and that's what makes a successful team."
Just how brutal where the conditions at the Canadian MX Nationals and what are your feelings on how you finished considering the conditions? "The conditions can be very brutal. We have had two mud races so far this year. The mud at Morden, Manitoba was heavy, deep and stuck like glue to the bike making it weigh a ton. Kamloops and Gopher Dunes are by far the roughest track on the series, there is no place to catch your breath, it's like riding a whoop section for the entire track. Some tracks have sprinkler systems that do a poor job and cause over watered muddy sections, yet other sections are so dry and dusty that vision is limited. I usually do well on the rougher tracks, especially in the second moto when it's the roughest. I find that I'm willing to fight longer through the conditions than some other riders. As long as I'm putting in my best effort I feel like I've done a good job regardless of the conditions."
You mention working on "holeshots" how's that going, and what sort of things do you do to practice starts? "We have come close, but no holeshots yet. We have a bet going that if Eric or I get a holeshot, my dad, who has had a beard for 35-plus years will finally shave it off. So you know we're trying our hardest. We practice our starts with the same setup that we will use at the track for that particular weekend. We also practice them on the same soil type, or on a cement pad if it's a cement start, as well with a starting gate when possible, to practice our reaction time." What's up next for Redemption Racing? "The final round of the series in Walton, Ontario is on August, 21st. This is my home track, as I grew up thirty minutes away. It's always an exciting event because I have so many friends and family that come out to enjoy the day and support the team which makes for a good atmosphere. After the National series is over I head back to work in Alberta and eventually get prepared for Montreal Supercross in October, and then a few Arenacross series races in Chilliwack, British Columbia during the winter." Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the K&N dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world. |
