What's New @ Dream Traxx!

Summertime fun at Dream Traxx!

2011-07-16T09:42:00.000-07:00

So it's been a crazy summer here at Dream Traxx. After making sure all of our riders were set up for supercross in the beginning of the year, it was time to return to all of their compounds to get their tracks ready for the outdoor season.

First was Geico Honda racer Justin Barcia. His track turned out to be an absolute masterpiece. Word quickly spread about the creation we made, and soon we teamed up with the guys at VurbMoto, and Taylor Congdon of the Moto the Movie series to film what could be some of the best footage ever recorded in moto! You can check out the Justin Barcia Platinum at http://www.vurbmoto.com/theatre/1625/vurb-platinum-ft-justin-barcia/ . If you haven't seen it yet, be sure to check it out!

Then it was of to Factory Honda racer Trey Canard's compound in Oklahoma. As we were driving to the airport, bright and early in the morning, I read the 'tweet'....Canard breaks femur while testing in California. My heart sunk. With it being close to the end of the supercross series, and Canard putting together some amazing results, I was bummed to know he wouldn't be able to finish what he had started! But, we headed to Trey's anyways, knowing that he would make his return sometime during the outdoor season. By the time we finished Trey's track, he returned home from California and had to look at a track he wouldn't be able to ride for weeks. He was pumped to see how awesome it turned out, but so bummed he was only able to 'look' at it for awhile!

Once we were home, and caught our breath, we packed up and headed to Ryan Villopoto's compound. Ryan wanted a completely new outdoor track, and we had big ideas in store. The main challenge at Ryan's is how flat the land is, and how close it is to the water table. We are only able to excavate down so far, so creating elevation changes is a challenge. But, in the end we succeeded. We built Ryan a track that will challenge him in many ways - from the Florida sand, to the rough sections, crazy jumps, and turns through the trees - we know that this track will help strengthen Ryan in his day to day training! With this, and Aldon Baker as his trainer, we know that his endurance will never be an issue! You can check out the pictures of Ryan's new outdoor track at http://www.vurbmoto.com/darkroom/317/rv2-unseen-photos/ and http://www.racerxonline.com/2011/07/11/dream-traxx-villopotos-house . Footage of his track and compound will also be in the Moto the Movie, set to release in October!

Next, we were off the the Stewart Compound! Building for James and Malcolm is like none other. They like things BIG!! There are many times during the construction of their track, that I am sure the dozer and skidsteer where at angles they should never be operated at! As the track was completed, and I stood back and observed it, I was so glad to know that I would never have to attempt jumps like that. But, boy was it amazing to watch them hit those jumps, and fly through the air at speeds and heights that are rarely seen!

Finally, we were off to Canada for a new track and facility being created by Travis Hesketh of MX Rankings. MX Ranking is a concept and vision that Travis had, and he is bringing it to the forefront of motocross. Be sure to check it out, and join at www.mxrankings.com . We were set to leave Florida around 8am and arrive in Canada at 2pm....yeah, in a perfect world. During our layover in Washington DC it was announced our flight had been cancelled. So, United put us on another flight. Once it was time to board that flight it was announced that it had been oversold, and we got booted off of that flight. So the next 'brilliant' idea that United had was to send us by cab on an hour drive to another airport that had a flight leaving at 7pm. So we were ready to head out, but quickly realized that United had now lost our luggage...GREAT! After waiting around for a few hours to find our bags, we were headed to the next airport. Boarding time came and went, as it was announced the flight was delayed...could this day get any better. We finally made it into Canada around midnight, but the 'greatness' of the day continued as we were grilled by customs for an hour as to why we were coming to Canada. WELCOME TO CANADA ! We finally met up with Travis, and were off the next day to check out his new facility. He has some great visions, and we are pumped he brought us on board to help him achieve his goals. Our plan for this trip was to tune up the track that already existed and get some ideas about how to make it even bigger and better. Mission accomplished! We had a great time working on the facility, and look forward to going back up soon to 'GO BIG' with the outdoor track!

We have had a great summer so far, and look forward to making more dirt 'look good' as the year continues. For more information on Dream Traxx, visit www.dreamtraxx.com www.facebook.com/dreamtraxx and www.twitter.com/dreamtraxx

Justin Barcia Outdoor - 2011

2011-05-24T11:50:00.001-07:00

Shortly after completing GEICO Honda Rider Justin Barcia's new supercross track, the Dream Traxx crew returned to his new compound to begin construction on his outdoor track. Jason Baker and the Dream Traxx crew spent eight days at Barcia's compound creating a monstrous outdoor track that doesn't look like it belongs in the flat lands of Florida. Take a look at the pictures below to see just how this flat piece of land was turned into a motocross rider's heaven!

For more information on Dream Traxx visit www.dreamtraxx.com . To stay up with the latest 'dirt' at Dream Traxx - follow www.twitter.com/dreamtraxx andwww.facebook.com/dreamtraxx

As you can see, the property started out as your typical flat piece of Florida land....but that was all about to change.
Photos: Dream Traxx

Let the excavation begin.

The Dream Traxx crew spent over 200 man hours excavating the property and generating dirt for the new track.

And when they were all done, it was hard to believe that this was once a flat piece of land.

With jumps that would rival any pro motocross track in the series, and elevation that looked like it belonged up north, the Dream Traxx crew basically pulled this track out of the ground.

In addition, they excavated a pond to collect rainwater runoff and to help aid with watering of the track.

When Justin first arrived home to see the finished product his smile was from ear to ear. He was already making up names for the enormous jumps scattered across the track, like Mt. Barcia and the Dirty Drop.

It is hard to imagine that all of this dirt was generated without leaving a giant hole. It looks like it just belongs.

When the track was complete, Jason Baker (the proud builder) was asked his thoughts on the finished product. "I was so happy that Justin and his family gave me free reign on their property, and let me turn this relatively flat piece of land into a motocross haven! I feel when my creativity is not restricted - the sky is the limit!"

Ryan Villopoto SX 2011

2011-03-22T14:43:00.000-07:00

Dream Traxx has become one of the leading track building companies in the industry. Building for many of the sports top riders, as well as some elite events. We receive many emails with questions about how we design and build our tracks, as well as what it is like to build for the sports top riders. We wanted to take the time to answer some of those questions, and give a little background on what goes into designing and building a track like the one just completed for Ryan Villopoto.

Villopoto's new track built by Dream Traxx.
Photos: Dream Traxx

1. How do you plan a track design for a top rider like Ryan Villopoto?
Jason Baker: Basically, in Ryan's case we talk about what stuff he likes and would like to see in his track. Then take into consideration the tracks that are coming up and if there are any features that stand out or that they are doing a lot of. We would want to put those features in to get practice on. Also, with Ryan having Aldon as a trainer, Aldon has a voice as well regarding what he would like Ryan to have on the track from a training standpoint. Then we put all of our thoughts together to build what works best for the riders program. All of our tracks are individualized for each particular rider to help focus on their strengths and weaknesses.

2. What is the most difficult part of building a supercross track?
Dirt management. When you are doing a knock down rebuild - you are not just fixing the jumps that are there, you are knocking everything down and starting from scratch. You need to make sure you manage your dirt to be able to build all of the obstacles so they are balanced throughout the track without running out of dirt. It is important to make sure that you don't build one section bigger or smaller than the next, and that is all part of managing your dirt amounts as you build.

3. What is your favorite thing to build on a supercross track?
I really like building a big finish line, with real steep take offs and big landings. I love big jumps and I love visualizing the guys throwing a big whip off of it! I also like to build big whoops, but they are tough on you as an operator.

4. What is the biggest challenge building tracks for some of the sports top racers like Ryan?
Making a track that has the three key elements: fun, challenging, and safety! At the level the guys I build for our riding, plus the quality of the bikes they are on - to build a challenge can sometimes have a very fine line between challenging and dangerous. Keeping that line separated is important and often tough. Trying to keep it fun is a big obstacle too. These riders put more than 60 laps on the track each day, week in and week out. You want a track that makes them want to get up and train. You want them to have fun riding that same track over and over again, while trying to shave tenths of a second off their laptime throughout the season.

5. After completing a track like Ryan's, what do you enjoy most as you look at the finished product?
I am very particular and critical during the build process. I demand perfection from myself and my crew - so its nice to look and see how all those little things add up to a beautiful track. I love standing up above the track, looking out over it, and seeing it picture perfect. Visualizing all of the lines, and everything symmetrical - and picturing the rider on it for the first time. I love being able to be there when the rider takes his first laps on the track. Watching a rider come off the track with a grin from ear to ear is so rewarding and the best thank you I can get.

For more information on Dream Traxx, visit www.dreamtraxx.com , Be sure to followwww.facebook.com/dreamtraxx and www.twitter.com/dreamtraxx to get all of the latest dirt on our "Dream Tracks"

James Stewart SX 2011

2011-03-22T14:41:00.000-07:00

It's that time once again, all the riders begin heading East for the remainder of the series, and a fresh track is what they want. James Stewart called upon Dream Traxx to do just that, and Jason and the Dream Traxx Crew took on the challenge. Dream Traxx has been in charge of the Stewart Compound since 2008, but the challenge of building that perfect track is always there. Building for one of the world's fastest racers is a huge feat, not only do you have to challenge them to drive their training forward, but you have to build a track that is also fun to train on day in and day out, as well as keeping it safe too!

Dream Traxx Photos

When asked about his building experience over at the Stewart Compound, Jason replied, "Building for James and Malcolm is an honor! I love building sections thinking they will do it one way, and then watch them take it to a higher level and jump it in ways I never expected! Just as I try to build a track that will push them to get better and stronger, they push me to be a better track builder by always trying to design and build a perfect track that was better than the one before."

Dream Traxx was created in 2003, and since its beginning days has become a world-renowned track building company with an impressive list of clients. Riders like Timmy Ferry, Nico Izzi, Ian Trettel, James & Malcolm Stewart, Ryan Villopoto, Justin Barcia, Trey Canard, Matt Boni, and BBMX are just some of the racers that call upon Dream Traxx. Since 2008, Dream Traxx has also been the lead designer and builder for the Australasian SuperX Series, and also helped to design and build the 2009 and 2010 X-Games SuperX and Speed & Style courses. For more information on Dream Traxx, visitwww.dreamtraxx.com. Follow on Facebook,and Twitter for all the latest 'dirt' on their newest tracks!

Justin Barcia Prepares for East Coast!

2011-03-22T14:40:00.000-07:00

In preparation for the East Coast Supercross, Geico Honda 250F rider Justin Barcia called upon the expertise of the Dream Traxx crew to build him a top notch training compound. Jason had big goals for Justin’s new training compound, and wanted to make sure he started the facility off with a bang!

The first task at hand was to build the supercross pad, which turned out to be the largest supercross pad ever sculpted by the Dream Traxx crew. Jason always plans his practice supercross tracks to have big, large landings to help ensure safety as his riders train. This time, he also planned for the pad to have enough room for the water truck to be able to go all the way around the outside of the track on the pad. Since all of the dirt was generated on site, this was a long process.

In one week, the Dream Traxx crew put over 80 hours on both the excavator and the dump truck! Just as the pad was complete and the track was beginning to take shape, ole’ Mother Nature came and dumped more than an inch of rain! Jason was pleased to see that the pad drained perfectly, and was excited to continue working. The dirt was pretty wet, but the track continued on. Just as the final lanes were being built....here comes Mother Nature again! This time dumping more than 2 inches of rain and stopping all construction on the track. After the sun baked the track for a few days, they were finally able to put the finishing touches on.

As Justin completed his first few laps around the track he was pumped! “That track is so sweet! It is challenging and fun at the same time! I am so pumped that I have such an awesome track to train on! Big thanks to Jason and the Dream Traxx crew!”

“This track is the first one in a long time that gave me anxiety! From a weeks worth of hauling dirt, to the rain coming and going, to wanting to make a new customer completely happy....I had many nights of restless sleep”, says Jason Baker, owner of Dream Traxx. “My crew put in an insane amount of hours and I couldn’t have done it without them! It was awesome to work for such a great family. Justin and his father Don were a pleasure to work for, and I appreciate the opportunity to work for such a talented racer!”

The entire Dream Traxx crew wishes Justin the best of luck this supercross season!

For more information about Dream Traxx, visit www.dreamtraxx.com,www.facebook.com/dreamtraxx, and www.twitter.com/dreamtraxx

2010-11-01T07:27:00.001-07:00

Building of Launceston SuperX 2010

2010-11-01T07:25:00.000-07:00

Well they say what doesn't kill you, will only make you stronger. If that is the case, then last week would have been a high intensity strength workout. With Launceston being located in Tasmania, which is an island off the main land of Australia, they do not have near the resources to pull from. That said, the equipment was definitely not the latest technology. So we knew it was going to be a battle from the get-go. We just tried to keep a positive outlook and deal with the task at hand. Next hurdle, the dirt. If you can imagine what slabs of sun-baked modeling clay would look like, that is what we would have to build the track with. This left us scratching our heads while we tried to come up with a plan on how we would form these chunks of clay into a track. Without a bulldozer to help break up the large chunks of clay we used trial and error to come up with a system that would work. In the end, the new method of track building was to dump the clay into large piles, then beat it down with the bucket of the excavators. Once our pile was formed we would use the cutting edge of the excavator buckets like a knife, and cut the excess clay off the pile which would form our jumps. This left me reminiscing about my high school pottery class, only on a much larger scale. It did not take us long to figure out the the skidsteers were not nearly strong enough or heavy enough to carry out there normal task of putting the final clean-up on our oversized sculptures. Back to the drawing board. With rain in the forecast and the unfinished appearance of the track, I decided it would be best to use a track building secret that I learned from my buddy Brooksie and find a top dressing. I jumped in the truck with the dirt broker and we went on a scavenger hunt to find the right material. What we found would prove to be orange gold. The material was 70% sand 30% clay mix that would allow us to put the butter smooth finish on the track. Fianaly at 12:30 a.m. Saturday morning we completed the track. After all the pounding and sculpting of the clay, the extra time to lay a complete blanket of finishing material, and some track changes the Dream Traxx crew still came out on top. The never say die attitude of my crew is something I can't begin to thank them for.

After the riders track walk there was some question to why there were not any whoops. With the nature of the clay and lack of a dozer, there was no way for us to build a safe and proper set of whoops. What we did build though, was a very tricky sand section that would allow you to make a serious time advantage if done correctly. Once practice got under way, our efforts were rewarded by all the positive feedback that we received from the riders. The top layer was mixing perfectly with the under-base and created a great surface material.

The last hurdle was the high percentage of rain, and mother nature did not let us down. Right before track maintenance, the rain began to fall. Here is where the top surface layer that we put down proved its worth. Because of the higher sand content in the material, it absorbed the rain like a sponge, and the orange color shined like gold to us.

All obstacles had been overcome and we had some great racing. It is challenges like these that leave you the proudest when you succeed. I can't say enough about my crew this year and could not have done it without them. I am looking forward to my much needed week off. Then it is 2 rounds in New Zealand, before heading back to Australia for the final 2 races.

To check out more on SuperX visit www.superx.com.au . For more information on Dream Traxx visit www.dreamtraxx.com, www.facebook.com/dreamtraxx, and follow us on www.twitter.com/dreamtraxx

2010-10-24T16:06:00.001-07:00

Canberra SuperX 2010

2010-10-24T16:03:00.000-07:00

The Building of Australasian Super X - Round 2: Canberra

So, this week did not start off quite as smooth as last week. As we arrived at the airport and began to check our bags, we quickly realized that the travel agency booked us the wrong type of ticket - allowing for only 15kg (about 33 pounds) of luggage. So by the time three of us had put our bags up, we were already at $480 in excess baggage fees. That's quite a large bill to swallow. So we talked to the guys at SuperX, and figured it would be cheaper, and more fun to rent a car and take a 5 hour scenic drive to Canberra. So, we loaded up our bags and we were off! Though driving is not my favorite thing to do, mix it up with driving on the other side of the car, the other side of the road, and having no clue where we were going, and it actually made for an exciting drive. We saw some really neat sights on our way to Canberra. Have to say that this snag in the plan actually turned out to be a good one in a way. So, once we arrived at Canberra it was time to go to the stadium and start marking out the track for the dirt to be brought in. As we remembered from last year, the groundskeeper of this stadium is a tough one. He is very particular about his field. And though we were told we could start marking the track out on Tuesday, we were quickly informed we could not start on his turf until Wednesday. As we started our day on Wednesday, a reminder of that tough groundskeeper was fresh in our minds as we were having to lay double the amount of geo-fab than we normally use to protect his turf. This created a slower start than normal getting all of the dirt hauled in. We were going at it pretty steadily when at about 9pm Wednesday night a seal on the grease cylinder track tensioner blew on the bulldozer. That pretty much stopped all work for a few hours until we got the dozer fixed. Then we called it a night. We were all up bright and early on Thursday hoping to have a smooth day. The day only started with a few hiccups - trying to get all the dirt brought in and dropped in the right spots since we were a little behind on our build was a bit of a challenge. Then the Union showed up. They gave us quite a hassle last year, and this year was no different. Australia has different rules and guidelines for equipment operators than America does, so we were shut down for about an hour making sure everything was in order. Once the all clear was given, we were in high gear! Everything was actually going well, and the track was coming together. Then, after our dinner break we were at it again, when an idle pulley on the excavator was so worn out that it twisted sideways and the track came off. Not Good!!! After another 3 1/2 hours of working on a piece of equipment, we called it quits for the night. We came in on Friday with a mission and kicked butt! We had the track complete by about 5pm and then started to water and prep for Saturdays races. This track required a bit more prep work because the dirt is the type that seals up quick, so we had to put quite a bit of water down. By Saturday morning, the 4 1/2 hours of watering we had done was absorbed into the dirt like a sponge. So we put another coat on. Jason made the decision to put a second coat on trying to stay ahead of the game. This made practices a bit muddy, but the track was coming around perfect for race time...but Mother Nature had a game of her own! After practice it rained on and off for about 3 hours, and with the track already being pretty wet from the second coat of water this was a bit of salt in the wounds, or so we thought. By the last motos of the night the track was at its best, which is normally the complete opposite. Typically the end of the night the track is in its worst shape. But tonight, the final races were awesome. The racers were pumped with the final races and the racing action was packed. The crew kicked butt again this week, and SuperX Round 2 Canberra was a success. Stay tuned each week for behind the scenes updates on the build process for each round. For more information on SuperX, visit www.superx.com.au. For more information on Dream Traxx, visit www.dreamtraxx.com. Be sure to follow us on www.facebook.com/dreamtraxx, www.twitter.com/dreamtraxx

2010-10-24T16:02:00.001-07:00

2010-10-24T15:37:00.000-07:00

Behind the Scenes - Building the Australasian Super X Series

Round 1 - Newcastle

Well, it is time for the Australasian SuperX Series to start once again! This is the 3rd year of the series, and our 3rd year heading down under to build the tracks. We really wanted to start things off with a bang, so we designed the track with some really cool sections that the riders will enjoy and will keep the fans on their feet! Typically we start the build on Tuesday, but this year we had to start on Wednesday, putting the crew in high gear right off the start. As the dirt started coming in we were pumped, it was probably some of the best dirt we have worked with in Australia. With the shorter build time given to us, the crew cranked in an insane amount of hours, and had the track completed in 2 days - Awesome!! Overall this was a pretty smooth build. Nothing too crazy happened, and the track easily took shape. We were thrilled with the overall outcome of the track! Plus, with the great dirt we received, it helped make the track even better. When media day came, the riders were impressed with what they saw and super-pumped on the track. We are excited for the racing to get started and to put the first round in the books!

Stay tuned each week for behind the scenes updates on the build process for each round. For more information on SuperX, visit www.superx.com.au. For more information on Dream Traxx, visit www.dreamtraxx.com. Be sure to follow us on www.facebook.com/dreamtraxx, www.twitter.com/dreamtraxx

2010-08-10T09:52:00.001-07:00

X Games 16 - 2010

2010-08-10T09:04:00.000-07:00

July 29, 2010....there we were, sitting in the baking hot Los Angeles 4 o’clock sun, watching all of our hard work turn to a complete dust bowl. Now rewind to July 18th, when the two forces of Dane Herron and the DHI crew, and Jason Baker and the Dream Traxx crew began the challenge of building all of the dirt events for X Games 16. As the dirt began to roll into the Coliseum, the site for this years Moto X, Freestyle, and Rally Car events, things were going smooth. Then word came that the construction site where all of the dirt was being hauled in from was suddenly shut down. Our building job quickly got put on pause, as our new job was to hunt down more dirt. To add to the confusion, this year we hauled in almost 20,000 yards of dirt which is 25% more dirt than the previous year, with one less day to build. That is enough dirt to build 4 normal supercross tracks. Then lets throw the other curve ball, the mega ramp up the middle of the course, and the rule of dirt guys not being able to work while ramp guys were working, and vice-versa. Yet another challenge of the build....trying to build lanes going up the peristyle at a 45 degree slope instead of on flat ground. All building challenges aside, the crews cranked out an insane amount of hours and sculpted nearly 20,000 yards of dirt into this years SuperX, Freestyle and Rally courses.

Back to July 29, 2010....after only 3 hours of sleep from the night before we began prepping the SuperX course first thing in the morning. The track was still completely ripped so the dirt was open and we could continue saturating the soil as much as possible before the event. We finally took Skidsteers to it around mid-day to pack it in and continued watering. We continually watered the track throughout the day, knowing that it was going to take a brutal beating from the blistering hot, dry, LA sun. As the events started, we knew the dust was coming. The crew did all that we could to have the track prepped right - but when you are dealing with 95 degree temperatures, completely dry air, and hours of practice on the track before the event, there was only so much we could do and knew the dust was bound to happen. Plus once the events were started, there was no time in the schedule for any grooming or track maintenance since everything was revolving around the live TV schedule.

After the events were over, and we heard all of the talk around the pits about how dry and dusty the track was, and things like “why didn’t they water”, or “they should know how to prep a track”, all of our heads hung low. If only the fans and riders knew how hard we worked to try to beat the dust! When have you ever seen a daytime Supercross race in the blistering hot sun??? There is a reason you don’t! After Dane and Jason had a long talk with ESPN Executives, hopefully we will see some scheduling changes next year!

So, now the SuperX and Freestyle events are over....time for the crews to pull an all-nighter and get the Coliseum ready for Rally and Super Rally. Running on only 3 hours of sleep from the night before, many of the guys worked a 39 hour shift to tear down and rebuild. Once the Rally courses were ready, the guys then headed over to Staples Center to prepare for the Step Up, Best Whip and Best Trick competitions. Their work streak was not over, because now was time to tear down those jumps and build the Speed and Style course. Once the course began taking shape, and many of the guys had been up for nearly two days straight, they decided to call it a night. After a refreshing 5 hours of sleep, half of the crew headed to the Coliseum to handle the Rally events, while the other half headed to Staples to continue preparing for the Speed and Style events. After all of the crazy work hours, and loads of stress - it seemed like they were finally on the downhill stretch.

Overall, all of the events went off with out any major problems. At the end of it, the guys stood back in an awe and respect at the feat they had accomplished. More than 24,000 yards of dirt, hauled into two different locations, building 8 different events, with a crew of 8, working an average of 18 hours a day - X Games 16 was an event and challenge that they will never forget!

This could not have happened without the experience of team captain, Dane Herron. I am fortunate to have the opportunity to work with someone with his resume. He assembled an amazing crew of some of the hardest workers around. I take it as an honor for him to give me the task of handling the Super X and Speed & Style courses. I would also like to personally thank the crew; Corey Hobbs, John Burns, Shiloh Cahill, John Pelton, Brandon Johnson, Kurt Eppler, and Ricky Scavia, for all the hours of hard work that they put in this year. Even after all the hurdles that we had to jump, I know that I am privileged to have this opportunity, and I am truly thankful.

2010-07-02T06:46:00.001-07:00

Red Bull X-Fighters Russia

2010-07-01T10:46:00.000-07:00

Been awhile since my last post, things have been crazy. Just got back from building a freestyle course for the Red Bull X-Fighters Russia. Imagine being on the front lawn of the White House, starting up your dirtbike, and hitting an insane freestyle course.....that is pretty much what Red Bull X-Fighters Russia was like. All I knew upon departing for Russia, was that we were building a course at Red Square in Moscow. Once we arrived on site, began the planning and building - it all began to sink in. Right behind us was the Saint Basil’s Cathedral, and to the left was Kremlin Wall. We were standing on a cobblestone street that was laid hundreds of years ago, and the only thing we used to protect it was plastic. We were actually building a freestyle course on a historic landmark.

We began building on the 14th of June. The first week of the build we had to build at night so that construction was not occurring during the day...we worked from 5pm to 8am. Surprisingly enough we had great equipment from Zeppelin CAT, being in another country this normally is a struggle. The dirt started coming in at midnight on the 14th and the course started to take shape...kind of!! The dirt was coming in so wet from the previous weeks rain, the loaders were unable to get on the dirt because the ruts were so deep. So, we had to start out by pushing it up with the bulldozer, and then had to scramble to find an excavator. To add insult to injury, once we were two days into the build, it rained for another two days. We salvaged what we could with tarps, and soldiered on. At one point on the third day of the build, one of the trucks came in with such a heavy load that it actually flipped when it raised the bed to dump. After a couple days of sunshine and continually turning the dirt over, the dirt started coming around and the course started taking shape. In the end, we actually finished a day early, with one of the coolest backdrops I have ever seen! In addition to having an awesome freestyle course built for the riders, Red Bull when one step further and had a really cool rider staging area built. What they built was a life-size lincoln log house for the riders area, and each rider had their own individual lincoln log stall. We were trying to figure out how we could get it home once the event was over because it was so cool!

The event was insane. As the sun started setting, and the bikes were flipping, the backdrop was one that will never be forgotten by riders, fans, and crew. Everybody put in their best performances, but in the end Levi Sherwood threw down an amazing run with some of the craziest spinal dislocating tricks I had ever seen and took home the win.

When it was time to tear down the course, or bump out, as we call it - there was a lot of dirt to move. Then it was presented to us that we would be peeling the final layer of dirt off of the historic cobblestone street that was only protected by a sheet of plastic. Adding to this feat was knowing that right next to where we will be peeling dirt off of the historic stones was Saint Basil’s Cathedral. The story behind the Cathedral is that once it was built, the architect was blinded so that he could never build something like it again. So if they blind a guy for building one of the most incredible Cathedrals in the world, what would they do to the guy that tore up their historical stones?! No pressure....right?!?! I even joked with friends and family...”well if I come up missing, you know why!!” All joking aside, the bump out went very smooth...not a single stone was damaged and we left Red Square just as we found it!

All in all it was an amazing trip. I enjoyed stepping aside from my normal building world of supercross and motocross tracks to team up with Dane Herron of DHI and his crew. They are truly the best in creating freestyle masterpieces! It was a true privilege to be part of this monumental event, and look forward to future opportunities with the DHI crew!

Whirlwind of a new year

2010-02-02T14:22:00.000-08:00

Wow...things sure were crazy towards the end of the year. Brisbane SX or 'Bris-Vegas' as the Aussies' called it was insane. We worked crazy hours building the biggest supercross track of the series, and as many said maybe the biggest SX ever built in Australia. The whole week was awesome!! Even though we worked more hours in a few days than most people work in a whole week - the end result was worth it. The crowd was the largest the series has ever seen, . The field was deep with great riders as it was, but throwing Josh Grant and Davi Millsaps in the mix made the race even more exciting. It was great to sit back and watch it all unfold, and also a big relief to know the series was now complete.

I had an awesome time over in Australia once again. Being put in charge of designing and building the entire series was a great experience and privilege. I look forward to working with the GAS and SuperX crew once again for the 2010 series!

Upon returning to the states, I was in need for some serious resting!! But first, I had to take care of my riders!! First stop, Haines City Florida to James Stewarts'. Then down to Manatee County to check in on the new Forest Glen Motoplex that I built just before leaving for Australia. After checking in on a few others, I was able to have some down time! I spent some quality time with my wife and kids, and got everything ready for Christmas!!

Things were in full swing once again at the start of the year. We teamed up with Butler Brothers MX once again, and built them a sweet test track in Brooksville, Fl. The weather was cold, and a little rainy, but the track turned out awesome!

After that it was out to California to do some design work for an upcoming event....and of course Anaheim 1! Got going with some great designs, and watched some awesome racing.

Once I made it back to Florida it was off to Nico Izzi's to get his Supercross track ready. This time I decided to pack up the motorhome and bring the family - fun times!! We arrived at Nico's training facility at night, but could tell everything was definitely a little wet. When we woke up in the morning, I could see how wet it was. Wet but not horrible. The pad the Supercross track was on was high enough to be away from any large amounts of standing water, and the drainage of the track held up great, so there wasn't much water on the track. So, I got to work. Just a few hours into it, I (and all the other riders at the facility) started to notice the water along the motocross track rising. For those of you who do not know, Nico's facility is along a river, and part of it sits in the flood plain. So that said, we noticed the water coming up even quicker!! The county had opened the flood gates and the water was coming in fast. Needless to say, the construction on the SX track stopped, and we all sat back to see how high it would get. When it was done rising, all of the motocross track (except about 12 inches of the biggest double) was covered with water. It came all the way up to the supercross track, but luckily the dam I built along the front of the supercross pad kept the water from getting into the track. We decided to call it quits and start again once the weather turned better and the water went down. I made it back up the next week, and Nico now has a supercross track to train on! Can't wait for East Coast to start - he is on it!!

This past week and weekend was a crazy one too! A great family that I built a track for in North Carolina, the Lindsey's came down to Florida to race the Winter Am at Forest Glen. We took the RV down to the track, and had a great time watching the races. This was the first big race at The Glen, and they did a great job. I sat back all weekend, didn't touch the track once - their track crew did a good job!! I even saw some friends from Australia while I was there...small world!

Construction on Matt Boni's new supercross track was supposed to start on Monday, but it rained all day Monday, and today, so hopefully we will start tomorrow. I can't wait to get going on this SX track. Boni has been a friend of mine since he was on 60's - he trained with my brother-in-law Ronnie Tichenor, and it is great to see him advancing in the sport. His track is definitely going to be a DREAM TRAXX!

Until next time......

2009-11-17T01:32:00.000-08:00

Parramatta SX

2009-11-17T00:52:00.000-08:00

I was really excited coming back to Sydney, especially after the success of last year, and to help lift my spirits further, my family (who I had not seen since September 29th) arrived here the Tuesday before the race. My wife, 2 year old little girl, and 1 year old little boy didn't let me too far out of their sights once we were 're-united'.

We had the same dirt that we had from last year, so it was nice to know that we would be working with good dirt. After last week's dirt shortage, which sacrificed overall lap time, the guys at Global Action Sports kicked some extra cash into the budget which allowed us to add a little extra to the track that I had designed. This was awesome because we achieved a 40 second lap time, which is really good for a 4 lane supercross track. The riders liked the track, and there were several areas where you could make up ground and make some great passes. Having the largest crowd of the series also added to the excitement.

In the Lites class, Matt Moss came in with hopes of wrapping up the title, and as usual was fast from the get-go. He even came within tenths of a second of Chad's lap times after qualifying was done. It was clear though that everyone else was stepping up there game in hopes to carry the title chase through to Brisbane. In the four race quad challenge, each moto had a different winner, and it was a couple last lap passes in the final race that helped Moss to secure his championship. Lawson Bopping won his first moto of the season, and was there for the challenge all night. Kyle Cunningham was again fast, but it is the little mistakes that keep costing him. It should be interesting this week to see Moss on a 450 in New Zealand.

In the Open class, the survival format would provide the Parramatta fans with some of the most exciting races of the season. I am not typically for short races, but being that they were back to back, the endurance and mental concentration of each rider is definitely put to the test. To add to the challenge, the riders had to push their bikes back to the gates from just past the finish line jump. This was fun for the fans to watch! Consistency would definitely pay off. It was good to see that Chad is finally working the 'bugs' out of his new ride. He even pulled a few holeshots, which has been rare for him at this years series. His fitness definitely looks good, and his added confidence from bike setup allowed him to jump through a 152 foot rhythm section in 2 jumps! The surprise of the night came from the King himself, Jeremy McGrath. Jeremy, who has been retired for a few years now, rode a strategic series of races - knowing when and where to push himself. His strategy paid off and landed him on the second step of the podium. Jeremy is still, and always will be one of my favorite riders and it is hard to not pull for him. He is still a great ambassador for this sport. I was happy to see Jay Marmont back up his win from last week with a 3rd place spot this week!

We have now headed to New Zealand, which is a place I nor the series have ever been to. The Lites guys will be staying home or riding a 450, which gives opportunity for the New Zealand Lites riders to showcase their talents. This week should be fun!

Hope you enjoy this weeks photos as well. The action photos were shot by a friend from 'down under', Paul Robbins. You can check more of his work at http://www.mondephoto.com.au. You can tell he definitely puts as much in to line of work as I do mine! Thanks Paul!

2009-11-12T15:58:00.001-08:00

Canberra SuperX

2009-11-12T15:23:00.000-08:00

I am happy that Canberra is done & gone....it was a tough week! We had to deal with some Union construction issues, which was a whole lot of not fun - it kept us on pins and needs to make sure all of our work stayed within the guidelines. The dirt came in light and dry, which was tough and dusty to work with. We also ended up not getting enough to build the designed track, however we made the best of it and the track turned out the best it could be. The lap times were a little bit faster than hoped due to the necessary changes with the lack of dirt. Overall, the crowd was really into the race, and the track looked good when it was all said and done.

Now to the racing side of things....in the Lites - Matt Moss who has easily become the class favorite, came once again with his guns loaded. But Kyle Cunningham came with as strong of a performance as he has had all season. He even took moto 2 of the triple challenge. Ryan Marmont was back in form and came within a couple of seconds of passing Moss in moto 1. This class is really heating up, and it will be interesting to see if anyone steps up to take the overall from Moss. In the Open class, all of the 450 guys looked to give the fans what they paid for with the top 3 riders; Reed, Reardon, and Byrne, all within a second of each other after qualifying. Adding McGrath to the mix would only see to spice things up that much more. But brewing in the mist was one of the most awe-inspiring, inspirational rides that I have witnessed. Jay Marmont, who lost his 7 month old daughter to days prior to the race, rode with an angel on his shoulder, and stood on top of the box at the end of the night. Jay took all three holeshots, and led Chad the first half of both moto 1 and moto 2. Chad's first turn mishap in moto 3 would be the opening Jay needed to take the overall. But in true display of sportsmanship and compassion for his friend and fellow rider, Chad was one of the first there to congratulate Jay and was as happy for him as anyone else. My heart goes out to the Marmont family and Jay is a true Hero in my book!

Round 3 - Perth SX

2009-11-01T09:02:00.000-08:00

Well, this week started with a lucky break for us - we were able to build right on the floors of the stadium and did not have to lay boards. The stadium was super nice and definitely unique. It is the type of stadium that does not have trusses in the roof, instead has an air suspended ceiling. Our biggest feat this week was hauling the dirt in. Because of the air suspended ceiling - it was difficult to haul the trucks in and out through the air locks. We ended up working a 24-hour shift Tuesday to get all of the dirt in and start the build. It turned out being the best dirt we have had all series. With the race being indoors, the dirt held in a lot of the moisture and the riders loved it!

On to the racing....In the Lites Class - Moss was on fire all day! Cunningham came ready to race too, running a faster heat race than moss. But, in the end a small mistake in the whoops by Cunningham on the first lap gave Moss the easy win. Kyle put on a great performance battling his way back up to 3rd. Lawson Bopping also had a great race earning the 2nd place spot and his first podium of the season!

In the 450 Class, Reardon, Byrne, and Reed went 3 for 3 in the Round Robin heat races. Reardon was putting on a 'holeshot school' earning all four for the night, which helped lead to his overall win. With Reeds mid-pack start in such a short race format he had to battle his way back up to 2nd. It looked as if Byrne was going to get the last spot on the box, but a last lap crash in the whoops knocked him out of that spot, giving it to Marmont!

Overall, the track, racing, and city of Perth was awesome. It was a great week and now we are off to Canberra

Bring on Round 3

2009-10-25T19:20:00.000-07:00

Just leaving Geelong, headed to Perth for Round 3 of the Australasian SuperX. Geelong was awesome. The track turned out great, and has been dubbed by many riders and media sources as one of the best supercross tracks ever in Australia. The whole track crew has been doing an awesome job, they are some of the hardest working guys I have ever worked with, and can't thank them enough! The racing was great, there were some great battles all the way throughout the pack in each class, definitely fun to watch! Looking forward to the next round in Perth. Will upload pictures as the track progresses.

SuperX round 2 - Geelong

2009-10-23T12:27:00.000-07:00

So round 1 of the 2009 SuperX Series is in the books, and we are off on round 2. We flew from Launceston to Geelong at the start of the week, and began the track build process. Luckily they are re-doing the turf at the venue so we did not have to lay boards this week....so nice for us. This week we had a dozer to help with the build process, I was pumped! The build of this weeks track went smooth, and the track turned out awesome!! The guys are going to ride it first thing Saturday, and I am anxious to hear the response. I really think they will love it.

This week's racing is going to be even more exciting than last week's....if that's possible. Michael Byrne is going to be in their mixing it up, adding even more talent to the field. I look forward to some great bar-banging action!

Stay tuned to DreamTraxx.com for race updates and pictures!