CANIDAE Motosport.com Kawasaki Takes Loretta Lynn’s by Storm!

Nothing could stop the CANIDAE Motosport.com Kawasaki team at the Ranch. Not Mother Nature. Not the tough competition. Not the rough track. Nothing! Team CANIDAE steam rolled over the competition with seven moto wins, six runner ups and a total of 16 podium spots not to mention two National Titles from this team; not a bad weekend for the boys in Green.

Zack Freeberg had a good weekend, but some transmission troubles in his 450 moto kept him from a podium spot in this class. Zack would bounce back and podium two out of three times with a 4/3/3 for a 3rd overall in the 250B class. This kid is going to be a name to watch in the near future, you can count on that.

Justin Bogle also had a good weekend as he competed in the Schoolboy B/C (12-16) class on his 125cc Kawasaki and the Schoolboy B/C (14-16) class on his 250F Kawasaki. Justin struggled with starts on the 125 and just missed the podium in this class, but made up for it with triple deuces on the 250. With his 2/2/2 finish, he took home the silver medal and sent notice to the other riders just who is the one to beat next year.

Malcolm Stewart showed tremendous heart and perseverance during a week when the Florida rider could not buy a start. Malcolm clawed his way to the top in almost every moto he raced. In the Four Stroke class, he finished second overall for the week with a 1/6/1 performance. In 450A, Malcolm was consistent with three, second place finishes for another silver medal. Watch this kid next year as he continues to dial in his program.

Dean Wilson came to Loretta Lynn’s as the man to beat and he did not disappoint. If it were not for his first moto in the 250A class, Dean would have swept every moto he competed in the entire week. He finished 3/1/1 in the class for his first National Title of the weekend, then walked away with the 450A/ProSport Championship with a 1/1/1 tally. Dean proved that his amazing year is no fluke and he is ready for the stardom that is coming his way.

CANIDAE All Natural Pet Foods could not be more proud of their team, the riders, the mechanics and the families that make this program the elite powerhouse that it is. The entire ream works tirelessly to improve and represent themselves and their sponsors at the highest level. We at CANIDAE salute you fine young men for a job well done.

Jason Cobb

CANIDAE Motosport.com Kawasaki Heads to the Pacific Northwest

By now, the motocross industry has become accustom to the abilities of the CANIDAE Motosport.com Kawasaki team at the Outdoor Nationals. At the beginning of the series, Tommy Hahn was a “surprise” but has consistently become a “contender” and most racers are beginning to expect him to run up front as they now have to plan their attack to include him. Kyle Cunningham has also been improving his results steadily as his health nears 100% and if Cunningham manages to get a good start, watch out! This week the series moved to the scenic Pacific Northwest at the ever-popular Washougal MX in Washington and the crowds came out to enjoy the great racing, perfect weather and improved track. Nobody went home disappointed.

First up was the 450’s featuring CANIDAE Motosport.com Kawasaki rider Tommy Hahn. Hahn again jumped out to a great start and would finish lap 1 in 3rd place. Just ahead of Hahn was the # 34 of Matt Goerke but only for a few corners as Hahn wasted little time getting around the #34 bike and setting his eyes on the race leader, Chad Reed. Reed tried as he might to get away early and gap the rest of the field but Hahn would have none of that, running most of the moto right on Reed’s rear fender. At one point Reed opened up a small 5-second lead while the two riders fought their way through lapped riders but Hahn would make a charge and close the gap to only 1.5 seconds at one point before running out of time at the end of Moto # 1. This is a huge accomplishment and just a glimpse of what this CANIDAE Motosport.com Kawasaki rider is capable of. If Hahn could have a solid second moto, he would secure a top 3 overall finish for the day or even a win.

Moto # 1 for the 250 riders was up next and CANIDAE Motosport.com Kawasaki riders Kyle Cunningham and PJ Larsen would get good starts as they charged into the first corner inside the top ten. Cunningham would finish lap 1 in 6th place and Larsen 8th. Kyle started the 2009 season injured and has been battling all series long to get healthy with results that reflect his improving health. Cunningham jumped and raced his way to the front following Dungy through the pack until the two were well out in front. Cunningham was almost able to take the lead, late in the moto as Dungy would falter but the gap was too great and when the checkered flags flew, Kyle would find himself on the podium in second place with his best finish of the year! Washougal was the first for Larsen since breaking his wrist at round 3 in Wortham, TX, it was obvious that he was not quite 100% as he struggled to keep the lead pack in sight and would finish in 15th place. Certainly not a bad return for the impressive rookie and a great start on the day for Team CANIDAE Motosport.com Kawasaki!

The excitement was obviously high in the CANIDAE Motosport.com Kawasaki pits was for the 2nd Motos. As the 450’s shot out of the gate, Hahn’s # 48 Kawasaki would once again head for the first turn towards the front of the pack. As the riders set up for the left hand turn, the orange #114 bike of Justin Brayton would come in way too hot and slam into the CANIDAE Motosport.com Kawasaki rider, sending him to the ground, ending his day and sending him to the Asterisk Medical Unit to be checked out for internal injuries as well as his back and leg. Such a disappointment for Hahn and the team, which had been making such great strides for that first win. Hahn will rebound and will be better than ever when the series returns in 3 weeks in NY.

Moto #2 for the 250 riders would get underway and Kyle was hungry to repeat his first moto result. As the racers rounded the first turn, both Cunningham and Larsen would be outside of the top 10 and have their work cut out to make it to the front. When the first lap ended, Cunningham would cross the line in 12th place and Larsen in 18th. Cunningham would charge hard until he was unfortunately involved in a huge crash that left the CANIDAE rider trapped under his bike for some time and the bike unrideable, ending his day. Larsen would move up as the moto continued as he fought for a hard-earned 14th spot, a gritty performance for this tough kid.

While the CANIDAE Motosport.com Kawasaki team had some bad luck in Washington, it was obvious to see that the team is a legitimate front-runner. Come out to the fabled Unadilla Valley Sports Center in Upstate NY on August 15th for the next exciting round of motocross action. Stop by and say “hi” to the CANIDAE Motosport.com Kawasaki team before they hit the track. See you there!

Jason Cobb

CANIDAE Motosport Kawasaki Celebrates the USA at Redbud in Buchanan!

As the rest of the country celebrated America's Independence, Team CANIDAE Motosport Kawasaki declared war on the rest of the field at the ever so popular, Redbud MX. Tommy Hahn had his hands full trying to repeat last week’s performance of 3rd overall at Thunder Valley. This would be especially tough for the up and coming rider as he arrived at the track sick and extremely weak. It would take everything he had to compete at his usual level. CANIDAE Motosport Kawasaki, 250 rider Kyle Cunningham was also ready to take on this famous race track and would like nothing more than to spend his birthday on Sunday by celebrating a win at Redbud. Kyle looked great in practice and was excited for the gate to fall.



First race up was the 450’s featuring CANIDAE Motosport Kawasaki rider Tommy Hahn. Hahn jumped out of the gate with a great start and the lead pack quickly separated itself from the rest of the field. Hahn would finish lap 1 in 5th place with factory riders surrounding him. It was an all out dogfight as Hahn battled back and forth, as he would swap positions repeatedly with the other riders. It was an epic battle as the crowd responded as only Redbud fans can do. By lap 13, Hahn was in sixth and had built a sizeable cushion between himself and the #539, factory Kawasaki of Ricky Dietrich. Hahn was closing on the riders in front of him when he went down extremely hard on the fast track and just like that, his day was done. Hahn would be taken to the local hospital to be checked out for a sprained neck and a concussion. You can be sure that Tommy will be back with a vengeance in 2 weeks in Millville.

Moto # 1 for the 250 riders was up next and CANIDAE Motosport Kawasaki rider Kyle Cunningham would charge into the first corner inside the top ten and with some quick, aggressive moves, he would jump up to the 4th spot as the riders soared off the ski jump. Cunningham would battle the best in the class lap after lap as he fought to keep his position as all eyes watched the heated fight. This war would not let up for the entire 30 minutes + 2 laps and Kyle would leave everything out on the track as he raced to 7th place finish. Kyle was pumped and quickly headed back to the pits to rest up and get ready for Moto 2.

As the clouds above darkened, Moto #2 for the 250 riders would get underway in dry conditions as the 40 riders blasted off the start line. Cunningham would not get the start he wanted but if you have followed this gutsy kid at all, you know he never gives up. At the end of lap 1, Kyle would be all the way back in 17th position and would dig deep to slice his way up through the field. Kyle would work his way up to 11th place before lapped riders and the now falling rain would hamper his progress through the field. Cunningham would end up in 7th place overall for the day with his 5th in Moto 1 and 11th place in Moto 2. It was a good day for Kyle and the team and a great way to celebrate his birthday on Sunday.

Come out to watch the CANIDAE Motosport Kawasaki team take on the Whoop Monster at Spring Creek MX Park in Millville, MN. It is a great track and the action should be intense. The team should get back their rookie sensation PJ Larsen at this event, which has been sidelined with a broke wrist. Stop by and say “hi” to the team when you are there. See you there!

Jason Cobb

Tommy Hahn Powers to 3rd place Finish at Thunder Valley

Tommy Hahn has been the surprise of the 2009 Outdoor Motocross season but it was not until Lakewood Colorado that he would finally arrive. Hahn, who has been finishing inside the top 10 all season, established himself as a front-runner by taking 3rd place overall in the 450 class, under the lights, in the high altitude outside of Denver, Colorado.

First race up in the premier class saw CANIDAE Motosport Kawasaki rider Tommy Hahn jump out of the gate into a top ten position and finish lap 1 in 8th place. Vision was extremely tough during this moto due to the fact that the sun had dropped below the mountains and it was too light for the lights to be effective but to dark to see clearly. The lighting would get worse before it got better and Hahn, while running down Michael Byrne in 7th place, would misjudge his take off on the huge down hill and land off the course on a hay bale bending his shift shaft inside the transmission, hampering his shifting for the remainder of the moto. Hahn would play it smart and not take any unnecessary chances as he settled into 7th place where he would finish the moto.

Moto # 1 for the 250 riders was up next and CANIDAE Motosport Kawasaki rider Kyle Cunningham would charge up the hill and into the first corner in mid-pack but able to make some quick passes to work up to 14th before the end of the first lap. Cunningham would move up as high as 10th place before a crash on lap 5 would send him back to 14th place. Cunningham would struggle in the poor lighting conditions and drop back to 16th by the end of the moto.

Moto #2 for the 450 pilots was on the line and CANIDAE rider Tommy Hahn was ready to go. The team did a great job installing a completely new motor and transmission after the damage in moto # 1. As the gate dropped, Tommy Hahn would find himself in 4th as the riders rounded the first corner. Hahn would set his sights on Michael Byrne in 3rd place and on lap 3, fly past Byrne as the top three riders pulled away from the rest of the field. Andrew Short was next in Hahn’s crosshairs as the two riders dueled it out for 7 laps before Hahn went inside Short to take 2nd place away from the factory rider. Hahn would quickly gap Short and set out for Tedesco in the lead. On lap 12, Hahn made a slight mistake as he pushed hard to close in on the front-runner Tedesco and ran off the track to avoid crashing in a tricky section. Unfortunately, this allowed Short to slip back by and Hahn would have to start over in 3rd place. With time winding down, Hahn pushed hard but would end up just behind Short at the finish line by only 2 bike-lengths, just missing 2nd place. This was the best moto finish for Tommy Hahn of his young career and combined with his 7th place in Moto 1, Hahn would earn a him a career best 3rd place overall for the day! Amazing job Tommy!

Moto #2 for the 250 riders would wrap up the day and Cunningham was set to rebound from his bad luck in the first heat. The start was a mirror image of Moto 1 for Cunningham as he finished the first circuit in 14th. Kyle would move up to 12th place by lap 4 as he pushed towards the front but a mistake on lap 5 would pound the CANIDAE rider to the ground again. Cunningham would remount but obviously beat up, he would not regain his previous speed and would settle for a 21st place finish. Not where this talented rider belongs, he will certainly bounce back for sure next week in Michigan.

Come out to watch the CANIDAE Motosport Kawasaki team take on the legendary Redbud track in Buchanan, MI next Saturday July 4th as the series continues. See you there!

Jason Cobb

Hahn Continues To Roll, As Cunningham Gets Healthy!

The CANIDAE Motosport Kawasaki team has been on the move since the beginning of the Nationals. In the 450 class, Tommy Hahn continues to impress with consistent top 5 rides to establish his name against the worlds best. In the 250 class, Kyle Cunningham is continuing to show his speed and grit as he continues to get healthy after a broken finger and 13 stitches in his forearm from a testing crash. Rookie sensation, PJ Larsen has also been riding extremely well but had to sit out this round due to injuries sustained last week at Freestone.

First race up was Moto #1 for the premier class where CANIDAE rider Tommy Hahn would get out of the gate mid-pack and begin his charge forward. As he began to pass riders, one would go down in front of Hahn colliding with Hahn’s Kawasaki. Hahn would remain upright and moving forward but something was obviously wrong. As it turned out, Hahn’s rear brake was damaged in the crash and he was forced to ride the entire moto with no rear brake. High Point is not the track you want to race on with no rear brake considering all of the elevation changes and off camber corners. Hahn somehow managed to finish 18th in an inspired ride.

Moto #1 for the 250 riders was next and CANIDAE rider Kyle Cunningham would jump out to a decent start in 17th and waste little time moving forward. By lap 6, Cunningham would move into 10th place where he would eventually finish after the 30 minutes + 2 laps. This was a great way to start the day for the young rider from Fort Worth, TX.

Moto #2 for the 450 pilots was on the line and as the gate dropped, Tommy Hahn would find himself inside the top 10 after the first corner. The difference was clearly visible after repairs were made to Hahn’s bike to fix the damaged rear brake from Moto 1 as the rider chased down and passed factory supported riders until he was in 4th place where he would end up at the conclusion of Moto 2. A fantastic ride for this young man as he continues to impress all. Hahn would finish the day in 10th overall and he would earn the Muscle Milk Recovery Reward for his efforts. Great Job Tommy!

Moto #2 for the 250 riders would wrap up the day and Cunningham was set to defend his top ten finish from Moto1. Not content with his 16th place as ended lap 1, Kyle went to work, leaving nothing in the tank as he raced towards the front until he had moved into 10th place. By duplicating his results from Moto 1, Cunningham would earn a 9th place overall for the day. There is no question Kyle is on the mend and as he continues to gets healthier, his speed increases. Kyle will enjoy the week break allowing crucial heal time as the series moves on to Colorado in 2 weeks.

CANIDAE Motosport Kawasaki continues to perform on and off the track and continues to turn heads. Stop by and be part of something special as the series rolls into Thunder Valley Raceway on the June 27th. See you there!

Jason Cobb

AMA Motocross Season Opener at Glen Helen Kicks off Outdoor Season with a Bang!

When the 2009 Outdoor National Season shot out of the gate at Glen Helen Raceway in Southern California this past weekend, nobody knew what to expect. The CANIDAE Motosport Kawasaki team had been working overtime to get ready for the grueling series and it showed!

First race up was Moto #1 for the 450MX class where CANIDAE rider Tommy Hahn would face off against 40 of the toughest riders in the world. Tommy would enter the famous “Talladega Turn” inside the top 10 and finish lap 1 in 8th place. Hahn would battle with Chad Reed and Mike Brown for most of the race and take the checkered flag in 7th place. A great ride for Hahn and CANIDAE Motosport Kawasaki.

Moto #1 for the 250MX riders was next and CANIDAE riders P.J. Larsen and Kyle Cunningham would take their shot at the fast and rough track. Cunningham would only make 7 laps due to a broken finger he obtained while testing for the event just days before the event. Larsen, who suffered from a poor start showed his speed while coming through the pack even with a rear flat tire that he suffered in the first 10 minutes of the race. P.J. would crash while pushing it to the limits in a fast, soft corner sending the bike all the way off the track. Somehow, the rookie rider pulled the bike back onto the track, under the banners and fences and remounted to finish a remarkable 18th place. 

Moto #2 for the 450 guys was almost a replay of the first with Hahn jumping out to a great start and holding his place inside the top 10 for the exhausting 30 minutes + 2 laps moto. Mixing it up for most of the race with the factory “Red Riders” Hahn would improve on position from the first moto and finish in 6th place which would net him a 6th place finish overall, a fantastic way to start the new season. 

Moto #2 for the 250 “Lites” riders was exciting and the CANIDAE Motosport Kawasaki riders bounced back to show they will be riders to contend with all season long. Cunningham would fight through the severe pain to finish 13th on the extremely rough SoCal track. Larsen would finish just outside the top 10 in 11th place, a great finish for this rising star. 

CANIDAE is extremely proud of the team, riders and their wonderful efforts. Please join us as we head to The Hangtown Classic outside of Sacramento, CA May 30th. See you there!

Jason Cobb

CANIDAE Motosport Kawasaki Season Finale at Sam Boyd Stadium

Sam Boyd Stadium has long been the final stop on the FIM Supercross Series. A perfect place to hold a grand celebration of a tremendous year for the entire Supercross community.

The East / West Shootout brought out the top riders from the East to take on the top riders from the West for Lites Class bragging rights. CANIDAE Motosport Kawasaki has 3 Lites riders that qualified for this event. Branden Jesseman would represent the East side for CANIDAE while Kyle Cunningham and P.J. Larsen would represent the West for the team. During the second practice session, Jesseman would go down hard over a tricky, triple in, double out section and knock himself out of the event. Kyle Cunningham would go down with 2 laps to go in his qualifier then suffer from a bad start in the LCQ which would result in him not making the main. The lone CANIDAE Motosport Kawasaki Lites rider would be rookie, P.J. Larsen.

P.J. got pinched off in the first corner, resulting in a bad start as he flew off the ski jump in 19th place. Larsen looked like he was riding tight, as he could not cleanly get around obviously slower riders early on in the race. After lap 3, Larsen calmed down and started to move forward. On lap 6, Larsen was 17th. By lap 9, he was up to 16th then up another spot by lap 11. On the 13th lap, Larsen would move into the 14th place spot where he would eventually finish the race. This was a good ride for this young, up and coming rider. Look for him to run up front next year.

As the season ends, P.J. Larsen finishes in 10th place and Kyle Cunningham in 11th in the West Coast Points Championship with Branden Jesseman finishing in 6th place and Hunter Hewitt in the 33rd position (Hunter has missed most of the season with a broken femur) in the East Coast Championship Series.

Tommy Hahn was set to do battle in the Supercross Class and battle he did. Tommy would figure out the tricky Las Vegas track and qualify out of his heat, directly into the main event. In the main, Tommy would get a bad jump off the start and cross the finish line in 17th place. He would however show his speed and move up quickly through the field, ending up in 12th place by lap five. After a 3 lap battle with Bowers, Hahn would cross the line in 13th place at the halfway point in the race. As Hahn closed in on the riders in front of him, Hahn’s bike malfunctioned as he pounded his way through the treacherous whoops. The night was over for Tommy as was the 2009 Supercross season. Hahn would finish the Championship Series in 19th place and looks forward to heading out doors for the MX Nationals.

CANIDAE All Natural Pet Foods sponsors the "Lucky Dog" L.C.Q., which is the final opportunity for all remaining riders to make it into the "Big Show.” In the “Lites” class, Daniel Blair and Chris Blose transferred into the main and in the “Supercross” class; Robert Kiniry took the win followed by Kyle Partridge to move into their respective main events.

Next up for the CANIDAE Motosport Kawasaki Team is the 2009, AMA Outdoor Nationals. This will be a tough series but the CANIDAE team should run up front all year. Come check it out as the season kicks off May 23rd in San Bernardino, CA. See you there!

Jason Cobb

Between The Motos: Bill Keefe

Article courtesy of Racerxonline.com

Bill Keefe is the team manager for the Canidae/Motosport Kawasaki team, which has seen some success in this year's Monster Energy/AMA Supercross Championship, including a second-place finish by team rider Branden Jesseman recently. We talked to Keefe for this week's "Between the Motos."

Racer X: You've been a team manager in our sport for a few years now. Before that, what did you do?

Bill Keefe: I was at many places. Immediately before that, I was at Primedia working with the Dirt Rider guys in the marketing and sales department.

How long have you been involved in the motocross world?

I've been in motocross since I was a kid. I was an MXA test rider back when Lance Morewood... Back when MXA was really the only MX magazine. I raced motocross back then, and I rode for Mitch [Payton] - me, Troy [Lee], Jeff Jennings, we raced for him way back then on Husqvarnas. I've been in motorcycles most of my life, and then there was a time when I got involved on the automotive side, and I worked with NPTI, which was Nissan Performance Technologies, and they raced a GTP car that ran in the 24 hours of Le Mans, and Daytona, and all that. Automotive racing was really exciting and the technology was really interesting. But then, you know, I missed the motorcycle people. Motorcycle people are just great people.

They're different, that's for sure.

We're more like a community. While we are all competitive, we're there to help if somebody needs it. Not a lot of industries are like that.

It's not like that in the car industry?

I didn't find it to be that way, no. The car industry people would ruin people to gain in one way or another. I'm not comfortable in that situation, and I'm not that type of person. I think the motorcycle people are generally very good people.

You've been a team manager for the Motosport Kawasaki [now Canidae-sponsored] team for a few years, and also your son, Tyler, was racing for a while. Is that part of what brought you back to the motocross racers, to be there for your son?

Tyler was progressing, and he was going to race supercross and motocross either way. It seems like every five years or so, though, I change career paths, and that was about five years when this opportunity came up. Mark Johnson, who was the team manager at Motosport at that time, contacted me, and I spoke to him and Bill Butcher [of Motosport.com] and Mark Kvamme [investor in Motosport.com], and they decided this would be a good fit.

This year, you guys brought on Canidae dog food as a sponsor. A lot of teams have energy-drink sponsors, but not many have dog-food sponsors. How did that come about?

Canidae was involved in the NHRA in 2008, and when we met with the Canidae people, they are motorsport-type people. They understand the fan of motorsport, and they know that the fan is passionate. They're looking to expand their reach, and they like motocross and supercross, and their colors are green, yellow and black and white, and we fit the green quite nicely. So, after a few meetings, they decided that we were a team that they wanted to be a part of. We work together on doing things that are market-driven, such as the handouts [of sample dog food] in supercross, the bag on top of the truck, and the flags... Their reps are there to talk to supercross fans as they come through the pits, and they talk about their dogs... A lot of people ask me, "Why pet food?" It's really pretty simple: There are more guys on my team that have pets than have bikes. So, if you're trying to reach people with pets, supercross and motocross is a great place. Our demographic is very pet-driven.

Do they seem happy with it?

They're very happy. Getting them involved with Feld, too, was an important part of it, with the Canidae Lucky Dog LCQ winner, so that they were able to reach out even more. They've got the ad in the program, people can see them on the floor, and they can see our truck and sample the product out in the pits and see our riders. They've got great penetration on all levels at supercross, and marketing and technically, it's been a homerun. Each race we go to, their reps are there, and they purchase 40-60 tickets per event for workers and clients in the area. So they're really integrated well into their local areas and dealers.

And you've still got Motosport as a sponsor, too, which is the largest online parts source for motorcycles, right?

Yeah, I think they're number one.

So you guys have quite a strong set of sponsors on your team. It looks good for your team.

It's a great situation to be in at this time to have those two, plus all of our other sponsors are very strong. To have an outside sponsor like Canidae, then have Motosport, Scott USA, Kawasaki, Pro Circuit, Maxima, and all our other sponsors... We're in a pretty good position right now.

You also ventured into having a full-time 450cc rider this year, by moving Tommy Hahn up. It's something that Pro Circuit has toyed with doing, but never pulled the trigger on. Why did you guys do it?

Two things: Tommy had good success last year on the 450, so we knew that the potential was there for success, and looking at our team as a marketing arm, and the coverage 450cc racing gets on television vs. what the 250 class gets, it's a very powerful marketing tool to have a guy on a 450. We felt Tommy could give us the results that would be very marketable in that 450 class.

But he's spent quite a bit of the year hurt, including now having a fractured scapula...

It's frustrating, for sure. Pat Riley called it the "Innocent Climb" back when the Lakers dominated. It's funny, because you do things the first time, and you have good success, and then you go back to duplicate it, and times are tougher, whether luck just doesn't go your way, or you have new challenges, it's difficult to repeat something that happens so easily the first time.

I talked to Tommy, and he seems excited about the outdoors. How does your team view the outdoors?

Well, we're always optimistic at the beginning of the season, and with the package Davey [Coombs] put together with television, and with the live broadcast of the 450cc second motos, and the fact that Tommy is a really good starter - and hopefully has all his injuries out of the way - marketingwise, it should be successful, and hopefully we'll be able to get some podiums and be in the top five more consistently than he has been in supercross. But we'll be running three guys on the 250s and Tommy on the 450.

Did you say three guys on the 250s?

Yup.

So, who's not going to be around for the outdoors?

Well, Branden Jesseman's deal is a supercross-only deal, and it was from the very beginning. Even though he's been our most successful guy in supercross, the plan was only supercross for him. We're both working hard to try to put something together and allow him to come outdoors with us, and these are tough times to add a guy, budgetwise.

And having five guys out of one truck probably isn't easy, either.

Yeah, four works well, and three works okay, but five can be tough. But we'll have Kyle, PJ, Hunter and Tommy.

AMA Supercross Wraps up in Jacksonville Florida

When the AMA Monster Energy Supercross Series made its second visit to the state of Florida it was not just another race, it was history. Why you may ask? Because this was the first time the city of Jacksonville has hosted an AMA Supercross Event and boy did they make a great debut. The track was in mint condition, the fans were great and the racing was even better. This was the final round of the East Coast Lites Series and the #74 of Branden Jesseman was looking to go out with a bang.

Qualifying in 4th for his Heat Race Jesseman was looking primed to put his CANIDAE Motosport Kawasaki up front in Heat Race #1. After a bad start the #74 was on the outside of the top-9 looking in. Midway through Heat #1 Jesseman was battling bar-to-bar trying to get into the top-9 when the #981 of Austin Stroupe ran into his back tire causing Jesseman to go down. Jesseman was able to regroup and make a hard charge at the ninth spot but it too little too late for the #74 as he found himself outside the top-9 and heading to the LCQ.

In the LCQ Jesseman was able to put his Heat Race behind him and jump out to a great start. He quickly found himself up front and never looked back, leading his CANIDAE Motosport Kawasaki to an easy win in the LCQ.

Jesseman faced a tough challenge for the start of the Main Event seeing as the #74 would have the second to last gate pick and found himself placed way on the outside. When the gate dropped for the Main Event Jesseman quickly found himself pushed to the outside and buried deep in the pack. After the third lap Jesseman was still buried mid-pack and fighting his way to the front. A few laps later Jesseman had fought his way into the top-10 and was steadily gaining momentum. As the checkered flagged waved in the wind Jesseman found his #74 crossing the line in 8th place. While he didn't end the series how he wanted too, he proved he could fight his way through the pack and into a top-ten position. Jesseman ended the series one point behind rookie Blake Wharton for fifth place, (Jesseman finished in sixth place). While the East Coast Series has ended watch out for Jesseman when the Supercross Series heads to Las Vegas for the East/West Shootout.

Coming off a DNF in Toronto in the #48 of Tommy Hahn was looking to finally put it all together as the AMA Monster Energy Supercross Series returned to the states. After failing to qualify in his Heat Race Hahn was staring down the barrel of the LCQ. But instead of letting the past affect him the #48 pushed as hard as ever and pushed his CANIDAE Motosport Kawasaki to a second place finish in the LCQ. Having a similar gate pick to the CANIDAE Motosport Kawasaki Lites rider Branden Jesseman, Hahn knew he was going to have to come from the middle of the pack if he was going to put his #48 in a top-ten position.

As the gated dropped for the Main Event, Hahn found himself pushed way to the outside and buried deep in the pack. But Hahn would push his #48 to his best ride of the year as he found himself inside the top-ten after lap 8. Instead of being satisfied with his first top-ten of the year Hahn would battle his way up to the 7th position as the checkered flag dropped. This was the best finish of the year for Hahn and after a season of injuries and bad luck the #48 of Tommy Hahn is looking like he has finally put it all together.

Jacksonville marked the end of the season for the East Coast Lites series, but don't worry Supercross fans, the West Coast Lites Series returns in two weeks when the series heads out west to Seattle. And look for the CANIDAE Motosport Kawasaki West Coast Lites Team of P.J. Larsen and Kyle Cunningham to be as strong as ever after having six weeks off to work out any adjustments.

A quick injury update for the CANIDAE Motosport Kawasaki Lites Team. Hunter Hewitt is still rehabbing his broken femur and hoping to return for the outdoor season in May.

Check back in two weeks for the Seattle Race Report.

Amateurs Clean Up at Whitney

The CANIDAE Motosport Kawasaki team once again over achieved at Lake Whitney and are set up to do the same at Oak Hill. Dean Wilson and Malcom Stewart proved to be two of the most dominant riders on the track and Justin Bogle proved that he has what it takes to build himself into one of the top intermediate riders in the country next season.

Despite over seven inches of rainfall throughout the week the amateur team was able to bring home five overall titles and four podiums.

Dean Wilson proved that he can come back from injury and come back strong. His aggressive riding style coupled with his unbelievable will to win earned Dean an amazing four national titles from Whitney. This is Dean's final year with our amateur team and we look forward to watching him win many more titles before the season is up.

New team members Malcom Stewart and Justin Bogle were equally as impressive. Stewart earned his first national title since joining the team and followed it up with two podiums and a fourth while Bogle was able to put himself on the podium and inside the top ten twice.

Oak Hill mains will be finalized at the end of the week, so be sure and check back in for another detailed report on all the team's happenings. Also, be sure and log back on later tonight for a video from last week's event featuring all three team riders.