Issue 11 September 12- October 2, 2006
What the Future Holds...?
We’re now in the final stages of the 2006 race
season which only means 2 things: 1. trying to end off the year on a
high note with some great results and 2. focusing a lot of time on
preparing sponsor proposals and organizing my race program for 2007.
The last few weeks have seen a lot of rumor and
speculation in the trenches of the Pro ranks regarding which riders
are changing teams, new riders coming into the GNCC scene, and which
companies are willing to shell out the cash to land a big name
rider. And I hate to say it but unfortunately the Offroad scene and
sponsorship budgets are minuscule to those of our Supercross/Motocross
brethren.
Here’s some insight to some of the rumors from
the Offroad scene, whether they’re true or false, that I have heard:
- David Knight, KTM’s newest
Superstar, is being offered $100,000 to wear Moose riding gear,
- Ex-factory Motocross racer
John Dowd is signing with the KTM Factory Offroad team.
Apparently he has now signed with the Suzuki Offroad team to
represent their colors with our fellow Aussie and good mate,
Glenn Kearney,
- Yamaha’s Barry Hawk
entertaining the thought of a switch to the same Suzuki team,
- Honda’s Paul Whibley
jumping ship to headline the factory Kawasaki/Monster Energy
squad,
- The winner of the most
recent GNCC, Nate Kanney packing up and heading to Europe for a
year on the World Enduro Championship circuit with the Factory
Husqvarna team. We all know this is now a signed and done deal.
Again, these are all the rumors...in no way do
I stand as an expert, it's just what I have heard!
There’s plenty of other rumors and hear-say out
there mainly pertaining to most of the top-10 type rider’s jockeying
around between the teams trying to find the best support for their
attack on the 2007 season. With the addition in 2007 of a new Pro
level class in GNCC racing for the smaller capacity machines (the
two Pro classes will now apparently be called XC-1 and XC-2), this
has opened the door for several more available rides, even if that
only means free bikes, parts, and a limited budget for travel and
contingency money. For the struggling Pro level and super-fast
A-level riders out there though this is an unprecedented level of
support.
For my charge on the 2007 season we have
received adequate interest from other manufacturers to perform on
their machinery, but initially we are currently in the process of
trying to formulate an independent two rider team with support from
KTM. Hopefully this effort will come to fruition and it will allow
me and the team sponsors to capitalize on the guaranteed major
exposure and apparent large race-fan following due to my results,
both previous and future, and the uniqueness of my approach to
racing. Having this independent team will allow us to focus more
strongly on conquering the podium at the GNCCs, and other selected
National level races, as well as implement a few other initiatives
we have been trying to get off the ground for a while now. Namely
this will be the commencement of the “Dirt Wise with Shane Watts”
instructional riding schools at different locations across the
nation.
For a while now I have been “looking to the
future” and I have been thinking about getting into doing
Instructional Riding schools. Already I have done quite a few of
these schools in previous years, mainly back in Australia.
So, currently, we have a team proposal in with
KTM outlining what we plan to achieve with the race team and the
benefits to KTM for supporting such a program. With this regimented
team structure and unparalleled pre-race preparation in place, our
team will have the ability and expectations for both riders to be,
at the worst, top 5 placement each race, and consistent podium
finishers. Part of our initiative would be also to provide for the
selected area KTM dealer, preceding each GNCC, a FREE OF CHARGE one
day Instructional Riding school to interested consumers. Hopefully
KTM sees the great return they could get in being associated with
our program and decide to jump on board and fully support us. Same
goes for our other current team sponsors.
Either way, we plan on conducting some other
more specific 2 day riding schools throughout the year, probably
starting mid 2007.
So what else is news at the moment?
Well, in early September we decided to call an
early close to our 7 month long road trip in the motorhome.
Unfortunately, it just wasn’t working out for us and what we had
hoped to achieve, so we decided to go home two months early. Sure
now, we got to see a lot of places and experience things that the
majority of people would never get to do, however though, it was
severely affecting my preparation for racing, and we were basically
at the end of our tether from the un-enjoyment associated with not
being able to achieve what we had hoped to whilst traveling. Thanks
to the idea of our good friend Jason we kept track of the mileage we
drove in the big beast and for the four months we were in it we
covered just over 16,000 miles. That equates to nearly a 1000 miles
a week, but maybe more importantly adds up to as good as $6000 in
diesel fuel alone for the time we were gone! Anyways, poor Carrie
was at the stage of nearly being mentally beat to a pulp. It was
time to go home, re-group, and get a structure for our lives again.
Maybe now we might finally get an evening to sit down and watch a
movie together instead of hauling a$$ across the US to the next
race….
My most recent race was at the famed Unadilla
Motocross complex in New York where we had Rd. 11 of the GNCC.
Click here to read my Race Report.
Now that I think about it we actually have been
doing heaps of organizational work to prepare for next year, so as
we can enter it more prepared than I have ever been. That’s why we
have been trying to take care of this other stuff now, so as we
aren’t faced with playing catch up all through next year, thus
allowing me and my proposed teammate to concentrate on being fully
prepared for the best result possible. I’m approaching 2007 as if it
is my last year of racing. Obviously if we achieve our plan and I
have great results then I would continue on racing but I tell you
the truth when I say that it will only be for another 1-2 years.
We have come up with a plan, and timeline for
the adequate preparation of myself, the bikes and our team goals.
That’s the reason for riding the 250 XC-F in the remaining races of
2006, so as to get a jump on testing the bike’s performance (and
possible limitations) during race conditions. To maximize my
physical conditioning, later this week I’ll be going to a
state-of-the-art training facility here in Florida to have a full
body fitness test done, identifying my body’s strength and
weaknesses so as we can implement a training program (commencement
Nov 2006) to capitalize on these strengths and to help rectify the
weaknesses. I’ll let you all know the results and the details of the
training program when they become available. Currently though, I
have just been concentrating on doing somewhere around 100 miles a
week on my bicycle and two sessions a week out on the motorcycle.
This will give me a great base to work from with the results of the
fitness test, and to propel myself into 2007.
The two other huge projects we have been
trying to finish off right now is the completion of both the e-store
on our website and the two Offroad DVD’s we are having produced.
No doubt now, I have one of the best girl’s
ever in my wife Carrie. She has been spending countless hours
slaving over the keyboard loading the hundreds of product files and
information for all of the content in the store. Not to mention
having to deal with me, and taking a major role in the raising of
our little girl Eden, Carrie is just amazing and it really makes me
feel that she doesn’t get the necessary rewards and accolades that
she truly deserves. I suppose that’s why she is a wife! (That’s a
joke now for you other ladies out there reading this!!!) Needless to
say, Carrie’s about half way through having it completed, so then
we’ll need to test the operation, and are then hoping to have the
store go live on Oct. 10th, but probably more realistically on the
15th. This should coincide with the release of both
DVD’s. We had originally planned on the DVD’s being released and
on-sale last week but like most projects we’ve had some unforeseen
hold-ups and issues that have held back the release date a few
weeks. There will be the one hour “Dirt Wise with Shane Watts”
Instructional Riding DVD, and the “Common Ground” Offroad
Action/Adventure DVD, which will be documenting killer Offroad
footage from throughout the US and other parts of the world. Again,
these DVD’s will be released for sale through our store (and other
outlets) on Oct. 15. Hopefully we will also have my replica M2R
helmet available for sale by then. It’s looks smick (Oz-speak for
awesome)!
So there you have it, we’re trying to pull
together a new Offroad team utilizing the apparently limited funding
available from industry sponsors. It’s going to be a big challenge
to get it off the ground. Hopefully KTM will recognize the superior
marketing benefits that our team mission can present, and decide to
strongly support us. If we gain KTM’s support then we can move on
and try to acquire the remaining necessary financial support to
cover our team infrastructure costs. We would extremely appreciate
all help that any of our supporters may be able to forward to us in
regards to getting an opening with a legitimate, prospective
monetary sponsor for our team. 2007 is going to be a HUGE year!!!
Until next time, Cheers!
Shane
P.S. Carrie says thank you to all of you who sent emails and kind
words! Definitely backs up what she said about this sport
being a "family" sport!
________________________________________________________
 Link of the Week!
Halloween is coming...so don't forget to get your costume!
Here's a great link for stuff:
All the costumes you can think of, and if you're feeling spunky,
go ahead and pick up a couple extra to spice up the rest of the
year! :-)
This is Carrie's favorite holiday, so I will, of course, be
dressed up! Superman for me, Wonder Woman for Carrie, and Eden is
Bat Girl!
(See Pic. below-trying it on, she wasn't happy about it all!)
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Product Highlight:
2002 Monaco Windsor
Yes, I know, we're pushing our own agenda on this one...but
someone out there might want this baby!
We've got the coach for sale on RV Trader, so if you're
interested, here is the link.
http://www.rvtrader.com/rvdetail667461.htm
BEST OFFER: '02 Ralph Lauren Monaco Windsor Stocked and ready
to roll! Delivery available.... Comes set up with dishes, pots,
pans, barbecue, appliances, tow hitch, bike rack, etc. Ready for you
to hit the road! Ralph Lauren version, BEAUTIFUL INSIDE and OUT!
Roof Air, Sat Dish, Dsl Generator, 4 dr fridge w/Icemaker, Maple
Cabinets, Back Up Camera, Corian Counter, Air Leveling System,
Basement Storage w/ slide out tray, Carpet, Micro/convect oven., 2
Slide Outs, Tile Flooring, Alloy Wheels, Leather Interior,auto patio
awning, Elec Pac Brake, Free Standing Dinette seats 4, Washer/Dryer,
Full Body Paint, NON-SMOKER, 2 TVs/VCR/DVD, 10 disc cd changer,
Surround Sound,2000 Watt Inverter, Antenna, stored under cover and
in garage. 350 Roadmaster. Comes with screen room for patio. Just
serviced!
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My Favorite Snap...
Hey Bart! Don't look so Serious!!!
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And the winner is…
Congratulations Pat Plicka!
Get your wish list out, because you've now got $100 bucks to
spend at KTMcyclehutt.com! They have everything you need, and
more...plus the service is outstanding! We'll be in touch to let you
know how to redeem your certificate!
$100 Gift
Certificate
Thanks to Justin and Tammy from KTMHutt for their fantastic support of my
racing and for their generous donation!
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Things to Look Forward To...
We are rounding the final corner on the DVD production, so you
can expect to see them for sale at various locations on or about
October 15! Finally!!!! They will be available on shanewatts.com as
well as through other outlets.
Common Ground DVD
Offroad rider's
from all over the world document their travels in their search for
Common Ground, featuring world-class riders like Shane Watts, Juha
Salminen, Nathan Woods, Kurt Caselli, Glenn Kearney, and
up-and-coming stars Nate Kanney, Cole Calkins, and Jesse
Robinson. Follow these riders as they visit such epic locations as
Florida's Big Trees, the Great Smokey Mountains, Idaho and Oregon,
Mexico's Fun Enduro, the beaches of Brazil for the ISDE, plus many
more of the amazing spots and riders they find along the way, in
their search for Common Ground. Click on the cover picture to see a
preview.
Dirt Wise with Shane Watts DVD
 World
Enduro, ISDE and GNCC Champion Shane Watts shows you the secrets
that have propelled him to the top of the Off Road Motorcycling
World over the last ten years. The skills demonstrations start with
the fundamentals of correct technique, and take you through to
advanced off road situations like gnarly log crossing, rough
terrain, river crossings, and mastering grass tracks corners. Click
on the cover picture to see a preview. |