Troy Dog
Notice that this column now has a sponsor? That’s right! Troy Dog joined the Blu Cru and you should too! I have one in my garage right now and I can’t wait to go shred it! Thank you to Yamaha for believing in my ELITE columns on this dirt bike website enough to sponsor me. What a dream come true! BTW: Have you seen the all-new YZ450F? OH. MY. GOODNESS. I can’t wait to test that bad boy.
Chris Blose finally had the chance to ride his dream bike this season for Mitch Payton’s Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki team. The coolest thing about Blose getting this ride was that he was finished racing. He was content with the 2022 supercross season being his last and he was riding off into the sunset with his two young boys and wife.
How did we get to this point?
In searching through any sort of news on Chris Blose as an amateur I’ve come up with nothing but Loretta Lynn’s results. which aren’t anything crazy. He raced there three times: 1998, 2000, and 2002. His best finish was in the 125 Stock 12-15 class where he finished 18th overall. Then I can’t find any news on him until his pro debut at Glen Helen in 2005.
Blose said that he spent those years mostly injured and he won a Four Stroke National title during that time. Let’s be real: Blose has outlasted so many racers and with a career spanning from 2005-now, that’s very special. What does Blose think about all of this looking at his amateur career?
“I just would ride dirt bikes just to ride dirt bikes and to have fun,” Blose said. “I didn’t think anything of it. Going pro never crossed my mind as a kid. If I were to look back on 2005 and have a crystal ball tell me that I’d still be racing in 2023, I’d tell you that you’re crazy. On top of that, to tell me that I would have the best ride of my career at the very end, that’s absolutely crazy. Most people’s careers don’t do that and it’s been a cool one, that’s for sure.”
It’s an unorthodox story as most of the racers on the gate these days have done a ton of amateur nationals and have a few titles to their names. Blose went from finishing outside of the top 30 in the nationals to finishing fourth place in the 450SX main event at Las Vegas in 2011. In a four year span! He invested in himself, got better, and put in the laps.
“It’s been crazy since 2005, and 2006 was my first real season. I never thought that I would have ended up here if I was one hundred percent honest with myself. Coming in I wasn’t the hot amateur. I did nothing as an amateur, you know? Just to progressively get better and better each and every year has just been awesome. Now at the end of my career to get to ride for Mitch Payton has been awesome. That’s every kid’s dream, right? When you get closer to the realization that you can go pro you think, ‘man, I could ride for Mitch Payton!’ That’s the ultimate dream right there. At 35 to say that I got it then has been unreal. I’m probably the oldest rider he’s ever had!”
If Blose had a time machine, what would he go back and tell himself to make his motocross career easier?
“This is so cliche, right?” Blose said. “Just to never give up, because when times get tough they get tough for everyone and for different reasons. Everyone goes through tough times and a lot of people quit during those times. If you can get through it you’re better off in the long run. Just never give up.”
Blose’s path just proves that you don’t have to win everything as an amateur to make it in this sport. You can come from all kinds of different pathways to be successful. Blose is the perfect example to you young groms out there that think you need all of these titles to be a successful pro.
“I feel like there is a time and place for amateur nationals and if you don’t go people will just think, ‘I’m not going to make it.’ That’s not necessarily true,” Blose said. “Man, I did Loretta Lynn’s three times and my results were nothing to write home about. If you’re a hot up and coming amateur and you ride for Team Green, the Orange Brigade, or whatever big team you obviously have obligations and expectations. That’s okay, I get it, but to say you can’t make it without going there is a bit ridiculous. It just takes a lot of hard work. With social media now it’s a lot easier to get recognized than it was back in the day. I wouldn’t say that it’s a necessity to go to Loretta’s. It is an experience and you can get recognized that way, but it’s definitely not a must do.”
If you look around the pits riders with these types of stories are rare to find. Riders like Blose, AEO Powersports KTM rider Derek Kelley, and Blose’s Pro Circuit teammate Cameron McAdoo are some of the exceptions.
“I think my teammate McAdoo has a similar situation,” Blose said. “I think he did Loretta’s a few times, but look at where he’s at now. He just busted his ass, got a few chances, stood out, and got the opportunity to have one of the best rides. It’s super cool to see stories like that because they don’t happen very often.”
So, there you have it kids. Stay in school, race for the fun of it, and when the opportunity comes knocking, go out and perform. That’s what Chris Blose did and he got his dream ride at the age of 35 after a very successful and long career.
Main image: Kawasaki
