Troy Dog
Troy Dog joined the bLU cRU and you should too! Have you seen the new 2025 Monster Energy Racing editions? Go look right now! It’s amazing. Yamaha also supports T-Dog Squad ELITE Athlete Marshal Weltin. Purchase a Yamaha today and shred like him, Eli Tomac, Cooper Webb, 250 Pro Motocross and two-time 250SMX Champion Haiden Deegan, plus more!
Back in August of 2010, my friend Dustin Pipes made his pro debut at the Unadilla National. At the time, I said, ‘Hey man…write me a blog for Vurb, so we can see what you’re going through as you accomplish your goal of turning pro.” He agreed and he actually sent me something! The problem is…I don’t think I ever had it posted on the site as Bird Dog was the editor-in-chief then and he absolutely hates privateers to this day (I think). So, here we go…I FOUND IT ON AN OLD HARD DRIVE! Pipes, as you know, has become a race winning team owner with the HEP Motorsports crew and he is going to accomplish so much more in the future. Back then, well, he was just a kid living his best life getting star struck by Kevin Windham and James Stewart. Enjoy this!
Unadilla is a race most pro racers consider the hardest of the year. The old school European layout, huge ruts, and unforgiving breaking bumps, make this truly a man’s track. Considering all the history that has gone through the place, it’s an honor to ride. With that in mind, it seems only fitting that MX Sports would have it as the first national rookies can do fresh out of Loretta Lynn’s.
Speaking of Loretta’s, let me rewind to the first week in August. It was not a week I would like to remember. It only took a day for me to get so sick that I had to stay in bed all day, and it only took three corners for my bike to break and get my first DNF of the week. Honestly, I was ready to leave there and go to Unadilla before the event ended.
Fast forward to Unadilla, and I’m lining up for the B practice, and it sucks. I can’t wait for Southwick when I’m in the A practice. It seems like in the B practice that even the guys who don’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of making it want to race and hold you up. Like honestly, if someone catches you from ten seconds down in one lap shouldn’t you get out of the way? Anyway, I was fourth fastest in my first practice, not very good by my standards, as I let my nerves get to me. I think I had arm pump rounding the first corner of that practice. Actually, to tell you the truth I’m getting arm pump just sitting here writing about it!
Needless to say I rode a lot better in my second practice. I loosened up and posted the fastest lap time of the session. I even lowered my lap time from the first practice on a way rougher track! My time would have put me somewhere around 22nd fastest overall. But unfortunately, as I went up and checked my time, they didn’t count it. I ran over a yellow track marker so they deleted my best time. Rookie Mistake #1: Always stay in the yellow track markers. Especially in practice as it can be the difference between a good gate pick and a horrible one. I was a little mad walking to the line for my first moto, and I was absolutely loving my 33rd pick. It’s fun starting all the way on the outside, and I really enjoyed it.
It’s crazy just even going on the parade lap and riding around with guys you see every week on TV. I found myself eating Ryan Dungey’s roost just to stay by him. Then I rode by Kevin Windham and realized I watched this guy when I was like six years old. This guy could be old enough to be my grandpa and he still kills it! Rookie Mistake# 2: On your parade lap, actually look at the track and not the other riders. I can’t even explain the butterflies you get as the 30 second board turns sideways and it’s only seconds before the race starts. It’s surreal just knowing that you watched this practically every weekend up until this point, then you finally get the chance to be in that same situation.
As I rounded the first corner I found myself dead last. Rookie Mistake # 3: Don’t let off going into the first corner. I definitely let off; I think I had like five people after the race asking me how big a girl I was. By the halfway point I fell once and worked my way up to 24th position, with a big pack of riders ahead of me. My next rider to pass was Heath Harrison. Now I didn’t like Heath very much this moto. I caught all the way up to him and followed him for 3 laps, not able to make the pass. I was getting fed up and went for a pass I probably shouldn’t have went for. Rookie Mistake # 4: Don’t go for a pass that you have absolutely 0% chance of making. I ended up cleaning Heath out hard and took myself out in the process. It was not the smartest move on my part. I remounted again in the back of the pack only this time with a bum shoulder. One fall later and I called it a moto, which was something I really regretted. Rookie Mistake # 5: Never pull off a national moto. I don’t plan on doing that again.
With a clean set of MSR gear and some freshly made Von Zipper goggles by my boy Kuzo, I was ready for moto two.(Shout out to Malcom McCassy for teaching me how to plug-in sponsors via his Facebook status updates.) On the parade lap I rode by James Stewart and joked with him saying I just passed him. He just laughed, and little did he know I would actually beat him that moto thanks to his DNF.
Sitting on the line waiting to take off because of the live TV coverage, I found myself thinking about the girl holding the 30 second board. Rookie Mistake # 6: Don’t ask the board girls for the numbers before the race. Ruins your confidence when you get shot down.
As we took off I got a much better jump than I did in the first moto. I didn’t let off going into the first corner (well, only for a split-second when I saw Jeff Alessi’s bike fly through the air without him). I rounded the first corner somewhere inside the top 20. As lap one went on I found myself slipping farther and farther back in the pack. Rookie Mistake # 7: Don’t let guys by you just because of who they are, like a Ben Townley or Josh Grant. Not only do you lose that position but about five others as well. Needless to say, the moto was rather boring. A couple passes, no falls, one minor bike problem, and I finished the moto 24th. Not really what I was hoping for, but an improvement from the first race.
Unadilla didn’t go as planned for me, but I did learn a lot in the process. I now have something to build upon as we head into the next round in Southwick. My goal is top fifteen there, which is not something that I say would wow everyone. It’s something that I feel is achievable and that I am more than capable of attaining. I am looking forward to the next round at Southwick, as well as the final two at Steel City and Pala.
