Troy Dog
A few weeks ago Ti Lube Honda announced the signing of Hunter Yoder to race the 250SX East Region. Racer X announced it too, as well as I’m sure other outlets ran the PR. Well, I couldn’t find a follow up with Yoder Doggie. Everyone saw the announcement, but no one checked in on the 17-year-old rookie. It’s like asking your dog, “Who’s a good boy?” when he wants to be asked, “How’s my good boy?”
The good news for you is that I’ve become quite the Yoder whisperer. I call myself the Yodeler now. You want to know how he feels about things? I’ve got you fam.
Riding for Ti Lube Honda has become such an honor that you’re basically royalty when you get the job. You can thank my Elite Athlete Grant Harlan for making it this way. Buddy Brooks, the team owner, has been in this game a long time and he’s got a real eye for talent and selecting riders. His lineup of Yoder, Harlan, and Izaih Clark for 2022 is fantastic. A crew of young up and comers is just what we here at vurbmoto like to see. On the all-new 2022 CRF250 ripper too!
As Yoder prepares for his first season of Supercross he’s been putting in the laps in California. If you follow his Instagram (@hunteryoder58) you’ll see that he’s found time to have some fun at the end of the day. He’s bringing back leg swag and throwing together some cool freeriding lines. He hopes to get together with Justin Bogle to throw some one legged whips, ala rookie Bogle, and Yoder now calls the move the ‘dogpisser’. He found a T-Dog sticker around the Ti Lube shop and he’s got it on his practice helmet for good luck…and he sees how well it works for his teammate Har Dog. By the looks of his riding, I think he’s got a great style for Supercross. He’s also been riding with Josh Hill and getting pointers from him, as well as Josh Hansen. How cool is that? Two riders who have so much knowledge, style, and race wins in SX helping you out as a rookie? Sign me up!
Yoder told me that Hill and Hansen have pointed out a bunch of tedious details that Yoder wouldn’t have even noticed in his riding or even would have thought of.
He’s also been getting in the laps with guys like Dylan Woodcock, Geran Stapleton, Mitchell Harrison, and recently Max Miller. Off of the track he’s been bonding with his new mechanic, Scott Youngstrand, and the two can be found at the golf course at least once a week. It sounds like it’s been a great vibe of an off-season.
Yoder can’t wait to go and fulfill a childhood dream of racing Supercross. He said he’s never been this excited before and that he looks forward to racing under the lights with all of the fireworks that come with it.
Keep your eye on the #508 Ti Lube Honda machine when the East Region starts on February 19 in Minneapolis. Well, just do me a favor and watch the entire team, okay?
Main image: Ti Lube Honda
