WadeRaynor
Welcome back to the Vurb Roundup where each week or so I will highlight things that happened since the last Roundup installment which will be accompanied with content from social media in the form of pictures and videos.
Moving forward, I will be taking a different approach to this column. Slaw Dog and I had a conversation last week as I sat in my recliner, since my femur is 100% still broken, about how we can change the direction of this column. To summarize: there are a ton of people who write about the professional riders we watch each weekend and that will mean this column will eventually get lost with the hundreds of other articles. What that also means, is that not many are writing about amateur motocross. This is where I will come in.
Looking at the big picture, we are just removed from an era where almost everyone at the races could name a handful of up-and-coming riders with ease. You saw these kids mentioned in articles and magazines or featured in one of Wes Williams one million Vurbmoto videos. I am talking guys like Justin Bogle, Jason Anderson, Adam Cianciarulo, and so many others. These were household names in the motocross community, and it was like that for so many years. Now I feel that we have hit a point where not many people know who the next big star is. If you went to your local track or whatever national event, I don’t think I could find many people who could name five amateur riders. My goal is to change that.
We here at Vurbmoto do our absolute best to highlight the up-and-coming riders at the races we attend: RCSX, Loretta’s, Freestone, Mini O’s, etc. But we can’t always capture everything. There are things that happen off the track or between races that no one really brings attention to. Since I cannot film currently, the whole femur thing, I am going to try and use my time constructively and write.
Since RCSX at Daytona is coming up this weekend, I figured there is no better time than now to try and transition this column to amateur motocross. My trip to Daytona is already planned and paid for so I am still going. If they would allow one of those mobility scooters on the track you best believe I would be out there filming, but the battery wouldn’t last, and the track gets a little steep at certain points. Since I can’t do that, I will be there watching and paying attention.
This column will likely start slow, but we have to start somewhere. I will do my best to highlight the noteworthy races that happen as well as pull content from the rider’s social media to show what they’re up to. If a rider wins a big race, you’ll likely see them in this column. If a rider starts their own vlog series, you’ll likely see them in this column. Someone throws a huge whip and posts it to Instagram? You guessed it, it will be here. Eventually we will try and set up interviews with riders so everyone can get to know just a little more about the next big thing.
Until then, let’s get started.
Daxton Bennick Goes 2 for 2 in Futures
Daxton Bennick has been super impressive through the first two rounds of Supercross Futures, even beating Haiden Deegan at Anaheim 2 (round 1) before Deegan moved to the pro ranks. Dax has been rock-solid so far and I‘m excited to see what he can do in Daytona this weekend.
Kelana Humphrey in Florida
My man Blake Keith (@blakekeith_) has been spending some time at Moto Sandbox with Kelana the past few weeks and they are starting to pump out some awesome content. Kelana is getting geared up for RCSX this weekend as well as Day in the Dirt the following. You can checkout Kelana’s YouTube channel right here.
JuJu Joins the Orange Brigade
Julien Beaumer recently announced he will be joining the KTM Orange Brigade team ahead of last weekend’s Supercross Futures race. JuJu had a nice get off in the whoops but was able to salvage a solid fourth place in Saturday’s main event. Julien is headed to Daytona this weekend and making his debut with the team in the AM ranks.
The Road to Loretta’s has Begun
Area Qualifiers all across the country have kicked off and things are about to start getting busy on the Road to Loretta’s. Last weekend we had the second Southeast Area Qualifier at South of the Border. We saw some big names like Landon Gibson, Luke Fauser, Canyon Richards, and more. Mike Vizer (@mikevizerphoto) was there to capture all of the action. Head over to his page as well as @SOBMX for more.
Bonus: Motorama Madness
Just north of my neck of the woods, there is a spectacle of an event that occurs each year. Motorama in Harrisburg, PA is a one-of-a-kind event that produces some of the most chaotic racing you will see in your entire life. Think Arenacross is wild? This is amateur Arenacross to an extreme. I will let Matt Burkeen’s videos from the event speak for themselves. You can go to his YouTube channel for more.
That is going to wrap up the first edition of the new Vurb Roundup. I am headed to Daytona Wednesday and then Day in the Dirt afterwards to hobble around on my crutches. If you see me, say hi. Otherwise, we will be back with another Roundup afterwards leading into Freestone.
Main image: Yamaha
