By KELLY TERPSTRA, Courier sports writer
July 18, 2008 10:05 pm
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OTTUMWA — The sport of SuperMoto racing is picking up speed.
The hair-raising action that the motorcycles in competition produce has been introduced to an ever-increasing audience that is quickly grabbing hold and not letting go.
There are also many blossoming opportunities that await the skilled drivers of the profession.
Major exposure and recognition is starting to sprout up for household names like Mark Burkhart, Chad Reed and Jeff Ward — who have flourished in the hard-charging excitement of the sport.
Each athlete has tasted the sweet smell of success, along with burnt rubber from quickly-expiring tires and plenty of dug-up dirt from the fast, high-flying action.
There’s also Carey Hart, inventor of the “Hart Attack” in freestyle motocross. He’s the star and creator of the much-watched reality show Inked on A&E. He’s married to Pink, the Grammy-winning pop singer — although they’re currently separated.
All these headliners will meet on Aug. 2 at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. for one event — the Summer X-Games 14.
Matt Burton of Ottumwa will also be there.
He’s in the mix and is starting to make a major mark in the world of SuperMoto, a combination of road racing (dirt) and motocross.
Burton will be revving up his KTM motorcycle with a chance to shine on the national stage and run with the “big boys” when ESPN2 airs its SuperMoto X-Games race on Saturday, Aug. 2 at 4 p.m.
Burton, 23, has come a long way to get to this point — with this X-Games’ appearance easily being the pinnacle of his career so far.
“When I was little, I was never fast. I was always crashing,” said Burton, recalling when he was about 12 years old. “I actually dreamed something one night and the wheels started turning. I was fast — it was crazy. It totally turned from there.”
Burton rides for R/J Racing, run by his step father — Rick Canode, who is owner and operator of R/J Performance in Ottumwa.
“I just think for a privateer, this X-Games is huge,” said Canode. “The glitz and the glamour, we’re not really into a lot of that, but it’s racing. To be associated with it is big. It’s a big feather for his hat.”
The X-Games drew 38 million TV viewers last year for ESPN, the largest X-Games audience ever for the behemoth from Bristol. Other sports that are featured at the enormous spectacle, which will run from July 31-Aug. 3, are surfing and skateboarding — the latter obviously made hugely popular by a guy by the name of Tony Hawk.
Burton was one of three racers that had to qualify for the X-Games race and enter the 20-driver field. The rest were invited.
His berth in the X-Games field happened in stunning fashion when he placed second in 250 Lites at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Wash. over the July 4 weekend in the XTRM/AMA SuperMoto National Championship. It was the first AMA SuperMoto event of the season.
He hit the podium and his ticket to California was punched.
“It was a six-rider. I came up through the pack and passed them in the whoop section, a series of 15 bumps that you have to ride through,” said Burton.
Burton — who runs full-time on the SuperMoto circuit and has also hit three races on the Flat Track series — has five more races on the SuperMoto side of things.
Burton rubs shoulders with some of the bigger names in the sport, but also wouldn’t mind being honored with the distinction of being that big name.
“That’s who I want to be,” said Burton. “I get to see them all the time. It’s cool to see them, but it’s even cooler to beat them.
Burton hopes for a top-12 finish at the X-Games.
Burton won the 250-class at State Line Rally in Primm, Nev. last April. He also finished sixth and ninth in two of his Flat Track races this year.
Burton, who does not have a factory ride like a lot of the successful rides do, just singed his first major sponsorship deal with the promotional group B.I.G. Entertainment — the W.W.E. of Ultimate Fighting according to Canode.
If all goes well, it could be year-round contract come 2009 for Burton.
Burton — one of the top riders in the Midwest in SuperMoto — doesn’t mind taking a few pointers from Burkhart, who is the defending SuperMoto Series champ in the 450 class. Burkhart was once where Burton is now.
“Four years ago, Burkhart was at the same place Matt was at — slippin’ around on Maxxis tires. All of the sudden, bang, he got a factory ride and he’s kickin’ their butt,” said Canode.
Opponents should hold on to their handlebars, because Burton is zeroing in on a regular spot on the podium stand.
“He’s been on a pretty good roll,” said Canode.
Burton and his racing crew will be signing free autographs at Benchwarmer’s restaurant and bar, along Highway 34 East in Ottumwa this Tuesday. Burton will be there with his bike, along with T-Shirts that will be for sale from 5-8 p.m.
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