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Discussion: Steven Clarke

Steven Clarke on a variety of topics.

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Steven Clarke has had a turbulent season, both on and off the track, as there have been extreme highs and then crushing blows. Now that the Carglass Honda squad have shut up shop, Clarke has formed an Apico Honda outfit and will finish the year surrounded by some familiar faces. All of that is discussed in this exclusive MX Vice interview, which was originally posted as a podcast.

MX Vice: Busy couple of weeks for you and now you are back in Britain. I am sure you would have liked to win the second moto, obviously, but this was a solid start to your new programme.

Steven Clarke: Yeah, it was good. First moto was okay. I had an average start but I got up pretty quick into the top five, then on the last lap I made a small mistake and got passed by Liam Knight. In the second moto I had a holeshot and led for a while, which was nice. I sort of rode my own race. It was good. I set quite a good pace and I felt pretty solid. Then two or three laps from the end Pocock got me and Liam Knight. They were both riding really well. Not to make excuses, but I have been pretty ill.

I have been in all week with a chest infection, so I was not quite up to par at the end of the race, but hats off to them guys. They were behind me and they finished in front of me. It was good. It has been a lot of trying to get everything sorted out. I have had my Carglass Honda team fold and I had to sort of step up and make my own team again. Dylan from Apico and those guys, and Sally from Putoline, have really pulled their hand out of their pocket and sorted me out. It is not easy to get sponsors this late in a season, so it was good that I got them on board. I hope my results today have done them proud.

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Steven Clarke formed Apico Honda, once Carglass Honda shut up shop.

MPS Images

Going back to that whole Carglass situation, how did it unfold? I think the news that you were moving back to Apico came out before they said they were shutting up, so obviously you moved on knowing that was kind of coming?

Yeah, it was a bit of a bad situation really. The team manager quit after round two of the EMX and that just sort of then left the team spiralling downhill sort of thing. Peter Stiphout is the name of the team owner and he is a great guy. He paid me on time every month. He made his way to the races, despite not even having a truck or a team manager, and he was even at Lommel and cheering me on, even though I had different graphics on. It just kind of shows you what kind of guy he is.

After the team manager quit it just sort of spiralled out of control and caused itself to fold up. I have had a bit of help through that from Honda Europe to continue on for the rest of the season and do it on my own, so I am happy with that. It is good. It is nice to have a sponsor behind you like Honda, who is capable of being able to do something like that and even willing to do so. We’ll be good.

It was even a bit messy at the start of the year, wasn’t it, with parts and things like that? It was not a complete programme?

No, they struggled. There was some nagging things from last year, some bills and some parts were missing from last year’s go at the team. It just sort of caught up this year. There were bills that needed paying. I do not want to get too deep into it and say some things I should not say, but it was not ideal. It was not bad though, if you know what I mean. They were not bad to me. They were not mean to me. They did not hold anything away from me. They still provided me everything that they could. It was not everything that I needed, but it was everything they could provide me with. No hard feelings there.

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Clarke runs fifth in EMX250, seventy-three points down on the leader.

MPS Images

You are back in Europe and kind of doing what you used to do. Are you happy with where you are at? You have done a full season of it again now. Are you content and wanting to move forward with this or are you just thinking that you need to get back to America?

I am thinking I need to go back to America, mate. I feel really good in my career at the moment with my riding, my fitness, my training programme and everything. It all seems to be flowing really well. So I thought, while I am feeling this good and while my bike still feels as good as it does, I need to get back over there today, because I am dying to get on the podium. I know I am capable of it. I just need to be there to do it.

Do you know what you are doing next year then? Do you have anything set in stone? I guess you are moving forward and trying to get to America?

Honestly I have not even got any talks with anybody at the moment. I have only just finished sorting out this year’s deals. I want to make it through the end of this without any other focusses on my brain. I have got a lot of points to make up if I want any chance of winning that EMX championship or even being on the podium; it is full steam ahead for Foxhill, Lyng, Bulgaria, Switzerland and Assen now.

I know in the past you have kind of been a bit pissed that you have not had proper support in America. Would you go back and do the whole privateer thing again or, if you go back, would it have to be with the right bike and the right team, so you could just give it a proper go?

Honestly, I will go on a privateer bike. I reckon I could beat them on that privateer KTM. I was so fit and ready for it last year. My engine went out in practice and I broke my collarbone nine days before the first round, which was such a kick in the nuts. I was fit, healthy, ready for a podium and to get knocked down like that was hard. I found it quite difficult to sort of put my head back on straight after that. It took me up until I started racing again in the outdoors to even start getting results, get my fitness back and get my bike flow back. I will go back there on a TM if I need to. I am trying to think of a bad bike. There are none anymore. They are all good bikes.

Interview: Lewis Phillips | Lead Image: MPS Images

British Championship

Bickers to supply UK market with Alpinestars

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This is great news for UK motocross dealers, who can now order Alpinestars Boots and Protection for the motocross and enduro community.

Full PR:
Bickers are pleased to announce a new partnership with Alpinestars, from 2024 Bickers will be a
newly appointed distributor of Alpinestars Off-Road range of MX, Enduro and Trials footwear and
protections.

Alpinestars has been redefining protection for motorcyclists ever since the company was established
in 1963. Commitment to innovation has led Alpinestars to become the world-leading manufacturer
of professional motorsport racing products, motorcycling airbag protection, high-performance
apparel, technical footwear, and helmets. Alpinestars understands that the best design and research
is achieved under extreme conditions. Their involvement in Formula 1, NASCAR, MotoGP, World
SBK, AMA Supercross and Motocross, MXGP, Dakar and more has led to the creation of the most
advanced technical equipment for the racing world’s top athletes.

Bickers and Alpinestars will be working together in the UK and Ireland (via Bickers Dornan) to create
an industry leading integrated sales program, reaching the Bickers dealer network; carrying stock in
2 strategic locations in the UK and Ireland to ensure next day delivery on all items.
Stock is in the UK and available now, to see the range visit alpinestars.com or bickers-online.co.uk.

Chris Hillard (Alpinestars Communications Manager)

Alpinestars are pleased to welcome Bickers as a distributor of our MX/Off-Road range in the UK and
Ireland. With their proven record in offering next day service to dealers; we see Bickers as a logical
partner to add to our already strong network of Dealers and Distributors in the region. With focus on
offering keystone hard goods from our range; namely Footwear and Protection. Central to our plan,
inside July/August 2024 Bickers will also become an Official Alpinestars repair and service center for
MX Goods, with the aim of increasing efficiency for our UK/Ireland based racers and customers
moving ahead, and we look forward to developing this partnership.

Derek McMartin (Bickers)
“Bickers are extremely excited to be able to service and sell Alpinestars Range of Off-Road Footwear
and Protection and cannot wait to start offering these great products to our dealers”
To see what Bickers offer, please go to bickers-online.co.uk
You can visit the Full Range at Alpinestars direct alpinestars.com.

Picture – KTM Group

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Breaking News

NPC 2024 IS ON! All eyes are on Oakhanger.

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Oakhanger will host the first round of the NPC series this weekend. Gulf Racing Fuels, which will support the series for the next three years, will be in attendance. The line looks impressive, while entry lists are still being worked on. Starting a series from scratch is always hard, but trying to do that in a recession and with industry budgets at an all-time low is even more challenging. The guys behind the NPC have been working around the clock to make this happen.

MX1 and MX2 classes will provide some exciting racing with this at the weekend. MX1 will see Tristan Purdon, Brad Todd, Jamie Carpenter, Carlton Husband, Tom Grimshaw, John Adamson, Dan Thornhill, Chalie Putnam, and Aaron Patstone lining up. MX2 will offer some great racing with Charlie Cole, Charlie Heyman, Ollie Colmer, Ben Mustoe, Glen McCormick, Callum Mitchell, Syd Putnam, Ben Franklin, Harvey Cashmore and Liam Bennet all looking to get some hours in the bank racing.

Justin Barclay and Alfie Smith have produced a stunning track for riders to compete on. As I’m typing this update, more British riders are signing up, and they will be confirmed every day leading up to what will be a historical event. I say historical because I believe this series will go from strength to strength and offer one of the best championships in the UK and, hopefully, Europe.

The Acerbis is cancelled this weekend, so places at the NPC are filling up fast. There are four groups, and wildcards are still available in each group.

Entries for the event can be accessed here: https://nora92.com/event/nora-pro-championship-round-1/#tribe-tickets

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British Championship

Andrew Short confirmed for the 2024 VMXdN at Foxhill

No Short measures for Team USA

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The promoters for the annual VMXdN Foxhill have announced that former factory HRC, KTM Factory Racing and Monster Energy Yamaha rider Andrew Short will be racing at the legendary Wiltshire Grand Prix circuit over August bank holiday weekend (August 22nd-26th) as part of the American squad.


Words: Press Release | Lead Image: Supplied


Short has had a stellar sixteen-year pro career, during that time, he earned over 50 podium finishes and nine wins, he is also one of the nicest guys you could wish to meet. One of his personal highlights was being part of the American Team that won the 2010 Motocross of Nations held in his home state of Colorado. 

After he retired from professional motocross at the end of 2016, Short then worked as a team advisor and brand ambassador for Factory Honda HRC before making a big transition to compete in rally racing and take on the ultimate rally race – the Dakar.

After a steep learning curve, he was able to become competitive in rally and even took his first win at the 2019 Rallye du Maroc, a leadup to the 2020 Dakar. He raced for the Rockstar Husqvarna team as well as the Monster Energy Factory Yamaha rally teams.

After a nasty injury while riding at home, he is now back to full fitness and bang up for the challenge that is Foxhill, the greatest 2-stroke event in the world. Short will race a 2002 YZ 250 built and maintained by the crew at DocWob. Team USA won the inaugural event in 2022 and finished 3rd behind Team GB and Team Northern Ireland in 2023. 

The race is already creating a huge buzz with new and returning legends being announced weekly, it really is a whos’ who of the sport through the golden heydays of the 90’s and 00’s era.

Labelled by RacerX magazine as “the Woodstock of two strokes” the event simply goes from strength to strength.

With ticket sales up year on year, the promoters have been blown away at the response to the event and are urging spectators to purchase tickets asap. Could this be the first outdoor motocross event in the UK to be ticket only? Camping passes will be capped at last year’s numbers as simply putting it – it was full!

Ensure your place at the most anticipated event on the British MX calendar by booking early.

Saturday, Sunday, Weekend and Camping passes are available at https://vmxdnfoxhill2024.eventbrite.co.uk

Keep up to date with all the VMXdN Foxhill news

www.vmxdnfoxhill.com 

www.facebook.com/vmxdnfoxhills 

https://www.instagram.com/vmxdnfoxhill/

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