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The day after the "good times" shot we had to shoot a few action pix. Here's one of them - all natural light and one reflector.
Profile: Mike LaRocco
After a dozen top-10 finishes in as many seasons as a professional motocrosser, you might think Mike LaRocco is tired of being Mr. Consistency, but you'd be wrong. "Consistency is what it takes to win a title," LaRocco says.
LaRocco knows what it takes to win a title. A two-time National champion, Mike has both a 500 and 250 National motocross title to his credit.
In 1998 LaRocco joined the Factory Connection team, riding a Honda CR250R for the first time is his career. He acclimated quickly to the aluminum-frame CR and instantly became a championship contender. At the end of his first season on a Honda, LaRocco was third in National motocross points and fifth in Supercross. Still, the soft-spoken family man from South Bend, Indiana, would rather be known simply as Champ. And if his 1999 racing season is any indication, LaRocco has everything it takes to earn that title in 2000.
Starting the '99 Supercross season in signature fashion, LaRocco's four podium finishes in the first four races earned him the season points lead heading into round five in Anaheim. From there, third-place finishes in Daytona and Minneapolis plus a second in St. Louis kept him near the top of the championship chase all year. A total of 14 top-10 finishes in the 16-round Supercross season (including nine top-five finishes) earned LaRocco 267 points-enough for a solid third-place in overall points by season's end.
LaRocco's '99 motocross campaign began with a second overall at Glen Helen, putting him in the thick of that title chase from then on. From there, his eight top-five overall finishes in 1999's 12 motocross Nationals--including a dominant win in round 7 at Unadilla, New York--netted him 406 points and third overall in last year's National motocross championship. Again, consistency is the key. LaRocco scored points in every one of the season's 24 motos. Factor in his equally impressive Supercross season and the man they call LaRocket was the only rider to earn a top-three finish in both disciplines in 1999, racking up a grand total of 673 points in the process--more than any other rider in professional motocross.
Since there are no overnight sensations in this game, it's no surprise to learn Mike LaRocco literally grew up around racing. He started riding at age 6, and won his first race at age 7 on a Honda MR50. Building on a foundation of strength, natural talent and tenacity, LaRocco earned a reputation as a contender everywhere he went, culminating with his two National championships in 1993 and 1994.
Over the past dozen seasons, LaRocco has built a reputation as one of the fittest riders in the sport, often lapping faster at the end of a race than at the beginning. The tougher it gets, the faster he seems to go. That sort of stamina comes from a relentless training regimen that brings him from his home in Indiana to his base in Corona, California for the balance of the racing season.
"Training is my hobby. I like it. The typical off-season training week starts with some cardio-vascular training in the morning and a ride in the afternoon. On Tuesdays I'll add weights to the workout. Wednesdays, I'll do another cardio workout in the afternoon, but won't ride the motorcycle. Thursday is weights plus riding," says LaRocco.
Beyond that, mirroring race conditions is the best way to train. "For Supercross," Mike says, "I'll practice some starts, ride five laps to warm up, then ride a 10-lap heat race. After that I'll ride a 20-lap main event. Add a few more practice starts and it adds up to 50 laps or more a day. Motocross training is tougher because you spend so much more time on the bike during a race. I'll ride two 35-40 minute motos about 20 minutes apart."
Those differences in Mike's training reflect crucial differences between motocross and Supercross. "Speed is the main thing," says LaRocco. "Outdoors it seems like we're always in third or fourth gear. We're always on the gas. In Supercross you spend a lot of time in first or second gear, and timing becomes much more critical."
The subtle and not so subtle variations between motocross and Supercross are reflected in the setup of LaRocco's 2000 CR250R as well. "The biggest difference is in the suspension," says LaRocco. "Where it's soft versus where it's stiff. In Supercross, you want the suspension to be stiff right away so you can stay on top of the whoops or get through a timing section. You don't want the bike to sink too deep in those sections because it soaks up too much energy and momentum. Outdoors, the suspension still needs to be stiff, but the first half of its stroke needs to be plush and able to accept the bumps you hit."
Though once considered more of a motocross specialist, more than a decade of experience and determination have turned Mike LaRocco into one of the best Supercross riders in the world as well. "I used to have better success outdoors," he says, "but as time went on I learned a lot more about Supercross, and that's balanced my approach. I've always been fast in Supercross, but I've never been consistent over an entire Supercross season until last year."
According to LaRocco, the new CR250R may end up being the largest single contributor toward winning in 2000. "The bike is awesome," says LaRocco. "It fits my riding style a lot better than the '99 did. With the new chassis as forgiving as it is, you can set the front end stiff, which is what I like for attacking the track."
LaRocco has the bike, the team, the skills and the desire to spend a lot more time on the top of the victory podium in 2000. And if history does in fact repeat itself, he could well be heading to the form that made Mike LaRocco a champion.
Stats: Mike LaRocco
BornFebruary 12, 1971
Michigan City, Indiana
ResidenceSouth Bend, Indiana
National #5
Began riding 1977
TrainingMotocross, running, mountain biking, weight training
HobbiesPersonal watercraft, radio-controlled cars and computers
Height5' 11''
Weight182 lb.
Marital statusMarried
Current race bikeHonda CR250R
MechanicPaul Delaurier
Sponsors
American Honda
American Honda has defined and redefined the motocross world since the original CR250 Elsinore debuted in 1973. This marks the third straight year American Honda has provided the Factory Connection team with the ultimate in factory support. Mike LaRocco's CR250R and Chris Gosselaar's CR125R racing machines are aided by up-to-the-minute technical information.
Amsoil
Since the introduction of Amsoil synthetic motor oil in 1972, the company has developed one of the most comprehensive lines of synthetic lubricants in the world. The history of Amsoil is filled with many innovations. It developed an API-rated 100 percent synthetic motor oil, and was the first to manufacture a 100:1 pre-mix synthetic 2-cycle oil. Amsoil joins the Factory Connection team
as a title sponsor in 2000.
Competition Accessories
After 38 years of operation and 20 years in the direct-mail catalog business, Competition Accessories' spring catalog will reach more than one million enthusiasts this year. As one of the fastest growing retailers in motorcycling, the company operates from a 64,000-square-foot facility in Springfield, Ohio, and has a comprehensive e-commerce website at www.compacc.com. Competition Accessories is pleased to be associated with the Factory Connection team for 2000 and 2001, and considers its involvement with professional racing an important way to give back to their customers.
Jack In The Box
Beginning its third year with the Factory Connection team, the Jack In The Box restaurant chain continues to use the marketing value of the team extensively in various promotions. Jack The Box Inc. operates and franchises more than 1500 Jack In The Box restaurants that serve more than a half billion people each year and sell more than 200 million burgers.
Supporting sponsors of the Amsoil/Competition Accessories/Jack In The Box/ Factory Connection team:
Showa Suspension
Bridgestone Tires
IF Design Studios
CEET
Bent Graphics
White Bros. DP Brakes
Works Connection
Cometic
Cycra
EK Chain
Hinson Clutches
Wiseco Pistons
Garne Boots
O'Neal Clothing
Scott Goggles
Azonic Handlebars
Bill's Pipes
Cornwell Tools
Sunstar Sprockets
Cyclone Air Filters
Planet Fitness Gyms
Cybex Weight Training & Fitness Equipment
Finish Line Racing
Acerbis Plastic Products
Blur
Honda Factory Connection Racing Machines
"The new bike is awesome," says Mike LaRocco. "I didn't realize there was this much room for improvement because the bikes were good last year, but the first time I rode a production 2000 CR250R I could go into a turn 5 or 10 feet inside where I could on last year's race bike." In fact, LaRocco figures the new-from-the-dirt-up 2000 CR's higher performance may be exactly what he needs to put a number one plate on next year's bike.
The new CR250R really is new from the dirt up. From details such as a new Pro-Link¨ suspension linkage that's 3.5 ounces lighter to a 16-bit digital processor in the ignition system that calculates the engine's spark data faster and more accurately, every detail of the latest CR has been honed to exemplify the cutting edge of modern motocross technology. The twin-spar aluminum frame and swingarm that shocked the motocross world in 1997 have been totally reworked for 2000, creating an entirely re-tuned package that puts rigidity right where it's needed. The result is a chassis that responds precisely to the rider's command. In the power department, all-new porting specs in the 249cc, liquid-cooled two-stroke engine along with optimized intake and exhaust parameters, improve low- and mid-rpm power delivery for vastly improved acceleration everywhere on the track.
According to a codicil of the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) rulebook added in 1992, the racing machines fans see on the track every week must be based on production motorcycles. The idea is to keep racing less expensive and more accessible, leveling the playing field for grass-roots competitors and factory teams alike. As an added benefit, lessons learned on the race track trickle down more directly to the production CR125Rs and CR250Rs sold at local Honda dealers.
LaRocco's mechanic, Paul Dellaurier, is allowed to make a series of subtle modifications to Mike's bikes, such that the finished product doesn't weigh less than the AMA's prescribed 216-pound minimum. LaRocco's CR250R makes upward of 50 horsepower in racing trim.
So what's it like out on the track? "I raced the standard 2000 CR250R in Germany and again in Japan before the U.S. Supercross season, and it has no negatives. Our race bikes are better for me, but the fact that I'm comfortable with it right out of the box is a big bonus. What's best about the new bike is that the chassis is forgiving enough to let you set the front end stiff, which I like for attacking the track. This year I can set-up that way and still be able to turn the bike the way I want to," LaRocco says.
RED DESERT DREAM: Hansen, Craig, Mumford and Yoder / Ein "Red Desert" Traum mit Hansen, Craig, Mumford und Yoder!
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