Photos by: Hoppenworld
When you watch professional Supercross, you’re witnessing the best in the world competing in a sport they have lived and breathed since before they knew how to tie their shoes. These are guys that were training, fighting for factory rides and trying to win championships for sponsors while most kids their age were hanging out in preschool working on making it through the day without soiling their underwear. 28 year-old Mike Alessi is the epitome of that description.
Smartop / Motoconcepts’ Mike Alessi has been racing at the highest level of this sport since before he learned how to say a complete sentence and been at the professional level since he was sixteen years-old, but as his career winds down he is surprisingly still improving at Supercross every year. The Monster Energy Cup is supposed to be a hybrid Supercross / Motocross event, but the 2016 version was basically a full on Supercross track minus the whoops. Mike has always been touted as a motocross specialist, but he was solidly inside the top ten all night and even led five of the ten laps of the third main event. In the end, he put his Motoconcepts bike in fifth overall and capped off a great night for his team.
After the race was over, I sat down with Mikey in the Motoconcepts riders lounge and talked to him about his race, working with kids and life after his impending retirement.
Mike, solid night for you and the Motoconcepts team. 8-6-5 score for you for fifth overall, and you led some laps in the last main event. How was the night for you?
It was an awesome night. I can’t thank MotoConcepts enough for supporting me and being behind me. I got not the greatest starts in the first two motos and it put me in just a little bit of a position where I couldn’t really move forward or move backwards; I was just kind of in limbo.
Around guys that were your speed?
Yeah, exactly. In the third moto, I got the holeshot and it definitely opened the track up. I was able to take the lines that I wanted and led five laps—half the race. That was awesome. It was a big learning experience. Kenny was breathing down my throat, and I left the door open coming up to the finish line turn and he took it from me. I ended up fifth in the moto. I really want to thank Motoconcepts again and Mike Genova for the support. My Dunlops got me off to a great start in that third moto. I was debating changing tires—going to a new tire or staying with the original second moto tire—and I decided to go with the new one. I said, “Let’s go with the new one. It’s going to make the difference.” It definitely felt like it was.
How did you feel up front in that third moto. You holeshotted and took off there for a minute. You looked surprisingly comfortable.
It was good. You know, I felt very comfortable. I was good, but then Kenny started pressuring me and I started to get a little nervous—being honest. Then I left the open coming into the finish line turn. I didn’t realize he was that close. I’m guessing he must of scrubbed it, because I didn’t look back going over the triple before the finish. I was not doing any looking back. Kenny’s a veteran, and he’s a Champion for a reason. He won 19 or 24 motos over the summer, so he’s on a roll. He’s the man right now. It felt good to lead for about five laps.
Then it was like everyone that was racing for the overall came bearing down on you after that.
Yeah, it was a freight train after that. They were just like in a motion. They were on me and on the gas.
There are a lot of new and very different decisions and strategies that go into this event with the grate start, starting at the top of the stadium and the Joker Lane. I mean, you’re known for being a great starter, but the metal grate start from the top of the stadium was new to everyone.
It’s new; it’s different. It’s something we’re not used to, but at the end of the day, it was a cool new experience. I’m sure the fans dug it.
What are your thoughts on this year’s track overall?
Overall, I thought it was an awesome track. It was fun. There were places to pass and the Joker Lane was safe this year and, for the most part, memorable.
Yeah, seeing it every lap out the right side of your peripheral every lap kept it in your mind for sure.
I don’t think anybody missed it this year, so that’s a step in the right direction. I don’t think there were any big injuries. The fans saw some exciting racing in all the races, honestly. You saw in the Amateur All Star race, my Motoconcepts teammate, Cameron McAdoo win the truck with two holeshots. He’s an awesome up-and-coming kid, and he has some serious potential. He’s awesome to have on the team, and we also have Tanner Stack. He’s an up-and-coming kid, too, and he’s going to be filling that spot when Cameron steps out of the amateur ranks and goes pro. [Cameron is going pro for 2017 250SX East Supercross]
How much are you personally working with the amateur kids?
I don’t want to take all the credit, but it’s a lot more than people think. But Brandon [Haas] from Club MX is always with these kids and I live at Club MX now. It’s a great training facility and I’m with these kids on the track, on the bicycle and in the gym and it shows. We got a good team, and a good group of guys around us. My mechanic Aaron did such a great job tonight. My truck driver was kind of acting as my mechanic tonight, because the mechanics couldn’t really go up to the start gate and get to the mechanics area on time. It was on the opposite side of the stadium tonight so my truck drive, Cooler, did an great job tonight helping me on the starting gate. I’ll give him some credit for that last holeshot.
I’ve known your dad for quite some time, and nobody could ever question his passion for this sport. And you obviously have a passion for it as well. Time is winding down on your racing career, so is working with kids something you want to do after you exit the racing side of it?
I don’t know. As far as myself and racing, I’m racing two more years—’17 and ’18—and after that I’m done and retiring from racing. I have two more good years of racing and after that I’m ready to hang up the boots and kind of close that book on racing. I’m going to start that next chapter with the family and kids and kind of relax for a year or two. Just enjoy life.
Is Danielle [Mike’s wife] kicking you a little? (laughs)
I look forward to the day that it’s over. I want to get out healthy and happy, and happy with my career.
Do you think you will be doing the Canadian National’s over the summer for your final years?
More than likely, yeah, I’ll be racing in Canada. I had a fun summer this year, and I look forward to going back there next year.
Cool, well, thank you for your time tonight, and congrats on a solid Monster Cup.
Thank you. I appreciate it.
