Number 44 in the East Region of the AMA Monster Energy Supercross series is the focus of this week’s MotoXAddicts Privateer Showcase. Les Smith is a second year pro focused on making a name for himself in AMA SX and MX this year, and by the looks of his results, he may be well on his way to doing just that. Les has made huge improvements this year over last and recently signed a deal with a new team to ride the big bike class in the outdoor Nationals over the summer. We gave Les a call a couple of days ago to chat with him about his decorated amateur career, the 2011 SX season and his plans for the rest of this year. Here’s what Les had to say to MotoXAddicts:
Photo by Brian Robinette.
So what’s happening, Les? You have St. Louis here in a couple of days. Are you traveling right now?
No, I don’t fly out until tomorrow morning. St. Louis is a pretty good distance, so I’m happy I’m flying.
Where are you originally from?
South Carolina, just south of Charlotte, North Carolina.
Is that where you’re still living?
Yes, sir.
What tracks did you grow up riding the most near home?
My local tracks were Camp Coker or Sand Hills. Those were the two I rode the most. Camp Coker was always awesome.
At what age did you start racing dirt-sicles? And, how old are you now?
I started racing when I was six years-old, and I’m twenty now.
Did you guys go right into amateur nationals or was it a progression?
I raced for two years or so and, at first, we just did Loretta’s. I think I was 8 years-old the first time. Then, every year I started going to more and more races. Somewhere around 2000-01, we started doing more, and I’d say it was around 2003 that we started going to Texas and the rest of them.
Photo by Hoppenworld.
I follow amateurs almost as closely as the pros, and I remember you being up near the top as an amateur. How would you describe your amateur career?
My amateur career was great! It started off a little slow, but once I turned fifteen, I started doing good. I won an 85cc (14-15) title at Loretta Lynn’s in 2005, and then after that, it kind of picked up. I moved up to the big bikes after that, and in 2006, I got on the podium in both school boy classes. In ’07, I won the 250 and 450B titles at Loretta’s and also won some other titles in Texas, and the Mini O’s and places like that, so my amateur career was actually great.
I saw Jimmie Weinert’s training facility, “South of the Border,” as a sponsor this year.
Yes sir, that’s the team I’ve been riding for this year. I’ve been staying down there, riding and training. It’s about two and a half hours from my house. It’s a pretty new facility that’s been open for a couple years now. It’s a great place! Jimmy Weinert knows his stuff for sure.
What is the official name of the team you ride for this year? I know you were slated to ride for the Kilbarger, but then they weren’t going to have a team, and then they did, or something like that.
JWR (Jimmie Weinert Racing) is the team I race for now. I was going to race for Kilbarger, and then that whole deal really wasn’t moving along. We were like a month out from the season starting, and they didn’t have any sponsors, any testing or anything. I basically was told by them they weren’t going to do a race team, but then I guess at the last minute, they put something together.
How would you say 2011 SX season has gone for you?
I’d say it’s going alright. I mean it’s had its ups and its downs, but I feel like I’m riding pretty good. I feel like, overall, I have improved my riding a lot. My pace has definitely picked up, and my conditioning is a lot better. I just gotta eliminate some of the mistakes still, but we’re getting there. I think I’m happy with it so far, but I would have liked to have done a little better still. I’ve had some pretty good performances, so I’m happy with that.
Photo by Brian Robinette.
Considering in your rookie year you only made two main events and this year you have two top-tens, I’d say that’s a huge improvement.
Three actually: two tenths, and a seventh!
My bad! Three top-tens! (Laughs)
(Laughs) Yeah, I gotta make it sound as good as I can.
Last week—at the Dallas SX—was the first main event you missed in five weeks. You and Malcolm Stewart going down hard on the start and then coming together again played a big part in that. What happened there?
(Laughs) I don’t really know what happened there. It was a left-handed turn, and he was somehow moving right. I don’t know what was going on there, but we just kind of locked bars. Obviously, he didn’t do it on purpose. We’re both just out there trying to do the best we can do.
Yeah, it was crazy how you guys came together just a half lap later as well. (Laughs)
Yeah, I had a lot of people come up to me and ask me if I did that on purpose. I was like, “Heck, no, I didn’t screw my race up on purpose!” (Laughs) Like I said, it was weird, and it was crazy, but neither one of us want to get into a mess like that. We just want to do the best we can.
What’s a week like for Les Smith, going from one race to the next?
Well, luckily, I have Jimmy Weinert Racing transporting my bikes, which is nice. Normally if the race is far away, I fly home. Monday, I’ll normally take time working on my race, and getting it ready for the next week. My mechanic—a guy that’s helping me with wrenching at the races named Chuck Shirley—runs his own business called Privateer Connection and has to work full time during the week. So, I will spend Monday getting the race bike ready and try to ride on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Some weeks just end up being Tuesday and Thursday depending on the weather. Then, I’ll head back out to the next race on Friday.
Photo by Brian Robinette.
Outdoor Nationals are now right around the corner. What’s the plan for the outdoors?
Actually, I got a deal with the new Chaplin Kawasaki/Performance Tuning team. Phil Alderton will be the manager of that team. I worked with him last year during the outdoor nationals when I rode for the Honda of Troy team. He and I have a relationship, and he got this team together for the outdoors on Kawasaki 450’s. I’ve always been a little bit better of a 450 rider, so I jumped at the opportunity to ride a 450.
That’s awesome. The whole deal seems like a great fit for you. You’re a bigger kid, and I can see the 450 working well for you
Yeah exactly! Before the season this year, we got a trainer, and I was dieting like crazy, dieting as hard as I could and working out twice a day. I got my weight down to low 160’s, and that’s it for me. That’s as low as it gets for me. I’m a big guy. So yeah, overall I think the 450 suits me better, and I enjoy riding it more. I am going to definitely get back down to a Lites bike for 2012 SX, though. I feel like next year Lites SX will be a good year for us. Ultimately, I’d like to get a good ride for Lites SX.
Do you feel like you’re in good outdoor National physical shape going in this year? Do you have a personal trainer?
Yeah, for sure. I feel like right now I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been in. Right now, I don’t have a personal trainer. Jimmy Weinert hired the trainer for the month leading into the season, and the trainer pretty much wrote up the programs for us to follow, showed us all the right things to do, and I’ve mainly been following that. It’s just up to me to do the work.
Before you go play on the 450 outdoors, you have two more SX races in 2011. Do you think you can break into the top five before it’s over?
Man, for sure! After the season I’ve had—with all the ups and downs—some people might laugh when I say that, but I think it’s doable for sure. To be honest, in my mind, that’s where I know I should be. That’s my goal, and really, I’m not going to happy with anything less at this point. I really gotta get up there, and I really gotta show people that I can do it! My speed’s good, my fitness is good, and that’s the plan man. If I can just get a start—which has been a struggle for me—and do fifteen solid laps without making a big mistake, I don’t see any reason why I shouldn’t be there.
So is there anyone you would like to thank for getting you to the races this year?
For sure. First, I want to thank the Jimmy Weinert Training Facility and South of the Border. Also, Fox clothing, VPE motors, Factory Connection, Dunlop, Renthal, MotoHose, FMF, Impulse GraphX and Mechanix Wear. I’d also like to add Chuck Shirley at Privateer Connection. He’s a guy that owns a local shop around here that comes to the races and wrenches for me out of the goodness of his heart. I really appreciate it.
Thank you very much for letting us tell your story at MotoXAddicts. Much appreciated.
No problem.
