Photo by: Devin Davis
These “Privateer Showcase” interviews presented by Race Tech Suspension at MotoXAddicts tell the stories of the guys in the trenches week in and week out just trying to chase their dream of racing professional Motocross and Supercross. While the riders at the front of the pack get the money, the T.V. time and the glory that goes with it, there’s a huge pack of kids just hoping to become regulars in the big show. We will talk to them and get their stories about trying to break through to that next level with little or no help.
This week’s “Privateer Showcase” is with Atlas Racing/Slaka Wear/Race Tech Suspension backed privateer Steven Mages. The old saying, “You have to crawl before you walk,” rings true in Supercross, and if Steven’s rise in AMSOIL Arenacross is any indication of what he is capable of, we should see the #733 in more main events as the series moves on.
At Anaheim 1 and in San Diego, Steven made the night show, but after getting his feet wet and shaking off the nerves at A1, he missed making his first main event by one position at round two in San Diego. At round three in Anaheim, Steven had some familiar, big Arenacross whoops, and he was not going to let what happened in the first two rounds happen again. In the heat race, he started eleventh and passed his way up to seventh, but on the white flag lap, he found himself on the outside looking in once again in tenth. On the last lap, though, the #733 did what he had to do and grabbed the last qualifying position with a 9th.
In the main event, he was able to score one point with a 21st place finish, and while that may not seem like much, there’s no more important point in a rookie’s career than that first one. It’s a huge accomplishment to make a Supercross main event, so we called Steven to find out more about him and talk to him about his rookie year in Supercross so far.
Steven, thanks for doing this today. For those that don’t know you, where are you originally from and how old are you?
Cincinnati, Ohio, and I just turned twenty-five.
At what age did you turn pro?
I turned pro at, I think, eighteen, and it was a struggle. Coming up, I wasn’t the greatest amateur rider. I struggled a lot with crashes. I would be doing good and I would wreck. I started getting some consistency [with my racing] when I was about twenty, and I went into Arenacross and did that for four years.
 
How successful were you in Arenacross during those four years?
Last year, I got three Arenacross class podiums, two moto wins and, in the Lites class, I had seven-straight main event wins.
What kind of amateur racing did you do coming up? Were you just a local kid, or did you guys do all the amateur Nationals?
I’ve been to Loretta [Lynn’s Amateur MX Championship] probably about fourteen times, and more than half of them ended with me getting 40th to 42nd place (laughs) due to bike problems, struggles, wrecks and not training right. The last couple of years I trained right, and I realized it wasn’t my luck; I realized you create your own luck with how much time you put into it. In my last year there, I got my first podium with Zach Bell, Joey Savatgy and those guys. That was really cool to get a top three at Loretta’s in the Pro Sport class. We really didn’t have the money or support to chase all the amateur nationals, though.
Let’s talk about your Supercross series so far. You’re now three races into your first year contesting the 250SX Western Regional Championship. How would you say it’s gone for you so far?
Well, it’s a little bit different. Like I said, I did Arenacross for four years and people always wanted my to do Supercross, but I never had a team or support. I found it kind of pointless to race Supercross and spend my own money or go to Arenacross and make money. The whole transition has been pretty easy. The only thing is, I’ve always been really good in the whoops—because of Arenacross—compared to a lot of guys, because Arenacross whoops are so big. I try to bring as much of my experience from Arenacross into Supercross. The corners are a little bit longer [in Supercross] and I’ve realized the fifteen lap main events are pretty long, so I’ve tried changing my training up for that.
From what it looks like, you’re better at racing riders than you are at racing a stopwatch? You’ve qualified 37th, 37th and 39th, but you got close in San Diego and made the main at A2. Is timed qualifying not a specialty of yours? (laughs)
You hit the nail on the head right there. Times are not my specialty, but I know how to race really good. Even with a bad start, I can get through a pack really quickly because of my Arenacross experience. If you re-watch the races, I’m dead last in every heat race, and I’ve come back to miss it by one or two or I make it [into the main event].
You finally broke through at A2 with your first main event. How did you like the track last week?
I really didn’t like it. I made due the best I could. Honestly, it was my worst track of the three so far this year. The whoops helped me out a lot, even though I did wreck in the main in them. They did help me, though, because of my Arenacross experience. I was definitely fighting the track, and this weekend, if it’s not a mudder and I feel good on the track, I feel like I can really get up there. If I get in the main I think I can be a top fifteen rider.
You talk about the whoops being a big help. I think I heard you were the first-ever rider to make the main event on the WP production 4CS forks. I was told Race Tech converted them to an open chamber design. How’s that working for you?
Honestly, it’s great. For one, Race Tech’s support with personally being there for me, checking up on me after every moto or every practice or two. They made some great suspension out of the stock WP KTM production forks. We were going to get A-Kit Suspension put on it, but we ended up finding that the Race Tech stuff worked out great. I’m just pumped to be with them. Apparently last week’s whoops were really tough and I went right though them.
Even when you didn’t like the track, you transferred to your first-ever main right out of the heat race at A2. That had to be an awesome feeling?
It was definitely a dream come true. I was ecstatic with my team and my team manager, Brian.The thing that made the difference in the heat race was, before the race took off I was like, “I’m not giving up.” I was in seventh with two laps to go and three dudes passed me when I bobbled, and I was in tenth. I was tenth [only top 9 transfer to main event] the week before, and I was like “I’m not missing it again.” So I hammered down, passed the last dude—’cause he bobbled in the whoops—and I passed him and sealed it. Man, it was definitely a complete dream come true.
What was it like rolling up to the gate of your first Supercross main event, looking down the line and seeing all the big names of the 250SX class on the gate with you?
It was super surreal. I would see these guys on TV—even the past four years when I was racing AX—and I was always wondering if I could run with them. Now to know that they’re not unstoppable and that I can be up there is a good feeling. They’re doing the same thing as me; they’re human and I can be up there.
I’m sure your first goal was making a main event, but now that you knocked that out, what are your future goals in Supercross?
I feel that with the right support and the right training—just like I did in AX—I feel like I can be on the podium. I feel like when I came into AX, I was in the same place I am now. That’s why I hesitated to come to SX, because I was comfortable in AX and I had fought uphill to get there. Now, I’m starting over again in SX and I’m back on that hill. I feel like it’s going to be tough to get there, but I know I can do it. With more experience I can get there, but I know I’m going to need a really good bike and team to get to the top three.
Steven, thanks for doing this interview with us, and I hope to see it happen. If you get there, it’s going to take help, though. Any people out there now helping you out that you want to thank?
Yeah, a really big thanks to Brian at Atlas Racing, Slaka Wear, KTM, TZR Motors, Race Tech Suspension, FLY Racing, Bell Helmets, Scott, Leatt, Evs, Rad Wheels, Works Connection, Rekluse, Acerbis, Mika Metals, DT1, Dunlop, Motorex Oil, Link MX Graphics, Motoseat, X-Trig, FMF, Nihilo Concepts, DT-1 Air Filters.
