Photos by: Hoppenworld
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 trying to chase their dream of racing professional Motocross. 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 guys just hoping to become regulars in the big show.
This week’s “Privateer Showcase” interview is with Marshal Weltin. The #89 rookie 250MX rider graduated from Loretta Lynn’s in 2015 after finishing sixth in 250A and second in the Open Pro Sport class with a moto win and podiums in four of the six motos. In years past, that would have been enough to score a two-year shot with one of the top 250 factory-backed satellite teams, but in 2016, that isn’t always enough. So ride or no ride, Marshal loaded up and got right to work on getting himself ready for the next level and proving he is here for the long haul.
Marshal jumped into the deep end at the end of the 2015 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship and scored enough points to proudly display the national #89 on his bike for his rookie campaign in 2016. In his first-ever Supercross in Atlanta, Marshal made the main and finished fifteenth, but his freshman SX ended soon after with a crash at Justin Barcia’s house that resulted in a broken scapula, collar bone and humerus—and this was after breaking his ankle in November preparing for ’16 SX.
Marshal recovered and returned to racing at the 2016 High Point National and since then has scored points in six of his eight motos. Last weekend at Southwick, Marshal showed that not much will stop him from pushing to break through. After crashing and busting his chin wide open in moto one and having Doc Bodnar stitch him up, he fought back the pain to score points in moto two. It was a gritty performance and one that had us hunting down his phone number so we could get to know this rookie a little better.
Marshal, thanks for the time. Let’s talk about Southwick. You ended up crashing in the first moto, busting your chin and posting a gnarly pic. What happened there?
It’s all kind of blurry to me. I know I was right behind a kid on a Honda in about 25th place or so. I had a bad start. I think I actually tipped over on the start too. Then I hit this kid’s rear tire and we got together in a corner. It wasn’t anything too serious of a crash, and then next thing I knew, I had my head pinched under my bike and I was trying to get out. That was my main concern. I didn’t even feel my chin at the time, but then when I got up there, there was blood all over my gear, on my bike and I knew that something was messed up. So I just went right back to the pits. I got back and my dad was with me and he cleaned my chin. So we went up to the Astericks Mobile Medic crew and we got it cleaned up. Doc Bodnar did a great job and stitched me up, so I was able to ride moto 2. I was completely numb, so I didn’t really feel much of the pain honestly, but afterwards, on Sunday and Monday, I definitely made up for it. It was pretty darn painful. It was hard to talk, hard to chew. My jaw felt like it was locked together.
That pic looks pretty gnarly. What made you go out for moto 2?
I mean, I’m pretty much doing everything this year off of a budget. I see the numbers coming in on what it takes to get to the race, and it’s not easy to just… I knew I could ride so it’s hard to say I’m just going to pass this one up. There’s only six more rounds left and it’s hard to just say, “Ah, I’ll get it next weekend.” There’s really not many weekends left. I just wanted to make the most of it, and luckily, it turned out pretty well. I was able to score a couple points.
Had you ridden Southwick before that?
No, this is my first time.
What did you think of that place?
Honestly, I loved it. I’m a sand guy anyway; I’m from Michigan, so I grew up riding the sand, not sand near that tight turny. My home track is more Baja Acres. That’s more fast and wide open, but this was, at Southwick, it was super fun. The track was awesome. Honestly, I had a great time. I just wish I could have had a little bit better results to show for it is all.
At the end of last year you graduated out of Loretta’s and you ended up scoring points at the end of the year and earning #89. You’re hovering right around the top twenty. What do you think of your year so far?
Yeah, I think I’ve been building pretty well. I’m getting better every weekend, better at finishes. I’d like to see myself more around the 10th area. I feel like that’s kind of where I belong, but I’m working to get there. I had a tough start to this season. A shoulder injury that I had in Supercross, that set me back a ways. I was off the bike for about two and a half, three months. So that’s why I started at round four at High Point. I feel like I’ve been building every weekend, and I feel like I’m capable of more. I just need to not get hurt like I did last weekend and just stay on the bike and get good starts.
How did you feel about Supercross this year? At Atlanta, you started the year with a 15th in main. Then Daytona, you had a rough Daytona, but then you disappeared. How did you get injured?
Yeah, Supercross is a whole different breed; it’s tough. I struggled for a little bit with it, but I was getting it figured out right when the season was starting. Just the stupid injuries kind of set me back again. But what happened was, after Daytona, I was riding in Madison, Florida at Justin Barcia’s house, and it was the Wednesday right before I was about to leave for Toronto. There was only like four laps to go of the whole day. I hit a jump in the rhythm section, and I came up a little short. Unfortunately, it ended my season. I dislocated my shoulder. I broke my scapula and my collar bone and my humerus. It was a pretty serious injury. That set me out for the season.
I know you probably don’t want to think about this, but how much better do you think you’d be if you would have gotten a ride coming out of amateurs?
Honestly, I try not to think about it like that.
It’s a huge difference from a privateer 250 to a factory 250. Can you see that difference, especially at tracks like Southwick?
Honestly I feel like my bike’s really good right now. The people that are supporting me have helped me out a lot. The JGR motor has been really fast. Also the suspension has been handling really well. I can’t compare it to a factory bike because I’ve never ridden one, but I mean, the bike that I’m on now, I honestly don’t have any complaints about it. It’s been really solid and it’s held up well, so I can’t complain. But it’s hard for me to compare it when I’ve never ridden, you know, like a GEICO or Pro Circuit motor.
I watched your career as an amateur, and you’re one of the guys I thought might graduate with a good ride. You were that second, third, fourth place guy consistently. You finished second in the Open Pro Sport Class at Loretta Lynn’s in ’15 right before you graduated, right?
Yes, sir, I had four out of six motos on the podium at Loretta’s. It was a good week. I wasn’t ever really on the top spot. I think I had one moto win, but it was still a good week. I was consistent, but I feel like I just needed a little bit more is all.
Were you surprised that you didn’t pick anything up, or were you kind of expecting to go at this by yourself?
A little of both. I hadn’t really been doing the whole national scene for amateur motocross racing my whole life like most of the kids. It was more something that I picked up later. I did go to Loretta’s on an 85 in the B Class. You know, I’m from Michigan. We ride from March to September, and then that would be our year. I really only started getting to riding all year round like three years ago, I think, is when we started to take it more serious. I can understand why I haven’t gotten anything, but it is frustrating at times finishing in front of people that do have support.
So you only got serious in like the last three years. What was the point that you decided this was what you wanted to do, and did you go to regular schooling or home schooling?
Yeah, I was enrolled in regular public school through my junior year, and then I did my senior year online. What inspired my dad and I to take it a little more serious and pursue it is we went to Club MX for a couple weeks bootcamp type deal. I came and I gelled really well with the whole Club MX staff and the crew. I loved it, obviously. Getting to ride my dirt bike every day and train is like the coolest thing ever. Then after that, Brandon [Haas], the owner of Club MX, was talking to my dad about having me come full time and stay. Obviously I was bugging my dad to do that. He gave into it, and we made it happen. After we did that, then it kind of turned into having different goals in motocross instead of just trying to get my pro card and make a national. It became more detailed goals.
Do you guys have a plan of attack, like how many years you’ll give this a shot before it’s time to go get a job, or are you just kind of winging it?
As of right now, we have good funding with personal sponsors that are helping me out, but there’s no for sure future. That’s the thing about motocross—you just never know. I’d like to give it as long as I can. I’m not going to try to say, “Oh, if I don’t get something by the end of this year, that’s it.” I think that I’ll be able to prove myself. I believe that I can. I mean, you can never really tell the future, but I don’t plan on stopping any time soon.
We’re heading to Millville this weekend. Is that a place that you’ve ridden before or is that new?
Yeah, I have ridden there about three or four times as an amateur. We went up there for regionals on 85’s, and I tried to make it in Loretta’s in the B Class a couple times too. So I’ve ridden there, but it’s been probably six or seven years since I’d last ridden there.
It’s a stupid question because the track is one of the best tracks in the world, but how do you like the place?
Yeah, I mean, when I was there I absolutely loved it, and I’m sure I’ll love it when I go there this time. I would have to say, my all time favorite is RedBud. It’s local. It’s like four hours from me, but that’s where I seemed to go quite a bit as an amateur. I love Millville, too. I thought it was a great track when I went there last time.
Who’s helping you get to the races this year?
SRS Pharmacy Systems, Caro Motorsports, Ibcorp Racing, JGR MX, Pirelli, Rydcrew , Liveit Extreme Sports, Stheart, Fly Racing, Scott, Fmf, Sunstar, No Toil, 180 Decals, Renthal.
