MARYLAND MOTOCROSS

Scooter Jones: Hello? 

MarylandMotocross.com: Hi, can I speak to Scooter Jones please?

SJ: This is him. 

MMX.com: Uh… believe it or not, my name is Scooter, (Scooter Jones laughs) I’m from MarylandMotocross.com, and I was wondering if you had time for a quick interview?

SJ: Yeah, of course, can you hold on for a sec? 

MMX.com: Sure.

SJ: (Seconds later) Okay.  I’m ready. 

MMX.com: So, Scooter, is that your real name or is it your nickname

SJ:  That’s… my nickname.  My real name is Ryan. 

MMX.com: Man, you lucked out, my real name is Alawishes

SJ: (Hard laugh) How did you get your nickname? 

MMX.com: I don’t know.  Well, as a little kid, my mom was a huge Snoopy fan and she bought me the Snoopy Red Baron Pilot Hat, goggles, and scarf.  I would “fly” around the house with my arms poised like I was on a scooter according to my dad.  So the name stuck and I’m happy about it till I have to tell people my real name.  I’m not as bothered by people busting out laughing or trying to stifle it as I used to be.  My therapist says I’m making real progress.  (Scooter Jones laughs) Enough about that; how did you get yours?

SJ: When I was a baby I went from scooting around on the ground to walking.  I never really learned  how to crawl.  Everyone just started calling me Scooter.  The name also stuck for me. 

MMX.com: All right.  First and foremost, the people must know, where have you been???

SJ: I went to Air Traffic Control School in Pittsburgh for the past year and a half.  So I’m pretty much concentrating on school and  pretty much nothing else. 

MMX.com: So then, Arenacross this past weekend, was that your first time back racing or have you been putting in some track time somewhere?

SJ: I haven’t been doing that much.  I graduated from ATC school on December 18th.  I’ve been riding at my buddy’s track.  I haven’t really done much racing.  I think I raced 3 times last year.   

MMX.com: I see.  Our photographer has followed your reputation the last couple years.  Now that we know where you’ve been.  Another rider you know has also gone missing.  Do you have any idea what happened to Jedadiah Haines?  Since we found you, we may go looking foe him as well.

SJ: I’ve kinda been out of the loop.  I haven’t seen him in long while.  I remember his dad passed away, and I saw him for a little while after that, but then he disappeared. 

MMX.com: Okay.  So if we ever find him, do you want us to let you know what happened to him?

SJ: Yeah, definitely.  He’s a great guy.   

MMX.com: You ride with number 683.  Is there any significance to that number?

SJ: No.  Actually, when I first got my Pro card, I was number 563.  I wanted to keep that.  I rode with that number for a year, but I lost it.  I have had the number 683 for that last 4 or 5 years.  It’s just a number that the AMA assigned me when I got my Pro card. 

MMX.com: So, when you came back, did you know that Kevin Crine had retired, or was that news to you?

SJ: Well, I actually was wondering what happened to him.  I knew that he had broken his back over in Europe.  I heard that he was riding again and I figured that he would be at the Arenacross this past weekend, but he never showed up, so… 

MMX.com: Oh no, he retired at the last Pro Nationals at Budd’s Creek last year.  It was his last real race.  It was when we got to interview him.

SJ: Wow.  That sucks.  Do you know why he retired? 

MMX.com: Yeah, he was talking some smack so I roosted him when I lapped him and he took it pretty bad.  No, just kidding, he wanted to take time off and spend time with his wife and child, he was also not too happy with the injuries.  He’s still going to be involved in MX.  He’ll be around the track and he’ll be riding sometimes.   So, he’s pretty much done with competing.  But keep an eye out for him he’s still out there.  Maybe he’ll come out of retirement.

SJ: Yeah.  He’s been doing it for a really long time.

Ese’:  He’s pretty much saying Kevin Old.

Kevin Duffy: Well, at least he’s not 35 and looks like he’s fifteen like Ese’.

Ese’: Kev! 

MMX.com: What brand of bike do you ride?

SJ: Kawasaki. 

MMX.com: And what brand of gear do you wear?

SJ: I get a great deal through Moosewear.  I also wear Alpine Star boots.  That’s pretty much all the gear that I wear. 

MMX.com: What did you think of the track at Arenacross?

SJ: I found it was all rutty, and I don’t know if it was just me or from not riding for a while, but Friday it seemed extremely tight.  Saturday I felt much better, I guess I got used to it or it got laid in.  I knew it was going to be hard to ride on.  I got a good start, but it kinda went down from there. 

MMX.com: Ese’ is kinda new to MX, and he went through one of the side exits looking for the rest of the track. 

SJ: (Laugh) Yeah.  It seemed a little tight.  The start was not even on the track, so that made it seem even tighter.  Before, you would run over the start gate on every lap.  The lack of it being set up like that this time, made it a lot tighter than before. 

MMX.com: I heard that in addition to Jedadiah Haines, you also grew up racing alongside Travis Pastrana.

SJ: I started racing when I was 10, I think, but we actually became pretty good buddies.  Then, for a couple of years I spent the summer at his house.  He’s one of the top Pro racers now, but before that, me, him, Aaron Day and Kevin Brodsky, we were all pretty close.   

MMX.com: I know you’ve been out of the loop for the last year and a half, but did you know that Nick Evennou signed with a new team?

SJ: Yeah I know that he rode the last couple years with Yamaha and last year he signed with Triple X.  I think it’s great he’s been working pretty hard at it for the last few years. 

MMX.com: If you had any advice for anyone brand new to the sport, what would you say to them?

SJ: I’d tell them to try their best to keep it fun, and to stick at it till they get faster.  It’s one of the great loves of my life and a great sport to get into.  It’s definitely for family. 

MMX.com: Now if you had to say that you had an Arch-Nemesis in motocross, whom would you assign such a title to, gender optional?

SJ: (Laugh) I guess it would have to be Kevin Brodsky.  It’s cause we’re really good friends.  We always spent a lot of time together.  However, when we get on the track we seem to be about the same speed.  So he’s the one person I always wanted to beat more than anyone else. 

MMX.com: Interesting.  Now, let’s say that for one day you could change anything in motocross, it could even be more than one thing, what would you do?

SJ: More money for the Privateers.  That is one thing that I definitely think that would be nice.  

MMX.com: A popular answer that’s for sure, but on a side note involving Privateers; Word on the street is that Kevin Crine has the fastest vehicle of all the Privateers, a white Dodge van, complete with blue racing stripes.  Now, do you believe that yours is faster, or that Kevin truly has the fastest Privateer vehicle?

SJ: (Laughing) I would definitely say that is an accurate description. 

MMX.com: Gotcha.  What is your favorite track to attend and / or track to attend?

SJ: I’d say the Budd’s Creek Nationals.  I’ve qualified there a couple of times and my family would get together and watch me out there. 

MMX.com: If you could meet any person alive or not, who would it be?

SJ: Damon Bradshaw.  He’s always been my favorite rider growing up and I never really got to talk to him, so I think that would be a great experience. 

MMX.com: Finish this sentence:  When no one is looking, I like to…

SJ: (Pause) I don’t know… Ummm… 

MMX.com: Just the first thing that comes to your mind.  For me it’s dancing.

SJ:  (Laughing hard) Then, I guess you should put me down for singing. 

MMX.com: Singing.  That’s fair.  The girls go crazy for a guy who can sing, some even like those who can’t.  I know that you’ve been riding since you were 10, but how old are you presently?

SJ: I’m 23 years old. 

MMX.com: You’re getting up there man; you might have to retire soon.

SJ: (Laugh) Yeah, I’ve definitely put some time in. 

MMX.com: So, what is your fondest memory in motocross?

SJ: The first time I qualified at Budd’s creek.  I felt a feeling that I had never felt before.

 MMX.com: If you could switch bodies with any female Pro rider for reasons of skill or beauty, who would it be?

SJ: Ummm…(pause) I don’t really know any female Pro riders.  Wait! Jessye Davis.  She’s a young up-and-comer and I think she’s gonna be really good. 

MMX.com: Hmmmm.  I’ll have to meet this “Jessye Davis” and ask her if she wants to be on our racing team.  Do you think she’ll join?

SJ:  (Laugh) I don’t know, but she usually rides at a lot of the M.A.M.A. events, but she’s doing something different this year I think. 

MMX.com: How do you feel about women racing in Motocross and have you ever been beaten by one?

SJ: I think it’s great.  They’re starting to get more names out.  I think even the Pro’s are making a little money.  It’s bringing more to the sport and I don’t see why women shouldn’t do it.  When I was growing up on 80’s Amber Shannon used to beat me all the time.  It took me a couple years till I was able to beat her. 

MMX.com: Did you ever see any of the other guys cry when she beat you guys?

SJ: (Laugh) No, not that I know of.  We all knew that she was really good, so it wasn’t that big of a deal when she beat us. 

MMX.com: Do you have any hobbies besides Motocross?

SJ: I like to play Texas Hold em’ Poker a lot and Jet Ski. 

MMX.com: Do you think that the fact that on T.V. you can see the players’ hands now, adds or takes away from the experience?

SJ: Oh, it definitely adds to the experience; It makes it a whole lot more exciting. 

MMX.com: Kevin Duffy wants to know about how much you bench?

SJ: (Laugh) I bench about 160, 5 reps.

Kevin Duffy:  (Flexes) Well I got purtier hair. 

MMX.com: Well he says you got him beat, but he’s got prettier hair, so I’ll leave that up to you guys.

SJ: (Laughing) I doubt that… 

MMX.com: Well, thanks a lot for your time and just wondering, will you be racing the rest of the year?

SJ: I’ll be back for this year and then I might be gone again. 

MMX.com: Okay great is there anything left you’d like to add.

SJ: Yes, I’d like to send a special thanks out to Ridersville Cycles, CDR, Moose, and Capital meats.