We Went Fast

The best way to win a 450SX main event in 2024 (or even a single Triple Crown gate drop) is to cross that white line in no worse than third place. Surely, we’ve had a few too many cocktails with Captain Obvious but we’re here to share the data that some people think doesn’t exist. And don’t me Shirley. Read the print version of this story to see all the data charts that would be too damn boring to read in a podcast. Support We Went Fast Free stickers to newsletter subscribers.

Eli Tomac has now done something only ONE other rider has accomplished in the 50 year history of Supercross: he’s won a 450 race every year for 10 consecutive seasons. The other rider? Listen to the show to find out! See the print version of this podcast, which is filled with data charts. Garage Members got early access to this podcast. If you want to become a member, go to wewentfast.com/garage.

David Dewhurst reads the chapter he wrote about Bob “Hurricane” Hannah, once the winningest rider in Supercross and Motocross history. Dewhurst's book is called “Motocross: The Golden Era”. It's available at shop.wewentfast.com and ships free to customers in the United States. The Golden Era is a 480-page coffee table book filled with 600 gorgeous images he captured as a photojournalist during a pivotal era of the sport: 1972-1985. I can’t stress enough what a masterpiece this book is and Dewhurst’s photographic talent shines within it. Check it out at shop.wewentfast.com.

NOTE: The statistics in this show are relevant after the 2024 Indianapolis Supercross but before the 2024 Seattle Supercross. Check in at wewentfast.com for updated info. It’s time to talk about this: we haven’t even reached the two-thirds point of the 2024 Monster Energy Supercross Championship and Jett Lawrence isn’t just in prime position to win the title; he’s in the hunt for the greatest rookie season of all-time. Support We Went Fast! shop.wewentfast.com – Find your next favorite t-shirt or piece of artwork. Leave a 5-star rating and review! Tell a friend about We Went Fast. Share this podcast. Follow @wewentfast on Instagram and Facebook.

Why the final running of the Super Bowl of Motocross was the greatest race in the sport’s history. Rick Johnson goes from (almost) last to first; Wild man Guy Cooper (almost) wins; a unique but one-lined track with a short start straight and a first turn the size of a “phone booth” causes absolute carnage; Shots fired on the podium from Ron Lechien, and RJ is caught on a hot mic saying “You’d have to be a stupid idiot to follow these lines if someone faster than you was behind you.” And Larry Huffman calling all the action. These (and more) are the reasons why I believe the 1987 Los Angeles Coliseum Supercross, the last time the “Super Bowl of Motocross” event title was used, is the greatest Supercross of all-time. Support We Went Fast! shop.wewentfast.com – Find your next favorite t-shirt or piece of artwork. Leave a 5-star rating and review! Tell a friend about We Went Fast. Share this podcast. Follow @wewentfast on Instagram and Facebook.

This story is about Ricky Carmichael doing something even he thought wasn’t possible: a second perfect season. "I doubt if this will ever happen again," Carmichael told Cycle News after the 2002 Steel City National when he completed his first 24-0 run. The project you’re listening to right now started well over a year ago and began as a 20th anniversary celebration of that 2002 season. But the more Ricky and I chatted, the more we found ourselves riffing about 2004, his second perfect season, which was memorably more difficult. And the deeper we got into that conversation, the more we discussed his 2003 knee injury, missing the 2004 Supercross season, and signing with American Suzuki during the recovery. That turned into “The Greatest Gamble in Motocross,” a completely different story, which you can find in episodes #24 and #24 of the We Went Fast podcast. This story, however, is about how Carmichael did the unthinkable again, how he returned from injury… and dominated. For a more interactive experience that includes trivia questions, polls, infographics and photos, check out the print version at wewentfast.com. Support We Went Fast shop.wewentfast.com@wewentfast

"The Greatest Gamble in Motocross History" is the untold story of Ricky Carmichael’s shocking switch to Suzuki. What started as a deep dive into Carmichael’s perfect motocross seasons turned into a saga about one of the greatest mysteries of our sport: How did Suzuki convince Ricky Carmichael to switch teams? How did Honda let him walk? The basic surface details of this story are not a secret. Carmichael has discussed it often over the years but during the reporting phase of this project, we learned that his memory isn’t perfect, even his knowledge of the deal wasn’t 100%. Carmichael and I chatted on and off for over a year and his memory sharpened the more we talked. This whole thing became a completely different story than originally planned. And thanks to those aforementioned people above, we were able to unearth documents and communication from the time period that led to the most accurate retelling of a pivotal period in Carmichael’s life and career. It’s called The Greatest Gamble because three different parties put everything on the line with their decisions. For Carmichael, it was his reputation as a winning machine. Suzuki literally bet the farm to retain Carmichael’s services. Honda gambled by drawing a line. And that line cost them the winningest rider in the sport. This is Part 2 of a 2-part release For a more interactive experience that includes trivia questions, polls, infographics and photos, check out the print version at wewentfast.com. Support We Went Fast! shop.wewentfast.com – Find your next favorite t-shirt or piece of artwork. Leave a 5-star rating and review! Tell a friend about We Went Fast. Share this podcast. Follow @wewentfast on Instagram and Facebook.

"The Greatest Gamble in Motocross History" is the untold story of Ricky Carmichael’s shocking switch to Suzuki. What started as a deep dive into Carmichael’s perfect motocross seasons turned into a saga about one of the greatest mysteries of our sport: How did Suzuki convince Ricky Carmichael to switch teams? How did Honda let him walk? The basic surface details of this story are not a secret. Carmichael has discussed it often over the years but during the reporting phase of this project, we learned that his memory isn’t perfect, even his knowledge of the deal wasn’t 100%. Carmichael and I chatted on and off for over a year and his memory sharpened the more we talked. This whole thing became a completely different story than originally planned. And thanks to those aforementioned people above, we were able to unearth documents and communication from the time period that led to the most accurate retelling of a pivotal period in Carmichael’s life and career. It’s called The Greatest Gamble because three different parties put everything on the line with their decisions. For Carmichael, it was his reputation as a winning machine. Suzuki literally bet the farm to retain Carmichael’s services. Honda gambled by drawing a line. And that line cost them the winningest rider in the sport. This is Part 1 of a 2-part release For a more interactive experience that includes trivia questions, polls, infographics and photos, check out the print version at wewentfast.com. Support We Went Fast! shop.wewentfast.com – Find your next favorite t-shirt or piece of artwork. Leave a 5-star rating and review! Tell a friend about We Went Fast. Share this podcast. Follow @wewentfast on Instagram and Facebook.

In the spring of 1997, a mysterious 4x6-in. snapshot showed up in the marketing department of Oakley. The subject was one of their young riders, 17-year-old Ricky Carmichael, laying his motorcycle flat at the Silverdome. It was a mystery because nobody knew who took the photo. The decision to run with the image, including using it on a billboard in Southern California, made for one legendary tale that wasn't told for over two decades. And it turned the photographer, David St. Onge, into a cult hero among the motocross photographers of the late 1990s. Now you can own a piece of this quirky moment in motocross history. This 12-in. x 16-in. print is inspired by the photo that David St. Onge took from the 17th row at the 1997 Pontiac Supercross. Hang a piece of moto history on your wall. This Ricky Carmichael poster is inspired by the photograph. FREE STICKERS: If you'd like free We Went Fast stickers, go to wewentfast.com/subscribe. Sign up for the newsletter then check your inbox. The welcome message has the key to free decals sent directly from me. Fast List members are the first to know about new stories, podcasts and products. SUPPORT WE WENT FAST! wewentfast.com/shop - Buy artwork inspired by the photo in this story! Patreon.com/wewentfast. This is how you can directly help We Went Fast pay the bills. Leave a 5-star rating and review! Tell a friend about We Went Fast. Share this podcast. Follow @wewentfast on Instagram and Facebook.

It’s like déjà vu. Just like in episode 21, the idea for this story was just supposed to be a simple social media post. I was curious about how many different riders have held the record for most supercross main event wins. The list is even shorter than I thought it was. And I still ended up going overboard. So it goes. Thanks for listening and please leave a rating and wear We Went Fast swag from wewentfast.com/shop FREE STICKERS: If you'd like free We Went Fast stickers, go to wewentfast.com/subscribe. Sign up for the newsletter then check your inbox. The welcome message has the key to free decals sent directly from me. Fast List members are the first to know about new stories, podcasts and products. SUPPORT WE WENT FAST! wewentfast.com/shop - quality hats, shirts, art, etc. This is how We Went Fast keeps going. Patreon.com/wewentfast. This is how you can directly help We Went Fast pay the bills. Leave a 5-star rating and review! Tell a friend about We Went Fast. Share this podcast. Follow @wewentfast on Instagram and Facebook.

This 2,000 word story started as an Instagram post where we simply wished Eli Tomac a happy birthday. But this is We Went Fast and we can’t help but find a deeper story within the details, even if the details are just cake, ice cream and 30 birthday candles. It led to this data dive by Brett Smith and Clinton Fowler. Flash trivia: how many 450 Supercross main events have been won by tricenarians? Wait, that probably seems like two trivia questions. A tricenarian is a fancy way to say ‘person in their 30s’. For the answer, you're just going to have to listen. If you want to read the print version of this story, click here. FREE STICKERS: If you'd like free We Went Fast stickers, go to wewentfast.com/subscribe. Sign up for the newsletter then check your inbox. The welcome message has the key to free decals sent directly from me. Fast List members are the first to know about new stories, podcasts and products. SUPPORT WE WENT FAST! wewentfast.com/shop - quality hats, shirts, art, etc. This is how We Went Fast keeps going. Patreon.com/wewentfast. This is how you can directly help We Went Fast pay the bills. Leave a 5-star rating and review! Tell a friend about We Went Fast. Share this podcast. Follow @wewentfast on Instagram and Facebook.

This is a story about roots. I wanted to know how Doug Henry became Doug Henry, the scrappy kid from New England who worked two jobs while trying to make it as an athlete. He was 14 when he entered his first race. He wasn’t a promising amateur prospect, his gear didn’t match, his bikes were held together by various fasteners found in the garage. He worked with what he had, not what he wanted. And where did that grit and resolve come from? To figure all that out, I visited Doug in Connecticut. He took me on a tour of the places that shaped him as a man and a racer. You can also read the print version of this article and see more photos of THE DAM. SUPPORT WE WENT FAST! Join the FAST LIST and get free stickers sent directly from me (yes, for real!). Go to wewentfast.com/subscribe and sign up for the newsletter. Then check your inbox. The welcome message has the key to free decals wewentfast.com/shop - quality hats, shirts, art, etc. This is how We Went Fast keeps going. Patreon.com/wewentfast. This is how you can directly help We Went Fast pay the bills. Leave a 5-star rating and review! Tell a friend about We Went Fast. Share this podcast. Follow @wewentfast on Instagram and Facebook.

On August 1, 1982, an automobile/train collision killed three teenaged motocross riders in Ponca City, Oklahoma . Forty years later, memories of that white hot afternoon still haunt those who were there. Six years ago I received a message that said, “I wish someone would write about the boys who were killed at Ponca in 1982.” I had no idea what he was talking about. But I knew I had to pursue it. This is not a happy story. It was emotional to research, report and write. It’ll be emotional to read to you. After six months of reporting and interviews with nearly four dozen people, I was able to achieve the ultimate goal and keep the promises I made to the families of Rick Hemme, Bruce Bunch and Kyle Fleming: I wanted the world to know about their children; who they were and who they wanted to be. Today, August 1, 2022, marks the 40th anniversary of this tragic accident. This story is a way to say to the boys they’ll never be forgotten. This is the audio version of the story by the same title. The print version is available HERE. It includes photos, court documents and other supporting materials. If you'd like free stickers from We Went Fast, go to wewentfast.com/subscribe. Sign up for the newsletter then check your inbox. The welcome message has the key to free decals sent directly from me. Fast List members are the first to know about new stories, podcasts and products. SUPPORT WE WENT FAST! wewentfast.com/shop - quality hats, shirts, art, etc. This is how We Went Fast keeps going. Patreon.com/wewentfast. This is how you can directly help We Went Fast pay the bills. Leave a 5-star rating and review! Tell a friend about We Went Fast. Share this podcast. Follow @wewentfast on Instagram and Facebook.

Terry Pratt spent 35 years working on "Grand Prix Motocross" but died a few years after finishing it. In continuation of Pratt's legacy, We Went Fast reads Chapter 1 of his book. This show is a little different from the others I've posted. First: I didn’t write it. A man named Terry Pratt did. He wrote an entire book about the 1972 World Motocross Championships and the chapters are broken into the individual rounds of the series, which detail his witty observations from the events, which he attended as a reporter on a very long European vacation. I’m going to read the book’s foreword and Chapter One, which is the 250cc Grand Prix of Spain. If you want to know more about Terry Pratt, after you finish this episode, listen to Episode #9, “The Curious Life of Terry Pratt.” That’s a story I wrote back in 2019 on this amazing unsung hero in the motorcycle industry. When I’m asked which of my stories are my favorites, I always point to this one. You can find the written version by clicking right here. If you like this story and want to see more, I sell the book in THE SHOP. It’s only $40, the same price Terry sold it for 15 years ago when it was published. "Grand Prix Motocross: The 1972 World Championship Season" is an incredible book and a must own for all moto collectors. and it makes a great gift! Purchase "Grand Prix Motocross: The 1972 World Championship Season" When Pratt died in 2012, the book was thought to be gone forever and copies of it sold for well into the triple digits on eBay. But then I found the unsold stock sitting in a warehouse in the desert. It’s available at wewentfast.com/shop but only while the supply lasts. We won’t reprint it. It’s makes a great gift for anyone in your life who loves motocross history. It’s been an honor to finish Terry’s work of preserving motocross history. Here’s an excerpt from Grand Prix Motocross: The 1972 World Championship Season. SUPPORT WE WENT FAST! wewentfast.com/shop - quality hats, shirts, art, etc. This is how We Went Fast keeps going. wewentfast.com/subscribe - Get on THE LIST for free stickers, announcements and discounts Patreon.com/wewentfast. This is how you can directly help We Went Fast pay the bills. Leave a 5-star rating and review! Tell a friend about We Went Fast. Share this podcast. Follow @wewentfast on Instagram and Facebook

On April 27, 1996, Jeremy McGrath came into the St. Louis Supercross with a record 13 consecutive race wins. He was two wins away from a perfect season. But inside the Trans World Dome, Superman fell short of perfection. It was the only blemish in an otherwise dominant season and the rest of the world won’t let him forget it. This is the audio version of the story by the same title. It includes bonus content, including audio from the ESPN2 race coverage of St. Louis 1996 (Art Eckman and David Bailey!) To read the printed version of this story, CLICK HERE. SUPPORT WE WENT FAST! wewentfast.com/shop - quality hats, shirts, art, etc. This is how We Went Fast keeps going. Leave a 5-star rating and review! Tell a friend about We Went Fast. Share this podcast. Follow @wewentfast on Instagram and Facebook.

How did you find out about Jeremy McGrath doing the Nac Nac? And what did you think of it at the time? For me, it was the weekly copies of Cycle News sold on the counter of MotoSports in Clio, MI. I was just a few weeks away from turning 15 when the 1994 Supercross season started. The February 9th issue featured the first published photo of McGrath doing the nac nac. Cycle News named McGrath their Rider of the Month and ran a small black and white photo of the champ swinging his right leg over to the left side of the bike while looking over at the crowd. He had MAC ATTACK on the back of his pants. This is the audio version of the story by the same title, which was published here back in January 2019. The printed story is a great place to check out some fun nac nac photos. This show is brought to you by our friends from NOO COFFEE. NOO and We Went Fast share the same core values: good stories and good products. Check out noocoffeeco.com to buy 10 packs of their single serve pour over bags. They're perfect anytime, anywhere, especially on the tailgate of your truck before or between motos. Enjoy the show and thanks for listening. If you value these stories and want to keep them coming, buy products straight from the shop at wewentfast.com/shop. We Went Fast is a small (like, 83 square feet) independent brand devoted to quality. Or, join me at Patreon.com/wewentfast. Patreon helps an independent creator like me produce content you care about. From $3 to $25 a month, you can have a direct impact on what happens at We Went Fast. And I’ll reward you with some really great stuff.

We all remember where we were and what we were doing on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001. Beyond those chilling hours of trying to make sense of the news and horrific images it gets fuzzy. This is a story about what the members of Team USA 2001 did on the morning of Sept. 11. How they reacted, where they went, what decisions they made. Or didn’t make. It’s difficult to write a story about something that didn’t happen. Team USA didn’t go to Belgium for the 2001 Motocross of Nations. Heck, it’s hard to remember the story behind something that didn’t happen. And that’s why I wrote a story about a team that didn’t go, about bikes that didn’t get ridden, about memories difficult to unpack. Telling stories isn’t always easy, especially when it’s something nobody really wants to remember. Thank you to the 21 people interviewed for this and those who helped with the photo assets. Want to read the print story and see more of the photos of the Team USA bikes? You can find that at this link. Where were you on 9/11? Join the conversation in the comments below. And thanks for listening. If you value these stories and want to keep them coming, buy products straight from the shop at wewentfast.com/shop. We Went Fast is a small (like, 83 square feet) independent brand devoted to quality. Or, join me at Patreon.com/wewentfast. Patreon helps an independent creator like me produce content you care about. From $3 to $25 a month, you can have a direct impact on what happens at We Went Fast. And I’ll reward you with some really great stuff.

Forty years ago a quartet of young Americans traveled to Europe and turned the World Motocross community on its head. Danny LaPorte, Chuck Sun, Donnie Hansen and Johnny O'Mara won the Trophée des Nations (250) on Sept. 6, 1981 in Lommel, Belgium and then the Motocross des Nations (500) a week later in West Germany. Episode #14 is a special collaboration between Racer X Illustrated and We Went Fast. “When We Were Kings”, was an article that ran in the September/October 1998 issue of Racer X Illustrated. Yes, 1998, when Racer X was in its first year as a full color glossy and only printing 6 times a year. "When We Were Kings" is the story behind how the team was formed and how they pulled off the most stunning upset in motocross history.

Fifty years after its release, Bruce Brown's motorcycle documentary continues to influence. From Malcolm to Masterson, this is a collection of stories from people whose lives were never the same after watching "On Any Sunday" This is the podcast version of the story under the same title. You can listen by clicking the play arrow below or you can search "We Went Fast" in your preferred podcast player. For the print version of this same story, click here. Please leave a rating and review and tell a friend about the We Went Fast podcast channel. To find the "On Any Sunday" product line, CLICK HERE.

They told him not to. But when rookie James Stewart committed to jumping LaRocco's Leap on a 125, Jeff Kardas knew where to point the camera. This is the podcast version of the feature article “Ep. #12 Modem Killer: James Stewart vs. LaRocco's Leap”. Author, Brett Smith, reads the text. You can find this and the entire collection of podcasts by searching “We Went Fast” in your preferred podcast player. Looking for the PRINT version of this story? You can find that here: "Modem Killer: James Stewart vs. LaRocco's Leap”. The We Went Fast shop has a new art piece, related to this story, of course. Visit wewentfast.com/shop to see options or click on the product below. Please leave a rating and review and tell a friend about the We Went Fast podcast channel. Can you spare $3 a month? If you enjoyed “Modem Killer: James Stewart vs. LaRocco's Leap” and want to see more like it, consider becoming a Patron. For a token amount of money, you can join the We Went Fast team and get access to exclusive content, the private We Went Fast Vimeo page, free swag and discounts to The Shop. Or buy merchandise. I pour the revenue back into We Went Fast to keep telling Moto That Matters. Thank you for listening.