What is it that puts this guy in one of the top spots of every race he enters? Is it just the fact of a sponsorship by a major manufacturer, or is he really deserving of his 2400 square foot trophy room? After this interview I think you’ll feel the same as I. He’s has worked very hard for his prizes and is well deserving of ALL!

MiniGPX: Ok, let’s see. This being my first interview, I’m not sure how to start. I guessa How about… Well… Where did you grow up?

CM: What? I thought you were a professional? Is this even a real magazine? Who are you anyway? Kiddin’ with ya dude! WellaPretty much in Florida. Started up, life in Michigan till I was 12 years old then I moved down here.

MiniGPX: Were you into motorcycles as a kid?

CM: Oh yea! Dirt bikes and stuff. I raced BMX for 3 years, from the age of 12 to 15. I ranked very high in the nation. Standings and all that, soa. I was in the top 5, in world actually.

MiniGPX: Any certain sanction or anything?

CM: NPSA, NBLA, ABA.

MiniGPX: Cool, that’s for BMX right?

CM: Yea.

MiniGPX: Ok, as far as pocketbikes, how did you get involved with these?

CM: Just a childhood fetish I guess? It’s just.. Well I saw ‘em when I was a kid about 12 or 13 years old. That long ago I saw ‘em in a magazine. I actually saw side car racers and everything, and couldn’t believe it. Of course, I never had the money to acquire one until somewhat recently, I got into it and.. that’s pretty much it.

MiniGPX: What was your first pocketbike?

CM: My first pocketbike was a GEM. Gordon Edwards.

MiniGPX: Gordon Edwards?

CM: Yea, Gordon Edwards Manufacturing.

MiniGPX: Do you have a favorite pocketbike?

CM: The Blata!

MiniGPX: Yea, uh Huh, your not just saying that for “promotion” are you?

CM: NOOOO! I wouldn’t ride ‘em if I didn’t love ‘em.

MiniGPX: Alright, I’ll give you that. Wella How do you feel about some of the other manufactures? You know, you think there are good ones, bad ones?

CM: Oh, plenty of good ones. I mean, their all good. Some are just a little better at handling, some are a little faster top end. You know, different pipe configurations and what not soaIn my opinion, there’s not a bad pocketbike out there. There all great!

MiniGPX: Ok, what do you think sets the Blata aside? Besides being sponsored and all.

CM: Aside from the othersa?

MiniGPX: Yea. Handling? Speed?a

CM: Well, the configuration of it. The handling, the way it holds the track. Obviously, the bottom end power, if it was more useable on the American made tracks it would be a dominating species! Definitely in Europe, it’s a dominating bike because of it’s low end power. Such short straits on the track like I’ve talked about many times. Here in the U.S. we have such long strait’sa Mainly I like it because of the handling of the bike. The handling and just the simplicity of it.

MiniGPX: What did you ride before you were sponsored by Blata?

CM: I was riding a GRC. The RSR 40cc.

MiniGPX: How, when, and why were you approached by Blata? Well.. to be a sponsored rider?

CM: Well let’s see, it was about February, March?

MiniGPX: 2002?

CM: Yea! I went to Miami to pick up some bikes for a local distributor in Daytona and met Ras (from Blata) and was able to get out and ride. Basically, I was testing his products and he was impressed with the way I was riding soa That was it. Pretty much built a relationship off of that. He asked me if I wanted to ride for him, and I said “absolutely”! The rest is history really. We’ve built a friendship from it and business relationship from it, anda

MiniGPX: (Interrupting) So, just from you watching you demo the bikes he wanted to sponsor you? He didn’t see you out on the race track?

CM: Well yea, that’s what it was, a race track in Miami called Opalaka. I basically got out and raced against the motor scooters and the super motards and what not, which are all geared motorcycles and everything. We were all just practicing and stuff, but I ended up coming out ahead and he was impressed with the way I rode soa

MiniGPX: What benefi ts do you get from being a sponsored rider?

CM: Well… being a sponsered rider for Blata, they really hook me up. Safety equipment, which is you knowa”the first thing they think of”. Bikes to ride, all it takes to keep ‘em running, Ras (Blata) pays for my travel, as well as many of my expences. There’s a lot of benefi ts from being a full factory sponsored rider. Specially from Blata cause their very generous with everything, ya knowa

MiniGPX: Cool. Do you know any of the other Blata riders from Europe or wherever?

CM: No. I’m hoping to go to Czechoslovakia next year to race with the Europeans. That’s the plan anyway.

MiniGPX: Do you feel there are differences in riding styles between the Americans and the Europeans?

CM: Yes, most definitely!

MiniGPX: What are some of the differences?

CM: Well, staying on the bike for instance. Last year I spent all year hanging one or two feet off the bike and everyone else did also. This year things have changed. We got a hold of some videos from Europe and it’s just really helped everybody here to see how their riding, cause their defi nitely faster riders soa

MiniGPX: Riding off the bike? You mean, like you would a big sport bike or something?

CM: Yea, like that. These are little bikes and you can do it, it works for some people but, it’s really not necessary to do that. There’s better ways to ride than to hang off. That’s another benefit you know, is having videos and research from Blata. To learn how their riders ride because they are the best riders in the world!

MiniGPX: Do you have any favorite riders here in the States you try and watch, or study, to get pointers from?

CM: Not really, as far as that stuff goes their all my friends soa We all swap information anyway.

MiniGPX: Yea, but do any of your friends just stand out like “WOW! I just love the way that guy rides” or anything?

CM: Well, we all ride pretty much alike so it’s “battlegrounds” basically!

MiniGPX: Ok, great. Is Blata the first to offer you any kind of sponsorship?

CM: No. I was sponsored by East Coast Minimoto. You know Pocketbike.com. I rode a Polini 910 GPR for most of that year. For about ten of the thirteen races I went to.

MiniGPX: So Blata is the first “factory” to offer you a sponsorship?

CM: Right! Right!

MiniGPX: Do you sometimes feel alone out there, not having any teammates? I know of likea “Team Mini Pimps”, and other “teams” out there that like to ride together and you just seem to stand out there all by yourself.

CM: Well not really, I do have one team rider from Ohio “that’s the OPRL” Brian Carpenter. He races for Frank Giannini out of Pennsylvania. That’s pretty much my only teammate so to speak. I think we’re the only two out there on the circuit riding Blatas really.

MiniGPX: So, you consider him a teammate then?

CM: Yes. He rides for a privateer, you know a private company, and doesn’t have the factory backing that I have but this guy that he’s riding for Ferruccio (Frank) Giannini does a multitude of R&D work. He does all kinds of test for performance Blata. All kinds of “after market” products that will be available soon soa

MiniGPX: Great. Uh, do you remember your first race? Were you nervous? Did you just go out there for fun, playing around? Did you think of it as a game ora?

CM: No, not really. When I go out, anything I do, I want to be the best ever. No matter what it is, I’m going to give 100% all the time. The first day was a lot of fun. There were a lot of nerves there. Luckily we had a lot of practice and wella Everybody in this industry is just so nice. If you go to a track, it’s not like you’re shunned out, or like you’re the odd ball or anything. Everybody offers a lot of help and that really helps build your confi dence a lot soa My first race was really a lot of fun. I think I got a first place in the novice class and a third in the meds class which had about six or seven riders in it, so I didn’t do to bad.

MiniGPX: Where was that first race?

CM: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It was at the Nascar Speed Park.

MiniGPX: Any highlights on a pocketbike? You know, something that really stands out ?

CM: Well, I don’t know? I guess, tearing my cartilage “right knee” last year and getting back on the bike to win the fi nal race which gave me that #1 plate was a pretty good feeling. I have had some sensational crashes too though.

MiniGPX: How long was it before you got back on?

CM: I got right back on it and won the race. I had to win that race in order to get the #1 plate soa

MiniGPX: Oh, I see. You did that same day! And so you went to the hospital after the race?

CM: Oh yeaa Well I came home “I was miserable” and we all went out and celebrated that night. George, BJ, Dave Meyers, all the guys from South Carolina. I knew I had a problem cause I was in such bad pain, and when I got back I went to the doctor, got the MRI, saw the cartilage was torn and everything else, so uha That’s always going to stick out in my mind. So I’m a little apprehensive on the track this year.

MiniGPX: Do you fear you might give away any secrets or advise that might jeopardize any advantage you might have over someone else? Kind of like, why did I do that?

CM: Yea, but the thing is, like I said earlier, I consider everybody out there my true friends and if I’m not going to win the race then I want them to do just as well as I do, so I don’t mind. Sure, you always want to be a winner and everything, but if your not going to be and you can help somebody else to do it then hey, that’s great too.

MiniGPX: Do you feel you have any special advantage over others? You know something you might consider your “fingerprint”? Any disadvantages?

CM: Well, I don’t ever give up. It doesn’t matter how bad I’m doing, how good I’m doing, I don’t ever give up! I just keep my head straight forward and keep on charging. That’s my fingerprint. I feel my “disadvantage” right now is a little bit of fear. Afraid of reinjuring my knee. I feel that’s a psychological advantage to others.

MiniGPX: I see you’re riding a new bike from Blata. Do you like it? Is there any difference between that and the Elite?

CM: Yep, I love it! It’s got a stiffer rear chassis on it. A wider front end. There’s been a lot of changes, that’s really smoothed the bike out and made it a better handling bike than the Elite 13. It’s still an Elite but, just the new style of Elite that they will be manufacturing. Not sure when, buta

MiniGPX: What was the sanction you were in last year that you won the National Championship?

CM: That was the A.P.R.A. “American Pocket Rocket Association”. We had about 25 to 40 riders at every race, so it was good competition. And our class always had 18 to 30 riders. We had a large class.

MiniGPX: What are your hobbies outside of pocketbikes? Do you have many?

CM: I like remote control stuff. I fly remote control helicopters. That and just working on stuff really. I build Harleys, hanging out makina

MiniGPX: (interrupting) You build Harleys? Like full blown bikes?

CM: Yea, full blown custom Harleys! Metal fabrication, painting and what not.

MiniGPX: WOW! Really? Huh, that’s great. So what do you do to support yourself? You know for money?

CM: I’m a pimp! I also own a business in Deland, Florida. A roof truss company. My dad and I started the company 15 years ago. We also have a partner in the business. That’s it really. We’ve been here 15 years, so were established to the point where I can get out and travel a little bit, but like I said without my sponsor I couldn’t go to some of the places that I’m going!

MiniGPX: You mentioned custom Harleys. Do you ever plan on designing your own pocketbike or starting your own race team? Maybe “Martin Race Bikes” or something?

CM: No. Absolutely not. My interest is to help push Blata to the top! That’s it for me right now. I want to make that the #1 bike. I want to put it on the podium as much as I can, and do as much R&D as I can to help a company that’s backing me so well.

MiniGPX: One last question. What are you plans for the future? Just stay with Blata? Ora

CM: As far as the future, I would like to go to the European finals next year and basically see how I fair against the European riders. You know the Italians and the Czechoslovakians.

MiniGPX: Great! Good luck with that. Anything you’d like to close with?

CM: It’s nice to ride for a company that is the largest pocketbike manufacture in the world “that I know of”. It shouldn’t be long before we start seeing a lot of these out there winning races!

Mini Moto, Mega Fun by Shannon Bentley

~http://www.exn.ca/dailyplanet/story.asp?id=2004113051~

This is a nice write up on the MiniBike Academy, run with the French Federation of Motor bike, in partnership with Honda. It is focused on riders 7-14 years of age. The school is conducted on Honda NSR 50s. Read the trnaslated article here: ~http://tinyurl.com/d4dsr~

For more information about the MiniBike Academy visit the academy’s Website: ~http://www.ffmoto.org/ffm.php?page=minibike~ or if you preferred it translated: ~http://tinyurl.com/7tbfn~

It appears that USMGP is asking pocketbike riders if they should continue to operate in 2006. At last check it was 2:1 that they should keep it going.

You can make your voice heard by heading over to Cycle Forums and casting a vote.

~http://www.cycleforums.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=198610~

OMRRA has posted the proposed 2006 rules on their website. OMRRA members are encouraged to download and review the Proposed Pocketbike Rules for the 2006 season. These rules will be reviewed by a committee before they are finalized.

The proposed rules are linked from OMRRA pocketbike website ~http://www.omrrapocketbikes.com~

Northwest Mini Road-Racing Association (NWMRA) has announced their rules for 2006. You may review the rules on their website. ~http://www.nwmini.net~

It appears the major rule shifts surround age brackets, with minor changes surrounding displacement and bike eligibility.

SCminiGP’s 2005 Awards Banquet

Saturday December 17, 2005 ~ 10:00am – 1:00pm

Cost (includes raffel ticket, lunch and drinks) -

$10/adult and $5/child under 9 yrs old

Location – “The Showroom” Private Banquet room at Dave and Busters

inside the Irvine Spectrum Entertainment Center:

71 Fortune Dr # 960, Irvine, CA

Once again, we are celebrating the close of our Season at the famous Dave and Busters- this time at the Irvine Spectrum, Orange County’s amazing one-stop center for entertainment, and fun! Along with 2006 Season announcements, we will have this year’s Championship trophies, special awards, and raffel prizes to give away. Family and friends are all invited.

For more information visit ~http://www.scminigp.com/~

MiniGPX.com sponsored rider, Peter Lenz rode his Factory BMS taking two second place finishes Sunday in his first OMRRA expert races held at Portland International Raceway.

Previously, Peter won his OMRRA novice races and was moved up to the expert grid. In the morning heat races he was gridded at the back due to a lack of expert points. Peter was able to come from the back and finish a strong second place in both Junior GP and Junior Production.

For the afternoon mains, Peter lined up next to his Factory BMS teammate, TJ Hart (age 11) the overall series championship leader, who took pole in both heat races. In Junior GP Peter took the holeshot and was leading the expert field for five laps before TJ got Peter on the brakes going into turn one. The race was red flagged two

laps later ending the race.

In Junior Production TJ got the holeshot with Peter on his wheel. TJ gapped Peter over the course of the ten laps. Peter and his teammate, Devon McDonough (age 10), ran nose to tail for remainder of the race with Devon finishing a close third.

Peter and the rest of the Factory BMS team will be in action on October 16 in McMinnville, Oregon.

Junior GP

69 TJ Hart 1st Place

45 Peter Lenz 2nd Place

95 Garett Bean 3rd Place

Junior Production

69 TJ Hart 1st Place

45 Peter Lenz 2nd Place

67 Devon McDonough 3rd Place

~http://tinyurl.com/9b3cz~

McMinville in June. As always, the unpredictable northwest weather made for interesting events peppered throughout some tight nail biting racing. Team BMS Factory Racing riders put their heads down and tucked knees this past OMRRA (Oregon Motorcycle Road Racing Association) weekend resulting in good success.

Mother Nature showed her temper from the start. Sunday morning practice brought a quick shower, taking two riders down as her clouds passed overhead. Team BMS Factory Racing junior novice riders Colton Evans (#10) and Peter Lenz (#45), who two weeks earlier finished the novice main event, 1 and 2 respectively, went down. Peter was following Colton when Colton’s tires slide on wet cool track. Peter later said “I had to think quick. I either was going to run Colton over or his bike. I hit his bike.” By doing that, Peter lost front traction and ended up crashing as well. The session was red flagged because Colton was slow to get up, requiring medical attention for his previously broken wrist. The rest of the practice sessions were run on a dry but gusty track.

OMRRA runs eight lap morning heat races where riders are initially gridded based on the previous race’s finish position. Heat race finish positions determine the starting positions for the afternoon ten lap main race.

With Colton and Peter being jarred from their morning crashes which granted them minimal track time in that warm up session, they were slow in finding a rhythm. Colton and Peter, gridded first and second, lapsed to sixth and seventh at the start. Finding a good balance they moved up to overtake seven riders finishing the novice heat race second and third, with Peter one bike length behind the first place finisher. Coming off the track, the boys were pumped and couldn’t wait for their afternoon main.

Team BMS Factory Racing’s junior expert racers Terry ‘TJ’ Hart (#69), Bennie Taylor (#1) and Devon McDonough (#67) ran the morning heat races for Junior GP Open, and Junior Production with gusto. TJ took the win in both classes with both his teammates finishing in the top four.

The Main Events!

The afternoon races didn’t start off with a bang, but rather a clunk, as Peter experienced an aftershock of his morning crash resulting in his footpeg falling off as he pulled away from the grid. Team owner Ben Taylor’s quick reaction and professional preparation was able to get Peter’s BMS 4.2 back on the track after only a short delay, allowing Peter to recover and finish inside the top 10. The bad luck continued when Colton’s previous injuries flared up, causing him pain up during the main event. Colton was able to push through his discomfort and come home with a respectable third place finish. Not the one/two finish the boys enjoyed two weeks earlier, but considering the circumstances a job well done on both accounts.

The Junior Production main was up first. After solid wins in the heat races, TJ was looking for more of the same in the mains and he got it. He had a walk away win through a solid performance in choosing his lines perfectly with precision and grace. The real racing action was behind TJ, for the runner up spot. Between current NW overall #1 plate holder Bennie Taylor, his Team BMS Factory Racing teammate Devon McDonough, and BMS mounted NW MiniMoto rider, Robert Linse. In the early going the trio was bunched together. Eventually Devon dropped two seconds back for the dueling duo. Robert took the lead midway and slowly pulled the advantage when they hit the back straight for Bennie was buffeted by the swirling winds due to his lighter weight. Bennie’s lighter frame is normally an advantage but the tables were turned this race weekend thanks to mother nature. TJ again took the top spot with Bennie turning a respectable third.

Junior GP Open was one of the last races of the day. TJ, Bennie and Devon were all set, with Bennie and Devon looking to improve upon their earlier results. The track conditions were near perfect with a warm track and cool air. The race started and the same four boys became the front pack. This time TJ really put his head down and checked out early on his BMS 4.2. Without the wind Robert, Bennie and Devon were tight for several laps. Unfortunately for Devon an uncharacteristic mechanical failure cost him fourth position and resulted in a DNF. The crowd of parents, fans and passersby who paused by the side of the road to watch, were cringing and cheering as the remaining two boys dueled for second position. Robert and Bennie were going at it every lap, on every corner, but Bennie was not able to make his way around Robert, who much to his credit was blocking Bennie’s every passing attempt. Bennie made a daring last ditch effort to square off Robert but wasn’t able to drive underneath as Robert again blocked his line. Bennie ran out of time, as TJ well out front, took the checkered flag.

The boys had fun this eventful weekend and even with their bumps, bruises and adversity, turned in some good results. Team BMS Factory Racing will race into action June 25-26 at Portland International Raceway.

About Team BMS Factory Racing

Smokin Pocketbikes races as Team BMS Factory Racing, the only factory junior pocketbike team in the U.S. Smokin Pocketbikes is sponsored by Bianchi Motor Sports (BMS) USA, JGT Investments, Echo Alley Web Development, Black Flag Racing, The Rag Man, Knight Karting, Digatron, Rain City Power Sports, Race Dezigns, Four Seasons Automotive, Signsmart, Sign of the Times, Action Motor Sports, BW Construction, Classic Exhibits, Tranquil Velocity Productions.

For more information about Smokin Pocketbikes or to inquire about sponsorship opportunities please call: 360-896-3433, or visit: http://www.smokinpocketbikes.com