Interview with rising SX star Luke Renzland
It doesn't matter which competition you watch. Often the same names are always at the front. The riders who have done it, the factory riders, pilots with experience at the top. If a private driver gets a podium, that is big news. Traders Racing Yamaha's Luke Renzland (23) was fifth in the 250SX East, but when he took his first podium in the strong East-West shootout in Indianapolis last weekend, it was unprecedented! But who is the El Dozer anyway?
Most riders show very little creativity when it comes to their nickname. Usually the rider's initials are followed by his number, which seems to be the standard formula. The relaxed Luke Renzland deviates from that norm... Like a yellow bulldozer in the middle of the uniform sausage? In any case, Renzland has personality, speaks fluently and has a good sense of humor. He also dares to take a different approach in terms of racing. Last year he took part in some off-road competitions in the GNCC. But Luke also feels quite at home on a two-stroke or a trials bike.
The multiple Loretta Lynn's champion is originally from New Jersey. To train better, he moved to northern Florida early in his professional career where his family purchased a large tract of land for a training circuit complex. That became 'Dreamland', now a household name in the US and beyond. The mad one team video from Fox last year? It was recorded in Dreamland! Renzland is responsible for the maintenance of the tracks and mans the machines every day. Brother Kody is the lawn mower.
Since his SX debut in 2015, things have been going up step by step for the Shot Race Gear rider. Renzland ended 2017 as 8thth in the 250SX East Region. His best result was a 6de place in Atlanta. Back to now, El Dozer just pulled off a major stunt. After all, Luke didn't just reach a podium. A privateer who makes the top 3 in an East-West confrontation, we have to go way back in the Supercross history books for that!
Congratulations Luke, what a race in Indianapolis! You were second for most of the race, in the toughest field of the year. You certainly opened some eyes last weekend!
Luke Renzland: "Thank you! It was a crazy day, my goal was to make it to the top 5 or better yet to be on the podium before the end of the SX season. To take my first podium in the East/West Shootout was beyond even my wildest dreams. All year I was between 6th and 10th place. Now, I didn't exactly make it easy for myself with the starts I had. It's so frustrating to have to start from the back again. I think the only time I didn't crash was at the starts in Tampa and Indy! I haven't done a single lap on my SX track in the last two weeks. I just concentrated on my starts. Last week we worked 6 hours on starting alone. Some links have gone up in smoke. And my brain was steamrolled (laughs).”
You have had a very solid season so far, but your evolution as a professional has been gradual rather than all at once.
Renzland: “That's always been a thing with me. Even when I entered a new category as an amateur, I was a little behind at first and then slowly built up until I was one of the best. It's the same in the Pro class. This year I am getting closer to my goals. It just took a while to put all the pieces together. Ultimately, I was able to perform what we practiced during the week in the final in Indy.”
And you won the Litkit award in Dallas, an award for the most stylish rider!
Renzland: “Yes, really great, that was my first trophy as a professional. You have to appreciate something like that! That gray/red Shot Contact gear looks great, I wear it a lot. Looking good on the track is half the battle.”
You are quite a versatile rider and you are fast in the sand. How much does that help supercross?
Renzland: “I think it's exactly one of the reasons why I can come back from so far in the final. When the track is tough, I feel like I'm at my best. I enjoy it when there are ruts and holes in the track. Actually, I never really rode well on the hard tracks. I like it when it is loose and heavy.”
What does summer look like for 'El Dozer'?
Renzland: “To be honest, I'm still trying to figure out what I'm going to do this summer. Normally, Traders Racing will not run the full outdoors. I do know that I want to do different things. Of course GNCC has my interest, I will definitely do some of them whether I race Nationals or not. At the moment I don't have a concrete plan. My focus now is mainly on finishing the SX season strong. Anyway, I think I'll take a little rest after Las Vegas. And whatever comes out, I'll be ready!”
Most top riders focus only on their training program and their races. You have a side job since you work on the bulldozer in Dreamland to maintain the tracks. How does that work in practice?
Renzland: “Honestly, I like it. Working on the jobs is a bit of my therapy I think. It allows me to wash away everything in my mind. This allows you to focus on something else for a change. If you have nothing else to do but ride and train, it's quite difficult. Like when you constantly repeat everything in your head. That will eat away at you in the long run. “
Your family owns Dreamland. You literally built it up to what it is today. So you know the circuits inside and out. But many big names have also come along. Who impressed you the most?
Renzland: “We recently had Josh Hansen as our guest here. Even though he hasn't ridden much lately, he really impressed me. From his first round! His style is really cool, unlike anyone else. He has a cool style on the bike, even if he doesn't put any effort into making it look cool. We also had Ricky Carmichael as a guest here. RC was very impressive because he hasn't raced competitively for 10, 11 years. Over the years we have seen many great drivers drive in Dreamland. Too bad something came up for Tim Gajser. He was normally supposed to come last summer, but that was canceled at the last minute. It's always nice to see new people at work. No matter who they are or what their riding style is, they are always impressed by our training complex. Actually, they're even a little intimidated by the jobs, so that's pretty cool!”
What are you most proud of, what you have achieved as a rider or what you have done with Dreamland?
Renzland: “I am proud of everything. I couldn't have done one without the other. It has been an enormous amount of work to get everything to the level we are at now. But that was an effort from my entire family. It's kind of cool to sit back at the end of the day and look back at what we built together! Of course, I have also worked hard over the past 20 years to become a good motocross rider… I am proud of how far I have come. But at the same time, I still have a long way to go. So I'll keep plowing!”
With Skip Norfolk, the race director at Traders Racing Yamaha, you have a legend of the sport behind you. Skip was a long-time mechanic for Jeremy McGrath and helped Traders grow further when he joined in 2016. What is it like to work with him?
Renzland: “Skip is like a kind of motorcycle and supercross encyclopedia; an endless source of knowledge! He probably has more racing experience than anyone going to races these days. And he certainly has the most experience when it comes to winning SX finals! He knows what it takes to win at the highest level. He also knows how to push me to get better. Whatever question I have, he is there to help me. Skip has been a big part of the team's growth process. I am very happy to be able to work with him. Actually, I consider him more of a friend. “
It seems that as a private team you also have a strong technical package. The Öhlins suspension in particular is very different from what we are used to.
Renzland: “We started with Öhlins last year. It is a very close collaboration directly with the factory in Sweden. We communicate with them weekly between matches. Every year they make 2, 3 trips to the US to test with us and try new things. You really feel the drive to improve. They return to Sweden to consult with their engineers, study the data and find out what is needed for the next step. Then they bring the novelties to the US and we test again. It's cool to work with European people that way. I have never worked so intensively with a company in the field of development. We also race at the highest level of supercross that Öhlins has ever raced. So it really is a process of learning together as a group. All the settings we come up with for SX are actually new for everyone. “
It is exceptional to see a private team competing against the factory teams. From team owner Gary Luckett, to Skip Norfolk to team manager Kenny Day, Traders has a reputation for going for top equipment. How do you think your bike stacks up against factory bikes?
Renzland: “Well, it's very difficult to say exactly until you can compare them yourself. But we already thought the Traders Yamaha was very good last year. We felt like the bike was really competitive last year. Yet we have made enormous progress this year! I would definitely say our bike is at least competitive. I try not to worry about what the other guys have. In the meantime, we will continue to build on what we have.”
Of course you usually train in Dreamland. Do you always ride alone, or do you sometimes invite other riders?
Renzland: “My entire career, even as an amateur, I trained on private circuits. Just me, along with my brother Kody. I'm used to racing against the stopwatch and pushing myself. But the last few years I've been riding a lot with Nick Gaines - my teammate at Traders Racing. We can push each other and if he is not there, I fall back on my own program and my brother with the stopwatch.”
You can jump very well and you are not afraid to go all out on big jumps. What is your advice for the amateur who wants to learn to jump better?
Renzland: “Man, my advice is to take your time with it. The more you sit on the bike, the better it goes... It's crazy how quickly you can make that 'click' and how much better the feeling with your bike becomes. I'm not the person to do that myself holddebolder to dive into something. As a child, my family called me “Velcro Tires” because my wheels never left the ground! But over time the feeling comes of itself. As you become more comfortable on the bike, jumping will become second nature. “
It's funny to see top riders who are also interested in off-road or enduro. Not every motocross rider is convinced of this.
Renzland: “I'm really open to everything. Last year I expanded my horizons with a few GNCC races at the end of the year. That side of the sport is actually really cool, I love off-road. I've already been talking to one of my friends about how cool it would be to be part of the American ISDE club team! I don't know when that will happen. But it would be great to ride the ISDE and experience what it's like. I'm open to any new form of racing, whether it's dirt track or something else. This is how I took my first steps in the trial. Last year I even rode my first race. Really, I'm interested in anything with two wheels!”
If you were in charge, what would you change as the SX or MX final boss?
Renzland: “Hmm, I would give the riders a month off between the supercross and motocross seasons. That would definitely be my dream. Especially for the 450 class but even for the 250 class. It seems like the season is turning into a drag for everyone towards the end. You don't feel fresh at all anymore and in the middle of the motocross season you feel burned out. “
Before we forget, where does the nickname El Dozer come from?
Renzland: “When I rode GNCC last year, I was the MX guy who rode 'out of control' and sometimes plowed into a tree or passed the track. As a result, someone made the comment that I was 'bulldozing' trees. That became 'El Dozer' and now I'm stuck with that name!
Thanks for your time Luke!
Renzland: "My pleasure and good bye."
Tekst: Tom Jacobs
Photos: Freestylephotocross, Adam C Merrow
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