Five Minutes with ... Shane Bess
JULY 14, 2005

Story and photos by Jason T. Griffiths

The more-than-colourful Shane Bess

 

Back in his prime, Shane Bess was a California kid riding 80s and looking to make the big time in AMA motocross.  Then he quit and ran down a much different road.  Bess was working construction when he got the opportunity to return to racing during the Arenacross series this past year.  After speaking with Brad Hagseth (the unofficial U.S. ambassador to Canadian MX), Bess got the opportunity to race for Pacific Yamaha in the Canadian MX2 West series.  Bess turned some heads with his determination and in the last moto of the series he finally regained his taste for victory.  

Just recently, Bess was given the opportunity race the remaining MX1 rounds for Yamaha Canada and it looks like he will be mixing it up on a YZ250, replacing Doug DeHaan while DeHaan chases after the MX2 East Championship.  
After news broke about Bess’ new contract we decide to run this 5 minutes with interview we put together following the final round of the MX2 East Championship—just to show how colourful of guy Bess really is.

RXC: Shane I don’t have many details on you, but I did hear that Brad Hagseth spoke with you about coming to Canada.
Shane Bess: Yeah, I’m teammates with Hagseth in Arenacross and we’re friends.

And he said good things, obviously, about the series in Canada?
Yeah definitely, coming off an injury I missed the second half of the Arenacross series and he was looking out for me. He had a good relationship with Pacific Yamaha, and he was riding big bikes so he wasn’t dealing with them this year. He hooked everything up and set everything up for me. I got a Yamaha two or three weeks before the series started. I rode Hondas all year, so had to get used to the new bike and was just coming off an injury.

Moto 1: Shane Bess at Regina

What were your injuries?
I tore my rotator cuff and a ligament in my right knee. I banged it real bad and every time it got tapped it would swell back up in my left knee. I also had quite a few little things like a concussion and I was out for a while because rotator cuff injuries take awhile to heal.

How did the Mission, BC round go for you?
Clutch went out in the first moto—I was third in the rain—and fell back to seventh. In the second moto, I hit the gate and came from last to eighth. Being from California it was tough; I hadn’t ridden mud in the last couple years. That’s how my whole season went, I got sick the next weekend and was in the emergency room with my asthma and almost didn’t race. Then last weekend it rained again and had a tough time. It was nice to finish the race off with a dry track and win a moto.

You held Dusty off in the last moto at Regina; that must have felt good?
Yeah definitely. I had a six second lead for almost the whole race and was keeping those guys at a good distance. In the last two laps, I just started jacking myself, “Come on you got it; you lead it, you can’t lose it.” Then I started mis-shifting, taking different lines—getting all nervous. But yeah, he showed me a wheel and it helped me keep my mind straight. I held on to it and it was a good race.

What happened with your gear in the final moto? I heard you didn’t change between motos?
Oh I was just mad, I didn’t change—it was a mud race the first moto and my gear was completely dirty. It was white gear and it was completely brown and I was pissed off. I wasn’t going to change it. I wasn’t riding like I deserved to be in clean gear every moto. So I left on dirty gear, dirty boots, and dirty helmet and went out on a mission and it worked.

Do you have your own sponsorship with Troy Lee Designs?
Yeah I’m friends with Troy and Lotus; it’s kind of like a family deal. I ride for them unless I’m on a team and I can’t ride for them, but I would come right back to them when I’m done. Troy Lee is an awesome sponsor and it’s like family over there.

It definitely seems to fit your style?
Yeah they’re really good people—I love Troy Lee.

... a much happier Shane Bess in Moto 2 at Regina where he took his first Canadian moto win.

Going back to you feeling sick, was it pneumonia?
I had a fever and when I get sick my asthma comes out really bad. I was having asthma attacks all week and had to go get breathing treatments. I was lucky to get a fourth the first moto in Nanaimo and then fifth in the second—I was pretty lucky to even be out there. There was a couple times when I would just roll through sections and take a deep breathe, so I was pretty lucky to get through it.

Do you plan on returning to the series next year?
Yeah definitely, I got a lot of experience this year and hopefully next year it won’t be a last minute thing and won’t be coming off injuries. I came in basically off the couch; I showed signs of my speed in the first round and fought the whole series and showed signs of my speed today [Regina].

You ride with a lot of heart. Where does that come from?
It comes from my dad, definitely, he’s a fighter. He bred me this way. I had a factory ride when I was 16. As an 80 rider you could pretty much call me a factory 80 rider; I was getting parts that no one else could get for a Suzuki 80. I won a lot of championships and had a lot of things given to me and it was easy. Then I quit racing and ever since then I’ve been a whole different person, as far as my mindset. I realize I’m a man now and I have to fight for everything I get. It taught me a lot. Being hurt all year sucks—I wasn’t motivated to go train—so I’m off the couch and fighting with determination and talent.

Kind of sounds like the Sean Hamblin story.
Yeah pretty close. I had a lot more than he did. He came up here and won. I had a lot of things going for me; when I quit racing I didn’t even own a helmet. Last year I started back up. Buddy Antunez has been there for me a 110 percent; I wouldn’t even be here today if Buddy didn’t pick me up for Arenacross. I was working construction and it was horrible, he pretty much signed me not even knowing I was riding or nothing. I was really lucky for that.