Catching Up with…Cycle North’s Kourtney Lloyd
By Billy Rainford
Let’s find out what’s new with Cycle North’s Kourtney Lloyd since claiming the 450 #1 plate at the 2014 Future West Arenacross Championships. – Bigwave photo
We’ve gotten to know Kourtney Lloyd and the entire Cycle North Family from out there in Prince George, BC over the past few years. From growing up as a child with parents knee-deep in motorsports, to now running the most comprehensive amateur motocross program in Canada and dipping her feet into the world of Pro motocross, Kourtney has seen more than most.
Kourtney has always welcomed the media into the Cycle North pit and is always quick to make sure both she and her riders avail themselves to us for interviews and photo ops. After only being involved in the Pro side of things a short while, she already understands the importance of good press.
It has been an interesting fall and winter for them, so we wanted to get caught up before anything more happens and this is forced to turn into a multi-volume series of books.
Direct Motocross: Hello, Kourtney. We haven’t spoken since Cycle North and Ross Johnson won the 450 title at
the Canadian AX Series. It was a hard-fought battle all series long. Congratulations. Can you take us through how you’re feeling after that one?
Kourtney Lloyd: Hi, Billy. Thanks so much! It was such an awesome feeling winning the 450 Class. We went through a lot this season. Ross’s baby was due between two of the rounds so we weren’t sure if he was going to have to miss any rounds which a DNS would have taken him out of the points for the Championship, but Little Lincoln came just in time for Rossco to make all of
the rounds. I have to take a minute to thank Jade for being such a trooper and “letting” ((Laughs) Ross is gonna hate that) Ross come to the races. She is an awesome supporter of Ross and me and I am grateful for that. We worked so hard this season and when we won the Championship I was overcome with emotion – I was crying, laughing and cheering all at the same time. Someone told me “there is no crying in moto”… well, there definitely was that day!
I was at all the rounds and there was definitely some tension between your guys and Teddy Maier’s team/crew. There were accusations flying around. Can you explain what that was all about, from your perspective?
Things did get heated between our two teams for sure this season, but I think when there is money like that on the line along with egos (mine included) things are said and done that under normal circumstances would not happen. In an intense situation people don’t see the situation clearly and I think that accusations get thrown around, ridiculous or not. The only thing I can say is Ross DID NOT pay anyone to take Teddy out, and anyone who knows Ross and his character knows he would never do that. As far as my “feud” with [Monster Energy Thor Kawasaki Team Owner/Manager] Jason Hughes, all I can say about that is there isn’t one, but who wants to be beat by a girl? (Laughs) I wish him and the whole Monster Energy Thor Kawasaki Team good luck this
season.
You brought #722 Adam Enticknap up from the US too. Can you take us through how that all came up (again)? How did his series go?
We did. Adam was such an awesome addition to our program; he made it so fun this year! He was light-hearted, funny and the kids LOVED him! I would look over and he would have 6-7 kids at a time, climbing on his bike, laughing and joking with him. It was so cool to see how many fans ‘the 722’ has up here! Listening to Adam describe a track, a race, anything is hilarious – the hand movements, the sound effects…oh man, it was just something else! I heard Adam on the Pulp Show talking about being stuck on Privateer Island and, I dunno, it just felt like he would be so good at marketing and I loved his personality on the radio show that I felt like I wanted to get him up here. So I called [Steve] Matthes and got his contact info and hit him up! He had an up and down series but all in all he did really well. The tracks were A LOT tighter than he was expecting and we had some suspension issues, but once we got that dialed he was a strong competitor for sure. I am happy with how he did – the cold, the new bike, new tracks…it was not an easy transition for him so I am stoked he is a part of the team!
Kourtney says #722 Adam Enticknap has been a great addition to the team. – Bigwave photo
I’ve asked you this before, but what does winning this series do for Cycle North? Is it a ‘Win Sunday, Sell Monday’ type thing?
Bragging Rights. (Laughs) For us it’s more of a marketing-type of thing. Ross promotes our shop by working with the kids on the amateur side and teaching them the importance of loyalty, sponsorship obligations and helping them to gain confidence. For me, that sells me bikes because people want to be a part of the Cycle North Team. They see that we work hard to get them sponsors and products. We paid for all of the entries for the amateur riders for AX as well as paid for track rentals on Thursdays before each round, where Ross and Adam worked with the kids to prepare them for the weekend ahead. This helps me because they see that Cycle North is investing in them as well as they are investing in me. It isn’t just a ‘buy your bike and go away’ type of thing. It’s a culture we have built with our riders and their families.
You’re also behind Adam for the Supercross series, too. What is your involvement there?
That has been so stressful! (Laughs) Adam is working so hard this season in SX and I can see every weekend that he is getting closer and closer to making that main event. Cycle North’s involvement for him for SX is his race and practice bikes, as well as some support to get to the rounds out east. He has been amazing to work with and I have so much admiration for the work he puts in and his level of commitment to his training!
And then Ross went overseas to compete in some races. Can you take us through that too?
I’m sick of talking about Ross! (Laughs) Just kidding. That was a cool experience. He has ridden for that team before, Motorrad Meyer Racing. The owner Klaus Meyer and his team and family are some of the best people I have ever met. We went to Munich right before Christmas and it was unreal! The fans there are so into it. It made it so much fun. There were probably 5,000 people there and I swear 4900 of them had air horns. It was so loud! I am not 100% on all of his results, but I do know he was happy with his results most weekends, except when his hand got cut open and the “French Guy” took him out. (Laughs) His mechanic, Sascha Baier, is the owner of Germerica Deals. You have probably seen his butt patches on butts such as Trey Canard, Weston Peick, and Justin Brayton just to name a few, and he and Ross were a dream team! He dialed Ross’s bike in and they spent the next three weeks racing all over Germany and the Netherlands. I cannot thank Klaus, Sandra and Max Meyer, Sascha and Thomas for the hospitality you showed me, and for putting up with my attempts at speaking German!
Watch for Team Cycle North this summer competing in the Women’s West Championships with riders Sara King and Summer Knowles. – Bigwave photo
Oh, and then there was the Shawn Maffenbeier ‘Passportgate’ situation!
Who would have thought Shawn Maffenbeier of all people wouldn’t get through a border?! Ross texted me asking if I had heard from Shawn, he was in London and was supposed to be meeting up with him a couple of hours ago and their train was about to
leave. Obviously I hadn’t so I tried calling Shawn, no answer. Texted him, nothing. And so I told Ross to get on the train…maybe Shawn was ahead of him. He gets to the stop and no Shawn, so he gets on a plane to go to Germany and sees if Shawn is on it…nope. So Ross gets to the hotel in Germany and checks in, expecting by some miracle Shawn is there, and still no Shawn. At this point it has been about 6 hours since Ross called me and I am starting to get worried (OK, I was worried about 5.5 hours ago, but don’t want to sound like a spazz), so I make the dreaded call to ‘Mr. Maff.’ I call Randy (Maffenbeier) and casually ask if he’s heard from Shawn and he obviously says, “No. Why isn’t he with Ross?” So we start calling London Heathrow Airport, the Police, and anyone we try hasn’t seen him or heard from him.
At this point it is midnight in London and now no one is answering. Finally, after what felt like 36 hours later, I get a text from Shawn saying he’s all good but getting taken to jail for the night and sent back to Canada in the morning…passport issues. So thankfully he was good, so I called Randy, Ross, Klaus and the national guard to say that Shawn MAff is alive and well. (Laighs)
I’m always blown away by how busy dealerships are out west with snowmobile sales each winter. How are those going for you this year?
Things are good this year. More so now that we have gotten some snow. February has been busier than January was so that is a good thing!
What Supercross races are on your ‘attend list?’
Well, A3 was on my ‘must go’ list but that didn’t happen. Vegas for sure and maybe an east one like New York.
What are your racing plans for this coming summer? Amateur only or will there be a Pro Cycle North team?
I am going to be doing the Women’s West Series with Sara King and Summer Knowles, as well as the BCMA/Future West Series and the PMA Series this year. We will also be doing the schools that we do with Ross, Chris Blose and this year Bobby Kiniry on the off racing weekends.
Thanks for the chat, Kourtney. Before we let you go, these teams don’t come together without a lot of work and support. Who would you like to thank?
Thanks, Billy. First and foremost I would like to thank my brothers and mom and dad for always believing in me and telling me not to give up on what I love to do. I also would like to thank Chris Buckrell, BFJ (Jordan), Mikey Zandvoort, Chris Sweet and Wyatt Waddell for getting us the Championship by being the unsung heroes of the team. These mechanics are honestly the best ones a girl could ask for and I couldn’t even have an arenacross team without them! Brad at Motorfist, thank you so much for all of your support. Andre Laurin at OTSFF, who has taught me so many things about being a professional and helping my team out this season. Thank you so so much! Sara and Blake at Honda Canada, for your continued support and for being at the races to support us.Kawasaki Canada, thank you for always supporting the riders and the Team Green Program. Bruce, Laurie, Paul, Devin and Kurt- The Superdads. TLD Canada, Parts Canada, FMF, Matrix, Atlas, Thank you, Newf, for providing us with so many awesome products! Works Connection, Enbridge Northern Gateway, and Treasure Cove Casino.
