SHARPSHOOTER:
CROCKETT MYERS
Crockett Myers has instated some major changes to his training program for the 2020 season and beyond, parting ways with Millsaps Training Facility after many successful years together in favor of moving back home to Texas. He’s operating his own riding and training program with the help of his dad and the direction of Robb Beams and is pleased with the results so far, but he’s especially stoked on all of the extra time he gets to spend with his family. Myers struck gold on the 125 for the first time at Mini Os last season as he captured a title in the Schoolboy 1 class and he was able to overcome some injury struggles at the beginning of this season to snag a 3rd overall at Spring A Ding Ding. We caught up with Crockett to see how the change in lifestyle has been moving back home to Texas, reflect on last year’s season, and what he plans to do after Loretta’s.
What have you been doing to stay training and keep active with the whole coronavirus pandemic going on?
Well, we're changing the plans a little bit this year, I don't know if I'm going to go back to MTF. I'm working with Robb Beams and we got a little bit better program goin' on back home and I can be with my family and hang out with them a little bit more, so we're just going to do it from home from now on. Me and my dad have got our own little program and then Robb Beams has been helpin' me out, giving me some workouts and stuff. Just working out with them and then most weekdays I ride my turn track with the quarantine because none of the big tracks are open right now. I think Thursday I'm going to head down to Underground in the Dallas area and do some motos with those guys, then the next day go hit it with Blake Wharton and some of his boys back in Dallas again. I'm tryin' to hit some new tracks and get a little familiar with the area and see how it goes from there.
Your dad actually had you doing some pretty unorthodox exercises in the shop -- doing pull-ups on a ladder, rope climbing, etc...
Yeah, I believe nobody loves me more than my mom and dad and my family, so he wants the best for me and when I got home we didn't really have all the workout equipment necessary but we made do with what we had. We did some pull-ups and stuff on the ladder and we didn't really have a rope, so we got a chain and tied it around one of the big beams in our shop out there. Man, it's hard on your hands and your feet but it all makes you stronger at the end of the day. I hate it (laughs), but I love doin' the work and it's awesome to win so it's worth it to me.
What brought you to the decision to part ways with MTF and base your training and riding program back home?
Yeah, no hard feelings at all against MTF. Their program is awesome down there, especially with the tracks. They always kept the track awesome and the gym trainers are sweet down there. Every year after Loretta's they actually changed the track up, so the track never got boring. I think it was just time for something new, you know. You do get a little bit over it, doing the same thing every time and I think it was time for a change. No hard feelings against those guys, I loved it down there but I just think it was time to come home and spend some more time with the family.
So what has the riding situation been like for you?
Three Palms in Houston has a little setup going where you have to schedule it because they can only allow so many people at a time, so I'll go ride there every now and again. But I got this little turn track in my backyard and it's pretty gnarly like through the trees, there are a bunch of roots and stuff so you really gotta be focused in pretty hard and focused on what you're doing. It's got a really long straightaway right next to a fence, it's kind of squirrely (laughs) but you gotta stay focused and it works pretty good.
Yeah, it's definitely nice to have somewhere that you can get some seat time in without having to load your bike up.
Yeah, it's pretty sweet. I've got a pressure washer and all the stuff I need to get er goin', ride, wash it, and do it again the next day so it's solid.
We've seen videos on social media of your dad putting you and your brother to work, whether it be building decks or fences. It seems like he has instilled a good work ethic into you which has to be beneficial to your racing.
Yeah, my dad's real blue-collar. He likes to get his hands dirty and he and my brother work really hard to help me live my dream. During the week, they build fences and recently they've been building a fence for a horse cutting ranch, for this guy that trains horses, they're building a bunch of stuff out there. I mean, I could walk out onto my porch and shoot guns, fish, I can do anything I want out here. It's pretty awesome!
So, last year was your finale in the Supermini class at Loretta's and it was pretty gnarly last year. There was lots of good competition and lots of good battles.
For sure, dude. I think as long as amateur motocross is around, the Supermini class will be the baddest and gnarliest class out there. Even when I was in it, I wish I could've just sat on the fence and watched it. Now that I'm on the 125, it's just so awesome to watch those guys shred in that class. Those little bikes are so small but so fast; it's like the 450 of the little bike classes. It's so hard to hold onto with the small chassis and the little wheels, it's so insane how fast those little bikes are. Loretta's last year was gnarly, I feel like I put everything I had into it but Vohland and a lot of those guys were on it that year, so props to them for being prepared. I felt like I had everything in me to do it, but I just couldn't make it happen that year. I gave it my all and it was a pretty solid year, I felt like it was pretty good. I’m pumped from my results that year and we just went from there and kept goin'.
So you came into Ponca on the 125 and didn't have the best results there, but you really turned things around and found another level of speed at Mini Os. Was there a little bit of an adaption period with the bigger bike?
For sure...the bigger bike, bigger wheels, and it's a little heavier. It took some time and at Ponca, it was one of my first big races and it was tough. I wasn't really prepared but you always gotta get the first one out of the way and getting that one out of the way opened my eyes a little bit. At that point, I was still at MTF so I went back there and put my head down, got ready for Mini Os, and I had a lot of pretty solid training partners. I had Sage Lewis and Gage Linville down at MTF, we pushed each other and I feel like it helped me for Mini Os. I ended up getting a Schoolboy 1 title in supercross so it was pretty sweet, I'm stoked on that.
How has racing gone so far for you at the beginning of the 2020 season before we went on hiatus?
Yeah, I believe it was January 22nd, I had a little get off in the whoops training at MTF and I ended up breaking my ulna and radius in my left arm. So I had surgery and had that plated, screwed up, and had that dealt with. I was healing and the plan was to be ready for the spring, but we felt it was a little safer to sit out Daytona and get prepared for Spring A Ding Ding and Freestone. I wasn't going to race any of them anyways because I didn't feel like I was ready but I couldn't sit at home, it didn't feel right. My arm worked, it just wasn't strong and wasn't really ready to be doin' all that yet but I just couldn't. So I ended up goin' to do practice and you know me, I was like "Mom, I got this! I can go out and race." I raced and I was doin' pretty good, it would hurt if I hit a big hole or bump or something and my hand would come off, but nothin' major. It's plated up so it wouldn't break it, I'd be alright. Me and another rider ended up getting together (at Spring A Ding Ding), nothing extreme, but I think his handlebar ended up hitting my wrist and kind of sprained it. It hurt pretty bad but after that there was no way I wasn't racin', so I put it on ice and iced it in my cooler for about twenty minutes and then slept on it. I woke up the next morning and it was swollen and all purple, so I went out for the sight lap and thought there was no way. But my dad gave me the 'ole smack on the back of the helmet and was like "You got this! Just fight through it." So I put my head down and ripped the holeshot, so there was no way I was pullin' off after that. I gave it everything I had and about two and a half laps in the adrenaline wore off and I was like "Uh oh." So I just put my head down and made it as good as I could, I think I came out with a 3rd. It's all good, I had fun.
Underground can get pretty rough and gnarly, so there had to be a few painful moments on your arm.
For sure. That track is so gnarly but it's so safe. They could not prep it all week and it'd just be so rough and rutted, but never sketchy. That's what I love about it. I'll never miss that race unless it's something major. It's so awesome! That track is so fun, like it gets rough but it's safe, I feel like. I don't know how to explain it.
A lot of other riders have said the same thing. It's a good kind of rough where it slows things down.
Yeah, you don't get going too fast where it's dangerous. That's why I love it so much and that's why I feel like lots of big guys like to go out there. Plus the jumps are so fun. A lot of other tracks, none of them are bad, but most of them don't have the big jumps and that's what a lot of us look for 'cause it's fun getting some air, ya know.
Now that you're local to the area and you might be doing some riding down there, have you ever ridden the Quicks Moto Ranch side of the property before?
Yeah, I'm looking forward to it. I think Thursdays are their moto days and I've never ridden their training track, so I need to get down there pretty early and get some laps in so I know what I'm workin' with. It should be good, I'm excited to go ride something new. Underground is a pretty sweet track so I think that track will be awesome too.
What's your opinion on the different plans for Loretta's and what might happen?
Shoot, man I dunno. I don't really mind any of it, I just want to get back to racing. You know, I'm still young and I don't really get involved in all of that. I'm just here to go racing, I mean like I understand what's going on but I don't get too caught up in it. I'm just out here working out and riding, doing me.
You just got on the 125 at the end of last year, what're your plans for the end of the year? Are you thinking about getting on the 250?
Oh yeah, for sure. As soon as Loretta's was over, I was going to hop on a 250 and still stick with EBR and ride their Yamaha 250s and just go from there. I'm stoked, dude. I've been eating a lot to get my weight up and gettin' stronger so I can handle the 250 but we'll just see what's going on and how Loretta's goes; if they have it and how it works out. I'll be there no matter what if I'm healthy and we'll run it out and hop on a 250 for the 2021 season.