PINNED:
CADEN DUDNEY
Caden Dudney has been on the grind the last few years and recently put his name in the record books in the second half of the 2019 season, winning the 65cc (7-9) Limited Championship at The Loretta Lynn Amateur National Championship. It was a massive confidence boost for the young Texan as he was able to transition into the Baja Brawl in winning form, capturing another title in the 65cc (7-9) class. He won two out of three motos and took one victory in completely dominant fashion, winning by more than thirty seconds in a four-lap race. Dudney put himself on the top step of the box again at Mini Os on the supercross track and also made the step up to the 85cc class at Gatorback, putting in some impressive rides to earn a 5th place overall against the older competition. We had a quick chat with Caden over the phone to see how he’s been handling the quarantine, what it’s been like riding the 85, and what video games he likes to play.
What have you been doing to keep yourself active during the quarantine?
I'm just doin' the same thing like I usually do, go outside and play and build jumps. I like to ride a lot so I've still been doing a lot of riding, too.
What have you been doing in your downtime to stay entertained?
Build bicycle jumps, play some Xbox, and just have some fun outside.
What sort of games are you into playing on Xbox?
Usually (Monster Energy) Supercross 3 and DC Universe. Mainly those two.
How has this whole situation affected what you do with your riding and training at Quick's Moto Ranch?
Kind of the same thing I've usually been doing. I've been mixing it up a little bit, not riding at Quick's as much. I've been riding with Ben Lamay a little bit and trying to hit some local tracks which is tough because a lot of them are closed right now. So we're just kind of riding where we can.
What's it like for you as a rider to train with current and former pros like Ben Lamay and Kyle Regal?
Well, they're really good. I like them a lot and they're good at what they do. I like to train with them both, but right now I’m training with Ben.
Where have you been able to ride?
Well, I've been riding at Athens MX Park. It's a pretty good little private track. It's really sandy and deep and rutted.
You did really well in the sand last year at the Baja Brawl. In one of the motos when it rained, you had more than a ten-second lead after one lap. How did you do that?
I used to ride in the mud a lot and I just like the mud 'cause it's fun. I've always liked the mud and sand -- I like that, I've always been good at it. I just like to go out and ride and have fun in the sand and mud.
Were you just out there havin' fun? You weren't even thinking about how much you were beating everybody?
Yeah!
That's probably the secret to your success right there. What was it like doing your first race on the 85 at Mini Os in 2019?
Yeah, it's pretty fun on the 85. I like the 85 a lot, it's definitely tougher to handle than the 65 and the older kids are more aggressive, so it's a little bit of a challenge.
Does it make going back to the 65 a little bit easier for you?
Yeah, I feel like I can handle it a lot better than the 85. I feel like I can just throw it around and it's fun! It definitely helps racing against the older kids, too.
How did the racing go for you at the beginning of the 2020 season?
I struggled a lot. I wasn't really feelin' it that weekend (at Spring A Ding Ding.) I had a crash in practice, I came into that double-double and I scrubbed, landed, got whiskey and slid out on the face of the second one, high sided, and then I hit the other roller. I was pretty banged up from that. I was still feelin' pretty good on the bike but mentally I was not that good.
Has it been difficult for you to not be able to go racing since then?
Yeah, I definitely want to redeem myself after that.
What do you think about the track out there at Underground MX?
I like it because I love the roughness and it's always rough there. It's kind of sandy and it's like a perfect mixture. They definitely do have some pretty big booters that are fun and the rollers are my second favorite. The only thing I didn't like is that they changed them and made 'em bigger.
What do you think might happen with Loretta's this year?
I dunno, I hope they still bring the big bikes in 'cause then it'll be deep and rough again like it usually is.
What're your plans for the end of the year following Loretta's heading into the 2021 season?
I might go full 85 after Loretta's, but it just depends on how the season goes.