Brian Shuckhart – Two Stroke Hero!
At the Steel City Pro MX National on September 5th something very strange happened. A two stroke qualified and raced both motos in the 450F class!!
Local Pennsylvania MX hero Brian Shuckhart piloted his Suzuki RM250 onto the track and made quite a few two-stroke fans happy. He finished in 25th position during the first moto and in 28th the second moto for a 28th overall. Is this the highest finishing two-stroke for 2009 in the Pro Class? I think so!
It took a little time, but we tracked down Brian to ask some questions about the day and his experience.
Brian getting ready for the start. Photo by Vurb Moto
What made you decide to race the nationals on a two stroke?
I just wanted to get into a main real bad because nobody else is out there riding them that much anymore, so I thought it would be a pretty cool thing to do.
What were some of the other racers reactions to you showing up on the two-stroke?
I don’t know. I didn’t really hear too much except for few people, but they were pumped about it.
Trying to cool off.
Did you feel like you were at a disadvantage on the start or during the motos?
Yeah, a little bit I think if I would of had a better gate pick I would have had a little better of a start. I was just way too far outside.
Were there any places on the track where you had an advantage and if so where and did you capitalize?
I think the advantage I had was that I get to race on that track during local race days, so I knew the lines and how the dirt was gonna get.
How did the motos go for you? Starts? Any great dices with others?
The motos for me were just super fun. Even at the end, I didn’t want to stop because I was having so much fun.. My starts weren’t too great, but I had some cool little battles with some guys coming up through the pack.
Were you excited or happy about where you finished?
I was OK with it, but I would of liked to have done better.
How do you think you would have done if you were allowed to race your RM250 two-stroke in the 250F National class?
I don’t know. I really would like to see how I would do in that class. I think I would do a little better. I know my starts would be better, then I wouldn’t have to start from the back and work my way up.
Did you hear/see a great deal of crowd support?
Oh yeah, every lap I heard people yelling. It was one of the coolest things ever.
Dicing with Travis Pastrana.
Do you have plans to compete at future Pro events on your two-stroke?
I just do the races that are close to where I live. It’s too hard to travel to the other races in the series if you don’t have a ride. I just like doing them for fun.
When and where will we see you racing in the Pro Class?
High Point and Steel City are the races I do every year.
I’m sure a bunch of two-stroke fans would love to cheer you on!
I love hearing all the people waving and shouting, it really makes it fun.
Sliding the RM 250.
Can you tell us about your bike?
It’s pretty much just your normal RM 250, nothing super crazy done to it.
What year is your bike?
It’s a 2008.
What modifications have you done to it?
Just a pipe and some work my dad does to the motor.
Thanks for your time.
Thanks for the interview, it was pretty pretty cool.
Brian would like to thank his sponsors.
Ghost Inc. Online , Clark Motorsports, PR2, Creekside, Ten Graphix, & Mom and Dad.
Small clip of Brian racing at Steel City.
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Comments
By SCOOTER042 on September 16th, 2009 at 1:38 am
That is AWESOME! I especially like how he says he was at a disadvantage on the start because of gate pick and not because of lack of power! TOTAL Fake out. Everyone reading is going to be thinking they already know the answer like DUH! NOT enough power… and then BAM! “i got bad gate pick” without hesitation. Not a word about power didnt even bring it up! lol. sweet.
Just a pipe and my dad did the motor. How understated can it get. Up against $50k factory 450′s. David and Goliath. Shuckhart kicks A$$.
By eprovenzano on September 16th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
I unfortunately had other obligations so I was unable to attend the race, but a friend of mine did with his son… What were the first statements out of their mouth’s… A two stroke raced in the 450 main… The crowd was going nuts rooting for him. They said watching the smoker and the crowds response made the race one they will never forget.
By ridered125 on October 4th, 2009 at 3:17 am
You could hear a two stroke on the TV broadcast. I thought that was unusual enough for the TV crew to get a shot of the rider and explain that someone was out there on a two-stroke bike, but it never happened.
By motoman465 on October 9th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
How awesome is this? We are seeing more and more two strokes at the local levels, but we need more big time exposure. We really need to support these guys. I almost always have the volume on my computer muted, except when I visit here. I just love the sound of a two stroke. This was horrible, though. All you could hear were those damn, obnoxious tractors drowning out that beautiful RM250.
By Dylan155 on November 2nd, 2009 at 9:05 pm
Brian Shuckhart rocks. We watched a guy at Washougal this year on a RM250, but I don’t think he qualified. The motocross bikes he was forced to compete against were ONLY 200cc bigger.