[
K. Windham | T. Preston
| J. Grant |
B. Laninovich | J.
Weimer | R. Sipes ]
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Born:
Feb. 6, 1978, Santa Ana, CA
Residence: Hesperia, CA
National #: 11
Began riding: 1983, age 5
First race: 1986, age 8
Training: Bicycling, weight training,
motocross
Hobbies: BMX, snowboarding
Height/Weight: 6’3”/190
pounds
Marital status: Married, wife Hannah
Current race bike: Honda CRF450R
Mechanic: Shawn Ulikowski
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on any of the photos below for a larger image.
Profile:
TRAVIS PRESTON
Consider it a
homecoming. In 2007, Travis Preston returns to the place
where he has enjoyed the most success in his career, the
Factory Connection squad, now running under new sponsorship
as the SoBe No Fear/Samsung/Honda Team. This season sees
Preston competing aboard the brawny Honda CRF450R in the
Supercross series solely, just as the now-retired Mike LaRocco
did for the past few seasons. And as far as Preston is concerned
this will be a change for the better, one that will allow
him to climb the podium up to the highest level in 2007.
With only the
stadium series to contend, he is now free to focus all of
his energy on the venue he loves best. “2002 was my
first year racing with Honda on the Factory Connection team,”
Preston recalls. “I’ll never forget what that
entire season was like, because that’s when I won
my first championship, the 125 West Supercross title. Up
until that time I always knew I had the potential to win,
but it wasn’t until I had all the resources that only
Factory Connection and Honda can offer that we really converted
everything into a winning combination. That year was simply
incredible, and I’m ready to experience it all over
once again. This is a great team, and I’m looking
for that special chemistry to work to my advantage once
again in 2007.
“And it
really is like a homecoming; I look around in the race shop
and see all these familiar faces. Everyone is always encouraging
me, so I can’t help but go out and give it my best
shot. The guys on the team work really hard to give me the
best machine out there, so I don’t have many excuses
left; I’ve just got to go out and perform to the best
of my abilities.”
Indeed, the teamwork
between Preston and the technicians who support him nearly
paid off twice in a row as he barely missed doubling up
for another 125 West Supercross crown in 2003. After being
sidelined with injures in 2004, Preston came back into action
with a vengeance in 2005, stepping up to the premier racing
class and posting admirable results: 9th in the 250 Supercross
Series, despite starting the season less than 100 percent
healthy, and finishing the year a strong 5th in the AMA
250 National Motocross Series. That performance was only
an indicator of more good things yet to come. To prove his
star was still rising, Preston bettered those results last
year, finishing 7th in the Supercross Series with top-10
finishes in 11 of 16 races, while also claiming 5th overall
once again in the National Motocross Series with an impressive
showing of 11 of 12 top-10 finishes.
“Yeah,
last year was good, but I’m shooting for even better
results this year,” Preston says. “I know I
can get on the podium, and I’m feeling good physically,
so my strength and durability should not be a factor. When
I train, I focus on working hard, really pushing the limits.
The same thing applies when I do my practice rides; I ride
longer than the usual race and I work at keeping my speed
and intensity up as well.”
Preston has another
important ally on his side, the potent Honda CRF450R. “I
love riding the big-bore Honda,” he says with a wicked
grin. “I’m a big guy, six-three and 190 pounds,
so the 450 and I match up really well. Sometimes I think
I have an extra advantage due to my height and reach, which
give me added leverage when I work the bike. And with all
the power this thing makes, I’m not handicapped in
any way by my size. The 450 just flat-out hauls, and it
puts the power to the ground so efficiently it makes riding
so much fun. I feel like this bike is made just for me,
and I’m going to make us a winning combination if
I have anything to say about it.”
Such
talk sounds as if another championship might be in the offing
for Preston, but when pressed to that end he makes no guarantees.
“I’d hate to overpromise and say I’m bound
for a championship in 2007. There’s a lot of competition
out there, and the race pace just keeps getting faster and
faster. Of course, I feel like I’m getting faster
too, so we’ll have to see how it all works out. Maybe
not a championship, but I’m definitely going to take
down some podium finishes this season. And if I can sustain
that kind of performance, who knows? This race business
can take all kinds of twists and turns; you can never be
sure. But I’ve been real consistent over the past
two years, and if I can sustain that kind of consistency
while upping my pace a notch or three, I’ll definitely
be in the hunt all season long.”
Statistics
2006
-7th AMA Supercross Series
-5th AMA Motocross Series
2005
-9th AMA 250 Supercross Series
-5th AMA 250 National Motocross Series
2004
-Missed season due to knee injury
2003
-2nd AMA 125 West Supercross Series
-26th AMA 250 Supercross Series
2002
-1st AMA 125 West Supercross Series
-10th AMA 125 National Motocross Series
2001
-7th AMA 125 West Supercross Series
-12th AMA 250 National Motocross Series
2000
-7th AMA 125 West Supercross Series
1999
-9th AMA 125 West Supercross Series
-Top privateer AMA 125 National Motocross Series
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