MarylandMotocross.com: Yo “Shuck and
Groove” how’s it going?
Stephen Plank: Hold on, Hold on, Hold on (Yelling) GET
AWAYYYYY!!!!
MMX.com: Hey you okay man, want me to call OnStar???
SP: (Laughing) A couple girls are chasing me down.
MMX.com: Girls chasing you around, that’s awesome… Ready for
the interview?
SP: (Laugh) Yeah, but nothing real bad about girls. (Yelling)
Owwww, I’m just joking. Hey! Keep the noise down in the background!
(Laughing)
MMX.com: I can’t promise, but I’ll try…
SP: Is this Ese’?
MMX.com: No, this is Vance; Ese’ had a date tonight.
SP: Ooohhhh, yeah!
MMX.com: Naw man you don’t even know the half of it, I’m
average height around 6 foot, but when I came to the door there’s this girl
that was around 3 inches taller than me asking for Ese’
SP: Whhhhaaaatttt???!!!???
MMX.com: He’s only like 5’7”,
practically a Hobbit…
SP: Yeah, he’s a half pint…
MMX.com: Exactly, how does he pull of a chick that tall,
Swedish blonde, and she was Hoootttttt!
SP: Oh, there ya go; Swedish.
MMX.com: He thinks he’s a player, we’ll never hear the end
of it. (Sigh) I got a hat here with the staff’s questions; I’ll just grab
one. All right, first off, what’s the deal Bra, Kevin Duffy says you’re
always shucking and grooving when you walk, what’s up with that?
SP: (Hard Laughing) I don’t know. It’s just something I do,
I guess. (Laugh) I’ve done it always since I’ve started racing.
MMX.com: I can dig it. So how old are you, how long have
you been riding, and where do you see it all leading to in the future?
SP: I’m currently 20 years old. I’ve been riding just about
6 years now, and hopefully turn Pro, I turn A after Loretta’s this coming
year, so… we’ll see what happens. I’m working on it. I have my weekends
where I spend them on a bike.
MMX.com: Nice, so you’re #719, and Ese’ says you’re a ladies
man, is 719 the number of girlfriends you’ve had or something?
SP: (Hard, long laughing) Noooo, I wish. The number comes
from my first race was at Budd’s Creek. I bought Chad Downing’s old 1988 RM
80. Chad was there that weekend and I had to put a 7 on my bike and they
gave me #719 for my first race and I’ve had it ever since. And I’ll fight
for it…forever…(laugh)
MMX.com: Hmmmm. Food for thought. So, what are your
favorite moment / memory in MX?
SP: I’d probably have to say this past year at the Ponca City
Amateur National when I got the hole shot in 250B stock.
MMX.com: And the worst?
SP: I broke my femur in 2000. 4
days before my birthday. They kinda…(laugh) they <Medical Personnel> kinda
stripped me naked and everyone saw me at the track.
MMX.com: (Laughing) Well, I guess you wouldn’t be as nervous
if something like that happens again.
SP: (Laugh) No, nothing anyone
hasn’t seen. I’m not ashamed… (Laughing)
MMX.com: Sorry man, gotta take advantage of the fact that
I’m illin’ with a MX Pimp, so what lines do you used to use on girls and
stuff?
SP: (Laugh) That’s a secret.
MMX.com: Awww come on. Ese’s goes with the UPS’s line… “What
can brown do for you?” Do you ever ask them to “Walk the Plank to the
starting line”?
SP: (Hard Laughing) Let’s
see…Maybe something like that at night after the races on a weekend or to
come with me to the starting line for good luck, but I don’t do that
anymore.
MMX.com: Right in, right on. What pointers would you give
to a brand spankin’ new rider?
SP: Just give it as much
determination as possible and if this is something they want to do, it won’t
happen overnight. They have to keep working with it. Give it you all; even
when you feel like you got nothing else. The key thing with me and a lot of
people I know is to have as much fun as possible.
MMX.com: What is your favorite track and favorite event to
attend?
SP: My favorite track would have
to be Ponca City, definitely. That is one of the sweetest tracks I’ve ever
been to. I don’t have a specific event really, I’ve only been to a couple
really big races, but basically every time I’m at the track really; I’m
always having fun.
MMX.com: Got any hobbies besides motocross?
SP: Not really, I just hang out with my friends a lot. Music
is a big influence in my life. I listen to it all the time. Basically I
just ride and go to college for right now.
MMX.com: College? Sweet what are you taking?
SP: For the moment I’m just taking a bunch of General Study
courses, but I’ll be moving to Florida in July to attend the Motorcycle
Mechanic institute.
MMX.com: Wow, so Motocross really is a big deal for you?
SP: Of course. Yeah. Definitely. Racing is the greatest
thing in my life. I’ve played basketball, football, soccer, and baseball.
Nothing else compares to what motocross is.
MMX.com: Sweet. Along those lines, Mike wants to know if
you were given the power and you could change anything about MX, what would
it be?
SP: I’d change…probably the point system. I feel that people
some people get moved up way too quick. On the other hand, I feel that some
people get held back also. I mean, I’m not accusing anyone of sandbagging,
even though I’ve been accused of it myself… (Laugh) by people faster than me
(laugh), but maybe someone can some up with a better system. It would be
nice. I feel sorry for those people who come under fire for it, but
sometimes someone gets moved up when they aren’t ready for it, and some
people belong in the class above. It’s a tricky situation at times and
sometimes it’s obvious.
MMX.com: I see. Well, Scooter has the next question. “Hey
Stephen, there can be a lot of trash talk going on at times, where-be-it at
the track, on internet sites such as M.A.M.A., MMX.com or what have you, how
do you feel about it?”
SP: Well, people will have they’re opinions, they always
will. I believe that they are entitled to them. No matter what you say or
try to do to change it, it will remain to some degree. We all do it
sometimes. We’re only human. Some people take it waaayyyyyy too far. I’m
talked about a lot. It really doesn’t bother me anymore because people just
won’t leave anything alone. I believe that if you’re going to talk some
serious trash about someone, you should say it to his or her face. You owe
it to them. Not to their friends, to people who are associated with them,
and especially not on the web. The worst is people who leave anonymous
posts. They make themselves look really cowardly. Personally, it acts as a
way to give me more drive.
MMX.com: I feel the same way. I feel like I do a little at
times, mostly in fun, but if you take it too far, you really do make
yourself look like an idiot. Someone WILL know and they’ll know you don’t
have the guts to confront that person. If you hide behind anonymity, it
proves that your point is mute and that you’re really either wrong about him
or her or scared of him or her and on top of that you have no class or
professionalism. Okay I’ll get off my soapbox now. (Laugh) Anyways,
recently at the landing you got to do a little bit of Camera / Stunt Man
work, care to comment.
SP: Yeah. A little bit. Kevin Duffy and Ese’ were out there
late in the day and me an Gregg Duffy took turns chasing each other on the
practice track on the double with Ese’s camcorder Duct Taped to out helmets
(Laugh) it sure got heavy. We were having a lot of fun with it.
MMX.com: Well, maybe if we ever get a budget someday we’ll
get better technology. Do you have a Sinful Pleasure that no one knows
about, but that they will after this interview? Scooter likes to roll
around in a kiddie pool of Vanilla Bean ice cream during the summer.
SP: (Laughing Hard) Sinful Pleasure. Hmmmmm…how sinful are
we talking?
MMX.com: (Laughing) Ummm, PG-13, wait! That’s been pretty
iffy these days. Lets go with PG.
SP: (Laugh) I’ll go with not wearing a shirt even if it’s
like 30 degrees out and playing with my nipple rings (laugh). Wait, can I
say nipple?
MMX.com: Ummmm, I dunno, I’ll ask Mike.
SP: Yeah, I’d say that does it for me every time.
MMX.com: Or at least the days that end in Y. Moving on, to
more wholesome stuff, Kevin wants to know what you think of all the 50
parents.
SP: They’re great. I’m friends with a lot of the parents and
kids at the track. Some parents take it too far with the yelling at times,
but they mean well. I enjoy watching the 50 races. Seeing the bond that
parents have with they’re kids is great. Not all the time do you see a
parent so closely involved with what they’re kids are doing for recreation.
That’s one thing I really like about Motocross. The best thing I believe to
do is encourage them, be firm, but ease off a bit. A lot of the 50 parents
know their kids well enough to know when to get on them about certain things
and when to back off and just let them have fun. I think the relationship
they have is one of the greatest things in life.
MMX.com: Who’s your favorite rider?
SP: Kevin Windam. You hear names like McGrath and
Carmichael, but I really respect Kevin. He’s got the style and
determination and I think he’s one of the smoothest guys out there. When
he’s on, there’s nobody that can touch him.
MMX.com: So hopefully, one day one day you’ll be out there
battling and mixing it up with the likes of him?
SP: Oh yeah. Every rider dreams of one day, coming out of a
factory rig, with their bikes sitting underneath the tent, and living that
dream. If you get the chance to be one you really are blessed. A lot of
parents sacrifice a lot of money for their kids. They deserve a ton of
credit. Also, there are the privateers paying out of their own pocket.
It’s all for the love of the sport.
MMX.com: Kewl. Well, thanks for your time Mr. Plank, good
luck in your schooling and riding. Hopefully as little or no injuries as
possible and we’ll catch ya at the track.
SP: Thank you. Take it easy… Peace…
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