Vital MX Invades the Vurb Classic | Editorial 2

Motocross is many things to those who have been involved with the sport. Motocross is competition, excitement, challenges, family, friends, camaraderie, and much more. We don't do many activities that match loading up our bikes and gear and heading to the local track with our buddies. It's what we look forward to, day in and day out. The memories we make at the track last a lifetime, and the stories we tell about those days are forever growing.

For the event interviews, check out the YouTube video right here. Scroll down just a bit further to read about the event.

For those reasons, I, Jamie Guida, couldn't say yes fast enough when Vital MX was invited to attend VurbMoto's 'Vurb Classic' event. Wes Williams, Brent Stallo, and the boys at Vurb have been putting on amazing events for years, and I was more than ready to experience one for myself. To make things better, this event would be at seven-time WMX national champion Jessica Patterson and her husband Eddie Ray's track, NXT LVL 101, in Gray Court, SC. Daniel Blair had recently become a partner at the track, and I'd been hearing how fantastic the track was. Needless to say, I knew this event would be full of the things we love about moto.

They do a great job of bringing in big-name guests to these events; this year was no exception. In attendance were Chad Reed, Josh Grant, Carson Brown, Randy Richardson from Michelin, and Jase Macalpine from Gypsy Tales. Attendees had a chance to meet and hang out with them in between doing motos on a phenomenal track. You cannot often come to your local track and visit with CR22, have a beer with former champions, or listen to the endless wit of The Fastest Man in Piedmont. This was going to be a weekend to remember.

I arrived at Daniel Blair's house Thursday afternoon, and we immediately drove over to the track to set up a canopy and get a look at the track. NXT LVL 101 is a picturesque facility in the countryside of South Carolina made of red clay and loaded with big tabletops, doubles, off-cambers, and some elevation. The track looked vet-friendly, and I could not wait to ride the next day. We spent some time checking out the track, bench racing, and talking shit until the sun was going down, and then it was time to get some sleep before the festivities kicked off.

The weekend was a three-day event with a practice day on Friday and then two separate race days with classes scheduled in a two-moto format. The results from both days would be combined for an overall Vurb Classic result. The weather Friday and Saturday was excellent for a day of racing and the schedule went as planned. Unfortunately, rain hit the track hard Sunday morning and made a mess of things. The promoters called the racers down and gave us all the options of leaving the track alone and racing two motos in the mud or giving them some time to fix the track and we would do a one-moto format with extended laps. In a unanimous decision, we chose the latter. 

The racing was intense on both days in all the classes and people were loving the event. NXT LVL gets rutty and develops into a hell of a racetrack. Some racing highlights were watching Tate Reed and Wyatt Grant battle on 85s, and Carson Brown ride multiple bikes and shred all of them. We also watched him race a Sur-Ron while the +65 class was on the track, and he led a guy riding a 450 for a bit. It was impressive. As usual, Randy Richardson didn't disappoint. The guy can ride a vintage dirt bike with the best of them and kept us laughing all weekend. Claire Brown, Carson's wife, who does his videoing, rode in the women's class, and it was cool seeing them enjoying time together at this race. Daniel Blair also made his return to racing after some coaxing from Jase. It didn't go so well. You are missing out if you haven't watched the clip of him doing a somersault in the left-hand turn and Randy's reaction.

Kyle Bitterman showed up to dominate the 250 A and 450 Pro classes as he prepares for the upcoming AMA Arenacross Championship. Cody Groves and Trevor Nelson tried to keep him honest, but Kyle was too much for them that day. The 250 B and 450 B classes saw Orange Brigade riders Luke Fauser and Landon Gibson lining up to battle, with Fauser getting the better results. To be fair, there was great racing in all the classes throughout the weekend. All in all, there were 20-plus classes each day, with over 700 entries that came out to participate in the Vurb Classic. 

When asked why Vurb has been doing races like this since 2008, Wes Williams said, "It's all about the coverage for all the rippers. When I was a young amateur racer, having my name in Cycle News and getting that mention…I remember what it made me feel. I always try to harness that, and that's what our events have been about. I want every kid to come here and feel famous in some aspect. Whether they get a photo on Instagram, a clip on the website, or see their name in a race report."

As for myself, I drove out for the event with the 2023 Kawasaki KX450 and was counting on getting more comfortable with it. After riding it on Friday, I knew some suspension changes were necessary, so I called Michael Lindsay, and he sent me links to some videos he'd made on Vital, and they helped tremendously. I never felt I rode well with the deep ruts, but the bike certainly got better. I raced the +40 and +45 classes on both days, finishing outside the top five each time. I can't say I was too disappointed because I was having so much fun talking to the racers and their families who I met that weekend and bench racing with friends. 

There was so much going on to enjoy over the three days. Gypsy Tales and Daniel Blair did a live podcast with Chad Reed, Jessica Patterson, and others with fans in attendance. There was a hot dog eating contest, a Greenger E-50 demo, and a Stacyc ride for the younger kids. After all the racing, Vurb also had an awards ceremony with some amazing trophies and awards.

Aside from all the riding and racing, the highlight was the previously discussed camaraderie and friendships. Having a weekend to hang out with good friends such as Daniel, Wes, and Randy, making new friends with Jase, the Browns, and others simply couldn't be beat. The memories made will last a lifetime. Especially the memory of beating the 2015 West Coast Arenacross champion, Daniel Blair in the +40 class on Sunday. It doesn't matter how this happened; just know that it did. DB also lined up in the +45 class with me and finished second but was protested for not meeting the age or height requirement for said class. 

I cannot recommend enough to go to one of Vurb's events if you can. VurbMoto does an exceptional job bringing the race community and industry together in a way that emphasizes what is great about the sport of motocross. Supercross and pro motocross races are cool but don't compare to a weekend spent riding at the track with like-minded friends. 

"We do ten events a year under the Vurbmoto flag. I love this so much. It honestly beats being at a Supercross. Nothing compares to coming out here with your friends, riding dirt bikes, drinking beers, and using my camera. All the things I'm super passionate about are right here." – Wes Williams.

The Vurb crew has an intense passion for this sport, and I thank them for having me out. I will be there next year to get redemption for my poor riding and share more laughs. The guys did show a bit of bad judgment by naming me as a Hired Gun for next year's event, which is more motivation to be better.