It's rare for a set of third place finishes to Rock an industry; but that's exactly what happened last Sunday when Lonestar Racing/ Morehead Motorsports/ Media Allstars' Brett Musick decided to test himself in the highly competitive ATV MX Nationals Pro Am Production class. Why all the Hoopla you ask? The performance was akin to seeing Lebron James in his first game, or Ricky Carmichael in his first race on a big bike: it was a rare glimpse into the future. 16 year old Musick's rise through the ranks has been impressive, last season at this time he was celebrating a 90 Modified Class Championship, six weeks ago he was celebrating a pair of B class Championships (which he clinched with three rounds to go), a month ago he Won his first A Class moto, and in his first attempt at the Pro Am Production Class he made it onto the box. The performance set off a chain of events that had Loretta Lynn's pits buzzing, as every team manager in the pits set their sights on landing the "Next Big Thing". While no one knows where he'll land, one thing is for sure; the kid opened eyes, and has just about everyone looking for a way to land him.
"We're obviously stoked for Brett and his family, he far exceeded our expectations, and has only given us a glimpse of what he's capable of. Imagine what he'll do when he settles in, and rides that class without nerves." Said Media Allstars Team owner Jorge Cuartas.
"Its kind of what this team is known for, we've been a farm system of sorts since day one. If you look at the alumni roster, there are allot of kids that put in the work for us before moving onto big budget, top tier Pro teams." Musick's performance was impressive from every standpoint, from sheer speed, to endurance, to nerves of steel that couldn't be rattled by some of the sport's top Pro Am riders. It's not often that someone jumps into the deep end of the pool for the first time without floundering, and Musick looked like Michael Phelps once in the water. In a season where the Pro-Am classes were dominated by a single rider Musick added some real drama, and made the entire industry wonder what might've been had he raced Pro-Am all season long. So what's it like to have the most coveted rider in the sport on your team? Lonestar Racing/ Morehead Motorsports/ Media Allstars Team Manager Chase Cunningham had this to say
"It's kind of cool to see one of our guys turn heads like this, we knew he was going to be a force to be reckoned with, and he's made us look like geniuses for signing him. He comes from a great family, and has a solid support system, so we're not too worried about him making any bad decisions during the off-season. The right teams are looking at him, and he has allot of savvy people looking out for him. We'd obviously love to keep him on board, Brett is the real deal." If Brett doesn't land the "Rider Of The Year" award this season, it'll be an absolute travesty.
We tracked Brett down and managed to get some answers from the shy West Virginian about his rise through the ranks.
ATVR: How was the 2012 season for you; Was it what you expected?
Musick: The 2012 season for me was better than I could've ever dreamed of. I expected to win the B classes, but not as easily as I did.
ATVR: Was it always your plan to move up this fast?
Musick: No it wasn't my plan to move up that fast, but I always like running with faster guys so that it'll make me better.
ATVR: When did you decide to run Pro am?
Musick: I decided to try Pro-Am at Unadilla because my lap times were right there with theirs pretty much the whole year. I thought it was a good move.
ATVR: Were you nervous at all at any point during Loretta's?
Musick: No, I really haven't been nervous in the past two seasons at all. I don't know why I don't get nervous, but I'm glad that I don't.
ATVR: How were the longer motos; Did you feel you had the endurance?
Musick: I like the longer motos because I can be more patient. When I need to pass people I can wait until a spot on the track where I know I can pass, instead of having to stick a pass where I shouldn't. I definitely felt like I had the endurance, I didn't get any arm pump, and I really never felt out of breath. The only thing that got a little tired was my back.
ATVR: How much faster was the pace then what you've been running all year?
Musick: The competition was faster than what I've been racing all year. Although there were tracks where Greg Filliez was super fast; he pushed me a lot throughout the year, which helped me get ready for these faster classes.
The Media Allstars team is supported by Lonestar Racing, Moto-XPerts, Morehead Motorsports, Maxima Racing Lubricants, Maxxis tires, Uni Filters, Oury Grips, Powermadd, SSi Decals, Rath Racing, Yoshimura, Fox Racing Shox, Quad Tech, One Industries, Smith Optics, Maier MFG., Outerwears, Tag , Sunline, Novik gloves, 661, Precision Racing Products, Hinson Racing, and ATV ON Demand.com. Brett Musick is also personally supported by Baldwin Motorsports, PEP, and Walsh Race Craft.