Rider Spotlight: Brad Neitzel
- Updated: October 4, 2012
Brad Neitzel’s love for ATV racing, and more specific, competing in the ATV National MX series, is one that proves that having endless funding, backing and sponsorships isn’t as critical as many might think.
Brad has been racing ATVs for ten years on and off depending on the funds he and his family can provide. His dad has been disabled since 2001 so his mother’s job is the main source of income.
Brad is a senior at the University of Wisconsin- La Crosse double majoring in Exercise Sports Science and Pre-Chiropractic with a Nutrition Minor and a Strength and Conditioning Concentration. He has also started his own training business as an undergraduate for motocross racers. He calls his new business B.O.W. Performance Training. He specializes in per-iodizing training programs individual to each racer. Balancing college, racing, business and his own training is very demanding especially in these tough times.
If you’re like me you like the underdog story, especially when he or she is a hard-working, appreciative and innovative person like Brad is.
Brad doesn’t have a race trailer, motor home or anything fancy like most, (if not all) of the top contenders at the nationals. For instance he has been known to borrow his uncle’s pick-up truck to haul his five-year old TRX450R, which has seen better days with a broken frame, broken sub frame, oil leaks and plenty of duct tape and zip tie fixes.
That’s just what he did at the Loretta Lynn’s round, where he drove by himself in his uncle’s pickup all the way from his home in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin and sleeping in the truck to save money. Making it there with little money to spare, Brad pulled to the line of the final moto of the ultra-competitive B Class where he hoped for just a top-five finish. When the gate dropped your underdog filed into the first turn in second place, later passed for the lead right before the whoops and lead the field to the finish with the moto win and 2nd place overall for the weekend, with his quad racing dream of a Loretta’s moto victory complete.
Brad’s Loretta Lynn’s story reminded me of my own racing career and if you’ve raced or currently race on a budget it will probably do the same for you. It’s a feel good story that helps to remind us all to pursuit our dreams even if it’s a long shot and you’re an underdog. When I heard Brad’s low budget/big determination 700-mile mission accomplished story from the biggest turnout and most prestigious ATV national in the world I had to share it, and chat with the young man about this and his interesting new business…
You’ve proven that determination can trump lack of funds, and the underdog can indeed prevail. So does lining up to a rider with obvious money help to motivate you?
I think it helps motivate my training more outside of the actual races whether it be in the gym, practice tracks, or outside flipping tires/sleds/sledge hammers for some high intensity cardio endurance. I think about how I have to outwork them because I could never rely on having the best machine or support out there. When I line up to the gates its all about focusing on myself and knowing anyone could win this race. If I started thinking about how the guy next to me has this or that it would psych anyone out and that is not how champions think.
Besides lack of funds what else have you had to endure in your racing career?
Along with the sport comes injuries whether from crashing due to rider error or mechanical error which happened more than ever this year due to parts starting to wear out over the years. This year alone I have had whiplash in my neck, high ankle sprain, two concussions, almost torn MCL, hip contusion, significant bruised lumbar region, severely sprained shoulder from the shaft of my rear shock shearing off at the bottom taking off a jump and the quad landing on top of me. And through all these injuries, I was back the following weekend riding aside from the shoulder injury. Also, I am a bigger racer at 6′-4″ and the added body weight that comes with it. I have to ride harder through corners to maintain speed and be faster to clear bigger gaps due the acceleration I lose from being a heavier rider.
What do your friends and family say about your love for ATV racing and your determination to compete at the nationals even if it means competing on a clapped-out quad, going by yourself and sleeping in the truck all weekend?
Of course my mom worries about me, but my family coming from a racing background, are a lot more accepting. With friends, they really never know what it’s all about until they see me in action, it seems they never would guess I could be as fast as I am with my appearance. They all know I’m a very passionate person when it comes to setting my mind on something and accomplishing it.
How did you get started in racing and attending the nationals?
My uncle Joe took me to and signed me up for my first race when I was 12 and I just fell in love with the sport. My first national was in 2006 at Reddddd Budddddd! My sponsor Joel Janssen, took me in his personal race trailer and I pitted out of his trailer and stayed with his family at their hotel. I won both of my motos winning the overall in the C class my first time at the nationals!
Let’s talk about your new business. Just what is BOW?
I started B.O.W Performance Training LLC after attaining my Certified Personal Trainer, CPT, and all while studying at one of the top Exercise Sport Science schools under amazing professors I am truly thankful to have. It is a training company specializing in motocross racing. Training and motocross are two of my favorite subjects so it came easy to me to combine them to help others as well.
Why are you so interested in weight lifting? From what I’ve heard bulking up can do more harm than good for a motocross racer.
This can be a very touchy subject, especially when “old school” training is the common methodology and no disrespect is intended at all. But now days any athlete from every discipline does some form of resistance training, even NASCAR pit crews hire professional strength coaches to decrease pit stop times and improve efficiency. In the video below I talk a little in the video about periodization and looking at the whole picture and not just one specific training variable as a goal. Force absorption, injury resistance is HUGE, force output (after all we are riding 400 pound quads) to just name a few objectives are very important from the amateur level all the way to the pros. All variables (stamina, strength, power, strength/power endurance, etc) have a specific purpose with the goal of peaking the best training variables when it comes to line up at the gate, this doesn’t mean to forget everything else during the rest of the year. Just using myself as an example, for racing season I diet down to around 205lbs at 6’4″ tall. That is if I recall almost near to the e
xact same dimensions of Joe Byrd but if you stood us next to each other, I would look a lot more “built”. When talking about building muscle there is a difference between what is called functional hypertrophy and structural hypertrophy in regards to adaptation from strength training.
What’s this about you having the dead lift record? As in the Olympics?? Tell us more about how you got into this and what your goals are in powerlifting.
Powerlifting is a sub-hobby of mine so to speak from racing. I am very determined and goal oriented athlete and when funds ran out for a period of time, off-season since I was never able to travel south for the winter or etc.. I needed a channel to direct my competitive drive. And Powerlifting came almost as second nature to me as motocross did. I was always a stronger child. The Olympics only have Olympic lifting (Clean & Jerk and Snatch) and I compete in Powerlifting (Squat, Bench Press and Deadlift). I set the USAPL Junior age 242lb weight Class American Record Raw deadlift at 628lbs and yes I was drug tested moments after setting it. It has since been broke but If I ever have another forced absence from racing, I will train to break it again. When it comes down to it, motocross is my true love and given the opportunity I’ll choose that 11 times out of 10 to train for and race in!
What are your plans for 2013?
I hope to put a program together that finally enable me with the support I need to achieve my next goal of racing an entire national season chasing a national championship! Anyone that would like to help or is interested in working together please contact me at neitzel.brad@uwlax.edu.
Surely you have some sort of sponsorship and support, am I right? Anyone you would like to thank?
Yes I do. Of course my parents and family, I wouldn’t be here without them! Also, Joel Janssen of Janssen Motorsports, Spencer Olson of Olson Trucking, (he has helped immensely this year), Hedgehog ATV, J-Line Design for graphics, USPlabs for amazing supplements that help my training and racing and B.O.W. Performance Training.
Well thanks for sharing your story and lending some fantastic training tips to our readers. Speaking of this, would you be interested in heading up a few training and conditiong articles in the future?
No problem thanks for having me. And, absolutely I would love to have my own column on ATV Scene and write articles on different aspects of strength & conditioning, nutrition, recovery, injury prevention and more. Thanks for the great opportunity!
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