Josh Frederick
- Updated: May 4, 2011
By Anthony Martin
Photos by John Whitish
We caught up with Josh Frederick after his first Pro WORCS event win of 2011. Josh is a 3-time WORCS champion, former SCORE and Best in the Desert champion and currently holds the prestigious #1 pro plate at this year’s WORCS. He’s shown to be one of the industry’s top Pro ATV racers. And handles himself like a true professional on and off the track. Josh is not only a hard working racer, but a great guy, Dad, and husband. How has he managed to accomplish so much? Read on…
First of all congratulations on your first 2011 WORCS season Pro win at Round 4 at Cahuilla Creek. I know you’re used to winning as soon as the season starts, so getting this first win of the season probably feels long overdue.
Absolutely, I needed that win so bad! The bike has been great all year and I have been working so hard and have been so close, but I just made a few little mistakes and that’s all that it takes sometimes.
Your in second place just five points down from teammate Jeremie Warnia for the Pro standings. Is it too early in the season to start stressing about points? Do you even keep track this early?
Frenchy is riding so good, and believe me, I know every point is very important. We have seen in the last two years that it has come down to just two points. Consistency is the key, But right now it’s simple, I need to win races if I’m going to win the championship.
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| Name: Joshua Frederick Nickname: Josh Home: Moapa, NV Born in: Richfield, UT Occupation: Professional ATV racer Marital status: Married Kids: Madalynn-7, Gavyn-4, Jaxyn-1 Pets: A turtle called Shorty Began Riding in: 1987 First ATV: Yamaha 200E 3-Wheeler First job: Laborer at a cement plant Hottest Girl: My wife Favorite Place: Home Worst Place: Hospital Worst Habit: Procrastinating Pet Peeves: People procrastinating Sports Team: Chicago Bulls, 49ers Favorite Athletes: Lance Armstrong, Ricky Carmichael Website: joshfrederick.com |
Is it more pressure, or less pressure to hold the #1 plate?
I think you put a lot more pressure on yourself. You and your team worked hard to get that #1 and you don’t want to let anybody down. But there is also a confidence that comes with having #1 on your bike.
Let’s talk for a minute about WORCS Round 3 in Havasu. Was it disappointing to see your moto-ending battle with Warnia come up a little short? You were on his heels for what seemed to be an eternity.
Yeah, that was a great race. Of course I’m a little disappointed. The Havasu track is very, very rough and I felt good all weekend. I had a few issues, but there is no one to blame but myself for not winning. I had the chances but just couldn’t put it together.
You’ve either won or came close to it every year since the inception of the WORCS. Why do you think you’ve been so successful?
WORCS is just the perfect combination for me. There’s motocross, desert and woods riding. The guy who just pins it isn’t going to do well. You have to be smart, and good at all disciplines of riding. There’s so much preparation that goes into WORCS, not only do you have to be physically strong but you have to be mentally strong. So there’s certainly a lot more that goes into a 90 minute WORCS race. I love it.
For someone like yourself that seems to be a fitness animal, do you try to wear everyone down during the race, or do you feel a good start is key to pulling of a win?
The start is always important, but when the race was two hours long the game plan was to wear them down. Now with the shorter race a good start is crucial and that has been my weak spot. I have been working with Robb Beams from Moto E Performance since the first of the year. We have been focusing on sprints and starts and it is beginning to pay off!
What goes through your mind ten minutes before a race?
Silly things really, did I eat and drink enough? Did I drink too much? Did I eat too much? Are my goggles ready. I hope I made the right suspension changes! Did Gil top off the fuel? Then I say a prayer for the safety of me, the other riders and my family. Then after the parade lap everything goes away and I’m ready to go.
What sparked the deal with Can Am / Motoworks? Exactly how long have you been racing with the team? Has it been all peaches since you began?
I was approached by Can-Am in 2005 after winning BITD and SCORE championships. I rode for the Epic Racing Can-Am team in 2006-07 and never really saw eye to eye with the Epic team. I had met Johnny Leach from Motoworks earlier that year through WORCS and he said he was going to start a team and asked me if I wanted to be a part of it. I had told him that I wanted to stick with Can-Am since they had given me a chance. So I introduced him to Can-Am and the rest is history. It has been great, we have worked through a lot of issues but Can-Am is such a great company. I’m happy and really fortunate to be a part of their program, and Johnny and I really get along great. He is so passionate about racing and super competitive, I have learned a lot from him.
What are some of the preparations that you and your team make that most overlook?
Thanks for asking. People think we are successful just because we are a factory team with a big budget. What they don’t see is the hours, days, months of testing and trying different parts and setups. The hard work that the whole team puts in from mechanics, motor guys, suspension guys all the way down the list to the decal guy. Everyone puts in a ton of time and that is what people don’t see – and that’s why the team is so successful. So a win for me is also a win for them, since they’ve also put in a ton of hard work.
We saw you setting up jacks and tires for the Can-Am UTV racer right before the now infamous UTV race. Do you play any more roles with Can-Am that we don’t know about?
I enjoy helping out the guys, and will do whatever is needed to be done. It is pretty laid back under the Motoworks/DWT/Can-Am tent. Everybody helps out with whatever needs to be done. It really doesn’t matter if you are the team owner, #1 racer, mechanic, truck driver, everyone is willing to jump in and do their part. It makes for a great atmosphere. We have a great bunch of people, that’s for sure.
Run us thro
ugh an average day of yours.
Let’s see, I eat breakfast with the family, get the kids off to school. Then I head our to ride motocross or a desert ride. Then it’s back home for lunch, an afternoon workout. Then I’m off to work on the quad and get it ready for the next day. After that I might go on a bicycle ride, then I’m back in time for dinner, hang out with the family – maybe go play a pick-up game of basketball, then off to bed.
Are your kids riding yet? Are they wanting to follow in dad’s footsteps?
Yes my daughter has a Can-Am DS 90 but she is more into dancing and singing which is OK with me. Gavyn terrorizes the neighborhood on his 50, but I think the youngest is going to follow after me, he is all about powersports! But honestly it looks like a ton of work. I have total respect for all the youth riders and their families. It’s a lot of work.
What kind of tracks do you feel you’re best at? Which tracks do you feel you’re weaker at?
The rougher desert terrain is better for me. I am just so used to riding it and the bike is set up and works so well in the gnarly rough stuff. I’m probably weaker in the tight trees, even though I enjoy riding through the woods, probably because there’s aren’t many trees where I live. If you have ever been to Moapa, NV you know what I mean.
You are known for off-road racing. Is that what you like to do most or is there another style of ATV racing you like better?
I will always be know as an off-road guy and that is OK with me because it is who I am. I enjoy and respect all forms of ATV racing but off-road is what I have ridden my whole life so it comes easy for me. I plan on trying some different events next year though.
Can you name three things this industry can do to make ATV racing bigger and better?
Television, better advertisement at the races to bring more spectators and a few big outside the industry sponsors.
What do you plan on doing after you hang up your incredible ATV racing career?
I would like to stay involved in the industry, hopefully in the racing side of it. It has been very good to me. I also wouldn’t mind helping some of the young guys reach their goals. And I will probably keep on training and testing myself, maybe do some endurance events.
Just a suggestion, but have you thought about writing a book about fitness and diet? I bet you can get anyone who has seen you race to buy it!
[Laughing] No, I am still constantly learning and struggling myself. It is never-ending, there’s always something you can improve on. I would really like to do some sort of video of what it takes to get ready and go through a WORCS season though. I think then people would appreciate the series more. Maybe in the future, who knows.
Congratulations on all your success, We wish you the best for the rest of the season. Thank you for spending time with us. Do you have any last words, or thank you’s?
Thanks to my family and friends, all the guys at Can-Am/Motoworks/DWT, the best mechanic ever GIL, Johnny, Ty and thanks to everyone who believed in me. Keep your head down and keep chargin’.