Josh Starrett 2-14-03
- Updated: February 14, 2003
Name: Josh Starrett
Nickname: Alligator
Age: 25
Residence: Bowling Green, KY
Family: Mom and dad (Jo and Charlie) and dog Honda
Racing No: 64
Hobbies: Street bike (Suzuki GSXR 600), nitro r.c. cars, watersports, hanging out with friends
Sponsors: JPMX Bikes & Parts, KY Kult, Trinity Racing, Moto Tees, Maxxis Tires, Graydon Proline, Houser Racing, Home Pro Building Products, Blugrass Signs, Motion Pro, Braking, Tsubaki chains, Nutec Fuels, Outerwears, Maier Plastics, One Industries, TAG Metals, Custom Axis
Favorite Track: Morgantown, KY
ATV Scene: How was 2002 for you?
Starrett: In my opinion last year was my best ever. I had a ton of fun, had good starts and a lot of luck. I made some mistakes toward the end of the season but I learned from them and won’t make them again.
ATV Scene: How did you wind up in points?
Starrett: I won the +25 GNC Championship and finished fifth in the A class.
ATV Scene: You seem to never miss a big race. How are you able to this?
Starrett: I’ve been lucky enough to have parents that stand behind me 100%. I make what sacrifices I need in order to make it to all the events. I want to try and support the sport as much as I can.
ATV Scene: How often do you practice? With who?
Starrett: Depending on the Kentucky weather, I try to practice two to three times per week. I’ve found that if I practice too much on the quad I get burnt out and don’t train as hard as I should, so I like to cross train. I run, bicycle and try to eat healthy. I usually ride with the members of JPMX. Bret Harper, Blake Wright, James Perry, and Jerimiah Jones.
ATV Scene: Now that you mention those fellow Kentucks. What’s this Kentucky Kult thing you’re involved with. It’s not an anti-racial ATVing club or anything right?
Starrett: No not at all. It is a bunch of guys that have always hung out together and have decided to group together. We still don’t know exactly what is in store but we will always have fun together and that’s all that counts. The founding fathers include: myself, Zac Willett, Dave Willett, Bret Harper, Blake Wright, Jimmy Elza, and Jon Woodward.
ATV Scene: What do you do when you’re not racing or practicing?
Starrett: I attend Western KY University full time. I am working on a degree in Construction Management with a minor in Business Management. In the summer, I work full time on a demolition crew for a construction company. I also work part time for an auto auction. For fun I like to ride my street bike, run remote control cars, jet ski, and just hang out with my friends.
ATV Scene: Tell us how you nearly lost your left hand.
Starrett: When I was 14 I was driving a sand rail dune buggy and flipped it. As it was flipping my arm came out of the roll cage and got pinned between the cage and the ground. It was basically severed from my arm. Holding my left hand in my right, I ran to the house, and was rushed to the hospital where doctors reattached my hand. Amazingly, they were successful in connecting all my tendons, ligaments, nerves and bones.
ATV Scene: How is the hand now? Does it affect your riding?
Starrett: I’ve got full movement, it never hurts and I have no problems riding. I was really fortunate!
ATV Scene: How was the Huevos 5 video shoot?
Starrett: Wes Miller of H-Bomb Films was in Kentucky and came to shoot Jeremiah Jones and myself at our local supercross track in Morgantown, KY. I felt really good and was riding well, but unfortunately my top rear shock mount broke so I wasn’t doing much riding that day.
ATV Scene: What was your worst road trip?
Starrett: One that sticks out in my mind is the best/worst road trip. Here’s why I call it that; we were racing an Arenacross in Morristown, TN. We decided to drive all five hours home after the race even though a winter storm had set in. We had one heck of time driving. As we were climbing a mountain, we noticed a car on the side of the road and decided to help them. It was several girls on their way to Nashville. We got them unstuck. They were pretty freaked out because of all the snow, so we helped them drive back. When we got to Nashville several roads were closed. We ended up on secondary roads and got lost. Finally we made it home safely ten hours later!
ATV Scene: How do you think ATV racing can be even better?
Starrett: I think that the best thing for our sport would be for more outside involvement. We need to gain the attention of the mainstream media. That would in turn bring in more money and give more people the opportunity to race. If more people were racing and the competition got fiercer – more people would take it seriously. It would just begin to build upon itself.
ATV Scene: What are your plans for 2003?
Starrett: I plan to ride the Pro Production class in MX on a Cannondale. I am still not sure about the TT series though. It will hinge on the rules.
ATV Scene: What are your goals for the new year?
Starrett: I want to be in the best shape of my life for Macon. I want to put a dent in the pro-production class, but above all I want to have as much fun as I had in 2002.
ATV Scene: Restaurant of choice?
Starrett: This is hard because I really like to eat. I am a steak guy so I am going to have to go with a steak house like Longhorn or Hops.
ATV Scene: What’s your newest piece of modern day technology?
Starrett: I just got a digital camera for Christmas.
ATV Scene: Share a memorable moment while traveling the nationals with us.
Starrett: Once, while coming home from a national, everybody in the group was really ready to get home. We were about an hour from home and we just kept going faster and faster. Before I knew it we were all driving 100mph+. Just picture two 38′ and two 18′ foot trailers hauling ass down the interstate all one after another at triple digit speeds! I sure am glad we didn’t pass any cops. And I’m glad we don’t make a habit of that kind of driving.
ATV Scene: You’re one of the most professional and organized racers in the scene. Your equipment, truck, trailer, – even your practice quad are always spotless, why all the fuss? And thanks for running the huge ATV Scene.com logo on your trailer by the way!
Starrett: I think that it is important to keep a professional image. It looks good for you as well as your sponsors. It is also a lot easier to work on things when they are clean. I’m proud of ATV Scene, and glad I can help the company that is trying so hard to make ATV racing better.
ATV Scene: Any parting words?
Starrett: I just want to thank all my sponsors for a great year and look forward to 2003. My friends were a big help and made the year especially enjoyable. I really want to thank my parents as well for always standing behind me, I would not be able to do it without them.
