AMSOIL Swapmoto Terra Firma Race Series Profile | Mike Sleeter

AMSOIL Swapmoto Race Series Rider Profile | Mike Sleeter

Age: 39

Hometown: Murrieta, CA

Classes Raced: Vet Pro

Sponsors: Simi Valley Cycles, 100%, FMF, Answer, Sidi, Maxxis, Maxima, Pro Taper, Motion Pro, Maxima Racing Oil, Pro Filter, Swapmoto Live, Works Connection, Twisted Development, GoPro, ASV Levers, Fast Company

Mike Sleeter needs no introduction, as he has been a 250 Supercross racer, TransWorld Motocross test rider, KTM R&D rider, and more through the years. He was a regular at the TWMX Race Series but suffered a big crash at the inaugural TransAm Vet Classic and took some time off, and was then critically injured in a mountain bike race a few months later. Sleeter returned to the starting gate at Milestone MX for the opening round of the Terra Firma Series and it was great to see him in action.

This is your first appearance at the Swapmoto Race Series in a while, isn’t it?

I think it’s been a year. We were at Perris a year ago. Next week will be my year anniversary from almost killing myself at Snow Summit, so I’m excited to be back racing with my Swapmoto family.

You had a big crash at Snow Summit during an enduro race that had you in the hospital for quite an extended stay. You were told by the doctors that you wouldn’t live the same lifestyle, yet here you are a year later racing moto and having a good time.

Yeah, thanks to friends like Donn and the whole two-wheel community that just inspired me to listen to my body to what I could. I had a lot of change in the last year, professionally and personally. I feel like everything has some stability and focus now. I could’ve probably started racing moto four months ago as far as my health and my fitness went, but I just wasn’t clear enough in my head to focus and really enjoy what this life has brought for me. It was a scary time and the doctor told me I wouldn’t be able to do what I am doing, and I guess hard work, perseverance, and a little bit of naivete kind of got me where I am.

Some changes in your program with the Simi Valley Cycles Yamaha YZ450F…it’s odd to see you racing this after so many years on KTM, but how did this deal come about?

A friend of mine, Mike Gilstrap, is consulting for Simi Valley and he asked if I would race Mammoth for Simi and I was getting the itch. You guys let me use a Kawasaki to get my feet back in the water and it was a great bike. I love to support the dealers and work with Simi Valley as an ambassador. I don’t do anything with Yamaha direct, I’m strictly Simi Valley, so I’ll be able to ride other bikes. It’s fun! It really fits my style, I used to ride Yamaha before KTM, so to get back on a blue bike feels nice. I want to support a brand that is aggressive as well.

Nice to have a good Simi Valley Cycles ambassador out here at our racers, rather than the one that was cussing my dad our out, flipping him off, and telling him how to ride a dirtbike over at Glen Helen…

Oh yeah, I don’t know who that is, but I promise you that I won’t be flipping anyone off unless they hurt my kid or my family. It’s cool, Simi Valley Cycles is hungry, they’re supporting the sport and they’re active in trackside support. I’m out here doing my thing, supporting the sport! I love this sport, it’s brought me everything I have so I continue to do what I love with it.

You’ve got your oldest son Mason out here racing at the same time. Sadly, today’s schedules conflict a little bit, so you can’t watch him race. Is that hectic, being on the starting line wondering what he is doing?

Um, no. My wife had grown up doing this with her brothers, her brothers are the Reardon clan, so she’s used to racing. She doesn’t freak out. Mason is out here having fun and doing his thing, we’re not on a level yet where we need to freak out. The gate drops and he goes and rides for six laps. I want to keep it fun for him so he has longevity in this sport. Our family will push him as much as he pushes us to push him.

PNG…that’s the big news for Mike Sleeter in 2019, tell me about Pinnacle Nutrition Group.

I have a financial group behind me with Joe Abbott. He supported me through and through to get me the tools I need to bring a product line that supports the entire family. We have a hydration drink and we have gels and we have some more products on the way! Other companies are also coming into the sport at the same time, which is rad. Moto is getting more knowledgable about what our body needs and what we need as a human to perform and it’s really exciting. PNG’s hydration in the regular drink and the gels are all kid-friendly so I can embrace my family lifestyle and support that this is a family sport, not just for adults.

We’ve noticed guys at Big Bear with PNG logos on and we’ve also seen it on moto bikes. Where are you getting more traction: mountain bike or moto?

I’d say right now the cyclists are more of our buying customers, but on social media, the moto family is really supporting it. However, we need to educate the moto industry on why they need better stuff. The cyclist and enduro athlete are primarily working on their body, whereas in moto we put all our money into our bikes. It’s kind of a hybrid, we have our moto family where they have their hands and feet behind me pushing me along, but then the consumer is more of the endurance, bike, running guy which is great because I’m not a household name in that segment.

How about hooking something up for the readers of this interview, is there a discount code offer?

Yeah! Moto20 for 20% on all products. Also, follow us on Instagram, we’re so small that we’re giving away random shirts, hats, just supporting people who support us. I try to write a hand-written note in each package, I package them myself. We’re having a lot of fun with it. My friends are behind me, the industry is behind me, this thing can’t fail, it’s got to work.

What’s the website?

www.PinnacleNutritionGroup.com

and @PNG_Living on Instagram