Benny Bloss | Back On Blue
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Benny Bloss just endured an eventful offseason, one that saw him get married, part ways with the Rocky Mountain ATV-MC/WPS/KTM team after three years, return home to Oklahoma, and figure out a plan for the upcoming season. Things worked out just in time for the start of the new year and earlier this week, Bloss confirmed that he will run the full 2020 Monster Energy Supercross Series and 2020 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship with the Rock River Yamaha team in the 450 class. This is a very interesting deal for Bloss, as it came together thanks to his family’s long-standing friendship with Rock River’s Mike Duclos and puts him back under the awning of a team that supported his amateur career.
Bloss told us that his transition from orange to blue was a bit bumpy at first, but now that he has a feel of the powerful YZ450F, he feels that top-10 finishes at the opening rounds will be a solid base to build from through the year. This is a big year for the rider and the Rock River crew, as the Yamaha-affiliated team has put their full efforts behind Bloss as he works to re-establish his rank in the field after missing much of 2019 with injuries.
When did this program start coming together?
I had been talking to them since a little after the outdoors had finished and I thought I had a deal lined up, but that completely fell through, so then I started to talk to them more after Monster Cup. I had talked to a couple of other people and we are just now finalizing everything, but I have been riding the Yamaha for a month or so. It’s going really, really good and I like the bike, it fits me very well.
This is like coming full circle because this is the team that you started your pro career on.
Yeah, I did my first-ever outdoor in 2015 with them and a few Supercross races with them until I got the BTO fill-in ride in 2016 and now we are back. It’s pretty cool, because I rode most of my amateur career with them as well. I have now ridden 50, 65, 85, 125, 250, 450 as an amateur, 250 pro, and now 450 pro for them, which is kind of crazy.
Despite what they went through this offseason with team manager Christina Denney leaving and Cycle Trader stepping away as a title sponsor, was that relationship you have with them what kept the deal together?
Yeah, for sure. Mike Duclos, the owner of Rock River Powersports, we have been close to him for a long time. He and my dad had been talking for a good bit and got it all figured out, got me a bike to try. I really liked the bike so we started working on the deal.
Getting on the Yamaha after so much time on the KTM, what were your initial thoughts? Because it would be hard to find two bikes more separate than those two are.
It was a pretty big change, to be honest, and I was really uncomfortable at first…
Oh, you’re not going to be one of those guys that say you were two seconds a lap faster on the first day?
Oh, no. Definitely not [Laughs]. It took me probably a week and a half just to get comfortable, but now I’m better on it I think. The potential for the bike is mind-blowing. I’m on a 2020 completely stock bike, it just has suspension on it, and it’s incredible how good that bike is. It took me a good bit to get used to it and I’ve never run the “tall guy” setup with a tall seat, tall bars, and lowered pegs, but now I have lower pegs on the bikes and a bar risers that are not crazy high, but a little higher for the bars. I’m going to try a tall seat this next week, so it was a change. The bike is so fast and it’s just incredible how the bike is. I think it’s going to be a good year.
What the power of the bike the biggest thing to get around, or was it everything?
Pretty much everything, because it’s so much different than a KTM. There’s not really anything about it that is the same or feels remotely close to the same. The power is a lot different. The KTM power is good, I rode a stock KTM for that race I did in Barcelona, and to be honest the difference between the KTM stock and Yamaha stock is pretty large. I never thought that, because I have always been on a really good KTM, but I know Yamaha has their stuff figured out.
You’re a guy that had so much experience on Yamaha, but the bike is way different than the last time you rode one in 2016, because that was a complete generation ago. Is there any past experience that you felt carried over to the new bike, like do certain things still feel similar, in a Yamaha style?
I feel like the Yamaha was really fast back then, so I was expecting that. But honestly, it’s a good bit different in the way the new bike handles compared to back then. Once I got comfortable, I could remember the bikes being like this. But it’s kind of weird how much they have changed.
Are you one of the guys that think the sound of the intake in front of you is strange, that it takes some getting used to?
I didn’t find it too strange, but it’s definitely different.
It sounds like you’ve known this was going to happen for a while and a few weeks ago you went out to California for the Feld press week. Just now all of the stuff is getting finalized, but you’ve known for a while that it was going this way.
I’ve known for a good bit. Before I left for Barcelona the plan had been to do this, and it’s been off and on since then, but for the most part, it’s been a done deal and agreed upon to do this since before Barcelona. Finally, now everything is getting finalized, the team is getting sponsorships, and we’re able to move forward with everything. We’re going racing in two weeks, so it’s a little stressful, but I’m trying to do my thing and do the training and let everyone else do their job to get things ready.
After being in the Rocky Mountain ATV-MC/WPS/KTM program for so long and to now be on your own, has it been nice to figure out what makes you work without outside influences over you?
It’s been hard, I can definitely tell you that. I know what Justin Bogle was going through last year now. I saw him try to get his own stuff figured and everything and I thought, “Wow, that looks terrible. I hope that I never have to go through that.” And now here I am a year later going through the same stuff. I bought a bike and was riding that, and I have only had a mechanic for less than a week. That part was super stressful, trying to do all my training and also the bike work. On top of that, some of the stuff I don’t necessarily know what I’m doing, which made it worse [Laughs].
[Laughs] Hey, at least you admit that.
[Laughs] Yeah, I would say I’m decent. I used to be pretty good, but when I got the Yamaha, it was my first time changing the oil in a dirt bike since 2016.
So, a lot of YouTube tutorials?
[Laughs] No, I got some good people around me to help a little bit. But yeah, it’s been tough but I think it has been good for me, learning a little bit about myself and it’s going to make the good results feel that much better.
You and I talked in Nashville when you were hurt, and you said that it made you appreciate riding and racing much more. Now you are in a completely different, but somehow similar situation because you have to work to get back on the racetrack. Are you in that same mindset?
I’d say I’m pretty close to the same. My motivation I don’t think has ever been higher, because I don’t think I have been forgotten about, but I’m not in the mix as much and it makes me want to do better than ever. I still love the sport, obviously, and I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t. But I’m ready to get on the track, get some good results, and have things go smoother than the past few months.
It seems like there is some light at the end of the tunnel because there are a few weeks left to go and you’re going to be on the starting line at Anaheim One.
Oh, yeah. No matter what, I will be at that race. There’s not a question that and I have been putting in as much work as I possibly can out here in Oklahoma. I haven’t had the most productive offseason, but the last couple of weeks have been really good and the last time that I rode, I don’t think I have ever felt that good on a dirt bike. I’m really happy with how these last few weeks have gone and I’m excited to get to Anaheim and start racing.
Being in the Midwest at this time of year can be chilly. I’m looking at seven inches of snow outside right now and you’re a few hours south. For people that don’t know, what are those freezing practice days like, when it’s so cold that the track is frozen over and you can’t feel your fingers?
Absolutely horrible. Last Monday the regular temperature was 40 degrees, but we had 20 mile an hour winds, so the wind chill was like 27 degrees. We were riding Supercross and asked if maybe we could not do motos that day but Robbie Reynard, as he was sitting in his truck with the heater on, told us it was not even cold. I pulled off of the track and three of my fingers were completely white, as white as you could possibly get your skin to be [Laughs]. It’s tough, but it’s going to make the conditions when it’s not cold even easier. I know that if I can get through a 20-minute moto when it’s in the 20s, I can get through one when its 70 degrees.
You need to call Moose and get some of the big windscreen handguards or the heated grips…
I was wearing some other gloves the other day, but I put on some Moose gloves to try and they were actually better than the cold weather gloves that I had been using. They have that stuff figured out.
I know that everything is cool between you two, but can you explain how the relationship between you and Justin Bogle? He got the spot, you didn’t, and your positions from this time last year basically switched.
Friendship is all good. This is a job. I lost mine and it’s not his problem, I can’t be mad at him. The only person I can be mad at it myself. I’m not going to let something like that ruin a good friendship. I see him basically every day and hang out all of the time.
Being at Robbie’s place, how is it to have an Oklahoma legend overseeing your program?
It’s awesome and we have such a good group of guys right now. Robbie knows a lot and he’s been really good for my program. Trey Canard comes out basically every time that we ride, he rides with us as well, and he’s still so fast.
I heard that he’s just as fast now as he ever was.
I’m pretty sure he would have no issues going top-five at a Supercross today, which is crazy and a little frustrating sometimes if I’m being honest [Laughs]. So, we have those two and a good group of guys in Justin, myself, Austin Forkner, and some really good privateer guys like Dustin Winter and Adrian Galamba.
Last question and it’s one we always have to ask at this time of year. Anaheim One is a few weeks away, so where do you see yourself when the gate drops that Saturday?
I would say somewhere between fourth to eighth. I think that’s a good starting spot for the year. I can definitely be there, this bike is incredible, and I have a good, solid program behind me. We can start there and work our way up.
