We Went Fast

In the spring of 1997, a mysterious 4x6-in. snapshot showed up in the marketing department of Oakley. The subject was one of their young riders, 17-year-old Ricky Carmichael, laying his motorcycle flat at the Silverdome. It was a mystery because nobody knew who took the photo. The decision to run with the image, including using it on a billboard in Southern California, made for one legendary tale that wasn't told for over two decades. And it turned the photographer, David St. Onge, into a cult hero among the motocross photographers of the late 1990s. Now you can own a piece of this quirky moment in motocross history. This 12-in. x 16-in. print is inspired by the photo that David St. Onge took from the 17th row at the 1997 Pontiac Supercross. Hang a piece of moto history on your wall. This Ricky Carmichael poster is inspired by the photograph. FREE STICKERS: If you'd like free We Went Fast stickers, go to wewentfast.com/subscribe. Sign up for the newsletter then check your inbox. The welcome message has the key to free decals sent directly from me. Fast List members are the first to know about new stories, podcasts and products. SUPPORT WE WENT FAST! wewentfast.com/shop - Buy artwork inspired by the photo in this story! Patreon.com/wewentfast. This is how you can directly help We Went Fast pay the bills. Leave a 5-star rating and review! Tell a friend about We Went Fast. Share this podcast. Follow @wewentfast on Instagram and Facebook.

Podcast Episode #22 - A breakdown of the exclusive club of Supercross greats to own the all-time wins record: Jimmy Ellis, Bob Hannah, Ricky Johnson, Jeremy McGrath

This 2,000 word story started as an Instagram post where we simply wished Eli Tomac a happy birthday. But this is We Went Fast and we can't help but find a deeper story within the details, even if the details are just cake, ice cream and 30 birthday candles. It led to this data dive by Brett Smith and Clinton Fowler. Flash trivia: how many 450 Supercross main events have been won by tricenarians? Wait, that probably seems like two trivia questions. A tricenarian is a fancy way to say ‘person in their 30s'. For the answer, you're just going to have to listen. If you want to read the print version of this story, click here. FREE STICKERS: If you'd like free We Went Fast stickers, go to wewentfast.com/subscribe. Sign up for the newsletter then check your inbox. The welcome message has the key to free decals sent directly from me. Fast List members are the first to know about new stories, podcasts and products. SUPPORT WE WENT FAST! wewentfast.com/shop - quality hats, shirts, art, etc. This is how We Went Fast keeps going. Patreon.com/wewentfast. This is how you can directly help We Went Fast pay the bills. Leave a 5-star rating and review! Tell a friend about We Went Fast. Share this podcast. Follow @wewentfast on Instagram and Facebook.

This is a story about roots. I wanted to know how Doug Henry became Doug Henry, the scrappy kid from New England who worked two jobs while trying to make it as an athlete. He was 14 when he entered his first race. He wasn't a promising amateur prospect, his gear didn't match, his bikes were held together by various fasteners found in the garage. He worked with what he had, not what he wanted. And where did that grit and resolve come from? To figure all that out, I visited Doug in Connecticut. He took me on a tour of the places that shaped him as a man and a racer. You can also read the print version of this article and see more photos of THE DAM. SUPPORT WE WENT FAST! Join the FAST LIST and get free stickers sent directly from me (yes, for real!). Go to wewentfast.com/subscribe and sign up for the newsletter. Then check your inbox. The welcome message has the key to free decals wewentfast.com/shop - quality hats, shirts, art, etc. This is how We Went Fast keeps going. Patreon.com/wewentfast. This is how you can directly help We Went Fast pay the bills. Leave a 5-star rating and review! Tell a friend about We Went Fast. Share this podcast. Follow @wewentfast on Instagram and Facebook.

On August 1, 1982, an automobile/train collision killed three teenaged motocross riders in Ponca City, Oklahoma . Forty years later, memories of that white hot afternoon still haunt those who were there. Six years ago I received a message that said, “I wish someone would write about the boys who were killed at Ponca in 1982.” I had no idea what he was talking about. But I knew I had to pursue it. This is not a happy story. It was emotional to research, report and write. It'll be emotional to read to you. After six months of reporting and interviews with nearly four dozen people, I was able to achieve the ultimate goal and keep the promises I made to the families of Rick Hemme, Bruce Bunch and Kyle Fleming: I wanted the world to know about their children; who they were and who they wanted to be. Today, August 1, 2022, marks the 40th anniversary of this tragic accident. This story is a way to say to the boys they'll never be forgotten. This is the audio version of the story by the same title. The print version is available HERE. It includes photos, court documents and other supporting materials. If you'd like free stickers from We Went Fast, go to wewentfast.com/subscribe. Sign up for the newsletter then check your inbox. The welcome message has the key to free decals sent directly from me. Fast List members are the first to know about new stories, podcasts and products.   SUPPORT WE WENT FAST! wewentfast.com/shop - quality hats, shirts, art, etc. This is how We Went Fast keeps going. Patreon.com/wewentfast. This is how you can directly help We Went Fast pay the bills. Leave a 5-star rating and review! Tell a friend about We Went Fast. Share this podcast. Follow @wewentfast on Instagram and Facebook.

Terry Pratt spent 35 years working on "Grand Prix Motocross" but died a few years after finishing it. In continuation of Pratt's legacy, We Went Fast reads Chapter 1 of his book. This show is a little different from the others I've posted. First: I didn't write it. A man named Terry Pratt did. He wrote an entire book about the 1972 World Motocross Championships and the chapters are broken into the individual rounds of the series, which detail his witty observations from the events, which he attended as a reporter on a very long European vacation. I'm going to read the book's foreword and Chapter One, which is the 250cc Grand Prix of Spain. If you want to know more about Terry Pratt, after you finish this episode, listen to Episode #9, “The Curious Life of Terry Pratt.” That's a story I wrote back in 2019 on this amazing unsung hero in the motorcycle industry. When I'm asked which of my stories are my favorites, I always point to this one. You can find the written version by clicking right here. If you like this story and want to see more, I sell the book in THE SHOP. It's only $40, the same price Terry sold it for 15 years ago when it was published. "Grand Prix Motocross: The 1972 World Championship Season" is an incredible book and a must own for all moto collectors. and it makes a great gift! Purchase "Grand Prix Motocross: The 1972 World Championship Season" When Pratt died in 2012, the book was thought to be gone forever and copies of it sold for well into the triple digits on eBay. But then I found the unsold stock sitting in a warehouse in the desert. It's available at wewentfast.com/shop but only while the supply lasts. We won't reprint it. It's makes a great gift for anyone in your life who loves motocross history. It's been an honor to finish Terry's work of preserving motocross history. Here's an excerpt from Grand Prix Motocross: The 1972 World Championship Season. SUPPORT WE WENT FAST! wewentfast.com/shop - quality hats, shirts, art, etc. This is how We Went Fast keeps going. wewentfast.com/subscribe - Get on THE LIST for free stickers, announcements and discounts Patreon.com/wewentfast. This is how you can directly help We Went Fast pay the bills. Leave a 5-star rating and review! Tell a friend about We Went Fast. Share this podcast. Follow @wewentfast on Instagram and Facebook.

On April 27, 1996, Jeremy McGrath fell short of perfection and the rest of the world won't let him forget it. Audio Version.

The story behind how Jeremy McGrath rescued a BMX trick from obscurity and brought it to Supercross. (Audio version).

We all remember where we were and what we were doing on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001. Beyond those chilling hours of trying to make sense of the news and horrific images it gets fuzzy. This is a story about what the members of Team USA 2001 did on the morning of Sept. 11. How they reacted, where they went, what decisions they made. Or didn't make. It's difficult to write a story about something that didn't happen. Team USA didn't go to Belgium for the 2001 Motocross of Nations. Heck, it's hard to remember the story behind something that didn't happen. And that's why I wrote a story about a team that didn't go, about bikes that didn't get ridden, about memories difficult to unpack. Telling stories isn't always easy, especially when it's something nobody really wants to remember. Thank you to the 21 people interviewed for this and those who helped with the photo assets. Want to read the print story and see more of the photos of the Team USA bikes? You can find that at this link. Where were you on 9/11? Join the conversation in the comments below. And thanks for listening. If you value these stories and want to keep them coming, buy products straight from the shop at wewentfast.com/shop. We Went Fast is a small (like, 83 square feet) independent brand devoted to quality. Or, join me at Patreon.com/wewentfast. Patreon helps an independent creator like me produce content you care about.  From $3 to $25 a month, you can have a direct impact on what happens at We Went Fast. And I'll reward you with some really great stuff. Mike Brown's 2001 Kawasaki KX125 for the Motocross of Nations - Simon Cudby PhotoRicky Carmichael's 2001 Honda CR250R for the Motocross of Nations - Simon Cudby PhotoRicky Carmichael's 2001 Honda CR250R for the Motocross of Nations - Simon Cudby PhotoKevin Windham's 2001 Suzuki RM250 for the Motocross of Nations - Simon Cudby Photo

Team USA was going to skip the 1981 Trophée and Motocross des Nations. Instead they bake-saled their way to Europe and shocked the world by winning, not one, but both of the events.

Fifty years after its release, Bruce Brown's motorcycle documentary continues to influence. From Malcolm to Masterson, this is a collection of stories from people whose lives were never the same after watching "On Any Sunday" The post Ep. #13 50 Years of Sundays: “On Any Sunday Will Change Your Life appeared first on We Went Fast.

They told him not to. But when rookie James Stewart committed to jumping LaRocco's Leap on a 125, Jeff Kardas knew where to point the camera. Podcast version of "Modem Killer: James Stewart vs. LaRocco's Leap" The post Ep. #12 Modem Killer: James Stewart vs. LaRocco’s Leap appeared first on We Went Fast.

Was the PW50 your first bike? It was for me! "Little Giant: The PW50 Story" celebrates the life and legacy of this iconic motorcycle, which turned 40 in 2020. It may have aged but it hasn't grown up. The Yamaha PW50 is a familiar piece of our childhood that we're passing along to our own kids. The post Ep. #11 Little Giant: The PW50 Story appeared first on We Went Fast.

It’s rare when the loser gets the magazine cover, steals the spotlight and becomes a legend. Ryan Hughes did all three on a hot summer day when he lost the 125cc AMA Pro Motocross championship to Steve Lamson. But he didn’t win over the crowd because he finished second overall. It was because he kept […] The post Ep. #10 Broken Hearts and Busted Chains appeared first on We Went Fast.

In 1972, Terry Pratt put his life in America on pause to spend 6 months following the MXGP season. 35 years later he published "Grand Prix Motocross: The 1972 Championship season". Pratt died before he could finish selling his masterpiece but he left behind a trail of paperwork and friends and a story that needed to be told. Pratt is one of the unsung heroes of the motorcycle industry, whose contributions are still being realized. The post Ep. #9 The Curious Life of Terry Pratt appeared first on We Went Fast.

More than a third of all supercross winners won one main event in their career. These are the quirky stories behind 10 "One Hit Wonders". PODCAST VERSION. The post Ep. #8 One Hit Wonders appeared first on We Went Fast.

The untold story behind the day Paul Buckley messed up but captured one of the greatest photos in motocross history and Erik Kehoe shot himself to the moon. PODCAST VERSION The post Ep. #7 The Moment: Paul Buckley’s Gatorback 1993 Photo appeared first on We Went Fast.

In 2020, Ricky Carmichael started his second season as the primary analyst for Monster Energy Supercross on NBC Sports. It's a position he not only didn't expect to hold, but originally didn't want. Now 40, The GOAT opens up about life after racing and striving for success in each new chapter of his life. The post Ep. #6 Chapter 4: A Ricky Carmichael Story appeared first on We Went Fast.

Don’t have 30 minutes to sit and read the Ron Lechien story? I’ll read it to you! This is the audio version of “Making of the Machine: A Ron Lechien Story”, originally published in July 2019. Read by the author, Brett Smith. The original story was published in July 2019, during the voting process for […] The post Ep. #5 The Making of the Machine: A Ron Lechien Story appeared first on We Went Fast.

A mother's love, an athlete's quest. The untold story of how Austin Forkner came into the world and his mother's journey to bring him here. Read by the author, Brett Smith The post Ep. #4 Miracle Boy: The Austin Forkner Story appeared first on We Went Fast.

Larry ‘Motor Mouth’ Huffman narrates the audio version of The Ballad of Big Dave. Didn’t have 30 minutes to read the article when it was published in late July? Now you can sit back and let the original “Voice of Supercross” read it to you while you drive to work or hopelessly search for that master link clip […] The post Ep. #3 The Ballad of Big Dave appeared first on We Went Fast.

In the early eighties, a trio of motorcycle racing promoters from Ohio and West Virginia were looking for a facility. A country music legend needed to fill a campground. A sanctioning body wanted more members and a marquee event. And amateur motocross racers wanted a true and fair national championship. We Went Fast has teamed with […] The post Ep. #2 How We Got Here: The Genesis of Loretta Lynn’s Motocross appeared first on We Went Fast.

Listen up. No, seriously. I had some people make this request and I thought it was a good idea. So, here’s an audio version of the recent article, Chad Reed: Against the Current. Read by the author, edited by Nicholas Smith. I’m working on creating a podcast channel for these on iTunes and Stitcher, etc. The post Ep. #1 Chad Reed: Against the Current appeared first on We Went Fast.