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Metal Mulisha

Andrew Pierce joins the Mulisha

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Last week, just before the Monster Cup in Las Vegas, the Metal Mulisha quietly made a big move that went mostly unnoticed, bringing on Andrew Pierce — a 15-year-old amateur motocross champion from Huffman, Texas — and noting that he’ll be “the first in a long line of amateur stars to join the Mulisha squad.” Read that again and take note: Brian Deegan and the Metal Mulisha are building an am army. “It’s an opportunity of a lifetime,” Pierce says. “I’ve been following Metal Mulisha for the last couple years and really looking up to those guys. I’ve always looked up to Brian Deegan because he’s a good role model — he came up from pretty much nowhere and made himself into a great success — and they’re all great guys. They all welcomed me to the team and it feels good.” Pierce has been making a name for himself in Loretta Lynn’s Amateur National Motocross Championships since 2008, when he won the 2008 65cc Modified class and took third overall in 65cc Stock. At the 2011 AMA Amateur National Motocross Championships in August, he took third overall in 85cc Stock, behind Blake Green and Darian Sanayei, and took fifth overall in Super Mini, prequalifying for last weekend’s Monster Cup in Las Vegas where he first donned his red and black Mulisha MSR Racing gear. Pierce finished just off the podium in his first Super Mini Moto at the Monster Cup, then ripped his clutch lever off in a tussle with another rider in the second moto; he finished the weekend in 10th place overall.

“Everyone thinks Metal Mulisha’s all freestyle and hardcore dudes with a lot of tattoos, you know, that whole California lifestyle,” Pierce says. “I think they picked me as a way to balance it out and let people know they’re down with amateur motocross too.”

The Metal Mulisha team, best known for its core freestyle motocross riders, has been branching out in recent years, adding international riders, BMX star Brandon Dosch, and a mixed martial arts fight team (the latest, Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu prodigy Nick Diaz, joined the Mulisha this week in advance of Saturday’s UFC 137), as well as sponsoring Deegan and other Mulisha riders as they’ve been getting into rally car and off-road truck racing. Deegan has also been grooming a generation of young rippers even younger than Pierce: The Mulisha’s Mini Troops flow team includes Deegan’s own kids Hayden and Hailie “Dirt Princess” Deegan (in August, 10-year-old Hailie won Round 10 of The Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series, where she has become a Trophy Kart podium regular) as well as Chance French, Chaz Vazquez, Lucky Badgwell, and Trenton Briley. Still, Pierce represents a new direction for the brand’s motocross gear and apparel division as it reaches out to the ever-growing world of amateur motocross racing.

“We’re always looking for the future of Mulisha out there,” said Deegan, in a statement issued last week. “It’s great to see young riders like Andrew taking his sport to the next level, which is what Mulisha has been about since day one.”

It’s a future Pierce says he’s eager to play a part in. “Every kid’s dream is to be a pro, and that’s my dream too, of course,” Pierce says. “I just want to start doing better at more of the Nationals and putting Metal Mulisha on top as I’m coming up over the next three years and getting ready to race as a pro. That’s my ultimate goal. In the short term I’m really looking forward to the Mini O’s next month.” Watch for Pierce and his new Mulisha skull logos next month, November 23-26, at the 40th Annual Thor Winter National Olympics in Alachua, Fla.

SoCal Says: This is great news to hear the Mulisha has signed Pierce. The Mulisha guys are known for building sick lifted trucks and we can’t wait to see Andrew’s truck. 15? Can he even drive yet? If he can join the Mulisha he should be allowed to get a driver’s license at 15!

Brian Deegan Monster Truck

Deegan Goes Big!

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Officially, the name for Rounds 11 and 12 of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series at Speedworld Offroad Park in Surprise, Ariz., was the E3 Spark Plugs Duel in the Desert. Unofficially, it was the Brian Deegan Benefit Weekend.

After capturing his first Pro 2 win six long weeks ago at Glen Helen, Deegan nearly swept the weekend in two classes, missing only the Sunday Pro 2 victory thanks to a flat tire. Even then, he still managed to make the podium in third and stretch his points lead over Carl Renezeder, who had a weekend to forget in Pro 2, retiring from both Pro 2 races. Two wins in Pro Lite also helped Deegan close the gap to that class’s points leader, Chris Brandt, who had a third and fourth.

Deegan’s feat was especially impressive given that both his races were back to back each day, with Pro 2 immediately following Pro Lite, on 100-plus degree days. Along with his steady progression to the top of the box in his first year of Pro 2 competition, it’s also an illustration of Deegan’s commitment to the sport.

“I focus so hard on racing,” the Metal Mulisha general said after Sunday’s Pro 2 finale. “I just think about it every day. I study it, I watch it, I study tape, I read books about it. I put my full heart and mind into it. And my crew…Dude, the best crew. They want to win and give me the best truck. It’s a combination of everything. And, in my heart, I feel like I deserve to be here and I want to be here. That’s why we spend the time and money, to come out and do the best we can.”

It doesn’t hurt that Deegan hasn’t had a Pro 2 DNF all season. He’s quick to point out he doesn’t believe in luck, but rather preparation meeting opportunity. “We’re prepared, and we’re meeting opportunity,” he said.

Deegan had an especially good opportunity starting on pole for Saturday’s Pro 2 race. He was never headed, although he was hounded hard by Rob MacCachren, recovering from a broken collarbone suffered during an endo at Glen Helen.

He had to work a little harder for the Pro Lite wins. On Saturday it was a fight with Corey Sisler, who had started on the pole. Deegan started third and was attacking Sisler immediately, and in the lead by the end of the first lap. But after a yellow flag, Sisler retook the lead when Deegan got up on the bike and led at the competition yellow. However, a mechanical problem for the No. 19 truck of Sisler left Deegan with clear sailing.

On Sunday, Casey Currie started on the pole, with Jimmy Stephensen on the outside of the front row. Deegan started in fifth; Sunday’s starting order was determined by point standings, with the top six inverted. Stephensen led the first half of the race, fending off Currie. By the competition yellow, Deegan was in third. After an aborted restart due to racers jumping the flag, the second restart had the same result – Deegan shot past Currie immediately, and was into the lead by the end of the lap.

It was the Pro 2 race that followed – the one Deegan didn’t win – that showcased some of the best – and wildest – racing that the sport has to offer. Starting sixth, Deegan was into third immediately for a flat tire after contact with Renezeder. Up front it was Rodrigo Ampudia, looking for his first Pro 2 win since Miller Motorsports Park last year, and MacCachren. When a yellow flag came out for an incident involving Robbie Pierce and Myan Spacarelli that also caused problems for Renezeder and Jeremy McGrath, it was a boon for Deegan, who was up to fourth by the time the competition yellow flew. For the latter half of the race, MacCachren hounded Ampudia, trying the inside at nearly every turn. He finally succeeded on the penultimate lap, as Ampudia’s engine hit a sour note and he dropped to fourth.

Kyle LeDuc (RIGHT) had a weekend to remember. Not only did he add a third class – UTV for Black Rhino – to Pro 4 and Pro Lite, he had a double victory in the big trucks. Starting fourth on Saturday after posting the top time in qualifying, Kyle was in second and breathing down Adrian Cenni’s neck by the end of the first lap and got by him a couple of circuits later in Turn 4, leading the rest of the way.

On Sunday, Kyle’s brother Todd started on pole. Rick Huseman was up from fifth into second by the end of the opening lap, but a suspension problem left him struggling and dropping down the order. That left Todd with a healthy lead. But Kyle was coming. The competition yellow put Kyle on his brother’s rear bumper, and brotherly love only goes so far. Kyle may not have forced the issue too hard, but he didn’t need to – Todd bicycled and gave the lead to Kyle.

“I got lucky with those guys battling behind me and I stretched it out,” said Todd. “Then I saw that big Rockstar truck behind me and I saw Kyle coming. I didn’t make any mistakes until the restart, In Turn 2, I just didn’t get the rotation and it bicycled on me. I collected myself, but then coming into Turn 4, Carl [Renezeder] over-rotated in front of me and I checked up and it spun me sideways.” Todd kept at it to finish third.

Kyle’s double wins helped in his points struggles, but not much because Pro 4 points leader Renezeder was second both days. Huseman, second in the points, was third on Saturday but eighth on Sunday. LeDuc made some ground on Huseman, but not much on Renezeder, who stretched his lead over Huseman.

Three-time kart champ Sheldon Creed made his debut in the full-size vehicles in Surprise, taking on Super Lite. The results came immediately, as he finished second to Chad George on Sunday. There were also a couple of maiden voyages in Pro 4, with Pro 2 regular Greg Adler filling in for Travis Coyne and Buggy ace Doug Fortin driving the Renezeder truck that Kent Brascho had been piloting. Both had best finishes of fourth, with Adler just missing the podium on Saturday and Fortin on Sunday.

The Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series heads to Sin City and Las Vegas Speedway on Nov. 5-6. Look for the first television broadcast from Surprise on Oct. 15 on CBS.

SoCal Says: Is there anything Brian Deegan isn’t good at? This guy entertains on his motorcycle and now in truck racing. What’s next? Snowboarding?