Motourage

We here at Motourage are proud to introduce our new interview series. Here’s where we give riders and fans the chance to sound off and tell us their thoughts about the sport they love.  Since the purpose for creating Motourage is to help foster that love for racing, we’re also asking for advice on how to best spread the word.

Our first Motourage interview is with Sacramento, California’s 11-year-old superfan Riley Hagen.  He hangs out with Valentino Rossi, has his own umbrella girl, and – rumor has it – Yamaha headquarters has his phone number on speed dial.  He’s living the life the rest of us can only dream about.

Vale & Riley

Motourage: OK, so you’re 11 years old, and you’ve probably been to more races than most racing fans. How old where you when you went to your first race?  What race was it?
Riley: I was 8yrs old. It was the AMA race at Sears Point (Infineon).

Motourage: What’s your favorite race out of the ones you’ve attended?
Riley: My favorite was in 2008 I got to go with my parents to the USGP at Laguna Seca. I was invited by Bob Starr (Yamaha US) personally to attend the Yamaha Aquarium party and got to meet Valentino Rossi in two private meetings courtesy of Bob Starr and was able to give Valentino a stuffed turtle that I made at Build-A-Bear for him and then he won the race. I also learned to ride at the Yamaha Learn To Ride event at Laguna and mom and dad bought me my first bike when we got home. TTR-50!! It was Sweet!

Motourage: Other than the actual racing, what’s your favorite part about being at the track?
Riley: Being able to see my friends that are racers like Ben Bostrom, Tommy Aquino, Josh Hayes, Josh Herrin and seeing all my friends that I only get to see once a year at the races.

Motourage: If you could see a race at any track in the world, which one would it be?
Riley: Sachsenring in Germany. I am part German so I would love to see that.

Motourage: Other than you, who’s the biggest race fan in your family?
Riley: My mom is with my dad being a close second even though he has been watching racing longer than my mom (from Wayne Rainey days) my mom is rabid.

Motourage: You’ll always be able to say you were watching when Valentino Rossi took his 100th win, and he has since added one  more.   Only Giacomo Agostini has more wins, with 122. Do you think Valentino will end his career with more wins than Ago?
Riley: Since Valentino is very fast and very slick, he might be able to. I hope so.

Motourage: Nicky Hayden moved to Ducati this year, and he’s shown some serious improvement in his last two races. Do you think he, or anyone else, can tame the Ducati the way Casey Stoner has?
Riley: Maybe not because that thing is a very wild beast. I hope Nicky can tame it soon!

Motourage: We’ve watched Ben Spies race AMA, and now he’s fighting for the World Superbike championship. Do you think he has what it takes to beat Noriyuki Haga this year?
Riley: I think he might be able to because the Yamaha is a great bike and Ben is a talented rider.
Motourage: If he wins the World Superbike title, do you think he’ll move to MotoGP next year?
Riley: Maybe they might bump him up to MotoGP if he continues to do very well.
Motourage: If that were to happen, will you be able to cheer for Ben to beat Valentino Rossi?
Riley: Ummm, Why would you even ask that question? You know Vale is my most favorite racer out there. [Laughs]

Motourage: Motorcycle racing is not as popular in the US as it is in Europe and the rest of the world. What do you think it would take for Americans to get as excited about racing as they do in, say, Spain or Italy?
Riley: I think that more coverage and better TV schedules so we know when it is on.
Motourage: Do you think that will ever happen?
Riley: Probably not because they won’t take advice from a child like me.

Motourage: From what your mom says, you’re a pretty smart kid and you’re very well behaved. Are you planning on becoming a doctor, astronaut or some other respectable profession, or do you think there’s some knee-dragging, throttle-twisting racing in your future?
Riley: I think I might start a band like James Toseland or be one of the guys in the pits.

Motourage: You can’t spend all your time occupied with racing. What else takes up your time?
Riley: Usually I just like to kick back and relax and play computer games or my Wii.

Motourage: Final question: Do you think everyone should have his own umbrella girl?
Riley: Well since I do have an Umbrella Girl (Hi Morgan!), I think that other nice kids should have one too. But only if they are nice and have good manners.

We’d like to thank Riley and his mom, Darlene, for taking some time out of their busy schedules to talk with us about racing. Stay tuned to Motourage.net for our next interview with AMA Pro racer Scott “Scooter” Jenson.