Corey Alexander- Stock 1000 Rider On Working with Family and Competing with Friends

Note: This transcript is AI generated and may have errors.

[00:00:14.540] - Dave Sulecki

Welcome to Pit Pass Moto, the show that keeps you up to speed on the latest in motorcycling and brings the biggest names in motorcycle racing right to you.

[00:00:22.480] - PJ Doran

I'm Dave Sulecki and I'm PJ Doran.

[00:00:25.010] - Dave Sulecki

This week we have Corey Alexander as our guest.

[00:00:27.780] - PJ Doran

Moto America, the home of the AMA Superbike Championship, featuring 190 miles an hour. Superbikes is the official sponsor of Pit Pass Moto. Tickets info and complete 2021 schedule at MotoAmerica com. Tickets don't miss a minute of the action, practice, qualifying races and video on demand with MotoAmerica Live plus streaming. Follow MotoAmerica on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

[00:00:53.940] - Dave Sulecki

We have results from AMA Outdoor Motocross buds Creek, Maryland In the 450 class, Dylan Verandas takes it home with a two one, finishing first over ten Rockson, who went one two, so Olympic scoring made him first, followed by Eli Tomac in third. So your red plate holder now in the 450 class continues to be Dylan Ferende. He's really taking a commanding lead on the series. It's great to see a rookie winning that series in Ken Rockson sitting in second and Eli Tomac third in points in the 250 class.

[00:01:25.310] - Dave Sulecki

Jeremy Martin takes it home with a three one, followed by Jet Lawrence, who finished two two on the day, and Justin Cooper, who won the first. Moto takes home fourth for third overall with a one for your 250 class standings. Justin Cooper continues to be your red plate holder with 367 points, followed by Jet Lawrence, who's just three points back and Jeremy Martin sits in third with 307 points.

[00:01:50.120] - PJ Doran

In AFT we had the 74th running of the Peoria TT in the Super Twins class. The big boys, JD beach came out on top of Briar Bowman and Jared Mes in production. Twins Dan Bromley on top of Ben Low and Jesse Janis making your overall in Super Twins, Briar Bowman on 217 points, Me on 192 and Robinson on 179 in World Superbike from Navara, Spain. Race one had Scott Reading on top of Jonathan Ray and top Rock Roscott Leagu in super poll race. We had Scott Reading on top of Ray and Roscott Leagu again and in Race two mixed it up a bit ragtag in first over Reading and Ray.

[00:02:34.440] - PJ Doran

That makes your overall standings right now. Top rack Roscott leagl on top with 311. Tied on points is Jonathan Ray with 311 as well, and Scott Redding in third with 273 points. In other Moto news, we regret to inform you the passing of Linda Hopkins, 71 years old, on August. Additionally, rest in peace to Racer Van Duhamel, famous road racer, father of Miguel Duhamel, amazing Racer. He passed away this week as well.

[00:03:11.410] - Dave Sulecki

This week's Pit Pass Trivia question is, who was the first American to win the International six days in Enduro. Name the rider and the year. The answer of that question after our interview with Corey Alexander.

[00:03:45.720] - PJ Doran

We'd like to welcome to Pit Pass Moto today. HONOS HVMC Racing racer Corey Alexander. Welcome to the show. And thanks for taking the time for us today.

[00:03:54.980] - Corey Alexander

Thank you so much. I really appreciate you guys having me on.

[00:03:57.440] - PJ Doran

So you've had a pretty good year. It would seem. You're fighting for the lead in the Super Stock 1000 class, and you're definitely holding your own in the Superbike category as well. You've got three wins this year. How's it going, man? You're fighting for it. You've had some impressive wins.

[00:04:12.500] - Corey Alexander

Yeah, I appreciate that. It's been up and down year with racing. If you could win them all, you would, but it really goes that way. So new bike being on the 2021 Kawasaki, the extent are this year has been a little bit of a learning curve. So that's been our biggest kind of trouble. I guess, if you will, is really just getting the bike to work everywhere. We show up to certain tracks, and it works really well in other places. We've had to do quite a bit more work to try to understand how to make it, make it work well, but, yeah, overall, it's been a great year.

[00:04:46.050] - Dave Sulecki

Seems like you and Jake Lewis are going head to head and your three wins to his four. You guys, it's going to come down to the wire. What do you think of your chances these last couple of rounds come through?

[00:04:57.950] - Corey Alexander

Yeah. The unfortunate part is they are only single round races, so that makes it a lot more crucial to really make sure we maximize their points. The last two rounds, for me, have been some of the most difficult races I've had in a few years. Really hurt us, but I'm optimistic Jersey's my home race, so I've got a lot of kind of momentum going into there and really excited for that, obviously. And then, Barbara, we did pretty well out last year. I think it's up in the air.

[00:05:25.470] - Corey Alexander

It could go either way, but for me, we're doing everything on our end that we possibly can.

[00:05:29.390] - PJ Doran

So speaking of latest rounds, you've had some challenges. But what did you think of that Brainerd race overall? It was what struck me was coming there as a fan, and I had been there decades ago. It definitely was different, a hot pit in one area, start finishing another. Did that pose any real problems for you racers?

[00:05:48.060] - Corey Alexander

No. I mean, I think logistically for the team, they had to walk a little bit more. And that was a little bit out of the ordinary, which you kind of getting in a routine of what you do at each track and kind of have a guy that does this and the guy that does that kind of thing. And we had to change that around a little bit. But other than that, honestly, the track itself is probably the biggest hurdle overcome is just kind of the difference in obviously, the first section is really fast and flowing and really open, and then all of a sudden you're in a section where it's really tight and you got some walls and things like that.

[00:06:19.230] - Corey Alexander

So really overcoming that and the difference in track services and whatnot, but otherwise the facility is cool. It's a really cool place to be. The fans are super enthusiastic, and obviously it was a good turnout, so that side of it is awesome for me. Personally, I struggled with some of those tighter sections and getting our bikes to work in them. From a safety aspect, there's obviously always little things that could be done differently, but I think overall it was a great track for us to go to in that region, I think needed it.

[00:06:46.310] - PJ Doran

Absolutely. It needed it. And the turnout was amazing for it being a returning event. They hadn't had a race of this caliber on that track. They've had local races, club races. It was a big change for him. And it looked wonderful how from the starting line down to two, that was the most similar to the tracks of old that were appraisers.

[00:07:10.910] - Corey Alexander

Yeah. Actually, I walked the track with Jason Pridmore day prior, and he was kind of taking a for a walk down memory Lane. So we got to look at it and you kind of give us some stores about back in the day. But yeah, like I said, I really enjoyed the whole first section, really. The first three segments of that track were really, really fun. And so you kind of got to that make sure she can. And then the last little split there on the front straight away leading up to the front straightaway rather was different.

[00:07:37.340] - Corey Alexander

It was a little bit more first gear on a big bike with things like that are not the most fun or flowing, but it's part of it. It's just a race track. You got to get around it as fast as we can and make the most of it. But, yeah, I think if they could pave it in the future or something like that and help with some of the car bumps and things like that, it would be really a great circuit. I don't know if there's any way to get rid of that she can, because other than that, I mean, I think you could do pretty well with the rest of the track.

[00:08:01.990] - Corey Alexander

It's really special, and it kind of disrupts the red of a little bit.

[00:08:05.250] - Dave Sulecki

Corey, you mentioned Jason Bridmore. I know you've done some coaching in the past with his program. Is he helping your race program this year? Is that part of your deal?

[00:08:14.580] - Corey Alexander

Jason goes back with my uncle in the 90s. There were teammates. My uncle helps kind of run the star school back then with Jason. And so I actually really Jason saw me, had a ride. I've known him since I can remember. So he's really more like family than anything. But, yeah, he helps me all around. And obviously at the races, he does what he can. It's tough for him to kind of be a rider coach truly at the race track because he's got his own job to do with the TV stuff.

[00:08:40.130] - Corey Alexander

But every night we get on the phone and kind of run through whether I'm struggling or not, we kind of run through strategies and just kind of what I'm thinking and stuff like that. So he's definitely obviously has a ton of experience all around. Just a good guy to have in my corner, for sure. But on the teaching side, I do a lot with him throughout the year, but particularly in the off season, we spend a lot of time in California together. Chuck All Valley rashes been usually three weeks every month, three weekends.

[00:09:07.020] - Corey Alexander

Rather every month we're out there teaching, and they're booked up as me, Michael Gilbert, JP and Andrew Lee sometimes. And we'll have five different coaches with five different students each day. It's blown up like crazy out there, so it's been really good for us, but a way to do something during the inter, keep me on a bike and also make a little bit of money.

[00:09:25.100] - PJ Doran

Get together and go ride end of training sessions. Do you guys do any other riding as a group, or is it pretty focused on the school?

[00:09:34.100] - Corey Alexander

Yeah. I mean, at the end of the day, we get some free time to arrive with each other. But honestly, the CVMA series, which is I don't know how familiar you guys are, but CMA is Chuck Wall is kind of a track owned race series that they run there every month. They've got kind of a race throughout the whole entire winter, so that's kind of our time. We work really hard all week prior and a couple of weeks leading forward to that. And then once CVMA comes around for the month, we actually had gotten race on our race bikes or whatever we've got to ride at that point.

[00:10:05.740] - Corey Alexander

And that's kind of when we go out and all the voice sang bars a little bit. So it is usually like a Moto American National during those race, wekends it's pretty crazy to be able to ride around that level of talent at a club race without the kind of pressure of a Photo Beric around or whatever. Then you just get to go and have fun and whatnot, but that's our free time.

[00:10:24.700] - PJ Doran

That sounds like a really good time. And I bet it means bragging rights for some dudes who really enjoy holding them over one another.

[00:10:32.920] - Corey Alexander

Yeah. We're racers, obviously, or kind of group of guys that work with JP. We're all really, really close friends, but everyone gets to kind of beat up on each other, depending on who's fastest for that time period, you're only as good as your last race, and that's the guy who is good. The last one just to talk a little bit of crop for the next few weeks in between, you know, but it was cool this last race we did out there, actually, JP lined up with us.

[00:10:58.740] - Corey Alexander

He had, like, a spec super stock spec to the extent that he got from Kawasaki race. So he was lined up against there against Michael Gilbert, I think I don't know if Jake Lewis is at that one, but there was Travis Wine and there was a handful of us all out there. And JP, he's fast for an old guy. He lined up and we kind of battle back and forth a little bit, which is really exciting to be able to say. Like I said, he raced my uncle almost 30 years ago now to be able to ride with him myself, and obviously so fast enough to be competitive is pretty cool.

[00:11:31.130] - Dave Sulecki

So if you're play riding with Travis Wyman, I hope you're not looking over your shoulder too much because he's chasing you down in Stock 1000 also.

[00:11:41.570] - Corey Alexander

Yeah, a little bit, you know. I mean, Travis is always kind of one of those guys that you don't know. If he shows up on the weekend, he's going to be brutally fast, and it just depends if they have any issues with the bike. I think for him, he's just been battling being healthy for a long time. But Travis is one of my good friends as well. We did the Red Bell rookies come together in 2008, so we've kind of grown up together through the years. And it's always like I said, you never know what happens is going to show up to the track on the weekend and the last few he's showing up, and that's when he's really impressive.

[00:12:13.740] - Corey Alexander

So, yeah, he's closing in. But honestly, for me, Jake is my focus at the moment. I really know I think him coming back, but obviously I haven't been in a Superbike at one point on a factory team. He's kind of a good benchmark. If you can run with him and challenge him, then kind of I think from outside perspective, it puts you at a different level, actually. Not that there's a ton of rides, but that's where my mind was. I want to be putting myself out there in the best position.

[00:12:41.330] - Corey Alexander

If somebody is have a super wide seat open up, or whatever the cases that they're looking at me, you know?

[00:12:46.360] - PJ Doran

Absolutely. And you have put yourself in that position. Do you do a lot of other disciplines of writing as part of your training or off training time? Either one?

[00:12:56.780] - Corey Alexander

Honestly, like, absolutely. I have such little free time to go and actually ride. And being in New York isn't necessarily the most rider friendly state to live in. From that perspective, I live near the city in New York, so it's like I don't have motocross track all around New York or even really nearby whatsoever, like if you're in California or some other places. So that part of it is a little bit tough, but I ride. Supermoto is a track up by Oakland Valley race part. And unfortunately, they're super cool.

[00:13:25.040] - Corey Alexander

You can go up there any day during the week. But just for me, I actually run our whole program. So I appreciate my teammate and and whatnot. But I'm kind of responsible for all the logistical stuff, flights and making sure somebody is getting where it's got to go and all that kind of stuff. So I have very little free time in. Unfortunately, I'm lucky if I get a workout in every day.

[00:13:45.870] - PJ Doran

Well, as long as you're not the guy who has to drive the truck, doing everything else is a lot of work, though. We know from rider, team owners, team managers that are writers. It's a lot of stuff. So you do the campaigning for sponsors every year, renewing every year, right?

[00:14:02.810] - Corey Alexander

Yeah. Mean, we're in the middle of that right now. We're trying to look ahead next year and then even beyond to try to understand how we can continue to build a program that will last with today's climate with the re sponsorship works and things like that. I mean, literally everything. I write the press release, something fresh, lease out. And I'm working on poster deck right now. And today, before I got on the phone with you guys here, I've been working on a really cool project. It's easy to Jersey ran.

[00:14:26.640] - Corey Alexander

Sure. You probably figure it out, considering at 911 weekend. So we're going to do something really cool to have a lease yet. But the design stuff for that and getting that locked down with T shirts and, like, Desire sticker, that's a little bit of everything.

[00:14:41.570] - Dave Sulecki

So I know in your spare time, the Hv and the HVC is the Hudson Valley Motorcycles, that's family owned business, Corey, that you're in your spare time working at, I think.

[00:14:50.860] - Corey Alexander

Yeah. My grandfather started that in 1966, so my grandfather's finally basically retired. I mean, he's still there pretty much every day, but he just kind of stops in to make sure the place is still standing. Covid we kind of had to make him stay home and stop coming into work. So forced him into retirement a little bit. So it's really my uncle and my dad are there running the show pretty much full time. Richie, my uncle is still very involved in the racing, so Luckily, I'm able to steal him away on the weekend to come and come and help me manage things.

[00:15:21.600] - Corey Alexander

But this year, honestly, like I said, I've had such a little time, so I'm not at the dealership too much. I do a lot of the marketing stuff as much as I can. It doesn't timing to the dealership that I'm able to still kind of leave and race and spend the time on things that I need to do for that. So it's unfortunate because I have a place I can go back to no matter what. And if I need to make a paycheck or something like that, I can go work for a few weeks.

[00:15:43.620] - Corey Alexander

As long as they're happy to have me back.

[00:15:46.500] - PJ Doran

I can't imagine they wouldn't be. Corey, as our time wraps up, it's been wonderful talking you, man. Is there anybody you would like to say thank you to? We definitely want to give you a chance to thank any sponsors you haven't already or you want to give a double down, too?

[00:15:59.790] - Corey Alexander

No, I definitely appreciate you guys doing what you do. Our sport needs more of a kind of light illuminated on it, and that's what you guys are doing. So I really appreciate what you guys doing. And then obviously, to our team, all of our fans and supporters and customers at the dealership that really make this whole thing possible. The industry is kind of blown up this last year, which has been cool to see and even more so just the viewership and what more America has been doing.

[00:16:24.300] - Corey Alexander

So thanks for those guys, but yeah, the whole HOS VMC racing team, obviously greatest motorsports truck, Waller Valley Race Way New Rage Cycles, which is Offender Eliminator company. They're located in Westchester, right by our dealership. They're very big supporter mine. We have so many different people like saying I work really hard to bringing in sponsors and things like that. So it's not like I've got one big corporate company that's paying for everything. It's A-L-A little bit of help from a lot of different people, so I really appreciate all you guys.

[00:16:49.970] - PJ Doran

Well, thank you very much, sir. It's our pleasure. We love watching you race and can't wait to see you at the upcoming round. I'll be down at Barber, so hopefully we can catch up there when you're not busy. Busy, which will probably be about Sunday night. Midnight.

[00:17:02.480] - Corey Alexander

Yeah, well, we got the banquet on Monday, so maybe find me then I might have a few cocktails or something like that, so you might might get a little bit more out of me.

[00:17:11.540] - PJ Doran

Hey, you're speaking my language. That's what I'm good at.

[00:17:14.690] - Corey Alexander

Yes, sir.

[00:17:16.810] - PJ Doran

All right. We'll talk to you later, Corey, and good luck in the final two rounds.

[00:17:20.500] - Corey Alexander

I really appreciate it. Thanks, guys.

[00:17:32.040] - Dave Sulecki

You'd like to thank Corey for spending time with us today on Pit Pass Moto this week's, Pit Past Trivia question was, who was the first American to win the International six days Enduro? Named the rider and the year. The answer is, of course, Ryan Sites, who won the event in 2015, the first American to claim the overall individual win. Team USA went on to win the team event in 2016 and then again in 2019.

[00:17:57.030] - PJ Doran

Impressive stuff from all of those racers.

[00:18:05.480] - Dave Sulecki

In upcoming racing. We've got AMA Outdoor Motocross at Iron Man Raceway and Crawfordsville, Indiana, August 28, MGP of Turkey September 5 and September 8. American Flat Track at the Springfield Miles, Springfield, Illinois, September 3. World Superbike the mold to round at Magni Showers, France, September 3 through fifth. Got Moto America coming up at New Jersey Motor Sports Park September 10 through 12th.

[00:18:31.770] - PJ Doran

We have the British Grand Prix at Silverstone August 29.

[00:18:56.970] - Dave Sulecki

Thank you again to our guests for being with us today, and thank you for tuning in. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to follow us on your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode. If you have a moment, please write and review us. We really appreciate it. Make sure you're also following us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram and visit Pit Pass Moto Com where you can check out our blog.

[00:19:17.600] - PJ Doran

This has been a production of Evergreen Podcasts. A special thank you to Tommy Boy Halverson, Chris Bishop, producer Leah Longbrake, and audio engineer, Eric Koltnow. Now I'm PJ Doran, I'm Dave Sulecki. We'll see you next week.