Szabo – Say “Zay-bo”

It was July of 2007. All Lill Hermes wanted was to get her son, Ryan Szabo, to the Loretta Lynn’s property. They loaded up their ol’ Chevy Van, hooked on the trailer and left Jacksonville, Florida en route to Hurricane Mills, Tennessee – ten hours away.

They hit Georgia as one of Lill’s worst fears in life started happening; she had to pull off suddenly due to a vehicle problem. The van’s transmission was shot and they were stranded. Out of nowhere, a stranger appeared – a guardian angel – and he offered to help. After searching the town for a rental, with no luck, the stranger, Mark, hooked the trailer up to his truck, and they were on the road again. The ten hour journey took more than a day in a truck with a complete stranger, but they made it. Nothing stops the racers who want to get to Loretta Lynn’s.

It’s July of 2008.

We tracked down with the 17-year-old to find out how he’s getting to Loretta’s this year.

FLmx: Hey Ryan, what’s happening?

RS: Just finished another moto – fun – crashed a bunch.

FLmx: Did you?

RS: Yea, the front wheel keeps washing out.

FLmx: Well, you have to get over the bars!

RS: I know. I need to do something, right?

FLmx: Are you at home now?

RS: No, I’m still at the track. I ran out of minutes on my phone.

FLmx: How far do you live from the track?

RS: About forty-five minutes. We usually come out here Wednesdays and then go to the beach, so we try to come out here at least once a week.

FLmx: True. When did you start riding motocross?

RS: I got my first bike when I was four and it was a PW 50. I soon got a LEM but then my parents got divorced and I didn’t start riding again until I was 12. I’ve been non stop every since!

FLmx: What have you been doing lately? Didn’t you just qualify at the Regional?

RS: Yea, I just qualified at Muddy Creek last weekend. It wasn’t the best – I rode way too conservative, but good enough to qualify. I had a couple of bad motos and crashed – didn’t do too well in the mud, but we got it done.

FLmx: How bad was the mud?

RS: It rained Saturday, about midway through second motos and then all night. By Sunday, it was really good though.

FLmx: That’s good. How has North Jax Motorsports been treating you?

RS: It’s awesome. They’re so good up there – everyone up there – it’s just a really good atmosphere. The same guy who owns Deland Motorsports owns North Jax.

FLmx: Cool. How long have you been with them?

RS: I’ve been riding Suzuki since March of last year.

FLmx: Speaking of last year and your experience in actually getting to the Loretta Lynn’s Dude Ranch in Tennessee. Do you think you’ve changed at all since then?

RS: Definitely, I’ve changed just because of how much we had to rough it out, and how hard it was to get there. Hopefully it will be easier this year. It makes me want to try harder.

FLmx: What are you driving up there?

RS: My dad who passed away left us his motorhome with us, so we’re going to take the fun mover up there. Hopefully that won’t break down.

FLmx: Your dad, Bear, was a big time motocrosser as well. He actually has a race dedicated to him now? The Bear Hensley…

RS: Yea, he was more of a dad than my real dad. I think he got second at one moto at Loretta’s. He could never get the overall; he always crashed.

FLmx: Did you guys used to ride a lot?

RS: Oh yea, we rode all the time with Kevin Johnson and all them out in New Mexico.

FLmx: What do you like about living in Florida?

RS: The tracks are a lot better – it’s not all dry and hard pack like out there. And the wind. The wind was horrible out there. You’d go riding and it was like Vegas or something.

FLmx: Earlier this year, you won the overall in the FL/GA Winter Series?

RS: I won 125B and 14-16 and then I think it was two weeks ago, we raced Reddick again and I got 1-2 in 125B and second in 250B.

FLmx: Did you start doing anything different? Your results are starting to show?

RS: I switched to two strokes; I love the two stroke. I’ve just been training a bunch. My buddy Shawn Gann’s been helping me. He just broke his neck so he’s kind of being my trainer until Loretta’s. That’s been helping me a lot.

FLmx: He broke his neck?

RS: Yea, we went to a pre-race up at Muddy Creek and the first half of lap of practice, there was a slick spot on this steeple. He just slid out – was only going like two miles an hour – and just landed on his head, broke his C7. He’s walking around and everything. He was wearing the Leatt Brace. He says that’s probably what saved him, but that’s probably what broke his neck because that post may have gone in his C7 and fractured it. He says if wasn’t wearing it, his head may have went back and he could have been paralyzed.

FLmx: How do you train?

RS: We run and then we go to the gym. We try and ride at least two times a week and then race on the weekends. Then drink protein shakes like crazy. No candy. Just WalMart oats and honey. Trying to get in shape for Loretta’s for the twenty minute motos.

FLmx: Yea, it’s going to be hot this summer. You’re out of school, right?

RS: I actually just graduated.

FLmx: Congrats! How was graduation?

RS: It was horrible. The valedictorian did a three hour speech and I was so bored!

FLmx: That’s funny. Do you like anything else besides moto?

RS: Pretty much just all motocross. There’s nothing really else that I do.

FLmx: You want to be the next Ricky Carmichael?

RS: Everyone wants to be the next RC! Now that I’m on Suzukis, it’s even closer! I have high expectations!

FLmx: What’s one thing you love about moto?

RS: It’s just sweet because you’re in the air and you don’t think about anything but riding. All your worries go away. You can just hang it out, and it makes all the other problems in your life just go away.

FLmx: Who’s in your regular crew?

RS: Shawn Gann. Brad Garritson’s always there whenever I need parts. He’s my buddy, and his brother Scott. Colton Sloan. We go riding at my buddy Austin Kimes’s house. He’s got a pretty sick track on the outside of Jacksonville.

FLmx: If you could have a magic wand, what would it bring?

RS: I’d bring some gear sponsors because I go through gear in one ride, and then I have one set of gear, and it’s race gear, practice gear, everything. I need some gear sponsors!

FLmx: One last question, Ryan. What does faith mean to you?

RS: Faith means just doing what you love and not giving up. It means having the motivation and the charisma to succeed in every aspect life throws at you, whether its motocross or some other sport. Believing in yourself and knowing that you can be the est at everything you do as long as you put [in] the hard work and dedication. That’s a tough question.

FLmx: Good answer. Do you have sponsors you’d like to thank?

RS: Thank you to Andy Kent, the owner of North Jax for giving me a chance and believing in me. My mom, for being there every step of the way; I couldn’t ask for better. Bear, for supporting me ‘til the day he died. Loud Mout, for their sick new intake design. Brad Garritson, for acting as an older brother. GSR, for laughing at my jokes. Taylor King, for always being there when I needed a little motivaton.

FLmx: Thanks, Ryan, you’ve been a pleasure. I wish you the best of luck.

RS: Thank you very much.

She told it to everything. I heard that story like 200 times.