After round one at Daytona International Speedway, Huntley Nash gives us the inside scoop on how he prepares for round two at Road Atlanta– from enjoying post-race apple pie to training hard cycling and riding motorcross. Watch as we tour “casa de Nash” and peek inside the LTD Racing garage.

Costilla began his racing quest with M1GP, an organization dedicated to racing minis in southern California. This year, Costilla moved up to the larger circuits of WERA West, where he quickly became comfortable with the increased speeds. Now, his goal is to become a part of the Red Bull Rookies Cup, a feeder series that coincides with several of the European GP Rounds.

Assisting Costilla along his career path is Leonard Mellgren, owner of Redline Powersports.

OnTheThrottle.TV recently caught up with Costilla and Mellgren at the WERA West race in Las Vegas, Nevada. Watch the video below to see this young up-and-comer in action. For more updates on Costilla and to cheer him on, be sure to follow him on Facebook.

At the end of a dirt road in Tucson, Arizona, sits Evan Steel Performance, a small motorcycle service and repair shop owned by Evan Steel and Phil Allison. The shop, which began with a dyno and a trailer in 2005, now doubles as headquarters for building Jake Holden’s BMW S1000RR, which the team will race this season in the AMA Pro National Guard Superbike class.

Holden moved to Arizona four months ago to join the ESP team. Since the move, he’s been spending nearly every weekend enjoying what he calls the “fun factory” of local tracks—the Mussleman Honda Circuit, MC Motorsports Park, and Arizona Motorsports Park. “I couldn’t ask for more,” he says.

Holden is no stranger to the AMA paddock. He turned pro in 1999 and has regularly competed in the AMA series, finishing third overall in two AMA Pro national championships, achieving 14 AMA Pro national podiums, three pole positions, four track records, and several top-five finishes. Allison, who first met Holden in 2004, describes him as “one of the best talents in the paddock.”

The ESP team has been competing in the AMA Pro series for the last 7 years, earning kudos with some of the fastest trap speeds, several front row starts, and numerous podiums. And, they’ve been doing it all on a bootstrap budget.

A tight budget makes the BMW S1000RR a perfect fit for this privateer team. The bike, already stocked with a 193 horsepower, lightweight engine, saves the team from having to purchase costly upgrades while keeping them competitive on the track.

They are, after all, racing to win. “I believe we can go there and get a trophy. That’s what we’re trying to do,” says Steel.

With Holden on board, both Allison and Steel are confident about the season ahead. “He’s an incredible rider, and he’s very much a professional rider,” says Steel. Allison agrees, “I think we could win some superbike races with him.”

Allison and Steel currently divide their time between working at the shop and racing, trying to earn enough money to make it to as many AMA rounds as possible. They hope to garner enough sponsor support for a dedicated racing division, giving them the ability to devote all their time to competing. ESP is currently seeking a title sponsor.

The team has a huge amount of local support from the motorcycle community, all of whom want to see them go racing and do well. This passionate crowd helps by pitching in money and parts. Their current sponsors include Iron Horse Motorcycles, GPR, Driven, KyleUSA.com, Ohlins, OTL Magazine, Hotbodies, KurveyGirl.com, U.S. Mega-Max.com, Intuition, Carrozzeria USA, XCEL Trackdays, GB Racing, ASMA, Leo Vince, Sidi, Shoei, Ballistik Apparel, Supernova Cycles, Mid Town Bar and Grill, and War Paint by Steve Wellman.

Fans also support ESP and Holden, donating online and purchasing t-shirts, posters, and decals—all making a difference in getting this team on the track.

As a team that’s known for doing a lot with a little, Allison explains it best, “hard work and the desire to be at the front—that’s what we do.”

Students receive a full day of personalized advice, filming, bike adjustments, and riding with Pro Racer Jake Holden. At the XCEL Trackdays, Holden’s focus is A and B group trackday riders or regional racers. Street riders, beginner trackday riders and Supermoto riders are encouraged to attend the Jake Holden Rider Clinic held at the Mussleman Honda Circuit in Tucson AZ.

This video is now available on DVD and includes bonus material. For an opportunity to own this piece of history, visit the M1GP Site and make a donation on the left side column of this page.
By making a donation, you’ll receive the DVD bonus package and the satisfaction of contributing to some great causes– Riders for Health, Tsunami Relief for Japan and The Road Racing World Action Fund. All proceeds from the DVD sales will benefit these nonprofit charities.