Story Written by:  Steve Bruhn & Bryan Chu

Publication:  www.RACERXILL.com

Original Publication 7/26/2005 and print permission by Racer X.

It’s been a great week for Ivan Tedesco (though a tough one for our roving reporter Steve Bruhn, who had his satellite dish fall off the TFS Mobile Unit somewhere outside of Denver). You can add Ivan’s name to the growing list of first-time winners in the competitive 250F class in 2005, as Tedesco went 1-1 at the new Thunder Valley National in Lakewood. 
    Tedesco has been viewed by many as just a supercross rider (and he has two 125 West Region titles to back that up), but his outdoor game is steadily improving—just when it seems every other frontrunner in the 250F world having consistency problems. This is his last summer before he moves up to 250s and his last chance to take a 125 national title.
    In one day Tedesco went from the guy who never won an outdoor moto to the guy who went 1-1 to take the series lead. Racer X and Denver Post reporter Bryan Chu sat down with Tedesco just after the press conference to talk a little more about what it was like to win in Colorado

Racer X: Ivan, congratulations. This was really your day, wasn’t it?
Ivan Tedesco: For sure, I couldn’t ask for a better day. I got my first moto win, my first overall win, and I’m leading the championship, and it’s all a first for me.

You got your first outdoor moto win, but you’ve come pretty close before, right?
Yeah, for sure. You know, I’ve been trying to get this the last couple of weeks. I felt like I’ve had the speed the last three races, and I finally got some good starts and got in the lead and finally pulled it out. It feels really good.

Let’s talk quickly through each of your motos.
Well, I got a second-place start behind Grant [Langston] the first time. I think he led 3 to 4 laps—I can’t remember exactly—but I finally got around him. I thought he had a bad line in this one corner, and I knew if I was close enough in that one corner, I could make the pass, so I made it and tried to get a lead, and they hung pretty close to me for a while. Andrew [Short] put the heat on me for both motos, but I was able to hold on. In the second moto, Mike Alessi holeshot and I got around him and actually got a gap and kept it there.

The second moto looked pretty easy for you.
Yeah, I mean, it was easier than the first one, for sure—I think because I got my lead a little quicker, and after my first-moto win, it was like a monkey off my back! The second moto was easier for me. I had a little more confidence, and it went good.

Is there any team planning at all, since you’re doing well in points and Grant’s had some bad motos? Like, if Grant is ahead and is going to win, maybe it’s better you get those points? Or were you guys just try to stay out of each other’s way?
It hasn’t been discussed—I can say that—and we’re all out there trying to do the best we can. I don’t mind racing Grant. He’s a good guy to race against, and he’s had some bad luck in the last couple of races. I’m sure if it comes down to the last couple of races, there will be some team talk and we’ll go from there.

Can we go briefly through the altitude, the bike setup, and things like that? You’re from reasonably close to here, so you’ve been up here plenty.
[Laughs] Actually, I’ve never been to this track, but yeah, I used to come up here to Colorado quite often.

Did you expect a sandy, soft track?
I didn’t know what to expect. Everyone was saying that this track sucked and that this track was hard and whatnot, and I think they did a pretty good job. I think it would be good if we came back here again. The track was good, and it was gnarly. It made for good racing, and I thought it was good.

So you and Andrew have quite a history here; you’ve been up here quite a lot.
Oh, yeah. There wasn’t much racing in New Mexico, so I’d have to drive up here to Colorado to race. I’ve raced Andrew since I was on 60s, and I did a bunch of supercross races up here. That’s where I got a lot of my supercross experience, and also some outdoors. It was kind of like going back to the old days, Andrew and I battling in Colorado again. It was cool!

Is that experience part of the reason why you guys are 1-2 today?
I don’t know. I think we were both fired up because it’s kind of our hometown race, and we’ve both been riding well lately and close to the podium or on the podium the last three races. Things just clicked for me. I think Andrew was up here the last couple of weeks riding, and he was fast all weekend.

What do you have done to the bikes when you come up to a higher elevation like this?
[Laughs] I have no idea! I just tell them what’s going on [after riding]. Obviously, they change jetting. We did some testing this week to try and get a little more bottom end, in case we were down on power. We made quite a few changes from yesterday until today. By the second practice, we had it handled. I feel like I had the best bike out there.

Let’s close with your thoughts on possibly winning this 125-class championship. Did you think about closing that points gap when you came here this weekend?
I’ve been closing up on Brown in the last couple of races. I knew I just needed to keep plugging away. I had a good weekend and he had a mediocre one. I took over the points lead. I’m going to just keep plugging away and try and get this title. It will be really important for me to get this. I think I’m considered a supercross guy. If I can be considered a supercross and an outdoor guy, I will have the whole package.

So next year, you’ll race 250cc two-stokes in supercross and a 450 in outdoors?
Yes, that’s what I’ll be doing. I’m really looking forward to another challenge. It’s going to be a new challenge for me, and it’s going to be exciting.

What chances did you give yourself, just before Hangtown, of winning this title?
I had high expectations for myself this year. I’ve been working really hard. I think my outdoor skills are getting better and better. During testing, Grant and I were really close, speed-wise. I wasn’t totally prepared coming into Hangtown, and I just kept on plugging away, and things seem to be working for me now.

Thanks, Ivan, appreciate it.
Thanks, Steve. Thanks, Bryan.