PRO RIDER JOSH GRANT CRACKS A WHIP OVER HIS CUSTOMIZED F-250 SUPER DUTY
IF YOU WERE HAVING as good a start on the Supercross circuit as Josh Grant, you’d be doing “whips” or “heel clicks” as well. In 2006, only his second year as a full-time pro, Josh Grant practically took up residence on the podium in the East Supercross Lites series to finish in third place for the season. He then maintained that momentum going into the outdoor Motocross Lites series to also capture third place overall. And he repeated this same level of success in the 2007 season, riding for the Team SoBe/No Fear/Samsung/Honda squad.
“Last year was good for me,” Grant says. “It was a lot of fun. When you’re having fun it’s easier to win races, and every time I won it was a good feeling to beat everyone out there. Up on the podium, I couldn’t get the smile off my face. It’s the best feeling ever, you know, and it’s something that you never want to lose.”
Grant has something else to smile about these days as well. He recently took delivery of a 2008 Ford F-250 Super Duty, and jumped right into a customizing project through the 4 Wheel Parts store in Temecula, California. He’s just beginning with the buildup, but like his racing career, he’s already off to a fast start. The upgrades include an EXP Pro Comp Double XX Kit, rolling on PXA Wheels shod with 37-inch Pro Comp tires. EXP Dual Steering Stabilizers keep the rig on track, and EXP Pro Comp lights illuminate his path (more light bars are on the way as well). Just for good measure, he bolted on N-Fab’s sidebars and Pre Runner Bar as well. So what does a talented dirt-bike rider have need of a 3/4- ton diesel pickup? Well, in addition to towing his race trailer to competitions around the country, it turns out he has a secret weapon — his own personal four-acre practice track where he works out regularly. “I use the truck to pull my Bobcat bulldozer,” Grant explains. “I grade the dirt so it has the same obstacles as a Supercross stadium.” Besides keeping him in shape for the main event, the private track has some strategic advantages: “It’s good to have something like that so when you come into a Supercross event, no one knows how you’re riding,” he explains. “You know, you go out to the Honda track and there are 10 guys and all sorts of people are watching you. So I got my own private track where no one sees me and I can come out swinging without showing my hand too early. I keep working hard and training hard; that’s the most I can ask of myself, and you can’t really do any better than that.” The Ford truck has some other advantages as well. It comes in handy for another pursuit that you’d expect of a hotshot racer: “I also use it for pulling a lot of girls,” he grins. After all, there’s way more room for all of them in the truck cab than on the back of a dirt bike.