We Went Fast

Earlier this year, for over two hours, I sat at Jeff Ward’s dining room table and listened as he told stories of an era more than three decades behind him; his time as a member of Team USA with the Trophee and Motocross of Nations between 1983 and 1990.

They were mostly stories of winning, but also the suffering, soldiering and salvaging he went through to get those wins.

As he autographed the artwork designed in his honor (...

Have you ever wondered why Budds Creek MX Park has an obstacle called Henry Hill?

This is the story behind how small errors, fatigue, pride, determination and a wardrobe issue caused Doug Henry to take the most notorious flight in motocross history.

For photos and video from this story, check out the print version at wewentfast.com.

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Between 2005 and 2016, James Stewart completed just one full season of Pro Motocross in the 450 class: 2008.

And in the days, weeks and months leading into that summer, he was dubious of being able to go the distance. His first three years in the class were disasters: it started with an uncompetitive bike and ended with a knee injury. In between, there was Ricky Carmichael, who refused to be beaten even as he headed int...

This is part 3, the final installment of a series with Marty Smith. These interviews were done by David Dewhurst for his book, “Motocross: The Golden Era”, which is available at shop.wewentfast.com and ships free to customers in the United States. 

Part 3 covers the end of Marty's racing career and his thoughts on the future. 

This interview series was done at Marty's house just two weeks before he and his wife died in a dun...

This is part 2 of a 3 part interview with Marty Smith. These interviews were done by David Dewhurst for his book, “Motocross: The Golden Era”, which is available at shop.wewentfast.com and ships free to customers in the United States. 

Part 2 covers Marty's time as a factory Honda rider. 

This interview series was done at Marty's house just two weeks before he and his wife died in a dune buggy accident at the Glamis Sand Dun...

Another release from David Dewhurst book, “Motocross: The Golden Era”, which would make the perfect Father's Day gift! It's available at shop.wewentfast.com and ships free to customers in the United States. 

This episode is Marty Smith's last interview, which happened at Marty's house just two weeks before he and his wife died in a dune buggy accident at the Glamis Sand Dunes

Among other accolades, Marty was first ever 125MX...

The best way to win a 450SX main event in 2024 (or even a single Triple Crown gate drop) is to cross that white line in no worse than third place.

Surely, we’ve had a few too many cocktails with Captain Obvious but we’re here to share the data that some people think doesn’t exist.

And don’t me Shirley.

Read the print version of this story to see all the data charts that would be too damn boring to read in a podcast.

S...

David Dewhurst reads the chapter he wrote about Bob “Hurricane” Hannah, once the winningest rider in Supercross and Motocross history.

Dewhurst's book is called “Motocross: The Golden Era”. It's available at shop.wewentfast.com and ships free to customers in the United States. 

The Golden Era is a 480-page coffee table book filled with 600 gorgeous images he captured as a photojournalist during a pivotal era of the sport: 19...

NOTE: The statistics in this show are relevant after the 2024 Indianapolis Supercross but before the 2024 Seattle Supercross. Check in at wewentfast.com for updated info.

It’s time to talk about this: we haven’t even reached the two-thirds point of the 2024 Monster Energy Supercross Championship and Jett Lawrence isn’t just in prime position to win the title; he’s in the hunt for the greatest rookie season of all-time.

Supp...

Why the final running of the Super Bowl of Motocross was the greatest race in the sport’s history. 

Rick Johnson goes from (almost) last to first; Wild man Guy Cooper (almost) wins; a unique but one-lined track with a short start straight and a first turn the size of a “phone booth” causes absolute carnage; Shots fired on the podium from Ron Lechien, and RJ is caught on a hot mic saying “You’d have to be a stupid idiot to ...

This story is about Ricky Carmichael doing something even he thought wasn’t possible: a second perfect season. "I doubt if this will ever happen again," Carmichael told Cycle News after the 2002 Steel City National when he completed his first 24-0 run.

The project you’re listening to right now started well over a year ago and began as a 20th anniversary celebration of that 2002 season.  

But the more Ricky and I chatted, t...

"The Greatest Gamble in Motocross History" is the untold story of Ricky Carmichael’s shocking switch to Suzuki.

What started as a deep dive into Carmichael’s perfect motocross seasons turned into a saga about one of the greatest mysteries of our sport: How did Suzuki convince Ricky Carmichael to switch teams? How did Honda let him walk? The basic surface details of this story are not a secret. Carmichael has discussed it of...

"The Greatest Gamble in Motocross History" is the untold story of Ricky Carmichael’s shocking switch to Suzuki.

What started as a deep dive into Carmichael’s perfect motocross seasons turned into a saga about one of the greatest mysteries of our sport: How did Suzuki convince Ricky Carmichael to switch teams? How did Honda let him walk? The basic surface details of this story are not a secret. Carmichael has discussed it of...

In the spring of 1997, a mysterious 4x6-in. snapshot showed up in the marketing department of Oakley. The subject was one of their young riders, 17-year-old Ricky Carmichael, laying his motorcycle flat at the Silverdome. It was a mystery because nobody knew who took the photo.

The decision to run with the image, including using it on a billboard in Southern California, made for one legendary tale that wasn't told for over t...

It’s like déjà vu. Just like in episode 21, the idea for this story was just supposed to be a simple social media post. I was curious about how many different riders have held the record for most supercross main event wins. The list is even shorter than I thought it was. And I still ended up going overboard. 

So it goes. 

Thanks for listening and please leave a rating and wear We Went Fast swag from wewentfast.com/shop

FR...

This 2,000 word story started as an Instagram post where we simply wished Eli Tomac a happy birthday. But this is We Went Fast and we can’t help but find a deeper story within the details, even if the details are just cake, ice cream and 30 birthday candles.

It led to this data dive by Brett Smith and Clinton Fowler. 

Flash trivia: how many 450 Supercross main events have been won by tricenarians? Wait, that probably seems l...

This is a story about roots. I wanted to know how Doug Henry became Doug Henry, the scrappy kid from New England who worked two jobs while trying to make it as an athlete. 

He was 14 when he entered his first race. He wasn’t a promising amateur prospect, his gear didn’t match, his bikes were held together by various fasteners found in the garage. He worked with what he had, not what he wanted.

And where did that grit and res...

On August 1, 1982, an automobile/train collision killed three teenaged motocross riders in Ponca City, Oklahoma . Forty years later, memories of that white hot afternoon still haunt those who were there. 

Six years ago I received a message that said, “I wish someone would write about the boys who were killed at Ponca in 1982.”

I had no idea what he was talking about. But I knew I had to pursue it.

This is not a happy story. I...