“Sometimes Nice Guys Finish
First”
Interview with Josh Demuth
Story & Photos by Eddie Graveline
www.motopress.net
 For the last five seasons, Buddy Antunez overshadowed everyone else
who even thought
about rolling onto an Arenacross track. With the “Budman” heading for the
greener (as in money) pastures of Supercross in 2002, the door was open for
someone else to step up and into the spotlight. Many people thought that
Damon Bradshaw would be the man this year, but it was someone else
altogether. Josh Demuth has been banging around the AX circuit for a couple
of years now. He was competitive when he was healthy, but a lot of time on
the DL kept him out of the championship fight, until this year. Josh came
out swinging at the season opener in Des Moines and basically never looked
back. Damon Bradshaw proved a worthy adversary before suffering a season
ending leg fracture, but Demuth was in control of the points lead the whole
time. He won more races than anyone else did this year and usually podiumed
in the races that he didn’t win. The end result was his first National
Arenacross championship. It couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy. Josh is a
devout Christian, which becomes obvious anytime he gets interviewed. He is
honestly one of the nicest people you could ever meet and carries himself
with an air of humility that is very rare in professional sports. I spoke
with Josh after the Oakland round of the Arenacross series. We talked about
the season, the Arenacross series itself and the impending championship,
among other things. The very next weekend, Josh wrapped up the title in
Vancouver, British Columbia. The following interview gives some insight into
his frame of mind heading into the final rounds of the series.
Q: Josh, you’re not satisfied with winning
the championship by being consistent. You want to win as many races as you
can along the way, don’t you?
A: “Yeah,
definitely. I want to win as many races as I can for all of my sponsors and
just to get the Shogun Motosports bikes up front. It is a long series. I’m
happy to be up on the podium and be as consistent as I have been. I’m just
looking forward to the last couple of races.”
Q: Are you thinking about the championship
yet?
A: “Yeah,
(laughs) I’ve been thinking about it for a while. It’s a lofty goal that
I’ve been shooting at for a long time. It’s just amazing that the Good Lord
Jesus Christ blessed me to be able to be where I’m at right now. It’s just
unbelievable.”
 Q:
The Arenacross series might have lost credibility when Buddy Antunez left
had it not been for the emergence of other big name riders on the starting
gates. From Damon Bradshaw to Phil Lawrence and a host of Supercross
regulars that have made appearances, the star power of this series continues
to grow. Do you see that trend continuing in the future?
A:
“Arenacross gets bigger every year. More and more people come. There are a
lot of Supercross riders starting to ride it now. I think the publicity is
great. There are a lot of good fans that come and watch. The sport is
growing. It’s not nearly as big as Supercross, but I think that we have a
good thing going here and hope that we can continue to have it for many
years to come.”
Q: I think it’s important to take indoor
motocross to markets that maybe aren’t big enough for Supercross, but have a
hockey/basketball arena and a bunch of fans that want to see big-name
riders.
A: “Yeah,
definitely. Supercross goes to the really big towns. A lot of these little
towns get to see it on TV, but they never get to really see this kind of
action (live). The Arenacross series is actually a little more action packed
because it’s in such a small arena and there are so many more races going on
around the track. Supercross is a little more spread out, you’ve got your
fast guys out front. But here, it’s a battle. Everybody can win.”
Q: You’re a pretty mellow, levelheaded guy on
the track, but some of the guys in this series bang bars on a regular basis.
Is that a product of the same guys being in close quarters for so long?
A: “It’s
pretty funny. A lot of the guys get mad at each other. I try to stay friends
with everybody, make clean passes and ride to the best of my ability. I know
that some of these guys let their tempers get in the way, but that’s racing.
Everybody’s got a temper. I’ve got a temper. But everybody, they seem to get
along after the races are over. They’re all still friends.”
Q: Here’s one that I know you’ll want to take
on. I’ve started to notice a trend
in motocross. It seems to me that a lot more riders are gaining, or at least
talking about their spirituality. I think that in Supercross it has a lot to
do with the work of Steve Hudson and in Arenacross, the Team Faith program.
Has that influence had a positive effect on the racing as a whole?
A: “Yeah,
Brian O’Rourke from Team Faith, he’s definitely brought a feeling of comfort
to the whole series. A lot of the riders go to the chapel services. I went
to a lot of Steve Hudson’s chapel services. I don’t know, it just makes you
feel better about the whole day, about racing. I can’t thank the Lord
enough. He’s given me a family with my wife and a house. My racing is going
good. Everything is happening and it’s all because of Him. It’s neat to see
what He does with people’s lives and how He changes them and fixes them and
what plans He’s got for people.”
Q: You always talk about your faith on the podium. Do you
ever encounter resistance or booing when you do that?
A: “Some,
but most of the time people are really happy about it. They want to see a
good, strong Christian kid up there. Of course, I’m no angel, but I try to
be the best person that I can be. It’s a long hard road, but if you’re
willing to take it, it’s definitely worth it.”
Q: Do you have any racing plans for after the
conclusion of the Arenacross series?
A: “Me,
the Shogun Motorsports team and my mechanic, Jack Yost are going to head out
to the outdoor Nationals. We’re going to race probably the last three
Supercrosses. We’re looking forward to it. We’ve got our bikes ready to go
and we’re about to start testing. We did one last year and we did really
well. Hopefully we’ll continue to keep that rhythm going this year in the
outdoors.”
Q: Do you feel like you’ve found a home in
Arenacross, or is the dream still to break into Supercross and stay at the
highest level of racing?
A: “You
know, everybody wants to win a Supercross title or outdoor title. I really
enjoy it here. The people are really nice, all the crew and fans. You come
back every year and you’ve got some loyal fans. I don’t know. It’s a really
great atmosphere and I like it here, but eventually, if I ever win the
championship, I’ll give it a couple of years and try to go back to
Supercross. If that doesn’t work, man I’d love to come back. It’s always
good to be here.”
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