Tribune photo by Dan McGee - Inside the race shop at his family’s home, Josh Morros stands with one of the motorcycles he rides in the WORCS series. The 16-year-old has been chosen to compete at this year’s International Six Day Enduro in Greece during early September.
Josh Morros is well known in the local motorcycle racing community. The 16-year-old already has a MRANN championship under his belt and has been under contract for Kawasaki for the past few years.
Now he’s been chosen to one of the teams representing the U.S. in the upcoming International Six Day Enduro.
“I started out with my contract with Kawi as an amateur,” he said. “In the WORCS rule book, if you’re in the semi-pro class and finish in the top five in the pro class, you’re bumped up to pro.”
At a WORCS event, the pros start first then the semi-pros, which Morros races in. In order to finish in the top five a rider has not only to catch the pro group but has pass most of them before the two-hour event is checkered.
“The top seven are the top pros in the points chase,” he said.
Last year wasn’t the best for Morros as he broke his elbow, which sidelined him for several weeks. This year he’s come back with a vengeance.
“I got bumped, I think, about two months ago at Washington and Hollister was my pro debut,” he said.
After winning his class at Auburn, Washington, Morros finished a solid third in his first event as a pro.
In a stroke of good fortune, he performance caught the attention of Rich Caselli, the series trophy manager.
“He approached my mom and dad, I think it was at Lake Havasu, and asked them if they were interested in doing the Six Days,” Morros said. “My parents came back, talked to me about it and I said, ‘yea, I’d like to.’”
He added that the ISDE is like the Olympics of off road racing. Among the teams sent to represent U.S. are the Trophy and Junior Trophy Teams. It’s an international competition so the Americans face off against teams from several countries.
To be selected Morros raced at a qualifying event in Idaho. And once again, Caselli was there.
“Rick Caselli really helped out with me getting on the Junior Team,” he said. “When I went to Idaho I made a mistake the first day and kind of lost my chance of being on the team.”
Later Caselli, a member of the AMA’s selection committee, made the case for Morros. Due to his age other members were hesitant but later made him the first alternate.
Most of the riders are a few years older than Morros and he’ll be the youngest on his team.
“In motocross by 16 you should be pro but in off road it’s like 18 or 19 when you should be pro,” he said. “So I’m ahead of my game and going up against older guys like Destry Abbott who’s 35, Ricky Dietrich is 21 and I think Kurt Caselli is 24.”
Despite this, things worked out for Morros.
“So there were already four picked but somebody backed out because they didn’t have the money,” Morros said. “So, luckily for what Rich said, I was able to get on the Junior Team.”
Caselli’s assistance was truly a stroke of luck as he passed away on July 1st after losing his fight with lung cancer.
Since then Morros is on the mend from a broken shoulder that has slowed his preparations but he feels he’ll be ready to go when it’s time to race. Once again, luck is on his side.
The American trophy team is made up of Destry Abbot, Jimmy Jarrett, Kurt Caselli, Nathan Kanney, Ricky Dietrich and Nathan Woods. Morros is on the Junior Team and is joined by captain David Kamo, Joe Giordano and Ryan Lee Powell.
Competing in the ISDE is anything but a cakewalk and the riders are the only people allowed to touch their bikes once the event begins.
“No on can touch the bike. I’ve heard in years past someone has fallen over, people went to catch it and the guy got disqualified,” he said. “So the only thing my dad’s allowed to do is hand me tools and fill up my gas.”
He admitted that his weakness is changing the tires on his bike.
“I’m not that good but I guess Kurt Caselli, from what I hear, can change front and rear tires and put them back on the bike in six minutes. So I’m going down to his house to learn,” he said.
According to Morros the whole event is kind of like a rally, a timed event where penalties are handed out for being either too late to a checkpoint or too early. And it’s a long day in the saddle.
“When I went up to Idaho for the qualifier, we started about 9 am and ended about 4 or 5 p.m. so you’re on the bike around eight hours,” he said. “You go off in waves and you have your minutes so if the race starts at 9 a.m., and I’m on the first minute, I have from 9 to 9:01 to leave the line.”
Morros added that the riders get so long to reach a check point but if they pin it, go flat out, and get there early they can stop before the check and work on their bikes or rest until they’re supposed to cross the check point.
“So it’s really crucial keeping your times and knowing where you’re at. It doesn’t really matter what time you show up at the check but when you leave the check,” he said. “It’s exciting and really cool.”
In between the checkpoints are special stages and Morros explained the times from these are added up and give a rider their place at day’s end. The rider with the lowest time is first and so on down the line.
The event is an impound race and everyone gets 10 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes in the evening to work on their bikes, change tires, oil and filters. Then they’re put away and no one is allowed to touch them.
“I there’s anything that you can’t fix on your bike within about 20 or 30 minutes, they you’re basically done,” he said.
Morros said his bike has already been crated and shipped to Greece. Due to the floods in the Southeast it took some doing to get it to Boston but it’s now over there.
“We’re going to get there about three or four days earlier than the event starts to unload the crates and put the bikes back together,” he said. “Then I think we’ll have a little time to test them and make sure they’re good, getting and everything. Other than that, you just get there, get on your bike and go.”
While he’s waiting, Morros is both healing and starting to prepare physically for the six-day grind.
“I’m been doing some stuff but I just broke my shoulder and I’m kind of on the injured list again,” Other than that, it’s the same routine I did when I was racing normal,” he said. “I’ve been doing some trail rides, where you kind of pick it up to race speed then go back to trail riding. That’s what I’ve been doing but other than that I’ve haven’t been doing anything lately because I’ve been hurt.
Morros feels that his preparations for a WORCS event will be enough as those races are a cross between off road and motocross but run flat out as though they are sprint races.
He’s also glad to be the youngest member of his team and thinks having older riders around him is a plus.
“It’s good for me because they’re all mature. They’re experienced and I get to watch them and hang out with them,” he said. “Destry’s been a big help with that as he’s sat me down and talked with me and stuff. The last thing I want to do is get really, really hurt and put my career in jeopardy. So with his help, my team manager an everyone, they’ve kind of showed me the way.
“I’m surrounded by a really good team, glad to be part of Kawasaki and glad to have the opportunity to go.
The ISDE runs from September 1 through the 6th and Morros knows there will be a bunch of Americans cheering their teams on.
“A lot of people make the trip,” he said. “I’ve seen videos on the website and it’s like the Des Nations Motocross. You’ve got people out there with cowbells, all pained in their colors and they get pretty rowdy so I think it’s cool.
“This is my first year and I’m really excited to be going as I get to represent my country. Basically this year it’ll be a huge learning experience and I’m not going to put too much pressure on myself.”
When asked about his son competing in the event John Morros said, “We’re excited and it’s an honor that he was picked. The other honor is qualifying to go over and the thing now is to get the money together to get over there.”
Helping fund this trip are a couple of functions happening this weekend. Things kick off Friday, at 7 p.m., when the family hosts a barbeque at their home (10 Mac Road in Spanish Springs). Admission is free for those that sign up for a weekend riding clinic and $10 for everyone else.
Those wishing further information should call the Morros house at: 775-425-8778.
•On Saturday and Sunday there will be riding clinics hosted by long time off road racer Destry Abbott. While the location is still to be determined Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. is for the big bikes while Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. is for the mini bikes.
For further information on the riding clinic, call Bob “Motomouth” Cavakis at 775-848-6686.
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