The Story of Turner Michaels (MXGP)

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From Humble Beginnings

Born near Baltimore in 1995, Turner Michaels had a regular upbringing that many would have dismissed as being as par for the course as an American. His Dad worked a blue collar, long hour job, his mum stayed at home to raise him and his older sister (Daisy) and like all young boys he would chase the dream of being a sports star, playing Little League and Pee-Wee.

With his Dad working until dark during the week, it was at the weekend that Turner and his father would bond. Sports was always a focal point in the Michaels house, but it was his fathers love of bikes, notably Dirt Bikes that saw Turner find a relationship for life.

From riding on the handle bars as a 5 year old, to getting his own junior bike at 10, Turners life was based around riding hard and riding fast. His father would spend every spare minute he had tweaking and tuning his sons bike, just so he could get that extra ounce of juice from it as they raced around dirt fields near their home town. Yet Motocross was a career neither had thought they would really see as part of Turners future.

Not only is it expensive to get into, but it was hardly the future that many parents would choose for their child. Sean Michaels (Turners father) had hoped for more for his child than he had. With his older sister already at college, the 17 year old Turner came to a crossroad. His notoriety in local Motocross racing had bought him some recognition, but to get into the sport full time, you needed a break... and one hazy spring morning that break came.

With Turner out racing around his local dirt track, he noticed that he had some onlookers. The Yamaha team from the national AMA series were in town en route to their testing at High Point National. The team had stopped off to give their riders a chance to blow off some cobwebs and spin their machines pending changes for their upcoming test runs. Whilst unloading their vehicles, Turner was spotted and with his performance on a relatively low budget dirt bike exceeding any of their expectations, it wasn't long before they called Turner over to have a chat.

From there, Turner would make his first steps towards a pro Motocross career. The Yamaha team offered him a chance to run testing on their bikes at High Point,a chance that the 17 year old Michaels would jump at... only he had to get this past his parents first. Fortunately his fathers love of the sport would overrule his head and Turner was sent to Pennsylvania with his families blessing, Turner knew he had one chance to make it and it was his time to take it.

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A Brief Rise and Fall

His early foray in the Yamaha team was to help the current riders and to prepare the bikes ready for their test runs. Turner himself would get to ride the bikes to ensure they handled well, but there was little interest in pushing him to be a starting rider in the upcoming 2012 season. Instead Turner found life in the sport less than glamorous, working all hours to help the engineers get organised, whilst appearing to reap little reward.

Yet as the 2013 season approached a stroke of luck would change all that. Turner found himself on the track testing on a regular basis during the winter and when a spot came open for the team in the 250cc class, Michaels would get his chance to shine. Test racing would be different to on track professional motocross. Turner found it hard, hitting the scrubs and winding up at the tail end of his opening 3 races. Yet the team kept faith and with lead rider Jeremy Martin pushing Eli Tomac all the way in the Championship, Michaels played his part in supporting that challenge earning him a 1 year full time riders contract with the team.

Martin would continue his surge in the series, claiming the 2014 and 2015 titles, whilst Turner chased his tail and notched up a clutch of podium finishes, putting him in prime position to lead the team when Martin stepped up in category... however that winter things would turn sour on and off the track. Turner had found himself struggling with various bumps, leading him to rely on painkillers and eventually alcohol to quell the niggles that he thought would prevent him leading the team. Then when Yamaha announced that Cooper Webb would take the place of Jeremy Martin, Turners would appeared to collapse beneath him.

A row with team ownership left him in a precarious position and within weeks that became untenable after he turned up to testing drunk, wrecking his bike and fracturing his ankle. There was little choice, Yamaha terminated his contract, the once promising career of Turner Michaels was now in tatters. His substance abuse had caught up with him and whilst he was too ashamed to admit it to himself, he would return home in the hope that he could rectify his situation somehow.

He knew there was very little chance he could resurrect himself in North America, so when a fateful call came in late September, the now physically (not mentally) healed Turner made what would a life changing decision.

[djp73]

good intro, nice to see something different. following

[bestbrother]

The New Adventure

Once you are in an industry you can generally find work again and again. This term proved valuable for Turner as an engineer who had worked with him during his brief spell in the AMA, contacted Turner with a proposal. It came out of the blue and was potentially life changing but Turner needed to take stock, not only would he have to stop his substance abuse spiral, but he would have to do that alone and in Europe.

MXGP was thriving across the pond, the worlds biggest manufacturers continued to pour money into the series based in Europe and with that it would open up jobs and opportunities for all those in the sport. Mads Jorgensen would be the man to contact Turner, Mads was a lead engineer at Yamaha in the US and when he returned home to Denmark for family reasons, his career soon took him back into motocross.

Mads would be a key component in a new team arriving on the scene in MXGP, setting up a small operation ready to run in the MX2 series for 2017. US based investors had bought Mads onboard knowing he could push the team forward and with Yamaha providing the bike, the Danish engineer knew there was a rider available who could get the best from the machine and at a relatively cheap price.

Turner couldnt believe his luck, here was a chance to get back to doing what he loved and with a little deliberation he jumped on the offer from Mads and set off for what could prove to be the greatest adventure of his life. Michaels had made many mistakes in his somewhat short moto' career to date, but now he had an opportunity to represent himself and the USA in Europes premier MX series.

Arriving in Europe just a few months before the season would start in Qatar (ironically outside of Europe), Turner had alot of work to do. He was soon introduced to the small team ready to help him be competitive in his debut, but there would be more than on track work required... Turner still harnessed his demons, he was now alone in Europe and having to face up to them and the pressure of knowing that this is his last shot in the sport.

[bestbrother]

Above: Michaels profile already sits on MXGP.com ready for the upcoming 2017 series

Turner Michaels Secures MX2 Ride
@gatedrop.com

American rider, Turner Michaels had previously contested in the AMA Supercross series as he rode for Yamaha in the North American format. However following his release from his previous team due to personal reasons, Michaels has now secured an outdoor ride in Europe.

Michaels has inked a deal with Danish team, DanskeYamaha Racing to contest the FIM MX2 World Championship. This move will see DanskeYamaha debut in the FIM World Championship with Michaels as their solitary rider for the 19 race series.

Team Principal Mads Jorgensen worked with Michaels in America and has faith that his knowledge of both the sport and riding a Yamaha will help him settle quickly into his new surroundings. When announcing Michaels, Jorgensen was also able to show off the teams new livery with headline sponsor Wossner backing them throughout 2017.

DanskeYamaha spotlight their new ride for Michaels

“It’s a very good series and I need to be seen in order to get back on track. I know its fiercely competitive with the chance for all riders to make that step up to the top tier. Im grateful that Mads has remembered me and given me a chance to ride again and our focus as a new team will be to be at the front of as many races as we can”, Michaels commented.

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MX2 Class Preview 2017:

Never has it been more difficult to predict a class than MX2 in 2017. The departure of the dominant Herlings and even his closest chasers Anstie and Ferrandis means that there will be just one rider at the gate in Qatar who has previously won a GP – Thomas Covington.

The American burst onto the GP scene with a stunning performance at Losail three years ago, but that was a rare highlight in an otherwise frustrating season that has been the hallmark of his entire GP career. His GP win in Mexico 2015 and his moto defeat of Herlings at Assen last summer both came out of the blue. Thomas needs consistency to challenge for a medal.

The other title candidates can be separated into several groups.Consistency was the key to both the Tixier and Gajser titles in 2014/15, and it also made the difference when the medals were handed out last year as both Jeremy Seewer and Benoit Paturel stood out through their regularity rather than impetuous sensations.

Each came desperately close to a victory last summer, but the simple fact is that neither of them has yet even won a moto. That particular entry on their CVs will have to come quickly if they are to reach for gold. Seewer’s future is secure as he already has an MXGP contract at Suzuki for 2018, but he desperately needs an MX2 title at the last attempt and, despite his consistency, only two of his second place motos were achieved while Herlings was around.

Paturel too needs quick success. He came closest on home turf at St Jean d’Angely last year but will not face an opponent who can take four-seconds out of him in a single lap amongst the class of 2017. The second group are the banzai boys, and no one epitomises this group better than Pauls Jonass.

The Latvian will probably take some beating in sand this year, his technique is outstanding in loose earth, and his final ranking will undoubtedly depend on how well he bounces because it is difficult to envisage this all-action rider sticking in the saddle through all 38 motos. Another to fit this bill is TM’s lone wolf Samuele Bernardini. Both bike and rider in the Italian set-up are phenomenally fast, but a 2016 season without a single top-three moto showed just how difficult they find it to stay glued together for even 35-minutes.

When it comes to experience Petar Petrov, entering his eighth full GP campaign, has to top the poll, but a rider who needed nearly seven years to make the podium is not going to be champion.

A first, or second, year hotshot is not unknown, but none of the current crop is another Roczen or Herlings. At the same time they do not face the high level of experienced opposition those two disposed of – so never say never. Jorge Prado will probably win the season-long holeshot award, but the Spanish kid has proven last year and again in the warm-up races that he lacks stamina.

If you’re looking for a long shot, bag Hunter. Husqvarna hasn’t won a world title this century, but the effective steps taken by every managerial link in the chain gives the Mattighofen ‘B’ team a solid look. Thomas Kjer Olsen whistled through EMX250 last year and was immediately top six in his late season transfer to the GPs. Personal trainer Rasmus Jorgensen remains at his side as a significant addition to the JM advisory ranks, and it will be interesting to see how some of the Dane’s advice can rub off on Conrad Mewse.

Newly formed DanskeYamaha also have an unknown quantity riding their bike in their debut season. Turner Michaels comes from a brief spell in the AMA circuit across the pond and whilst he faired relatively well, he left under a cloud with personal problems surrounding substance abuse at the center of his decline. IF Michaels can re-ignite his passion for moto' then he could well be one of the surprises in 2017.

But we have left the best until last. If anybody is going to upset the factory apple cart this year it could well be Steve’s other boy Seva Brylyakov. The Russian slotted perfectly into the Dixon machine last year to quickly show consistency AND speed, the way he carved his way through the pack for his podium in Mexico was a revelation. Injury cut short his season but the boy from the edge of Siberia need fear no-one in the class now Herlings and Anstie are gone. Seva could be the latest in Steve Dixon’s long line of winners… and with no GP in Britain he can race the entire series.

Who’s going to grab gold in the autumn and have to wear a penguin suit in December?

[bestbrother]

Jonass Tops in Qatar
Latvian dominates on sand; Husqvarna closest challengers

QAT - Back to back race wins for Pauls Jonass in Losail (Qatar) as the KTM rider took charge of the MX2 series from the get-go, comfortably winning the GP from American Tyler Covington.

With the heat forcing the races to take part in the humid evening, Paul Jonass would top qualifying, edging out Seewer and the surprise time of Turner Michaels who found himself in 3rd place clocking in under 1 second off the lead time.

Sadly for Michaels that form failed to carry over into the race as he fell 3 times during race 1 en route to a 20th place finish. Fellow American Covington would fare better finishing 2nd to Jonass but a whooping 5 seconds off the pace.

Danish rider Kjaer-Olsen would fill out the podium beating out Prado-Garcia in a last lap showdown.

Race 2 would be a repeat of the opener, with Covington and Kjaer-Olsen rounding off the podium. This time the racing proved closer, but Jonass still held a comfortable lead as he would celebrate the overall GP win.

Above: Michaels improves on his debut showing with a 13th place finish

At the back of the pack Turner Michaels would improve with a clean run as he finished in 13th, whilst South African Vlaanderen had an event to forget coming in 22nd in both races on his HSF Logistics KTM.

From the Pits:
"We are delighted to come away from Qatar with the maximum. It couldnt have gone any better for us, the bike handled perfectly and in the end it proved to be an easier GP than we expected" KTMs Paul Jonass

"Its been a great learning curve for him (Turner Michaels). He timed well and after qualifying we had high hopes for the races. Unfortunately a rough race 1 left the team a little deflated. However Turner picked things up and a 13th placing in the 2nd race proved that he can be consistent enough to compete with the better riders in the class" Mads Jorgensen, DanskeYamaha Team Principal.

Qatar GP Results

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Olsen Rips Up Asia
Jonass usurped as Olsen claims GP win

IND - Pauls Jonass collected 3 straight race wins as he opened up in Indonesia as he left Qatar, yet his name wouldnt be on the GP winners list this time out as Kjer-Olsen upped his game to win race 2, bettering his effort of 2nd in race 1.

Jonass would slip to 6th as an early collision with KTM team mate Jorge Prado left him in the midst of a fierce mid pack battle. This would also benefit the latter as Prado claimed 2nd place in the GP, enabling him to keep tabs with Jonass in the overall standings.

Other notable performances saw Jeremy Seewer live up to his reputation by claiming his first podium of the year in race 2, whilst Britains Adam Sterry debuted this year with a 9th place in race 2 as teams changed up their lineups based on the track.

From the Pits:
"I think we deserved this result from our efforts across the weekend. We had a little luck with Pauls (Jonass) falling early, but thats part of racing and we made the most of it" GP Winner; Thomas Kjer-Olsen

"He (Turner Michaels) needs to show a bit more respect out there. We have had a few incidents already in just 3 races, he needs to take a look at his style and hopefully his team have taken note and will reel him in a bit for future meets Jeremy Seewer speaking after clashing with Turner Michaels in race 1

Indonesia GP Results