Owen Bartlett Podcast
Pin The Gas Podcast
Owen Bartlett Podcast
what is up everybody welcome to another live in the gas podcast and man I'm gonna tell you I just want to start off by saying Owen is an absolute legend future legends it's an honor to sit down with him this is my last podcast of 2024 and I can't thank each and every single one of you out there that listens likes and subscribes man sends me all these personal messages without you I wouldn't be able to do this and I don't want to get teary eyed right now because I will all the love and support I feel listen it thank you so much to every single one of you that makes this possible and happen. But yeah so I just wanted to put that out there I hope you guys celebrate tonight and be safe if you drive out there right get a designated driver call an uber if you live in run oak you need a ride call me, I'll come pick you up because the main thing is for you to get home safe to all your loved ones right so yeah ladies and gentlemen it's an absolute honor to sit down with Ellen Bartlett today my man what is going on. Nothing much just relaxing you know getting ready to talk about motorcycles for an hour. I love it I love it and you know I just want to say thanks to before we get into this to to all my friends that that helped me along the way. Next level financial for all your financial needs says stars who's an absolute amazing human being everybody knows who Seth is he's a racer he's a dad you know he knows the ins and outs so thank you so much Seth and next level financial bison track chef Keith's flying eyes optics SFL many RD racing jake marks marsh vet to track 64 degree racing ghetto customs the clothing Kings BSB army army SDG red racing world cars performance k YT mini S B K RTR Coleman power sports dripping wet man the list goes on thanks cake cake tech suspension. You guys are absolutely proper mega and amazing and yes Rob you are absolutely amazing I'm not the legend brother man you're the absolute legend but I appreciate the love and support. But yeah so Owen listen we got a lot to talk about I've been so excited to sit down and do this podcast with you man so as always I want to start it off bro what did your journey begin on the wonderful wheels of two. I you know it was a very very strange you know ever since I was young you know I'd seen these pictures and and videos of my dad racing so pretty much where it all started was was my dad. And we we had this little Yamaha pw that I learned to ride on and just like go around hold the sack and up and down the hill you know just around the neighborhood and it was a whole lot of fun but then you know pretty much it was that going through up till I think about two years ago where I went to Heartland park with Ellen to and Rob to you know just go out on a race weekend and help them out in the pits where I met a bunch of great great people and got a you know got my book into into racing. It's bad the beautiful people we meet within our beautiful circus and any paddock you arrive to right whether you're five, six years old to you know 40s and 50s just getting into it. You meet so many I don't want to say just friends but family within the markets. And you don't realize it at the time when you're entering this beautiful sport of ours right the friendships and the families you're going to make along the way it's it's an absolute beautiful journey in a path. That we all take and it's an absolute honor pw 50 or ejected two stroke right. Yeah yeah we all started on one of those it's a those are the bikes man and they actually had the pw 80 same thing right just just a little bit bigger. So you getting into into this journey and starting out obviously your dad's an absolute legend of the sport too. Did you have actually aspirations of of racing or was it just a hobby to you at the time. I mean like I always thought and dreamed of like racing motorcycles and doing all that but for right now at the beginning of this season it was it was really meant to be just kind of like just a hobby you know get into it. Kind of just start to slow roll it and go in but we ended up kind of kind of go on right off the deep end you know after that first race weekend where I came home with with two trophies my dad was. Was we were both very happy and we had gone way past our expectations and so we thought you know let's just keep going and. And see how far we can take it. Yeah listen that's that's where it starts man is and that's one such beautiful thing about our supporters with father and the son right in the families. I mean that's where our sport originated. You know you give us two wheels and a motorcycle yeah we're going to make it happen somewhere anywhere right it's a it's always the family. So we got Peter SF dude what is up man you meet the nicest people at the racetrack happy New Year's everyone Peter absolutely happy New Year to you to my friend and Andrew Davis do put his up my man he says what's up fellows. Have you met Andrew. I don't believe I have no. Yeah he's absolutely amazing I had the honor to actually meet him and his girl down there at road Atlanta. I had them both on my podcast looking forward to sitting down part two and three and four with them too as well. Again you meet. Your family and then the record pad on kids. It was a huge surprise to me I mean coming from my first weekend. Knowing nobody going into it and then coming out of tally. You know having all these people. Talk to the whole weekend coming up to me and me going up to them and it was just it was a real surprise you know. Just how. How much everyone talked to each other and how much it was already. Already friends. It's yeah and in the in the in the loving people want to see you thrive and do good at the track right me and that you need a sprocket or a chain or whatever it is or like here you go you know and even if you go out and you beat them. They're so happy for you right because you did so good. Yeah, that's one of the beautiful things about our sport it's everybody's happy to see everybody succeed and take that next step you know it's it's. I think that's one of the most special things about our sport is the commodity and how everybody helps everybody out no matter what it is yeah. It is so listen 2024 man I know you haven't really been you know racing the whole long time and so let's let's talk about you know 2024 where you've been racing at the bikes you've been on and and all that good stuff. Yeah, so from last season I was on a klx 140 from my buddy mark with a kind of super biker racing is what what he does, and it was a great we have early season just made modifications to the bike to get it race prepped and stuff like that. But then going off on the first race weekend and seeing you know it was, you know just trying to slowly going into that weekend, and we again like I said we went off the deep end and I came home with with two trophies so. I was exciting met a bunch of bunch of nice people specifically I love to talk to about john and Kyle Annie all the, all the people I were racing on track with the mini is a whole bunch of fun with that group. Oh it's it's amazing it really is. And then of course you know you you met Rob and the whole LN too but we will definitely get into that here in a few. So you did the the klx and then the TZ 125 to as well correct. Yeah the TZ 125 is we middle the mid season or really beginning of the 24 season my dad and mark were, we're scheming a little bit because he found he found the one, the TZ you know I'm pretty sure it was a good marketplace and they were scheming thinking oh what if we what if we get him on this next season. I learned about it and I was like yeah that absolutely seems like a fantastic bike to be on. You know we got it mid season and pretty much that whole summer working up to the weird GNF set barber we were you know we went completely through the motorcycle stripping it down to frame and engine. So it would be fixed and build it back up for for the GNF so we could take a you know Thursday practice day on that bike and and see how I feel on it. I love it man and so through your journey at working on the TZ I'm sure your dad showed you did you play a role into stripping the bike down and putting it back together. My dad is he's the brain and I'm the one who actually does everything you know he points and if I don't know how to do something he'll show me and tell me how to do it but really. I'm the one doing all the work you know I'm I'm taking the forks off I'm screwing in bolts and and doing all the work. So my next question is how many 10 millimeter sockets as we lost so far. No we haven't we didn't really used to. The day and time will come so. I'm pretty sure we did break. No we broke a 12 millimeter socket. We've been there and done that too many times right so dude I've never had the opportunity or the honor to ride a TZ 125. I grew up in there the two smokers right the two strokes are absolutely amazing beautiful machines I've heard. Playing a two stroke dirt bikes but now now the TZ. It's kind of it's a it's very much a Franken bike because it. Since we got it it's had a WR 250x motor from from Yamaha which honestly is a great motor. So I'm I'm really happy to have that in there so I don't need to replace the. Do all the work with the two stroke so. One thing I love about the two stroke is they're easy to work on you know you don't have. That's him chains and cans or any of that vowels. I love it. So first impression on the TZ bro would you think. I it was it was a lot but it was a lot of a lot of fun it's it's definitely a very much. A very much a race bike you know every time I get on that bike I can I can feel that it wants to go. And every time I leaned into a corner it didn't fight me at all it was it was happy to go into a corner and it was. It was a whole lot of fun you know it was. So much different compared to the KLX. I'm so so much different but I think it was it was a lot so much fun to get on that bike and ride it. And it showed me some areas where I was a lot less confident and where I. I definitely know throughout this next season I need to work on and and you know sort of fix but it also. Showed me some things that I was really happy with on the bike. Oh yeah 100% it it. It pushes you to to do levels and beyond of what you thought you were capable of doing much less what a motorcycle is capable of doing right. I'm such a huge fan of the smaller bikes I believe everybody should be on a small bike it teaches you so much more. Riding a small bike fast and a fast bike slow right because you're not going to learn a lot. You learn so but you won't progress nearly as much as as a slower bike. And besides due to two stroke TZ do their absolutely beautiful machines. I mean I've seen pictures of it and I was like oh my god I want one. I want one I just have it in my living room just to be like oh there she is look at her she's so beautiful. Yeah it's it's great so listen your dad obviously he grew up racing I see him in the background right there on the wall and that where plaque that. Yeah yeah the trophies are mine but the pictures are of my dad. So I've had those for as long as I can remember I've had those up in that again it's been some of the biggest inspiration. To go racing was was my dad. Oh 100% and so your journey in 2024 rate your season for me. You know I give my season a solid eight out of ten there were so many things I was so so happy with and so many experiences that I got to do right out of the gate but you know there's there's always that room to improve on. There's always a couple things that I wasn't exactly happy with sometimes throughout the season but you know I got, I got my first crash through this season I've got a bunch of podiums and and I got made a whole bunch of friends too so. So tell me about your first crash everybody remembers their first crash it's like we remember our first time we got a knee down on the ground right it's like it's something you'll just never forget and you learn a lot from it was you was you scared at your first crash or was you glad you kind of got it out the way all right I'm good let's go. Yeah I think I was definitely part of the latter half it was a really you know quick low side turn three at tally and you know just went through the corner came in too tight and got on the throat a little bit too early front end just left all of a sudden I was on the bike and then the other second I was off it on the ground laying in the grass going, what just happened. Listen I tell this story all the time like I do that I've always wanted to drag my elbow right but every time I do drag my elbow usually my shoulder comes along with it and then my hips and my back and I'm watching my bike go the opposite way of me right one day I will but yeah you'll never forget it I've been fortunate that all the major crash I've only gotten away with a couple minor broken bones so yeah yeah good stuff man good stuff so how did you and Rob and the whole LM2 how did all this come together yeah that that came as a big surprise to me because I mean the first time I actually met Rob proper was again Heartland Park about two years ago where I you know my dad took me to the pits just so we could work and help rob out. So I always throughout this whole season I always like I had known him any time my dad and Mark would talk about him you know I know who he was and what he was doing and all that stuff. And really all of a sudden it came out of the blue you know it was it was Thanksgiving I think it was the day after Thanksgiving and you know I sat down in the living room and my dad was there and you know he started asking a couple questions and you know I was asking about what my goals were for the 25 season and all of a sudden you know you told me that that Rob had an offer and I it's been it's been a lot you know it's been fun talking to Rob and getting all that stuff ready for this next season. Oh yeah Rob's an absolute legend he um he's I had him on he's dude you're in proper mega hands he's such a great person you're gonna learn so much from him and I can't wait to see what 2025 brings to you because I know you're gonna do all five is five rounds correct. Yeah five rounds. I can't and you're gonna be on the tell everybody what bike you're gonna be on yankton motorsports yankton motorsports. I don't know is the X4. I love it I love it Rob just said watch that holiday diet. Uh Christopher Joe says I see your dad in the background of Blackhawk picking up where he left off and making him proud keep up the good work dude Happy New Year fellas Happy New Year to you. Absolutely and then Charles Bartlett what is up Charles he says that's my grandson just as proud as him as I was of his dad when he started racing speed and mechanics running the family go on yes let's go right and that's again Charles that's what's so beautiful about our our circus right it goes from generation to generation to generation. Yeah that's yeah I haven't I haven't yeah I'm I'm super happy to you know following his footsteps because again that's what I've been dreaming of for for 16 years you know ever since I can remember you know looking up to my dad and you know seeing him on motorcycles and pictures and videos thinking you know I definitely want to do that I'm so happy to finally be doing that. Oh yeah I think part of it's you know as as kids grow up they want to aspire to be like like their father is right and I know I did with my dad. I'm fine flying fighter jets off the aircraft carrier then I was like you know then he introduced me to my love of two wheels and the fighter jets and the Navy went out the window and I was just so focused on the two wheels so but you know you still want to you still want to be you still look up to your dad I look up to my dad very very much he's the best thing ever right. I always want to make him happy and proud so yeah absolutely and then Brian Smith what is going on Brian he says it was really nice to meet and talk with you while racing where man you are really cool dude and can't wait to see what all you got to get up to racing wise. Yeah absolutely. And then Andrew Davis says what's the plans for 2025 and what region will you be racing in. Yeah I'm really it's going to be the Midwest doing the whole CRA calendar which is four rounds of brainer and one at I think Hastings. I don't I don't quite remember what the what the other track is well I do know that it's it's four rounds of brainer though. I'm happy to go up there in Minnesota and see that track because again that's that's one of the tracks that I've you know I want to race and I'm really looking forward to although I would really like to race the big the big circuit but they don't allow that anymore so Rob says Hastings New England in August. Yeah. I love I'm never I've never been to Hastings. So let me ask you this Owen what was your favorite race of 2024. Honestly I'd have to say my favorite race was probably my my very very first race when I got out there. You know I met John Wilkins who was you know kind of my mentor throughout this whole season. You know he showed me what to do on track where to go you know what direction the track went in he showed me. It really good lines and always gave me these fantastic tips and tricks to help me out on track to make me feel more confident and be ready for racing but in that first race you know I found myself battling with him being the entire race. And it was it was super it was it was just so much fun I just remember that so much of you know us passing each other back and forth just going around and being able to trust each other enough to do that. I love it man it's it's a yeah it's it's always an honor to you know have somebody that that teaches you and shows you things at the track as you're growing and learning right because right now you're like a sponge you're soaking everything in at one time right and using it to your advantage what you should you know yeah man. So let me ask you this you know you're you're in 2024 who was the person that pushed you the most during the season and what did you learn from that. Okay I'd say the person there were there were a lot of people that I was you know trying to aim for and be like really the person on track that I was trying to race and beat was Joe Fisher you know he was he was always ahead of me. So I was always you know trying to catch up to him and beat him in race so he really pushed me on track without really knowing it because I was you know trying to follow him and beat him. But you know off track everyone was really rooting for me and I'd say my dad was a super big help and you know pushing me and you know saying what are you going to do this practice you know what are you going to go out and work on. You know he really pushed me and made me think about everything I need to work on and do and improve on for each practice round so I can go out and win more races. Absolutely you know and again you're dead. He's so proud of you right and he wants and I am too and everybody is but he just wants the best for you wants you to succeed and pushes you. Everybody's going to give you advice and it's all, it's all for the good right and that's the way you learn and thrive to as well. I can't wait to see what 2025 brings for you bro I can't wait to see all those championships you're going to win with the number one plate and the future so bright for you. It's an absolute honor to be part of your journey for sure. Absolutely so you know that brings me to you know you also have diabetes right. I have several friends that have diabetes that race so what's what kind of challenge does that bring to you with that in racing. I mean I won't really call it a challenge I've lived with it since I was two so I've ever since I can remember I've had it and I you know I've lived with it for so long. That it's it's really become part of my routine. So really the biggest thing was fitting motorcycle racing into that routine and how do I you know how do I make them work together. Which was that was probably the hardest part and you know going into that first weekend we we had plans and ideas but we also made sure that. If they those plans didn't work that we change them and we need to find something that did work right away. But I mean our plan worked right away we we had we had all these extra snacks and these high sugar fruit smoothies you know for off track if I start to get low just something. You know healthier to you know pick up my blood sugar constantly checking my blood sugar after every round and before I go out every round you know just checking it if I'm low and I'm not feeling well. Don't go out but I mean I made it for every practice so. I love it man and you know seat times the best time for sure 110% excuse me that's how you learn the most right. That's why I'm such a fan of endurance racing I think that's the best bang for the buck there is as far as seat time goes. Is that something have you done an endurance race yet. I have not done an endurance race but that has been one of the things I was thinking about doing especially at the at the GNF you know watching those endurance races. I've been really made me start to think it's like I'd I'd really like to do one of these you know get get a couple hours just me on the bike going lap after lap after lap. Oh yeah you'll yeah did make it happen Rob dude we got to get him an endurance race man absolutely got to make it happen. Yeah it's it's I've done several and they're and they're a lot of fun it did. People I think people learn a lot more than what they realize endurance racing though and the reason why I said that is because you have two or three people on the bike right not everybody's the same the way the what clip on position the break and the clutch and the rear sets right so it's it's a happy compromise so now you're racing a bike that the set ups not totally set up for you and suits you so you're a little bit uncomfortable but then as you go on you find a way around that to be fast on settings that that you're not used to and therefore it makes you faster right and stronger mentally too as well and then when you do get on your bike where it's set up to you man it's it's a huge difference and there's no such thing people as a perfect setup motorcycle it just does not exist we're always it's always a give a take and a compromise whatever changes you make on that bike right we're just trying to make Owen feel as comfortable as he can and give him the most amount of grip out there's two black round things that we call tires and that enables him to push as hard as he pushes to make those lap times and stand on top of that box box with that number one yeah let's go absolutely man Rob says done bro looks like you're doing some endurance racing next year yes man absolutely and you know obviously you're still in school right so Owen how do you how do you separate racing from school? well it wasn't super challenging they were you know pretty separated from the beginning but it's it's really making sure that I have all my school work done you know I got to warn my teachers be like hey I'll be gone early on Thursday and not here on Friday I'm going out and racing motorcycles so really it's it's it's mostly focusing on my grades and making sure you know I'm happy and the teachers are happy with what I'm doing throughout the year so I can go out and have this spectacular hobby absolutely and are they fully supportive of you too as well yeah I'm pretty much every teacher I've met has probably thought I was a little bit crazy but you know they've they've rooted for me so I think anytime you have a a future legend in school go yeah I'm going road racing with my dad this week and they're probably like oh god yeah so yeah man you know that in Jason says in mom is happy absolutely almost happy it is it's funny because you know all my friends I've had on the podcast I asked where is your journey start it's always dads or grandpa's or some I've had one one of my friends come on here says grandma helped him right which was amazing you know you don't ever hear mom saying oh yeah let's go down there and go get our son a 50 or a dirt bike or whatever it's always the dads you know mom's being a parent man we just want the best of of of our kids right we want to be safe we want to put you in this little bubble wrap bubble and make sure you'll never get hurt like those aren't exactly in that in that book absolutely not right it's it's I remember when I got my bike my mom was like oh god here we go I just want to make sure you're okay you know all this and then we bought my son a dirt bike for Christmas this year and of course I had to hear it from a mom too as well right you just make sure he has all the proper gear I'm like mom how are you talking to you already know he's going to have all the proper gear right but you want to every every parent wants to see their son or daughter happy at whatever it is they choose to do whether you want to be professional painter motorcyclist or whatever right it's yeah it's all about you Owen right you know and all the love and support which I had conversations with your dad and I know he's all in and he's a proud dad too you know that we all are it's absolutely amazing so how does Owen Bartlett train obviously away from the race track are you do you run do you lift a little weights or yeah I do a couple things we just got a road bike or I just got a road bike for Christmas so I can start working on on that cardio and you know start to work towards my stamina on two wheels you know trying to last for those endurance races as long as possible so I'm going to start riding around on that and really focusing on that I go climbing every once in a while which is an excellent pretty much all body exercise you know make sure that really that is a hobby but it's also a great workout so oh 100% you know it's it's so you're going to be like Ben and Eric Boston free climbing right with the little chalk in your hands you're up there on the mountains trying to climb but that right there is such a mental game just like road racing right it teaches you so much you can you take what you learn from that and apply it to the track and there's so many things in life that's you take that still applies to the race track and you learn so much from it you know I tell everybody you know that really don't understand how mental our sport is it's absolutely one of the probably most mental things you ever do besides playing golf let's just be honest right golf is another one of their super mental games I play golf Tiger Woods golf on the playstation I play you know I go out and hit some balls with some of my friends but it's it's such a challenge every time I get on a golf course it's super frustrating because you got to know the layout yeah you gotta you gotta you gotta read the green make sure your putts going to be top notch and it's it's a mental it really is right so you know knowing you know you racing in where you are how do you mentally prepare for for a race or overcome something that's not going your way because we all know racing even track days or if you go out to a track day you're doing test and tune or whatever it don't always go the way you you plan on it right so how do you overcome that. You know my biggest thing is I just I breathe you know I'm in a moment I just I need to breathe you know really just focus on in and out and just doing doing some good box breathing and that you know quiet the mind and and pretty much makes me makes me calm so yeah breathing I think a lot of us forget the breathing part and that's one of the most important parts when you're on a bike is to breathe you need that oxygen flow into all your muscles and stuff so you can you know hustle around and do what you do. I know there's times I've been on the track and I know I've held my breath probably the longest I've ever held my breath and I'm like. And then I'm like breathe dude you know so it's something for me that I had to practice and implement when I'm on the bike is breathing because it's super big right and again what you just said it calms your mind right and and when your mind's calm and you can focus on what you need to do it's again you're having fun that's why we're doing it you know. So how do you prepare for for a race you know walk us through do you do a little bit like jumping jacks breathing obviously do you listen to certain type of music left boot on before you write boot anything like that. I mean nothing too much I always you know I always do a little stretch in my suit make sure I'm comfortable in the suits on right and you know I'm not going to find an uncomfortable part while I'm in the middle of the race and then have to do with that. Just do just do some room entry things maybe jump around a little bit maybe do some air karate you know just kind of have fun with it and you know don't try and focus on on the next part too much just try and live in the moment and be calm and you know just get ready. Absolutely it's very important to live in the moment man and take it all in and enjoy it right. Wax on wax on Daniel son right that whole yeah that's awesome and it's everybody's got their own certain path that they do when they always say prepare for battle right because that's what it is it's like Leonidas versus 10,000 Persians. There's not 10,000 motorcycles out there but you know what I mean. It's yeah I never I was never really a big superstitious guy when I got ready for a race I was like to just breathe. If I can get an ice bath right because I love ice bass man something that takes my mind away because I got to solely focus on breathing right because when you're in there you're cold once you get your breathing down. No more your mind's calm and it helps you get into this certain headspace that you're not normally in because we're not always in that headspace because we're not racing a ride all the time right. And it's very important to get in that certain type of mindset mode when you're out there. Yeah it's it's something I do so one of my buddies ask everybody do they have any superstitions right some do some don't. What about buddy says he wears a socks inside out. And I was like where are you socks inside out so since that day. I've had him on my podcast I wear my socks inside out and it made a huge difference with your boots with your tennis shoes and all that so that's something that I guess would be one of my. I don't know if you call the superstition but that's something I implemented from one of my friends that race so yeah yeah it's it's it's a lot of fun man dude listen you've had an awesome year and awesome beginning journey to to road racing. You're super fast I've you know obviously with all your Facebook and and did a background check on you and all that good stuff. Is there any where that people can actually watch you racing in 2025 is it going to be available on YouTube or I mean we we try and for one of the races to get some go pro set up but that that never happened. I would definitely like there to be a place for that to happen, but really, you know I need those girls pros I'll try my best to get it set up throughout the year and, and if that does happen it'll absolutely show up on Facebook and probably YouTube and all those places. Absolutely my man absolutely so. How are racing goals Owen. I mean really they're pretty simple this next season I really just want to get used to these these bigger bikes and then the 140 now get used to the TZ and get used to the yankton motorsports the X4 are and and really get comfortable on those. But I mean hopefully I'm the ultimate goal is to get on the podium every single race but you know really I just I need to focus on getting comfortable and getting getting fast on those bikes. Oh yeah you got a crawl before you can walk you got a walk before you can run right it's it's very important to progress and make your way up. And have you wrote that the ZX four. I have only I've only had pictures and and words about it but you know I'm excited to get on that bike. It's going to be a big jump. I mean it's good yeah it's it's good I'm excited I can't wait to do as soon as you get on it and you come back man you gotta give me a call and be like bro, because I want to know what your personal experiences jumping off of one bike getting on the bigger bike for the first time you know it's it'll be fast it'll be heavier. You know when you jump from one bite to the other bike you know you got to learn how to ride that bike because every bike likes to be ridden in a certain way so you got to adjust your body position and you know all that crazy stuff that goes along with it it's a really exciting man I went I'm so proud of you I'm super excited for your future man absolutely so which brings me to so you want to be obviously Moto America super bike tamp one day. Listen, whatever goal you have and I tell this to all my friends I hope you achieve it eight times over and I will support you and follow you 100% of the way. It's easy to fulfill those goals and reach your your destinies right. Do you watch like British super bikes or the album and TT or anything like that? I really I'd like to watch the island man but you know I've I really I watch Moto GP and I get a bunch of like I follow all the Instagram and Facebook pages of world super bike and Moto America and BSB and stuff like that but you know I haven't really watched their full season of those guys in a while so what are you doing you're missing out and I'm just joking it's listen everybody knows British super bikes is my favorite production race class in the world and you can watch it for free at vintage British super bike calm and 2025 it's free to watch. It's absolutely amazing have you had any aspirations of racing outside the United States or is that something you haven't even thought of yet. I mean I'd love to do it and I'd I have a big list of tracks that I'd love to race on and be competitive on but you know right now I'm just looking to take it one step at a time and see where that takes me but absolutely I'd love to go out of the country and hit a couple of a couple of tracks. Absolutely so what's your favorite track you've been on. My favorite track is definitely been I know I don't forget the name now. No pressure. Oh no pressure. No barber yeah barber. Absolutely I just love the flowiness and the hillyness of that track. I mean I don't really have too many tracks to go off of because the 24 season it was it was only little tally and barber but I can actually say that barber was so much fun both times I was on it and it got a lot more fun with the with the TZ so I can guarantee it right yeah absolutely guaranteed I've never personally been to barber. It's on my agenda for 2025. Yeah we'll see if it happens I will be at Daytona which I've never been to Daytona 200 so I'm super excited about going there and doing that too as well. Man listen I'm so excited man do you do you so listen I ask a lot of my friends this too is like have you thought about what you're going to do outside of racing as far as job wise career wise. I definitely have I'm again I love like mechanics and cars and motorcycles and stuff like that and I have my whole life and I really really love working on them. So really I'm probably going to get a mechanical engineering degree if motorcycle racing doesn't work out and really I'd love to if racing motorcycles doesn't work out I'd love to be in the pits working on those motorcycles. Or cars you know do do world endurance or maybe rally or a MotoGP you know work on work on those vehicles and be an engineer there. Absolutely I love it I love it I love the answer oh and that's pretty magical bro so let me ask you this who who's your biggest inspiration in road racing. You know there's a couple of people that I really look up to you know there's always the answer of Valentina Rossi and Nikki Hayden and all those guys. And again my dad and you know really. Yeah I mean there's there's so many people to look up to an end to mention but I'd have to say probably my dad and and you know Valentina Rossi. I really like Marco Cimicelli so. Yeah. Got a big Marco Cimicelli tattoo yeah absolutely and I got a question for you. Are you faster than your dad yet. I don't really know but probably not. I bet you'd be surprised right that's also. But when I go to black hopper when I because I'm definitely again that's a track that's on my wishlist to go to is is black hawk farms. So when I when I go there I'm definitely going to be comparing times a little bit with him. Absolutely absolutely and your dad's going to be chasing you around trust me he's going to be chasing you around you're going to learn a lot from him and Rob and everybody else but you're going to. They're all going to be chasing you going at the end of the day absolutely and you're right it's you know that questions kind of convoluted because there's so many inspirations that each one of us get from writers from all around the world right now I'll play an individual part on who kind of what we want to be right and in what direction we want to take. Yeah it's obviously you see my room I got. Freaking posters everywhere Rob says sounds like an arm a weekend at block heart just got added to the schedule yes yes yes yes yes. So hopefully one day we'll all be able to meet. You know I'm over here on the East Coast listen you Rob your dad your whole family if you guys need to play stay when you're on the East Coast I was running Virginia I'm an hour and a half away from VIR all you guys have a place to stay for free. And I got an empty lot next door you guys can park all your big win a bagels and all that cool stuff so I can't wait for the day that me and you and your pops and everybody actually get to sit down and meet. It's one of my things that I really love to do because it brings like a full circle of us you know being friends which we are but doing this is absolutely magical but when we see each other it's it's it makes it even better right. Bro listen you have such a bright future ahead of you it's an absolute honor to be part of it man and Rob and everybody thank you guys so much Owen my friend you will be a legend on your way right now absolutely you are. I love the energy you're putting off to man I love how you how you carry yourself and and all the answers it's it's like this right it's it's not something that you really got to put a lot of thought into and it just shows how dedicated you are to our beautiful sport that we all love so much right. I've been thinking about motorcycles for 16 years so I've got. No just like me just like me man William Kawasaki says see you at Brainerd Young Buck. I love it I love it. So listen man we're we're we're we're almost 45 minutes in this podcast well yeah it's it goes by so fast but um listen I want to get away from all the motorcycle talk and I want to get to know Owen more personal right. So the first question I always asked my friends is what's for dinner tonight bro. Tonight I have no idea. You know I have to ask my mom about that. Mom what's for dinner tonight I know you're listening put it down in the comments right I honestly we made tacos last night I don't I don't know what we're going to do tonight you know it is New Year's Eve. A couple of friends invited us to come over there so we'll go over there just for like an hour to and then come home to see to see the ball drop. Yeah I really don't know what to what we're going to do. Do you have any pets bro. No I do not I've tried a couple times I'm a big fan of of trying to get a dog or maybe. But you know that my mom has as put the put the snake on that one a couple times. Made the argument of she works from home and you know it'll it'll be her dog and she doesn't really want a dog so I've I've I've since moved on to like lizards trying to get a couple of lizards maybe a snake but he doesn't like the idea of having a big reptile. Bro listen my son's the same way we got two dogs and two cats he's like dad I want to snake I'm like no bro absolutely not. I don't want to when you did when you when you was little he's like I want to snake I'm like no bro he wants a turtle so. Maybe I actually I caught him a little turtle in the river right little that little booger was so fast did he was like this big. I brought him home he didn't eat or anything for a couple days and I was like look bro we're gonna have to let him go right now don't want him to you know end up dying on us or anything so. Let him go and that's the thing with wild car animals is is you catch him and then you know they get this. You know fit of anxiety and then they you know they they start to shut down which is which is not the thing you want to see. Well it's not absolutely it's not and Rossi's in here he's showing you his son my son everybody knows his big into Legos and we're all Star Wars family. Me and you get get in the whole Star Wars thing so Rossi makes he's he's like butterfly nice he makes Lego butterfly knives this is actually a gun he made that actually shoots little Lego bullets out of it with rubber bands and all this so he's. I think he's going to be an engineer right and you see this is a knife you unfold it and then you can use it. That's definitely engineering engineering stuff right there bro I'm telling you. I'm telling you may he's always coming in he's like that you could just modification I just made on this and I'm thinking to myself. How did you even come up with that like I don't watch it's yeah. I'm proud of you you know that right. Oh another engineer another engineer that's right Rob you're right he's he's talking about you. I know he says I know y'all I heard the confidence in that too didn't you. Oh my god so yeah so Rossi this is Owen, Owen Ross last podcast last is the last podcast of 2024 and again it's it's been. Proper mega which which bring me to the point Owen we talked about you know stuff fitting you correctly I'm a bison ambassador there some of the most amazing people you're going to meet on the planet. Robert Tosh Carter Edith the bunny right Thor I've got my first custom suit back here from bison it's made it makes such a world of a difference having a custom suit versus. Yeah, right now. I'm rocking an old an old shift suit that we've had just recently modified but we do have in in the works you know custom Ellen. So we did measurements for that earlier this week and the order has I'm pretty sure been placed and all that I'm really looking forward to that suit with the LM to design for for this next season. I can't wait to see it when they send you some pictures dude you gotta you gotta text them to me man I'm super excited for it's bro it's it makes a world of a difference to you know it's one of those things that you tell people and then kind of look into why I gotta suit that's off the rack it's like no I don't fit you correctly and then once you get one that's tailored made specifically for you. Oh, it's night and frickin day it's it's a whole nother level of comfort it's a whole nother level of ease in your mind when you're out there on the track because you're not, you know, moving your body around because it's too tight in your legs and on left handers or right handers or whatever the issue or too big you definitely don't want to suit that's too big because then it acts like a parachute on the track it's trying to pull you back and you're trying to fight it and then your arms are tired and your shoulders four arms and all that good stuff bro so let me ask you this are you PlayStation or Xbox. Well right now I'm a PC guy but before that I'm a big PlayStation you know I've always since I can remember I've always had access to my dad's old PS3 and then one time for Christmas my brother got a PS4 and we played on that for a very long time and then he got a then he got a PS5 and so the PS4 kind of became mine. So yeah I do definitely what game are you currently playing on the PC. Right now I'm going to a couple different games I'm very into roguelike games if you've heard of those I love those kind of games where you know they're always super hard you go in you die and you get a little bit better and then you go in again. Oh yeah kind of like Metal Gear Solid stuff like that yeah I like games like that too I play FIFA because I'm a big soccer guy so the real football. I like to play FIFA Tiger Woods of course Ride 5 and I love Star Wars right so which brings me are you a Star Wars fan too. Absolutely yeah. Yes dude I love it I should have Rossi I usually have a lightsaber sitting right here but he done took a fall out the room so let me ask you this. Go ahead. For combat lightsabers in our basement right now so I love it dude I bought so for my son for his birthday he wanted a man what was the lightsaber I got him. Oh my god I can't in sabers I think is what it's called it's a combat light saber it was like there's like saber forage there's that and there's a couple others that make those super high quality combat sabers that that light up super well but then you can go and smack your friends with them so bro bro I told him for Christmas I mean for Christmas for Halloween next year I'll be Obi one Kenobi right. Yeah his is cool man because it's blue tooth it has like all these sounds and colors and yeah it's they're expensive don't get me wrong but like I told him when you know usually when all the stolen new characters you know how they have. They put out Darth Vader lightsabers is so good and all that you go to the store they're like 250 300 bucks that's what I paid for his battle combat ready in saber on sale and there is a world of a difference between the two. They're they're so expensive but they're always so high quality and they're always those combat ones they're made to be beaten up they're made to actually be used like like lightsabers and so there's a there's a huge world of difference between them. But price wise and but actually you know you know feel wise and actually there's so much they're better made in there and they're a lot higher quality and you know build better. Oh 100% we got another legend watch right now Cole King bro what is up Cole. Cole's an absolute legend he flat track legend that transition in a road racing and. Yeah man he's frickin awesome so tell us something that we don't know about Owen Bartlett. I do a lot of robotics competitions so I do what's called FTC which is first tech challenge I've done that since the first year of high school. So I'm three years into that I did it with my Lafayette school team for two years and now I'm on a private team and I'm also doing a special technical school program called South Tech that also does the FTC challenge so I'm just doing robotics for for close to three years now and I've had a lot of fun with it bro I love it so is that like you build the robots and you got there and you fight each other see which one last and which one don't. Unfortunately no it's not battle bots there there these robots that every year FTC gives out a different task and so you got to build a robot to compete and do well in those certain tasks like this year you need to take this block and you can either turn it into what's called it and the block is it's like a it's almost like a stick of butter. It's just like this small rectangle and you it's called a sample so you can take that and either score it in these two buckets that are higher low and score them into those two buckets or you can take it and turn it into what's called a specimen as it adds a little clip on the top of it and so you can hang and you can choose to hang that on a bar which there's a whole bunch of things you can do to score points and then it's a team game so there's two teams and two people on two robots on each team so it's a big points competition. I love it man sounds like a lot of fun and again it's a it's a it's a mindset too right it's it's and it challenges you like motorcycle racing challenges you right and makes you think and solve problems Same thing at the track you know I'm learning about suspension and body position and set up and all that just helps you progress and get faster and faster too So what's your worst habit? I would I'd say procrastination I'm I'm a big procrastinator you know I have the thought of you know I can do it later and then I do that a couple times and then you know I'm stuck finishing assignment you know late at night Do I'm the same way especially when it comes to laundry I'm like I'll get that tomorrow right and then four days later I got a frickin Paul laundry this big I'm like well I know what I'm doing all day today laundry right so yeah it's a I'm just so go go go all the time I very rarely get actually the time to actually sit down and just like unwind my mind and relax when I do I like to sit down and unwind my mind and relax as much as I can don't happen very often but like I tell one of my buddies is like dude you're just so busy you don't ever do you ever just stop I'm like I'll stop when I'm dead right but right now in this short life I have dude I just want to live I want to live it to the fullest and be happy right It's just the way I look at it anyway so do you listen to any audio books I want I'm a big audio book no I don't really do audio books I do read I'm a big fan of horror I've got a bunch of Stephen King books I'm a huge fan of him so bro I love it I love horror flicks me my son dude when Rossy was two we started watching horror flicks and he was never scared he's like oh that's cool daddy I'm like yes let's go right so yeah where will you be loved horror flicks to as well I don't read physically read a whole lot because when I do puts me to sleep right I just I'm not often I'm going to sleep and I'm like what happened I don't remember even reading this but the audio book for me is just a lot better cuz I could throw it on the radio I mean on my bars I'm driving or headphones or whatever and listen to the journey I'm actually currently almost done I show everybody when I'm I'm listening to right now Anthony Bourdain's medium rom almost done with it I got like 32 minutes left and then I got several other books that's downloaded one of them which is a Star Wars book that my buddy Philip Hart turned me on to so I'm gonna start listening to that next so I'm actually excited about cuz I'm such a Star Wars nerd dude it's ridiculous my dad listens to a bunch of Star Wars audiobooks too dude yeah I can't wait to hear your dad's journey but let me ask you this of course you know I listen to audiobooks you read and I listen to what load of podcasts what podcast do you listen to that you recommend to two people out there I'm a big fan of D&D so I have a couple good D&D podcast that I listen to and there's this one with this these group of YouTubers and it's just it's just a group of friends messing around the whole time which is fun and it's called just roll with it I would recommend it it's it's a lot of fun the episodes are probably an hour to two hours long sometimes but it's it's a whole lot of fun because it's again it's four or five guys just goofing around for the entire time and it's it's a whole lot of fun to listen to I brought it down from absolutely get get a take a listen yeah listen to listen all kinds of podcasts obviously motorcycle racing podcast too but Joe Rogan and Danny Jones and there's a bunch of them right I'm also big into like Greek mythology and in the Egyptians and the pyramids and all that so that always I've always had a fascination with that like you know the ancient aliens and man the list goes on and on right it's it's it's it's something that yeah I'm absolutely into so what TV series are you currently binging right now that you can recommend to people right now I'm I'm rewatching South Park so I love it dude said dude South Park the movie was freaking awesome oh which one you know there's a whole time there's a whole bunch okay well this guy sound old school I can't I'll have to look it up and I'll text it to you I think it was their first movie they ever did yeah I think it was it isn't a sing along one I don't know it's the one where Hassan Hassan Hussein was with Satan and that whole I forget what it was called it was it did it's just South Park she's freaking hilarious you know absolutely it is so if you can invite any three people to a private track day Owen that could be dead or alive Nikki Hayden Valentina Rossi your dad your mom whoever it is what three people would you bring to a track day oh well I'm gonna go probably with Nikki Hayden I'd love to sit down and talk with him and and and you know get to see what he's all about and I'd probably bring my dad along and maybe I'll go call an Edwards I've always I've been a fan of him and had you know I'd like to meet him The Texas tornado man I've had the honor and the pleasure to meet everybody you just said except for your dad well we met face to face on here but yeah I got many pictures with Hayden autographs you know him Tommy Roger their dad their sisters of course Valentina Rossi I got a buttload of stuff signed by him and pictures and all that it's it's uh they're all legends Edwards Edwards one of the coolest guys that I've ever met he's so laid back dude is a straight talker cusses you know he just dude he's Texas Texan he's absolutely amazing right and dude it was one of the best racing seasons ever 2002 World Superbike dude it was well it's like Troy Bayless started off I was like okay Troy's got this and then mid-season they did some changes to the SP2 and yeah it was it was game on after that so absolutely my man so if you had your own private island Owen what's the one race track in the world you'd want on your island ooh I'm either I'm gonna go with probably either Laguna Seica or Major I I love both those tracks and I'd love to race on those I've been to Laguna Seica only once I went in 2005 when MotoGP first come back when they whatever it was two and a half million dollars to do whatever it was they did to the track that was my first time meeting Valentino Nikki Hayden in real life well I take it back I met Nikki here and when it was back in AMA days at Virginia National Raceway but you know Curtis Robertson all of them Kenny Roberts but Laguna was absolutely amazing man you you don't understand you know you hear it on TV the drop from the course through all the way down to turn 11 is yeah it's a absolutely awesome I'd love to to go down the course through and you will you will Owen trust me you will in Magello you see Magella it's one of my favorite tracks outside the United States but everybody knows what my favorite track is is Cadwell Park right BSB it's a yeah the track is I played on pride five and I just it's stuck at it right I ain't go a lot but it's so much fun and seeing it in real life like I said it gives you a different perspective on the undulations the ups and downs especially that mountain jump bro one thing that threw me through a loop when I first got the Cadwell Park was we're used to our tracks being this wild right cat wall parts like this one I was like I thought it was like to pit out I was like is this they're like this is the actual track I was like oh my god yeah this is awesome yeah absolutely my man oh which one of your favorite meals to eat oh that's that's a tough one you know I'm I like quite a few things you know I'm always I'm always a big seafood guy so if you put a fish or some shellfish in front of me I'm I'm going to town but I'm gonna say probably it's kind of sound a little strange but I don't get it like super often is I love a breakfast sandwich from the quick trips up in you know up in Minnesota in Wisconsin you know the one with the one with the K I know exactly what you're talking about buddy mine brought me a breakfast pizza they had there at the quick trip and I was like where'd you get this from that quick trip I'm like what he's like yeah that was good I go a lot that's awesome so are you into spicy food yeah yeah I'm always a fan of a van and some spice yeah me too I like it I like not super hot I've actually bought a bottle hot sauce last night I brought it home I forget the name of it it's it's a habanero and reaper pepper and it's it's right like it's it's not too overly hot or it just burns your mouth and you can't taste nothing but yeah I like heat like that right I like it to where and I tell this story the most the hottest thing I've ever eaten at a restaurant I'm not talking about ever eating but at at food wise at a restaurant was at an Indian restaurant because I love Indian food we have one down here it's called new wobs in downtown and I show up Owen and I normally get like a three or four right at zero to five is what they do I said look I want you to go back in the back and make that special hot sauce for me right I do the same thing in that Mexican restaurants I want the hot sauce you guys bake in the back so he's like are you sure I'm like I can handle it no problem I mean it walks over there and the two wagers is they're looking at me they're all kind of smiling laughing at me right they bring my plate of food out I'm about six bites into it and all of a sudden I was like oh something is seriously wrong you know I mean it was finished it all because I couldn't I'm not backing out of this they're not going to be like yeah we had this guy come in here he can't take it yeah I'm just to show him and prove it wrong but it was the hottest food ever eaten at a restaurant was was that so I love all kinds of food man Mediterranean Italy dude all that one food I really don't eat is Chinese food once I got into Thai food I don't even order Thai food I mean in Chinese food anymore because it's not the same absolutely not absolutely not so what's one of the best advices you've gotten so far into road racing and there's a lot I've been I've been told a ton of things so I kind of kind of think about this one I mean there's always the advice of like just go do it 100% right live in the moment enjoy it right absolutely so if you if Owen had one superpower what's the one superpower you would pick that's a it's a another good another good question there's a bunch of things I'd like to do you know but I'd say probably something cool like have have a healing ability so when I go and do something stupid there's not too many consequences I like Wolverine you just regenerate yourself right that's yeah awesome I think teleportation would be really cool too because I could just teleport to Laguna second real quick or anywhere I want in the world right Rob says have fun and Rob you're absolutely right because if we're not having fun what's the point of throwing a leg over the motorcycle so but but you retain that to anything in life yeah absolutely Krego Harris so he's a good mate amount over there in the UK happy New Year's guys happy New Year to you too my friend yeah it's it's a yeah teleportation would be would be absolutely super super cool listen Owen we're about an hour and ten minutes into this we're going to cut this podcast here shortly which is man it's absolute honor to have you on last podcast of the year but I have one more question for you if Ellen had his own Moto America super bike team what's with the one manufacturer you would have and who's the two current riders you would put on those bikes I'm I'm gonna go through Connie you know I think they will be Connie so and I guess I'd probably put it's a tough one ain't it okay I'm gonna go JD Beach I like him he's you know he just seems like a nice calm dude and puts his head down gets worked on so jiggy dog he's absolutely amazing hmm I got I don't really know about the second one though you know I'm gonna go kind of kind of a different direction I'm gonna go Kira she did the the the the building race series this year and I actually met her at Heartland Park so I'm gonna I'm gonna put her on the team she's a great rider I built train race royal infield absolutely amazing all those girls are absolutely the legends I've had the honor to sit down with with a lot of them on the podcast and there's more to come right it's I think that program is such a wonderful program absolutely you know because it teaches you actually you got to build your own bike you know take your tires down to tech put the stickers on chain sprockets got it got it got it's it's it's absolutely amazing program so yeah build train race it's freaking awesome dude absolutely awesome listen spend a lot of fun Owen I appreciate it man I really do it's been an honor one last question for you what advice would you give to the younger generation that that's listening to this podcast what advice would you give them as far as getting into racing I mean you know you just kind of you just kind of got to go do it you know you know even when you you know if you're just coming off of the crash and you know your little you might be a little apprehensive you know get up to speed again and then go do and get out back on track and go around the corner but I'm gonna say the greatest thing to do is just you know go around track get back on the bike and just keep going and keep riding have fun absolutely that's exactly what it's about listen this has been a lot of fun I'm actually gonna let you in the podcast in 2024 here in a minute but there's one more thing I gotta say to everybody again thank you guys so much for all the love and support without you I will not be able to sit here and do this thank you to all my friends that that you know that that show me love and support I mean and everybody that watches it likes and subscribes and all that too but everybody that that I have on my shirt you know as far as next level financial you know bison track chef eats flying eyes optics SFL mini GP RD racing listen every single one of you thank you guys and girls so much you don't know what it means to me it means absolutely the world. I really don't know what else to say but it's been such an honor it's it's nothing but love to every single one of you I'm so looking forward to 2025 and having all my friends on the podcast I can't wait to have Owen back on for part two can't wait to sit down with his dad and have a ride back on which brings me a good idea I would let's get you a rob on the podcast midway through the season so you'd have you and yeah dude absolutely listen I hope everybody has a wonderful new year tonight be safe okay if anybody's in the right hand run up give me call I'll come and get you and again listen thank you so much everyone it's been a frickin proper make a year it's I always say because it has been the list goes on and on I will see you guys in 2025 I can't wait I do got a podcast coming up I think what's today I don't lost dude I've been off work for like two weeks so it's just I'm just going and going and going right Jamie Hanson says Happy New Year see you soon Owen Jamie Happy New Year to you too my friend Craigo roll on 2025 season let's frickin go mate again thank you to everybody Owen tell everybody where they can find you on social media the next track you're gonna be at so they can show all your love and support I do actually I have one more question do you have any t-shirts or hats for sale? I do not know okay I'll think about getting those getting those set up you can find me at my Facebook of Owen Bartlett racing and all of my next season will be on all of the LM2 experience social media pages their TikTok Instagram Facebook all theirs you know you'll see my progress there too yeah well that also be on my pin the gas page too as he progressed through and he'll be back on to you guys can hear all about it too so yeah listen this has been a lot of fun I wouldn't just stay on with me for a minute when I end this ladies and gentlemen it's been an absolute honor it's been an absolute honor of a year I hope to see every single one of you guys and girls at the Moto America events next year which I'm really looking forward to and yeah Owen thanks you again so much my friend it's been an absolute honor I really appreciate you pleasure's all mine thanks alright Owen is there anything you want to say before I end this yeah I'd love to shout out some of my sponsors woodcraft and vortex supplying all the gear at a great price I've been using their stuff all throughout last season so yankton motorsports with the zx4r stick boy racing with all my tires and stuff for last year and always a lot of fun we are of course great great racing organization at a fantastic year with them just a lot of fun and of course LM2 experience I highly recommend everyone goes and checks them out Rob Oliver is a great dude so oh yeah Rob's an absolute legend he's a Ducati lover just like me and yeah dude I get it bro I do man but listen Jason Bartlett says thanks nobody thank you and I'll talk to you soon well actually I'll talk to you here in a minute Jason so come on up and with Owen and me you gonna chat here for a minute but ladies and gentlemen thank you so much for all the love of support in 2024 I know I keep saying it because I absolutely mean it and yeah thanks again for joining us today in this episode we'll be out on Spotify our heart and all that good stuff tomorrow if you didn't if you did miss it and you want to catch it again today you can go directly to my YouTube channel on my Facebook and rewatch it but again we'll see you in 2025 stay tuned thanks again Owen you're an absolute legend friend thank you all right let me in this and just stay on with me for a second yeah calling all two wheel enthusiasts get ready to rev up your earbuds with pin the gas podcast the ultimate motorcycle racing podcast hosted by Chris Simcoe one of our very own excellent leaders here in run of Virginia with expert analysis behind the scenes stories and exclusive writer interviews pin the gas podcast delivers the adrenaline rush of the racetrack straight to your ears whether you're a diehard fan or a curious newcomer you'll gain insights that will transform how you watch and understand motorcycle racing on your favorite podcast app join Simcoe as he takes you on a high speed journey through the world of motorcycle racing pin the gas podcast