Tuesday Toolbox: Andy Lagzdins

Remember Andy Lagzdins? Andy got his start in the Blackwater days when he was 20. After spending years racing GNCCs, the Baltimore, Md. native switched to desert racing, taking the Overall Title in the Score International Series and going for his second run in the Baja 1000. Lagzdins is moving to LA from his hometown to make a run for another successful year in 2010 racing in the desert. He tells us about his plans for the 2010 in this week's Tuesday Toolbox.

So Andy, what got you interested in riding? I transitioned from racing BMX in the early 80's I guess you could say. Then I got a Honda ATC200X 3-wheeler and as soon as I got that I stopped racing BMX and got into racing ATVS.

Then you got into racing GNCCs. How did you find out about the series? I guess the first exposure I got was articles on Blackwater that I saw in the magazine Dirtwheels. So my first GNCC was Blackwater in 1988 when I was 20. It was kind of a sobering event. I drowned my 3-wheeler in a stream right after the start. I think I started number 380 on Main Street because there were so many people. After I drowned it in the creek, I got some help and got it towed out and went on and finished the race. It was definitely everything it was cracked up to be.

Even though it was sobering, why'd you decide to keep coming back? I guess it was just a challenge. I had to beat it, you know? I just kept coming back until a few years ago.

What were your goals when you started? I definitely wanted to win races. I don't think I was looking for a championship; I was just going out and trying to win each race.

You raced a really long time in the GNCCs didn't you? I raced from 1988. 1989 was the first full year on an ATV and I stopped racing GNCCs full-time in 2007.

Did you feel like you had accomplished what you had set out to do? Not really. I really wanted to get on the podium but it just wasn't in the cards for me. I'd like to say I'd come back and try to do it again, but my focus has shifted to other stuff.

And then you stopped racing GNCCs? I think it was just the desire to check out some other kinds of racing, and travel and experience some new things in racing.

Tell me about Team Christy/Duncan racing. How did you get involved with that team? It started in 2007, I wanted to do a Desert Race and Duncan Racing got me hooked up with Craig Christy who was looking for a rider for the Vegas to Reno race. So I went out and did that race and we finished well, and we got along really well. So this year, I did the whole series, The SCORE International Series in Mexico and the Best In the Desert Series.

What got you interested in Desert racing? I had always seen coverage on the events in the magazines and it just looked really cool and I just wanted to try something different. Leading up to that, a few years ago I started doing 12 hour races in the US and Europe and in Canada and that kind of got my desire going for desert racing.

You just wrapped up the Score International Class 24 450 Pro quad championship, and the Overall title, so apparently you're pretty good.
Yeah! I mean the skills I learned racing the GNCCs for years and years definitely paid off and helped me with the desert racing. A lot of things translate over into desert racing.

You raced the Baja 1000 too, right? I did it last year and this year. Last year, I did it with Tom Wright and Jim Stack, a couple of GNCC guys. It was the first time we had really done that type of thing on our own, and we ended up finishing second behind Christy's team.

How does the Baja compare to GNCCs. Is it as scary as it's rumored to be? It's definitely scary in sections. The consequences of sliding off a cliff or a ledge is definitely a higher risk than the GNCC races. You can leave with some crashes and injuries.

How long does it take to finish? It's definitely longer than what you were used to at the GNCCs. The 1000 mile races are usually about 18-20 hours. The bike is constantly running and we have 4-5 riders that switch off.

What is that like physically and emotionally? Id' imagine it would be an incredible race to have to accomplish. Well, we go down into Mexico about a week or two ahead of time and each rider does a pre-run of his section of the course so we get to know the terrain really well. Knowing what is coming up gives you extra confidence. The more we can get familiar with that section the better we do. It's nice to practice, so you don't have a lot of surprises on race day. Still, that element of danger where you don't know if the track is going to change is still there, with the dust and the just miles of terrain, and you can't remember what's coming up next. I mean you're doing 100 miles at a time. It's definitely emotional when it comes to taking risks, but the adrenaline rush of going so fast and conquering all that terrain is definitely worth it.

I've heard that people that live around the track will booby trap it too! Did you see any of that happen? What happens is spectators want to see action so they'll dig trenches across the track to get the trucks airborne, so they'll pile dirt on the back side of the hole, so when the quads hit it it's like a big kicker. Sometimes at night when you hit it, you'll hit it full speed and next thing you know, you're doing a handstand, and everyone is cheering. In that aspect, it's similar to the legendary Blackwater with all the spectators getting into the action and pointing out lines and helping.

What's the terrain like? It's not just in sand right? There are sections that are really rocky when you're crossing summits, like ridges of mountain ranges and it's really technical like a trials event. All of the drop-offs and rocks and quads are flipping over, and there are spectators helping point out lines, just like at GNCCs. A lot of people think desert racing is going really fast through lake beds and flats but parts are really technical and some woodsy pine forests.

We're going through small towns and villages and getting onto roads and having to deal with local traffic. Some people that live there that don't even know races are going on and going through their daily routine. You'll be going past cars going in the opposite direction on the race track. It's just another obstacle.

How does a city boy from Baltimore, Maryland get into desert racing? That just seems crazy to me! I grew up in the Baltimore city limits, and there was really no place to ride near my house, so I'd hitch rides with buddies and go riding any way I could. I had such a passion for it. I did whatever it took to ride. We had a couple tracks in Maryland. Budds Creek isn't too far from my house, and I don't know how many times I've raced on that. A lot of the tracks have since closed up or land has been developed so I have to go further and further to race.

That's something you've had to deal with right? And now you're moving to California to race. Right, I'm getting ready to move to California in the beginning of January, It's a major ordeal. I never thought I had so many motorcycle parts as I do right now. I'm still keeping my home in Maryland, and all my family is here. I'm staying with some Guys on Christy's team in LA.

This year I flew out there about a dozen time for the races, and it gets old doing that flight over and over again. Sometimes those races are only a few weeks apart. It will be so much easier to be out there full-time where I can prepare for the races, and be in that type of terrain. It should be a pretty big help.

How did you do it living on two coasts and racing? That had to have been rough having to go back and forth so much! What made you stay? Christy's team has been doing it for a few years. They've got a really great program. It's a blessing to get in with that team and use each other's strength. My sponsors really help me out. Going from GNCCs to just packing it up and going to the West coast and learning the desert series, I'm just really thankful my sponsors stuck behind me and I think it really paid off. I'm having a lot of success out there.

It sounds like you are having a lot of success. Are you going to race the Desert series again? I'm going to be running the WORCS series next year. I'm going to race the whole series. We're also going to do the SCORE series and defend our championship. Those are the two main series we're going to focus on.

It sounds like you have a lot on your plate, then. Back in 2007, I rode the entire GNCC series and OMA nationals, which was the most racing I had done. It was like 23 National events. I've kind of always had a lot on my plate, and I always wanted to do as many races as possible. This year should be back to doing a lot of races again.

Well best of luck in 2010!