After Round 9 of the 2009 season, XC1 Pro Santo DeRisi decided he needed a break. The DeRisi's welcomed a new addition to their family in September and Santo really wanted to focus on his family and his business, DeRisi Racing Incorporated. But he and his wife soon realized they missed racing too much! Instead, DeRisi strengthened his amateur support program and started working a new program for himself. This year, DeRisi will race the Vet A class on a Can-Am. Check out this week's Tuesday Toolbox for all the details.
DeRisi is making the move from XC1 to Vet A to concentrate on his business.
Before we start talking about 2010, why don't you tell us why you didn't come back to finish the season. You didn't come back after the break.
Well, I just honestly had a lot going on at the shop and at home. We had a new addition to our a family, who was born in September. I was trying to concentrate on my business and family for the time. I needed a little bit of break to evaluate what I wanted to do. Honestly, I didn't know if I was going to come back at all or just concentrate on the shop in 2010.
Why did you decide to come back in 2010? Well, honestly, because I've been racing the GNCCs since 1995. Once you do it, it's really hard to get away from it and just quit. It's really addictive I guess. That's all I've done since I was 16 years old is ride and race. It's my life. I was kind of burnt out on it a little bit, though. I was working on 4-wheeler stuff during the week and then racing on the weekend. Sometimes it's a lot to get everyone's stuff ready for the race and for me to get my stuff ready too. I took the time off and I loved being home with my family but I started missing it. Man, we can't stay away from it! My wife loves it and she was pushing me and she really motivated me to go out and do it again.
Photo By: RaceDayPix.com
DeRisi didn't return after the summer break in 2009 so he could rest and re-evaluate.
How long did it take to make that decision to move down in the ranks? I guess it was something I threw around when I was away after Snowshoe. We didn't finish the season out and it was just something that was on my mind. I really wanted to concentrate on my company. Don't get me wrong, A class isn't going to be a cakewalk- it's going to be tough. I train, but I don't have the time to train like the pros do.
When did you start DeRisi Racing Incorporated? I started in January 1999. We do a lot of bike set-up, the suspension, shock conversions, etc. Not everybody has a lot of money to spend, so we do conversion kits on stock shocks.
You're also supporting a lot of riders this year. Is this through your company? We haven't done a whole lot of support through the years, being the small company that we are. It's tough to give a lot of riders support. This year we stepped up a good bit. I'm sure it's tough on riders with the economy. But we try to make it more affordable for them to go race. They really deserve the help and need it more than anybody.
Why did you decide to start helping these riders out? Through the years we had done some support here and there. We tried to find a way to build the business, and our next step is to show some support, and show that we can help people win and do well on the track. What better way to prove your worth than to help riders out. I thought a lot on that break and that gave me a lot of ideas. We're also working on a few new products for some of the ATVS, probably a new Honda 450 R-Link.
I'm afraid you're going to have to explain that to me! We're always trying to improve links and keep the cost down. You're not going to have to buy, after-market swing arms. We're trying to get the same suspension handling out of a stock swing arm. It'll save $600 to a $1,000 because they won't have to buy a new swing-arm and get the suspension travel out of it.
Photo By: RaceDayPix.com
DeRisi missed racing so much during his time off- he decided to come back to race and support more amateur riders through Derisi Racing.
One rider who has benefited from your help is Bryan Cook, I bet you're pumped he's with the KTM team now.
I'm really excited. He just lives right down below our shop here. We've done a lot of riding through the years and went to high school together. To be able to help him out and see him progress has been really great for us. He's helped me a lot too. He's trying to get me to go to Florida. The problem is we're trying to get bikes ready to go. I've really got a lot on my plate.
It sounds like you'll be really busy in 2010. I was up until 2 a.m. doing contracts for riders. We're going to help Jennifer Britts in Womens pro and Kyle Riley, he's a young kid coming up, and then Cheyenne Shadron. I'm helping her and her brother this year.
What are you offering to the riders you support? We put together a small package, and basically all my support is setting the bikes up to be working really well. Some of my sponsors kicked in really good discounts for the people I'm helping, too. We have a really good sponsor line-up to help. Pro-Armor, HMF, Fox shocks, Fasst Company. When they sign with me they're not just getting help from me, they're getting help from my sponsors also. Anytime they have questions about set-up that's what I'm there for. That's another reason I didn't want to get out of the GNCCs. I figured I really needed to be there. And I didn't want to come and not race.
Photo By: Matt Ware
DeRisi is upping his support of amateur riders for the 2010 season.
I bet you do! How's the Can-Am handling? It's working really really well. I'm very impressed with it. We're on Fox Shocks with Walsh RaceCraft Suspension and it's working really well. I've got a really solid program. I was kind of worried with missing the last half of the season and then moving from PRO to A class I didn't know how my sponsor would react but they stuck with me. They really stepped up to help me this year. Moto X nutrition is really helping me out on my nutrition. It's a really solid program, now I just have to do it.
Well we'll see in a few weeks! Yeah we will. See you in Florida!
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