Personal History
My name is Mike Stout, I am 43 years young and have been married to my wife JoAnn for 23 years now. We have 3 children, Austin who is 17, Rebecca who is 14 and Rachel is 11. I enjoy doing almost anything outdoors, camping, hiking, rock climbing, biking and especially riding dirt bikes. I have been riding motorized vechicles of one form or another, since I was 12, but just recently, (fall of 08) I got back into dirtbikes. I purchased a used honda crf 450R, and this past May I started racing with my son in desert races in the USRA series. Not long after we were racing, my two daughters also started racing with us, Rebecca in desert and Rachel in MX.
Doing things as a family has always been a high point in my life, and racing is no different. It is alot of fun to tow our toyhauler to the races, egg each other on about who is going to do the best, and meet lots of great people.
When I am not doing things outdoors, I am at work, either at my job or on numerous projects. My Father and I have a autobody collision center, where I enjoy the challenges of a constantly changing process of putting automobiles in pre-accident condition. At home I enjoy construction projects around the house, and rebuilding motocycles and atvs. (when you have five riders there is alot of maintanence.)
I also spend allot of time with our motocross club, Carbon Emery Motocross Club, Where I am the Vice President. We put on several motocross events a year, including 3 rounds of 4 corners racing championship and some local pee-wee races. I Feel it is important to get families and the new young riders involved in the sport, not only to keep it going, but to help teach them respect for their parents and peers as well as their machines.
Riding Goals
This year has been a big one for Stout Racing! We have hit all of the desert races in the USRA series, and some mx stops. We have also raced in the four corners championshep series mx . Last year I finished the desert series in 5th place overall, only running 7 of the 14 stops, and suffering a dnf the last race of the year. (My bike suffered a crankshaft failure.) For this year I am shooting for the first place, which will be a tall order with the talent in my class.
As this season is winding down, I find myself in 3rd place in my class, but I believe I will have no problem bringing home the #1 plate for the year. My son Austin is currently in first in his class, Rebecca, my oldest daughter has an incredible points lead putting her on the top spot for the year. Rachel has even started racing desert and has been doing very well.
Competitive Highlights
My biggest highlights this year have come from my two mx stops. My very first mx race ever was in Price at the four corners championship, where I finished 2nd overall. Then I raced in the charity mx race and finished 1st overall! On the second moto at the charity race, I was nervous on the line and by accident shifted to 3rd instead of 2nd for the start. By the time I got the Honda refired the other riders had made two corners and were going over the first tabletop. I let it all hang out and in 4 laps I had passed all but one rider, giving me first overall!
My biggest challenge in desert racing was due to mechanical challenges from my bike, I spent alot of time trying to get my 05 restarted, or running an entire race with no clutch from the second corner. When we traveled to Wendover NV, for a race, my son and I found ourselves last on the line after the start. We made the best of it and battled a hard course to a decent finish. The race also claimed my bike, with a blown headgasket, it quickly boiled out my coolant and I still had 20 miles to race. By the time I made it to the checkers, my gauge read 294 degrees and I had heatstroke, but what a great ride.
This year has left me with allot of good highlights, although the year started off rough. Shattered my thumb and had to have it plated 2 weeks before the opening race, leaving me with a dns. A few weeks later, I entered the second race, with a brace and managed to finish 3rd in my class, 30th overall. I have been getting better each race, finishing 1st or 2nd in my class and in the top ten overall. June 16 was shaping up as another great race, when the wind caught me on a 90' step-up leaving me with a shattered shoulder blade and a dnf. Since then I have returned to form and am on track for a #1 plate.