Interview by Chris Cumbo #4G
Name: Travis Wolf
Age: 37
Home Town: Sacramento, CA
Class: 30 Beginner
Bike: 1998 Kawasaki KX250
Number: 292G (29 was taken!)
Tell us about your military background.
Travis Wolf: “I enlisted in the Navy on September 21, 2006 after graduating from Fresno State University. After boot camp I was sent to Oceanside, CA where I started my career as a crew member on a Landing Craft Air Cushion. (LCAC) After almost 15 years and three promotions I’m now an LCAC Engineer Instructor teaching the future engineers the ins and outs of maintaining the 35 million dollar hovercraft. I have 2200 flight hours and I’ve successfully completed 10 deployments.”
What do you think is your greatest accomplishment?
“I have this goal that I set a long time ago. I don’t think that I’ve accomplished it yet or if I ever will. I’m going to retire from the military and I’m going to be a part of the OTHG family as long as I can, I’ve coached pop warner football, coach baseball, softball, and at one point was a spokesperson for Narcolepsy awareness.
Narcolepsy is a neurological disorder that affects your ability to sleep and wake up. People with narcolepsy have excessive, uncontrollable daytime sleepiness. They may also suddenly fall asleep at any time, during any type of activity. About in 1 in 2000 Americans have some type of narcolepsy. Yeah those were awesome times and I was very proud to be a part of that as a spokesperson, a major accomplishment for me.
Some day, I’m going to be that guy in a grocery store walking around and a person whose life I had impacted is going to walk up to me and go ‘Hey Coach, hey Cookie, or Travis damn it’s good to see you!’… Or are they going to keep walking? This is a small world.”
Most amazing thing you have personally seen?
“The ability to defeat chaos. That is near and dear to my heart. At any moment we could just throw up our hands and say the hell with it, but we badass Americans keep raising our heads up, putting one foot in front of the other, and showing up to the front of the line.”
This year you had started racing. Who got you into racing motocross?
“So there are 2 people that I’ve got to give credit to: Jake Petersen and Onnie Wolf. There has been a lot of peer pressure thrown my way about buying a bike and showing up to the track. So rarely do I ever back down, so I bought a bike, practiced one day and then showed up to the first race at Perris back in March.”
Tell the story in your own words about the epic battle at the Reno National against your own brother.
“So like I was saying earlier my brother (Onnie Wolf from Sierra chapter) has been trying to convince me for years to buy a bike. The Reno National was coming up and both of us were registered. At this point I didn’t care about how many times Roland Andrews was going to lap me or how far ahead Ashley Paloma was going to be. It was big brother against little brother. Years of history, yelling, fighting, competition, and outright bragging rights were up for grabs.
Onnie has been a trail rider with a lot of experience and riding a 450. My experience level started February 2021 and I’m on a 250 2 stroke. Major disadvantage on my part but you know how it goes. Big brother does not lose at any cost to little brother.
So Moto 1, we line up and I can tell my brother is nervous but I’m also a little shaky, but everybody knows once you get that first lap in, you settle in and race, 3rd gear with 50% throttle. Now, I know Onnie has me on the start, I’m still starting in first gear so I just need to keep him in my sights and moto-combat his ass when I get the chance! This was the game plan for the whole weekend and it worked flawlessly. A narrow win over my brother with a 5-6-5-5 (5th) to Onnie’s 6-7-6-7.(6th) WHOOYAA!”
Any shout outs to any other friends or racers?
Jake Petersen
Onnie Wolf
Steve Perry
Mike Miller
Megan McCoy
Robert Griffin
James Skaine
Brian Christensen
Ron Kohlstrunk
Kelly Macdonald
All OTHG Beginner’s
Do you have a desire to become an Iron Man and make all of the local events and National races in one calendar year?
“I’m definitely interested in the Iron Man. I did skip State Fair in February due to the fact I only owned the bike one day. I’ve been to every race and national since then, so 2022 looks promising to make a run for the Iron Man.”
Do you do any other sports?
“I have been playing some type of sport my whole life. Baseball was my passion for a long time. Since the time I was 5 years old to 33 years old. I played through college and played for the military. Then I got into slow pitch softball where I also played for the military and won a world championship in 2016. I’ve also been very interested in weight lifting and I’ve always adjusted my workouts to whatever sports activity I was currently doing. My biggest challenge has been cutting the weight and getting into a riders condition.
Riding condition is is where Mike Miller has really helped me out. We collaborate weekly on workouts, supplements, and how to make ourselves better. Mike is a beast and a hell of a rider and when he’s on the track riding I go to studying his mechanics.”
What’s the best way you train for motocross?
“High intensity body weight push-ups, sit-ups, jumping jacks, pull-ups, lunges, row machine, and bike rides.”
The best way you like to spend a day off?
“My current schedule as of right now is work, gym, sleep, and MX track. I rarely take a day off. If on that rare occasion I take a day off I like to fish, hunt, and golf.”
What is the best advice you’ve gotten?
“I think I was 21 and just got done with another year of college and I was exhausted. One of my really good buddies, mentors, coach, and father figure told me that I needed to get my master’s degree. My reply was haha with my record I’ll be 28 by the time I get that done. He looked at me like an idiot and said, you’re going to be 28 one day anyways so what’s the excuse. That was Jeremy Nichols.”
What is the best advice you’ve given?
“I don’t expect you to be perfect, but I do expect a perfect effort. “
What is the next bike you’re looking at purchasing to race on?
“Ahhhhh this has been the conversation ever since I started, whether or not I’m going to get a 450 or stay in the 2 stroke group. It seems that the 450 always comes up in the conversation when beers are in our hands. So what I’m assuming, and something like this has happened in the past, is a 450 is going to get purchased after too many beers and I’m going to be left with a surprise in the morning. That’s if I remember where I put it… hahaha!”
Any Hobbies?
“Fishing, hunting, golfing, mechanics, and of course playing in the dirt every weekend with OTHG.”
Favorite movie or movies?
Forest Gump
Top Gun
51st Dates
Your favorite motocross rider?
Jeremy McGrath
Your goals in motocross?
“Haha. My goal for this year is to start every race, finish every race, and don’t wreck!”
Anything you would like to add?
“First and foremost I would like to thank all the OTHG board members for even considering me for rider of the month. This group has changed my life in so many ways. For anybody that has given me any advice, Barret Kiick, Steve Perry, Mike Miller, Jake Petersen, James Van Duinwyk, and several others. I want to thank everybody that makes this happen.
I know in the early morning that it is cold in February and hot in the summer.
I really appreciate Becky, Andrea, Dani, Laura, Alison, and Criss for making the effort so that this moto family can come play in the dirt.
P.S. Also want to thank Starr and want to remind her like I do every weekend ‘I’ve got nothing Starr’… haha!”
Thanks everybody.
Sincerely,
Travis “Cookie” Wolf
Congratulations to Travis, from Over The Hill Gang!
Click any of the images below to enlarge:
Welcome to the moto family.
Awesome to have you as a member of the OTHG Family! Thank you for your service to America.