Tattooed Underdogs

Hart, whose body upper body is coated in tattoos, stepped back from active competition after suffering his share of injuries through his motocross career and started the Hart & Huntington Tattoo company (H&H) in Las Vegas. Hart reached out to a new community of fans when H&Hs launch was chronicled by the A&E television series Inked.

When H&H started to sponsor a race team in 2006, Hart returned to his roots.

I guess I was just thinking outside of the box. I didnt pigeon hole myself as one type of person or athlete, says Hart. Supermoto is a new element of motocross that got me back to my race roots, and at the same time was a whole new learning curve.

An industrious entrepreneur, Hart used both his racing career and his tattoo company together to build up both enterprises.

Motocross is a great promotional tool for my business, says Hart.

Hart has been able to take advantage of his name recognition to attract sponsors to his team.

Since we are a new team, its important to have the best products on our bikes, says Hart. The truth is, K&N filters are hands down the best. Its all the pieces together that make a great bike, and when you are dealing with motors and carburetion, you have to have the best.

The first rider to complete a back flip on a 250cc motorcycle, Hart will race in AMA Supermoto competition this year alongside riders Doni Wanat and Travis Marks. This season also sees the debut of H&Hs Supercross team featuring riders Troy Adams, Josh Demuth and Cole Siebler.

In recruiting riders for his team, Hart looked for athletes who meshed with his own personality.

Right out of the gate, Josh Demuth was the first rider who really caught my eye, says Hart. Not only because he is tattooed, but because he is the sort of outsider who does his own thing.

Unfortunately, Demuth was injured in mid-December, two weeks prior to the season opener and did not return to racing until the April 5 race in Irving, Texas. In the meantime, the team relied on Adams who sits 16th in the rider standings with five top ten finishes.

The last few races have been difficult for the team. The team is working hard to improve its standings and we look forward to the next few races as Josh Demuths injury heals more with each week. Troy is working harder than ever to improve his standing," says team manager Kenny Watson.

The H&H racing team will look to change their fortunes around when Demuth regains full health and when the Supermoto season kicks off July 13 in the Pacific Grand Prix in Seattle, Wash..