Janssen Perfect in Texas, Wins ATVMX Season Opener
Living out your dreams is something very few people get the opportunity to do. Cody Janssen is one of the fortunate ones with the opportunity to do what he loves. The now 26-year-old has been racing for over 20 years and has been vocal about loving the sport now more than ever – but he’s taken the road less traveled. From bursting onto the scene by winning a National Championship as an unknown 15-year-old, followed by a five-year hiatus before thrusting himself back onto the scene again as a Pro-Am-podium-staple in 2012. The following season Cody dominated the A Class and won his second National Title. He then went Pro, being named the AMA ATV Pro Rookie of the Year in his rookie season of 2014. But the Pro class is a grind, and that’s exactly what the following years were – a grind. There were surely positives during that time, like winning a Pro ATV Derby World Championship in 2015, a top three finish in a heat race at the Daytona ATV Pro Supercross, plenty of Pro Class top tens, and a few more Pro Am podiums – but not like all the success from his earlier years. So last season Cody stepped back to the Junior 25+ class where he battled another former Pro, Nick Moser, week in and week out for the championship. Janssen finished second in the final standings but won three of the last 5 national events and fought until the bitter end, with half of his losses being by less than a single second. It’s safe to say that in 2019, Cody Janssen is out to seize what eluded him last season. Cody always loved the sport of ATV motocross, but even in defeat he found himself loving the whole process more than ever before. With a whole new look on his career, Cody plans to enjoy the ride this season, race himself back into speed and shape after a long winter in cold snowy Wisconsin, before eventually making a return to the AMA ATV Pro class.
“I’ve always preached that if you enjoy what you do, you’ll find a way to be successful. Well I think that my best racing is still inside of me, and I fully intend to return to the Pro class when I feel ready and to achieve my career bests when I do. I cannot wait.” -Cody Janssen
The first weekend of April marked the opening round of the 2019 ATV Motocross National Championship series at Underground Mx in Kemp, Texas. After a long, cold, and snowy winter back in Wisconsin, Cody was thrilled to finally go racing but also a little nervous about his very limited amount of seat time. Another reason for added anxiety was the inclement weather. Perfect track conditions on Friday gave way to thunderstorms, mud, and very challenging conditions for the weekend’s racing. However, the conditions were no match for 34x national event winner, who grabbed both holeshots, lead all the laps, and scored a perfect 1-1 for 1st overall in the Junior 25+ division.
“I haven’t been able to ride back home because it’s still snowing, so I didn’t really know what to expect. I don’t quite feel like myself yet, but the muscle memory is there. We ripped some great starts and that allowed me to just ride my race to the finish. We have some work to do to improve, but this was a great way to kick it off! … These are the moments I live for, so you just want to hold on to this feeling and this moment for just a little longer.”
-Janssen said atop the podium following his victory.
Coming off his victory in Texas, Cody will head into Rd. 2 at Ironman Raceway in Crawfordsville, Indiana, on April 27-28 looking to extend his points lead.
Memorable weekends like this past one and adding to his lofty total of 35 national event wins wouldn’t be possible without the support of so many great individuals, companies, and families. Cody must thank all the riders and families who support the Cody Janssen Riding School. He wants to thank the Swartfager family of Swartfager Farms and Knox Country Farm Supply for their continued support this season. Huge thank you for the continued support to SSI Decals, Elka Suspension, CST Tires, Valvoline, FMF Racing, and Pivot Works – without the continued support of these long-time believers it wouldn’t be possible. Thank you to his family, girlfriend Taylor, mechanic Dan Binder, and the rest of the crew at Janssen Motorsports. Thank yous continue to Goldspeed Products, Ameriprise and the Hemauer Financial Group, the Kindrick Family and Kindrick Racing, E-Z Up Brand, Klink Equipment and Klink Hydraulics, Jay Gobel and Casey Greek of Impact Solutions, Hinson Clutch Components, Thor MX, The Program Training, D.I.D Chain, Atlas Brace, Bell Helmets, the Stanfield family and Napa (of Peru, Indiana), Cliff Cox and Oshkosh Tattoo & Good Girl Piercing, Precision Powder LLC, Ride 100% Brand, Trimble’s Cycle Center, DT1 Filters, Larry Mills and DP Brakes, Rath Racing, Walsh RaceCraft, Fourwerx Carbon, Sunstar Sprockets, Works Connection, Renthal, Corey Garrison and Parts Unlimited, the Reynolds Family and Reynolds Body Shop, 4arm Strong, Fuel Customs, the Dean and Pauline Janssen family, Energy Release, Pro-Tec Racing, Evans Cooling, Motion Pro, Blenders Eyewear, First Endurance, Pro Moto Billet/Fastway, Nova Racing Transmissions, Mountaineer Brand, Tim “Burr” Decoster, and many others. Without such amazing support, chasing dreams and goals would never be possible. The 2019 ATV Motocross National Championship series is now in full swing and heads to Ironman Raceway in Crawfordsville, Indiana, on the last weekend of April. A “local” race for Wisconsin native Cody Janssen, and favorite track of many riders, we hope to see you in the Hoosier state! In the meantime, Cody will look to improve and come out swinging in just over two weeks!
