Video: ‘Inside The Line’ with the Intense Factory Racing Team
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We’re back with another episode of “Inside The Line”, where we dive into the behind-the-scenes and insights of our World Cup race teams.
The Intense Factory Racing team take over this episode as they head to the FOX US Open in Killington. Vermont. Dakota Norton, the team’s standout rider this season, showed once again how his speed has been building this season and earning him top 10s and spots on the World Cup podium. His flawless run saw him take the win at the US Open, solidifying his reputation as one of the sport’s most talented athletes in 2023. In addition to Norton’s triumph, Joe Breeden secured a 4th place spot on the podium after battling all season with arm pump and hand fatigue due to surgery on his elbow after that nasty crash in Fort William in 2022. Joe was rewarded for his grit, determination, “never give up” attitude and for the time and work put in to getting back up to speed.
“The US open has a prestigious history in American racing, and as an American rider it’s one you want to win. I was fortunate enough to go back to back the last two seasons and walk away with the big check. I think there was more pressure this year with have having a taste of that in 2022 and feeling like I had to back it up.” – Dakotah Norton
Seth Sherlock, coming off fresh from a scaphoid injury, made the decision for the US Open to be his first race back and also his first time competing at the Fox US Open. Using it as a gauge to where he’s at after a long period off the bike, the track at Killington was exactly what was needed to test out the pace and how the scaphoid would cope. He had a solid run into 15th with minimal mistakes but lacked that racer’s edge that you build throughout the season, thanks to the injury he sustained.
“This year was my first time ever racing the US Open and it was great! It was my first downhill race back after a scaphoid injury and it was the perfect race to get back into the swing of things. The track was no joke – tons of line choice and super unforgiving of mistakes. The extra events on top of downhill were rad, too – didn’t get the chance to race dual slalom but I participated in the whip-off which was a ton of fun and really added to the sense of culture at the event. I felt like I had a decent run in finals but was a bit off pace coming back off of injury and ended up 15th. Overall it was a great weekend, though, and I’ll definitely be making an effort to come back next year!” – Seth Sherlock
The success didn’t stop at downhill racing for the Intense Factory Racing team, as they also demonstrated their versatility in the Dual Slalom event. Joe Breeden, once again, proved his mettle by securing the top spot. With both Norton’s spectacular Downhill win and Breeden’s strong performance and win in Dual Slalom, the Intense Factory Racing team left the FOX US Open with two wins and a double podium celebration in Downhill. Their impressive results serve as a testament to their dedication and skill, and they continue to be a force to be reckoned with in the world of downhill.
“This year was my first time at the US Open, it was so cool to be there with the whole team from Intense and to experience a full week of racing with both the Dual Slalom and DH. To take the win in Dual and a 4th in DH right amongst some really tight racing was really cool. Seeing Dak take the DH win and have us both on the podium onboard the new M1 was for sure the cherry on the cake.” – Joe Breeden
