Frid’Eh Update #32 | Josh Clark | Brought to You by Dirt Care

Frid’Eh Update #32 | Josh Clark | Brought to You by Dirt Care

By Billy Rainford

Welcome to Week #32 of the DMX Frid’Eh Update brought to you by Dirt Care. WE’re coming to you from trackside at the 2025 TransCan Amateur Grand National Championship at Walton Raceway. I’ve got my little Dirt Care/DMX Van Chill Zone set up right beside the amateur stage, so I’m looking at the Natural Double from my lawn chair right now.

No, there’s nothing remaining that’s “natural” about it anymore, especially going in this direction, but it’s still a cool jump. I guess you’d even have to call it a step down these days.

Anyway, the racing has been great so far. We’ve had a couple 3rd motos and some champions crowned. Saturday will be all about championships.

As I was typing that last sentence Marc Dionne came by and pointed to the sky, wondering if we were going to get some weather. Well, Tim Lee was just standing on the OG’s tunnel watching lightning in the distance and then it hit us – one of those classic Walton rainstorms that likes to blow through here every time we hold the Transcan. I’m not sure how long this one is going to last but it’s pretty ugly outside.

Seems like the perfect time for me to post this interview up…

Josh Clark is a name you likely remember from his days up here riding for the Devil’s Lake race team. No, you’re too young? Well, he hurt his eye and ended up having to step away from the sport a bit. However, every year he sends me a message asking if any team is looking for a top 5 rider.

I even saw Trevor and Candice Cerny out west and they said they were going to have a team again this season and Josh was going to be their rider, but Josh just had a baby, so he’s a little busy to be committing to an international race team at the moment.

Josh made it up to Sand Del Lee for Round 5 of the Canadian Triple Crown Series MX Nationals and finished 7th (7-10) in the 250 class.

We’ll be seeing him at Walton this week to finish off the season, and I got in touch with him this week to ask him a bunch of question. Here’s what the New Englander had to say:

Direct Motocross: Hey Josh, it was great to see you up here in Canada racing again recently. But before we get to all that, let’s back it up for those who weren’t on the scene a few years ago. Can you tell us how old you are, where you’re from, and how you got involved in motocross in the beginning?

Josh Clark: Hey Bill, first off thank you for the spotlight for week #32. My name is Josh Clark from Uncasville, CT and I’m 34 years old. Racing/ riding dirt bikes kinda came natural as my dad did it as well as my grandfather back in 1952. Started racing the local scene when I was 5 years old.

What was your amateur story? Did you chase all the big amateur nationals or did you stay local?

My amateur journey wasn’t much to talk about as back than money was tight and my parents were unfamiliar with the all the amateur races around the US. I was able to make it to Loretta Lynn’s I believe in 2009 and 2010 where I raced the 450A & 450 Pro Sport. Was able to grab a 5^th and 8^th overall. 

OK, so then you came up here and raced on the Devil’s Lake team. How did that all come together back then?

Ah, the Devils Lake Family. What a story and what a ride that was. I actually came up with the intentions of racing for a guy out of his garage, stock bikes, no mechanic, nothing. Definitely not ideal as things that were promised over the phone. We made a trip to Trevor’s track and honestly we just clicked, and Trevor decided to take over. He bought a trailer, bikes, rounded up some sponsors and we went racing. Probably one of the highlights of my life / career. We definitely came under the radar, as we still had stock bikes. We were able to secure 5 podiums that year, a first overall at Deschambault and 2^nd overall in points, -7 behind Austin Politelli.

What was your best finish up here? And what was your best track?

My best finish was at Deschambault with a 2-2, for 1^st overall. My favorite track honestly is anything hard pack. I grew up racing in New York, so anything with blue groove, ruts, is my style. Everyone would think being from New England I would be a sand guy, but surprisingly I hate sand. Haha.

And then I spoke with Trevor and Candice Cerny this year and they said they almost had you back full time up here again this year, but you got a little busy with a growing family, right?

Ya, I reached out to Trevor earlier in the year asking if he had the itch again. The whole plan was to do them all like I did over a decade ago. Unfortunately, the stars didn’t align for me. Trevor and Candy are like my 2^nd parents, I love them. But finding flights, leaving the wife at home with the 2 kids, one being less than a month old at the time, just didn’t seem like the right call. Hopefully, I can get back to the west coast rounds again in 2026, but it is tough when you live on the complete opposite side.

What sports will you aim them in or will you let that just play out organically? How has fatherhood changed you?

Fatherhood has been great. Definitely a challenge at times trying to juggle working 40+ a week, keeping up with my training, riding, working on my bikes, house stuff, wife stuff and playing with them. Every day is a 15-hour day but I wouldn’t want it any other way.

How is your eye doing these days, by the way?

The eye unfortunately is the same it was when it happened. Everyone always thinks it is healed, but when I got hit with that rock, it went through my goggles and detached my retina from my eye. It healed over time but only have a little blurry vision out of it. They consider it 200/20 vision. To be racing at a high level still with basically 1 eye is a challenge but I was not going to let it hold me back. The “One-Eyed Bandit” they call me back home. Hahaha.

You raced Sand Del Lee and finished 7th (7-10) overall on a 250 2-stroke in the 250 class. How did that day go for you?

Sand Del Lee is one of my favorite tracks on the circuit. It reminds me of a few tracks back home. The day went pretty solid. I believe I qualified P10 which is a win for me as qualifying isn’t my strong suit.

Moto 1 – basically pulled the holeshot from the inside gate, surrounded by Factory Hondas. Tried to tuck in and follow the young guns’ pace which was good to break me away from the rest and basically ride alone for 7^th.

Moto 2 – The skies opened up making track conditions nowhere near moto 1. Went down in turn 1 and 2 but was able to keep my goggles on and make my way through the pack to 10^th. All in all a solid day for the Clark Team.

What do you think of being able to race the same displacement with a 2 or 4 stroke? Advantages? Disadvantages?

Racing a 2-stroke in the MX2 class definitely makes it fun and manageable to race with the team bikes. For guys like me and (Joe) Tait that run them, it is just easier as we race them a lot back home. They’re cheaper to maintain and make power, that’s for sure. I do believe they have a little disadvantage when the tracks get rough as the frame doesn’t flex like the 4-strokes.

We haven’t seen you again though. How come? What have you been doing?

Honestly, the goal was to hit 4 rounds – Ste. Julie, Sand Del Lee, Moncton and Walton. Plans obviously have changed and to be honest I have been dodging the rain/mud. Kinda unfortunate as I really wanted to race those hard pack tracks. Working and paying for all my own stuff, I just thought it was in my best judgement to not go and wreck my stuff.

What does the future look like for you? What do you do for work?

The future is always a day by day plan for me. The real goal would be to try and get some more support and make it back up to Canada next year for the full season, ether it be 250 or 450. Back home we have a lot of Pro Am and big money races until mid-October, so I will most likely race them. Usually will try and make a 2-week trip in Feb/March with the family to get away and get some warm weather riding in. Back home, I run a moving and storage business with my brother and pops.

OK, I hope we see you again up here in the future. Good luck and who would you like to thank?

I will be up this weekend racing Walton, super-excited to make it back up there, love the track. Thanks for taking the time, Bill, to interview me and show the people who Josh Clark is. I would like to thank:

My whole Family, (My wife, my dad, grandma, brother), H.A. Latham Moving & Storage, MX23, Dyno Liner, Thor, Mika Metals, Factory Connection , Motosports Nation, Just a Spark Counselling, Xpro, The Richard Family, Jake’s barber Shop, Guts, Alpinestars, Hammer Nutrition, Dirt Care, Spectro Oils

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We’ve got Matthew Huggett at Ironman MX for the AMA Pro Motocross round there on Saturday. He was there today for the Moto Combine and WMX. Watch for updates from him throughout the day tomorrow.

I’ll continue to post short video clips of every race at the TransCan tomorrow along with the winners podium speeches.

You can catch them all put together on our YouTube channel if you haven’t seen them. These are just from my phone so I’m able to get them posted on our IG page before the next race starts.

Day 1:

Day 2:

Day 3 was postponed just before 4pm due to a storm that rolled through the area. Saturday is going to be busy!

Have a great weekend, everyone.