GNCC Racing

Tuesday Toolbox: Cody Barnes

Tuesday Toolbox: Cody Barnes

Tuesday, September 18, 2018 | 3:35 PM
by:
Tuesday, September 18, 2018 | 3:35 PM

This is only Cody Barnes’ first season racing in the FMF XC3 125 Pro-Am class, but his win came early in the season and then a handful of podiums attracted the attention of Beta USA’s factory team. Cody has been picked up by Beta for the remainder of this season and next season as well. I ran into him at a local race this weekend and was curious how this deal came about, as well as how his summer break has gone and his thoughts on the new bike and his season so far.

Cody Barnes has been picked up by the Beta USA team for the remainder of this GNCC Season, and then next year as well.
Cody Barnes has been picked up by the Beta USA team for the remainder of this GNCC Season, and then next year as well. Turtle Head Photography

GNCCRacing.com: Hey Cody! What have you been up to during the summer break?

Cody Barnes: My summer break program basically consisted  of a lot of training and riding. I think I made a lot of solid ground on the things I was lacking during the races earlier this year. One thing that really helped was that I was able to spend some time with Mike Witkowski and key off some of the things he was doing, then kind of turn those tips I learned into something that worked for me. Having that kind of guidance was a big help both physically and mentally for me.

Still working at G2?

Yep, this will be my third year working for them full time.

Have you faced many challenges managing a full-time job and a pro career?

I wouldn’t say there are a lot of challenges – Sam and Gary at G2 are extremely helpful with my racing and back me 100%, which is a huge help when it comes to managing riding, racing, work and training. Trying to manage all that is probably the hardest thing, and I couldn’t do it without their support. But we definitely make it work, it just takes a lot of scheduling and time management to get everything done in one day. Usually I will get up around five to work out, then after work I’ll go ride.

Barnes currently sits fourth in the FMF XC3 125 Pro-Am class.
Barnes currently sits fourth in the FMF XC3 125 Pro-Am class. Ken Hill

It’s great that you ended up with an employer who was so willing to work with you. Now, tell me about this new deal you have with Beta!

So, around the sixth GNCC this season, I started working with Beta USA. I was helping them test their new 125cc when I was practicing. After riding the bike for awhile and really falling in love with it, I was offered a spot on Factory Beta USA, which I couldn’t be more excited about! They have been amazing to work with and I am enjoying my time working with them, both on and off the bike. I can’t wait to see what I am able to do with them for the rest of this year and beyond!

I know you’ve ridden the 125cc a ton, but have you gotten to race it yet?

I have mostly been practicing on it as preparation for the rest of the GNCC season, but I have raced it whenever I’ve gotten the chance. So, I’ve raced it a couple times and I feel really good on it.

Was getting this kind of support a huge relief for you? You’ve mentioned in the past that continuing to race at this level depended on you continuing to get support….

At the beginning of this season, Rod Marshall at MCS racing took a chance on me and supported me through the first part of the season. That was a very big help in allowing me to continue and get to this point in my career. Getting to work with MCS and now Beta has been a very, very big relief for me. I can’t thank both teams enough for the support they have given me this year.

Barnes has been practicing and pushing himself during the summer break. 
Barnes has been practicing and pushing himself during the summer break.  Josh Rud

It looks like you’ve earned that support for sure though – you’ve brought home one win and four other podiums in a stacked XC3 class so far. Can you tell us a little more about your season?

Thank you! My season has had its ups and downs but been relatively consistent otherwise. There’s been two rounds where I had some bad luck, but besides that it’s just been little mistakes on my part that have cost me podiums at some races. Hopefully all that time I spent over summer break working on the things I think were holding me back will pay off. I look forward to finding out at the next GNCC!

On a similar note, do you feel good about how things have gone for you this year?

I feel like this year was a very good learning experience for me as a whole. I learned a lot about bike set-up and my body’s physical needs when trying to push for a three hour long race. You have to take the good things with the bad ones, and I think at this point I have learned from a lot of dumb mistakes I made and worked towards limiting them in the future. Of course, I would have liked for my results to be better throughout the first part of the season – but I am the only one responsible for those bad results, which means I’m responsible for fixing the things that led to them, and I believe I’m on the right track to doing that.

What are your goals for the rest of the year?

To win! I believe that I am capable of winning, but it won’t come easy given the competition I’m facing this year. I am looking forward to battling it out with all of them and hopefully being at least on the podium if not on top of it for the remaining three rounds of the series.

Barnes earned the win in Georgia earlier this season, but he is looking to earn a couple more wins as GNCC Racing returns next weekend.
Barnes earned the win in Georgia earlier this season, but he is looking to earn a couple more wins as GNCC Racing returns next weekend. Ken Hill

And what do you hope to accomplish next season?

My goals for next year are to win the XC3 class championship at the GNCCs and the Pro2 class championship at the NEPG (National Enduro) series.

Last question, as always – who would you like to thank?

The whole Beta USA team, our mechanics Jamison and Sam, Moose Racing, Bell Helmets, TCX Boots, EKS Goggles, Spencer Automotive, Vintage Mechanical, Peterson Chiropractic, Fortune Cycle, Hootie Designs, DP Brakes, Boyesen, Kenda Tires, Renthal, G2, as well as my parents, friends and family!