Jeremy Schell
The SoCal Hick
ITP Quadcross, Big 6 Grand Prix

Interview by Geoff Walters

Jeremy Schell is quite a character. His casual demeanor and easygoing smile belie the fierce competitor underneath, who is driven to win at all costs. Sometimes those costs can be paid in sweat, and sometimes in broken bones, as you’ll read below. Jeremy started with Team Alba in the middle of the 2004 season, and he has been a beneficial addition to the team ever since. We asked him a few questions about his Alba race quad, his plans for the season, and himself, and here is what he had to say:

Hi Jeremy, it’s good to talk to you. Tell us a little about yourself. Where are you from, originally?
Hornersville, MO.

Thus, the “Hick” part of your nickname, “The SoCal Hick.”
Yeah, that explains that part!

How did that come about?
I think John Pellan of ATVScene is to blame for that.

Speaking of that, don’t you have your own fan website that is named along those lines?
Yeah, www.socalhick.com. My buddy Kevin Jackson takes care of that for me.

Cool, we’ll put up a link so you can get more traffic.
(Laughing) I get a lot of traffic! I have a bio and stuff over there. Fans can even email me.

Good, I’m sure your fans will love it. So, you won the ITP Quadcross Championship riding for Alba in 2004. How did that feel?
It was good. I’ve won that 2 times in a row now. I also won the Big 6 Grand Prix Series last year.

2005 hasn’t gone so well for you though… tell us about those crutches.
Crutches suck! This is the first time I’ve ever been on crutches.

What happened?
I was racing in San Diego at the Stadium Race [Ed. Note: The PACE Formula USA Pro Quad stadium series round 3] and I was jumping the triple all the time. One lap, I got slowed down in the corner before the jump, and I had to go for the double. I nosed it in and overjumped the double, then slammed into the 3rd jump and it shot me way up in the air. I got launched off my quad about 10 feet up in the air and came down on top of the next set of jumps! I landed on my foot and broke the ankle.

When can your fans expect to see you back on the track?
Hopefully on the 1st of March I’ll be riding again, and then I’ll race the ITP Quadcross on the 13th.

And what are your plans for the rest of the season?
To do all the Quadcross & Thunder in the Valley Series races, and hopefully win the championship in both.

How do you like your Team Alba Quad, the YFZ450?
It’s way better than anything I’ve ever ridden before. That’s the truth!

So besides Alba, who else is supporting you these days?
Epic, Percision Concepts, Elka Suspension, Streamline Brakes, TAG Bars, Maxima Oils, ITP, CP Pistons, AC Racing, Moose Gear - basically everyone listed to the left.

Anyone else you’d like to thank?
Allen White. He works on everything for me! Kevin Jackson, because he does my website (socalhick.com) for me. And I really want to thank Alba for picking me up when I was down last year.

Thanks, Jeremy. Alba's pretty stoked with you, too.