Racing has always felt like home to Jenny Lewis. She grew up at flat-track events, watching her brother Johnny Lewis race and spending weekends surrounded by the close-knit community of the paddock. But when it came time to build her own life, Jenny initially chose a different direction.

After six years studying nutrition, dietetics, and exercise science, she began working with children with disabilities at an equine-assisted therapy facility. It was meaningful work, but after years of following the path she thought she was supposed to follow, Jenny found herself burned out and unsure of what came next.

An unexpected move to Florida eventually opened the door to Royal Enfield’s Build Train Race program—and Jenny discovered a role that seemed to draw from every part of her life.

Today, she manages BTR’s flat-track and road-racing programs, helping women build motorcycles, train with accomplished coaches, and compete with American Flat Track and MotoAmerica. Her job encompasses everything from parts, sponsors, travel, and logistics to nutrition, encouragement, and knowing when a rider needs advice—or simply a hug.

In this episode of Driven to Ride, Jenny shares the personal journey behind her career and explains why Build Train Race is about far more than finishing position.

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Few people have influenced American motorcycling from as many angles as Mark Blackwell. A pioneering racer, instructor, team manager, product-development specialist, executive, and industry advisor, Blackwell has spent more than five decades helping shape the sport and business of motorcycles.

Growing up in Southern California, Blackwell became fascinated by motocross just as the European sport was arriving in America. After watching four-time World Champion Torsten Hallman race at Saddleback Park, he knew exactly what he wanted to do. At 17, Blackwell traveled to Sweden to race, study the sport, and learn at the Husqvarna factory. He later became America’s first national motocross champion and one of the earliest Americans to compete in European Grands Prix.

An eye injury shortened Blackwell’s racing career, but opened several new chapters. He created a motocross school for Suzuki and personally trained approximately 2,500 riders before moving into race-team management, product development, and executive leadership. At Polaris, he helped transform Victory Motorcycles, improving the brand’s quality and launching models including the Vegas and Vision. He later advised KTM and helped relaunch Husqvarna in North America.

On this episode of “Driven to Ride,” host Mark Long talks with Blackwell about motocross history, overcoming setbacks, building successful teams, adapting to change, and why the people and the riding experience still keep him connected to motorcycles.

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For nearly seventy years, Brian Slark has rarely been far from a motorcycle—and his remarkable journey has placed him at the center of some unforgettable moments in motorcycling history.

Growing up in motorcycle-mad postwar London, Brian saved for his first bike, a BSA Bantam, and quickly discovered a love for competition. After earning British Expert status in motocross, he landed his dream job at Associated Motorcycles, working with AJS and Matchless machines as a road tester and member of the competition department.

A friendship with legendary racer and stuntman Bud Ekins eventually brought Brian to California, opening the door to desert racing and a career in the American motorcycle industry. Years later, Brian helped bring 114 motorcycles to life for The Art of the Motorcycle exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum—a landmark experience that helped inspire the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum and its world-class racetrack.

Brian also conceived the Barber Vintage Festival, helped acquire hundreds of historically important motorcycles, and was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.

In this episode of Driven to Ride, Brian shares the stories, friendships, risks, and unexpected opportunities behind a lifetime spent doing what he loves.

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