Wait, do you hear that? It sounds just like the high-pitched whine of a 2-stroke… but this is supercross?

If you paid attention to this year’s Monster Energy Supercross series, there’s one name (and distinct sound) that stands out from the rest: Gared Steinke.

After making it out to almost every round this season, and qualifying for a few main events aboard his Husqvarna TC 250 2-stroke, No-Toil athlete Gared “Stank-Dog” Steinke left quite the impression on fans and his fellow riders. 

From his bold personality to his undeniable riding skills, Steinke pushed the limits on a weekly basis and proved that 2-stroke motorcycles can still compete with their 4-stroke brethren, no matter the course.

With the supercross season behind us and the outdoor season just around the corner, the big question remains: will we see the Woodland, California, native competing in the Pro Motocross series? 
We caught up with Steinke to hear his thoughts on his 2022 supercross season and what lies ahead for the No. 726.

No-Toil: How was the 2022 SX season for you? Were you able to accomplish all of your goals? 

Gared Steinke: The 2022 supercross season was a great season for me. I got to do almost all 17 rounds, which was cool since I have never done that many before; I did 15 of the 17 races. I had a couple of big crashes at the beginning of the season but seemed to level out and stopped crashing towards the end of the season. I was able to accomplish a few of my goals: making a Main in the 250 Class on the 125 was one of them. One goal I didn’t achieve, unfortunately, was making the 450 Class Main Event on the 250 2-stroke. I got really close at the last round in Salt Lake City, Utah, but just couldn’t pull it off.

NT: You’re kind of the “unsung hero” in a lot of people’s eyes for competing in the Pro class on a 2-stroke. What is it like riding the 2-stroke versus a modern 4-stroke out on these SX tracks? 

GS: Riding the 2-stroke on a modern-day supercross track is very difficult. I feel it is 50 percent harder to ride the track and 50 percent harder physically as well. The only thing that makes riding the 2-stroke easier is all the cheers I get from all the fans!

NT: The outdoors are almost here. What are your plans for the Nationals and will we see the 2-stroke outside? 

GS: The outdoor Nationals are coming up fast! My plan is to race the 125 2-stroke at six rounds this year. Mostly the close ones due to the high gas prices. But I’m excited and ready to go!