The Story of the Phoenix
The Team Solitaire Racing program blends the best of all worlds. Owned and managed by veteran racer Ryan Clark and supported by some of the
best technicians, graphic artists and marketing minds in the business, Team Solitaire is speed, action and success in motion. Rising from
obscurity in July of 2002, Team Solitaire took on and defeated the old guard with a fresh, grassroots approach to racing and marketing.
Today, Team Solitaire is one of the most recognized and respected privateer race teams in the industry.
July 2002: Ryan Clark starts a grassroots “privateer” race team and names it “Team Solitaire” to signify the “do-it-yourself” spirit. It is the
first Supercross/Motocross race team of its kind.
2003: A thirty-minute MOTOWORLD documentary entitled “The Team Solitaire Reality Tour” aired multiple times on ESPN and ESPN2.
2005: Jesse Black, the current Technical Director and co-owner of The Dirt Lab, joins Team Solitaire and is quickly promoted to Ryan’s
race mechanic. Ryan battles through both the AMA Supercross and AMA Motocross to finish just outside the top ten in both.
2006: Ryan Clark finishes ninth in the AMA Supercross Series, the top finishing privateer rider in the AMA Supercross Series, and his best
450cc Supercross Series finish to date.
2008: Bob Kiniry brings the team their first podium finish, placing third at the San Diego Supercross in front of 64,251 fans.
2009: Team Solitaire opens “The Dirt Lab” in Phoenix, Arizona to further their reach into the local and amateur motorcycling community. Ryan
continues to battle on the track through injuries and personal struggles.
2010: Team Solitaire signs MMI (The Motorcycle Mechanic’s Institute) as headline sponsor along side TheDirtLab.com and Rockwell Time. Ryan Clark
continues to lead the team along with Antonio Balbi, Rhett Urseth and Buddi Bruner.
Team Solitaire Owner
The Dirt Lab Co-Owner
Age 31
Ryan Clark has never won a championship in the AMA Motocross or Supercross series, but he has consistently been a staple in every one of
them since 1996. Clark is a veteran of the sport, and he seems to get better with age.
Clark’s first year saw him claim thirteenth overall in the 125cc West Coast Supercross
series. In 1999, he again raced the west coast series, where he earned a career-best sixth overall. In 2001 and 2002, Clark was busy
man as he competed in the East and West Coast 125cc divisions, as well as the 250cc Outdoor Nationals and Supercross series.
Clark’s first full-time year in the big-bike class was 2003, and it was also the first year of his Team Solitaire. His best Supercross
finish was a sixth place at the Salt Lake City, UT race. He would finish the season in the eleventh spot in the season point standings.
The 2004 season once again saw Clark consistently plugging away. He competed in the premier divisions where he finished twelfth in
Supercross and sixteenth in the Outdoor series. He also raced in the East Coast 125cc series, where he earned thirteenth overall.
The 2006 Supercross season was Clark’s best to date. He finished ninth overall in the Supercross championship, his only finish inside the
top ten in points during his career. He backed that up with a consistent twelfth overall in the outdoors.
The 2008 Supercross season did not go as planned for Clark, as he missed races due to injury. - John Leonard
2009 was another difficult year for Clark, as he endured an injury, financial struggles and a divorce from his longtime wife. Despite these
setbacks, Clark managed to land himself in all but one main event he attempted.
2010 is a year of excitement for Ryan. He is rejuvenated, motivated and ready to show that age is only a number.
Team Solitaire Technical Director
The Dirt Lab Co-Owner
Age 29
Jesse Black has been around the block a time or three. He once fashioned a plug to fill the hole in a cracked engine case from the
cork of an 18-year-old bottle of Bourbon - ten minutes between the second moto of an AMA National.
He won’t do that to your bike –
but he could if he had to.
As a graduate of MMI turned MMI Instructor, Jesse has seen things from many points of view. He also spent
time as a Honda Dealer Technician before joining forces with Ryan Clark and Team Solitaire. Over the years, Jesse has received many
accolades including MMI Supercross Top Tech Honors and employee of the month certificates.
His ingenuity and creativity perhaps spawn from his West Virginian upbringing, which saw him competing in one of the most demanding
races known to man – The Blackwater 100 at the age of 13.
Jesse is back out on the road turning wrenches for Ryan in the 2010 AMA Supercross Series.
