After competing for Team Suzuki in AMA Pro Racing in 1990 and ’91, in California’s Tallon Vohland was enticed over to Europe to race for Team Carpi-Moto in the 1992 FIM 125cc Motocross World Championship. In 1994, Vohland moved over to Team Pepsi Honda Becchis where he would compete in the 250cc class and then, from 1995-96, he lined up for Team Jan de Groot Kawasaki. Vohland would race for Team Rinaldi Yamaha in 1997 and ’98 before moving back to the U.S. to race for the FMF Honda organization in the 1999 AMA 125cc championship. Finishing third there, he caught the eye of Pro Circuit Kawasaki overlord Mitch Payton, who hired him for the 2000 racing season, where he went out and won the 125cc West Supercross opener at Anaheim.
Now, 24 years later, Tallon and his son 20 year-old son Max Vohland have formed a father and son duo in the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki race team, in the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship, under the watch of Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team principal Mitch Payton.
“It’s the first time we’ve ever had somebody who has rode for us and then his son rode for us,” noted Payton who has been looking after many of the sport’s elite 125cc and 250cc racers since 1991. “That’s kind of cool. Watching Max last year there was something there that I thought was worth grabbing and I talked to Tallon about it and I talked to Max and we thought it would be a good place for him. They seem really happy here, so I’m pretty stoked about it. Max resembles Tallon when he was young. My expectation for him is that we win some races. I wouldn’t have hired him if I didn’t think he could win.”
Max Vohland has no direct memories of his father’s pro career, for an excellent reason.
“I remember now, because I have watched so much video of it, but I wasn’t around when he was racing,” Max said. “I didn’t exist! [But] I’ve watched a lot of the old videos of my dad and there are definitely a few races that he always puts on repeat.”
When did Max Vohland realize that he wanted to follow the same path?
“It’s hard to say,” he said, hesitating for a few moments. “Really, I feel like once you start growing up and you start thinking about real-life stuff and not being just a kid, then stuff sort of comes to you. I felt like it was around the time I was 16 years-old and on superminis and I was starting to do pretty good and then there started to be talk about getting a factory ride and stuff on a 125. Then it is like, ‘OK, this is actually a possibility. I can make this a job and make it my life.’
And how was Tallon as a race dad?
“He was good, actually,” said Max. “You always hear the ‘mini dad stories,’ but I felt like I didn’t really have that. If anything, it’s more like that now as I’m a pro racer. Back then he already had a plan in his head and it was all mapped out. It was smooth sailing and now that I’ve got the pro ride seat, the sport has been elevated so much since he raced that he doesn’t know everything like he used to when he was building me up. I almost feel like sometimes he is more of a mini dad now than he was before.”
After quietly taking in his son’s comments, Tallon talked about being a moto dad to a son with world class racing talent.
“It’s pretty challenging because it’s almost like you become a split personality,” admitted the elder Vohland. “You have that desire-side and race-side to you. I don’t race anymore, but you kind of race with your son out there. Of course when he does good, it’s like you win. However, there is also that dad side. It’s like, ‘Oh my God, there is a lot of risk involved here!’ When you’re riding dirt bikes, things can happen. You’re always scared for your kid in anything like that. There’s that side of it, too. It’s a tough deal, right? You’re scared when they go out on the track, but then they’re out on the track and you’re yelling, ‘Dang it, why didn’t you jump that?’”
When did Tallon realize that his young son had the talent, desire and skill set to make it as a factory rider?
“We started out going BMX racing and he really got a lot of skills in that and then we started back on the dirt bike with Grandpa Vohland,” he explained. “You’d see little things and say, ‘Oh, OK. That’s good.’ It’s almost like you see these little seeds and they grow bigger and bigger. You hear about all these dads now. You have Brian Deegan coming in. I think the advantage for the kids like Tom Viale and Max is that you know all the steps to get them there more safely, but also more easily. You can do this without making all the mistakes that your dad made. When you see that opportunity as a past professional, it’s kind of like you can get where you need to be and then it finally comes down to him.”
A part of Red Bull KTM Racing for three years, as well as spending more than a decade with KTM as an amateur racer, Max Vohland — even this early on in the grand scheme of things — is quite satisfied with the growth curve of his career.
“Yeah, really cool to be here — I feel great,” said Max. “I had an awesome offseason. I had very minimal bad days. They weren’t even bad days, maybe more of just an odd day. My bike is also awesome. I’ve really had the same setup basically since I go on the bike, so I didn’t really need to change a lot. So I’ve gotten a lot of time on stuff I know, so I’m comfortable. I feel confident that I’m riding fast.”
Once atop the Kawasaki, Vohland quickly found himself training, riding and in-step with former Monster Energy Supercross champion and Monster Energy Kawasaki 450cc pilot Jason Anderson..
“It just kind of happened,” explained Vohland. “He just asked one day. He said, ‘Hey, if you ever want to hop in with me and do motos, you can.’ I did that day and since then it worked. We’ve really been pushing our level higher and higher. We keep finding more. Even our last day at the test track, we found another second on the track and broke the record that we had with lap times. We’ve made huge improvements, so it’s cool to see that and to also have someone who is so motivated and a good role model for me to strive to be.”
Having raced for Payton and Kawasaki himself, Tallon Vohland knew what he and his son were getting into for 2024 and beyond and is absolutely good with it all.
“The bike and program I know, because I’ve been on Mitch Payton’s race teams. That’s, honestly, one of the reasons I called Mitch,” Tallon said. “I told him that I trust him and we luckily ended up here. Mitch took the opportunity and chance on Max and the blessing was that Jason Anderson teamed up with Max — we’ve been training with him and it has been great. Anderson is so analytical about everything that he does. He really doesn’t miss anything. I think Max has picked up on a lot of that, so it has been really helpful. It’s kind of a win-win. You never know what is going to happen, but I feel like Max is ready.”
Off of the KTM 250 and onto a Mitch Payton-tuned Kawasaki KX250F, Max Vohland finds a lot to like in his new race equipment,
“In my career I’ve always liked the bottom end of power on a motorcycle. When I got on this bike it immediately felt like it had a lot of that,” said Max. “That suited my riding style immediately. It boosted my confidence and now I feel better than I even did before. I feel like I’m in a really good spot. The power is obviously amazing on the Pro Circuit bikes. This is the fourth year on this bike and I think they are still finding even more. It is definitely a fast bike and you can tell at the end of the outdoors last year, they definitely found the good stuff.
“And absolutely I really like the team,” he continued. “It’s definitely a different environment. It feels more laid-back, but also more hard working. Everyone is doing the right work, but it’s not as stressful an environment as I was used to before. All of that also helps me feel more comfortable at the races.
“It’s hard to say if I’m going to go out and win or get on the podium, but I feel like my chances are very high, so everything has been good.”
Looking back on both the 2022 and ’23 AMA seasons, one Max Vohland was remarkably consistent, posting top-10 results in virtually every contest. Both Vohlands are firm believers in race consistency and where it can take you.
“My idea with Max is that I’m trying to build something good and it takes time, because you can have it two ways,” explained Tallon. “You can have the guy who goes out and crashes and brings it back, and that works sometimes. Or you can try and grow a good guy. I feel like sometimes Max doesn’t take the big risk, but I’m OK with that. It just means we need to get better at those specific weak points. Once Max gets all of that covered, he will become like a Ryan Dungey. That’s what the goal is. That’s what I’m working on.”
Added his son, “I feel like when it comes to consistency and also the risk management, staying on the bike, it has all been good for me. I only had one tip-over crash in a corner all offseason, which is great. I’ve been really good at staying consistent and my results are consistent. When it comes to racing, I feel like the consistency is there. I just need to be the faster guy to be consistent.”
How does Max Vohland view the competition he’ll be battling with inside the football and baseball stadiums?
“It’s hard to say. I think RJ Hampshire will be very tough,” he said. “He’s got a lot of years in the class and he got a lot of second-place finishes last year to Jett Reynolds, so I feel like he’s everybody’s top guy in the class just because of how he did last year and his experience. Jo Shimoda is also on a very proven bike. I also feel like Jo will be very good. You never know. Everyone pretty much works in quiet and you only hear rumors of who is doing what here and there. Everyone will know as soon as that gate drops.”
He’s confident of his own chances though.
“Yeah, I think I can win,” said Max. “It all comes down the start. The 250 class has been so competitive the last few years and we’re all so very close and it all really depends on the start these days. My starts have been good. If I’m front, I don’t see why I can’t win.”