Maxxis Tires 12 Hours of ATV America ™
Fort Dodge, IA
Oct 12, 2002

Team Walsh Racecraft (Mike Walsh, Doug Gust and Joe Byrd) conquer the inaugural 12 Hours of ATV America
By John Pellan (wearing his journalist hat for the occation)
Photos by The Webster County Wheelers and the teams themselves

Team Walsh Racecraft rode this immaculately prepared Walsh Racecraft 250R (265cc) to the winner's circle, where they claimed the largest pay-out in ATV racing history - $9000.

Teams from 26 different states and Quebec, Canada landed smack-dab in the middle of the country, as Fort Dodge, Iowa hosted the Maxxis Tires 12 Hours of ATV America inaugural race. The track was a masterpiece that showcased the Mid West Offroad TT course in its center. In order to utilize the rest of the facility's sections, track layout and design experts, led by '00 Open Pro GNC National Champion, Bryan Shipley, spent months carving and sculping the rolling hills along the Des Moines River.

GNC supporters loved what was laid out for them. The TT and motocross sections with their jumps and the wide open high speeds highlighted their area of expertise. The motocross section of the track included a set of whoops, many off camber turns, a few double and single jumps and a table-top jump. The first few miles of the five-mile course were fast and wide. Riders negotiated the first wooded cross country sections with relative ease. After some sandy whoops and a high speed desert section, Iowa style that is, the track weaved its way up to the motorcross section, which was built on a large plateau overlooking the wide-fast TT track. Later riders disappeared into the second half of the track. More cross-country-type terrain awaited them - this time much tighter and definitely more demanding than the previous wooded section. Most teams ran motocross widths, so the tight woods might have resembled a freeway to some die hard GNCC racers. To others, they would dread the six foot clearances, off camber turns, steep hills, ruts, and stumps that GNCC riders tend to routinely swallow up in stride. Spectators enjoyed watching the riders manuever through "Bath Tube Hill", a steep, muddy "V" shaped downhill section hidden in the middle of the challenging wooded portion of the track.

Areas in green were represented at the inaugural 12 Hours of ATV America. There was a total of 26 different states and Quebec, Canada on hand - not bad for the first year!

After surviving the tighter, slower section of the track's final miles, riders would tally a lap for their team at the finish line, where the Trackside Software group would scan the bar code on their helmets while computers logged the information and displayed the team's stats. Be it a 26-minute lap from a team encountering motor problems to a Jeremiah Jones 9:58 lap (the fastest of the day) this info would forever be permanent in the 12 Hours of ATV America history books.

 

 

 

Jathan Seale displays the second place check for his JB Racing teammates.

Outside the industy sponsorship arrives! Red Bull Energy Drink saw the 12 Hours of ATV America as a fantastic way to market their product. Red Bull girls gave free drinks away all day long. They were very impressed with the event and can't wait till next year.

Iowa be proud! Persistency paid off for Team Great River Powersports, (Nick Eastin, Dustin Wimmer and Cory Ellerbroek - all calling Iowa home). The trio battled through a wasted rear sprocket and a Nick Eastin broken shoulder in route to winning the highly competitive A class. Go ahead and flex those muscles guys! We bow down here at the scene!	The LRD team entry of Nate Frees, Jason Dunkleburger and Jerimiah Jones, (who logged the fastest lap of the race) weren't so lucky. The team switched the 350R motor in only 21 minutes, (thanks to their well-prepared and ready-for-anything Lost Creek Cycle crew). The lost time however pushed them back to an eventual fourth place overall.

Nac's Racing's Mark Burns prepares for battle.

 

Mike Pendland chats with announcer Mark Straubinger about their team's domination in the 4 Wheel Drive Utility class.

The gun goes off in session two and riders sprint to their quads, plug in their tether cords and hammer down to get away from the pack as fast as possible.

Kory Ellis logged one of the fastest times of the second session. Amazingly, the quick lap came on the last lap he rode for the day, his 8th lap of that particular ride. "I guess I just wanted to get off the thing once and for all, so I sprinted it in".

Mechanics and teammates alike miticulously went over some last minute changes in the long-picture-perfect-well-organized pit lane, which allowed each team's trailer or box van tail gate to proudly display their entry and team sponsors, while letting spectators and reporters easily follow all the pit stop action and team strategies. 54 different teams in gang-like comradery made their way to the starting area. Many entered like a college football team might enter the field of a New Year's day bowl game. "Just keep the bike running, just keep the bike running", teamates reminded each other. From another huddle of last minute preperation you could overhear, "get away from the pack - you've got to stay away from any bumping". Another overheard comment at the line, "Just watch for my pit board, ride smooth and have fun". 11 pro teams would be racing for the biggest pro purse in ATV racing history, ($17,600), but just as important - they too would "have fun".

A light rain fell prior to the start and for the first few hours of the race, making the track perfect for dust-free racing and allowing for a beautiful blue groove in many of the turns. Tempatures slowly fell throughout the day, but most hot and sweaty teams welcomed the 50 degree overcast day.

At the sound of the gun riders sprinted from the starting line, plugged in their tether cords and roosted away for the start of the first six-hour session. The thunderous field of 54 riders approached the wide left hand turn eager to lead the prestigious event. Stealing the front page from future 12 Hours history books was the A class entry of Dustin Wimmer from the Great River Powesports team. Dustin stole the holeshot from the rest of the field and impressively led the charge on their Great River 400EX.

I'll skip to the bottom line then let the riders of the fill in what happened in between. The Walsh Racecraft team, aboard a healthy Walsh 250R took top honors and won a hefty $9000 for their hard work. "We just kept a strong steady pace and really didn't have any problems", said "Digger" Doug Gust, the team's anchor rider. "It was way better than I even imagined. The track was a lot of fun. I think this race can really help the sport".

Two production based Suzuki Z400 entries rounded out the podium. The JB Racing team of Matt Bartosek, Jathan Seale and Brad Covington did their homework and were more than ready for the race. Each rider routinely charged hard for 7-8 consistent laps at a time. They had their sites on the leaders but just missed staying on the lead lap at the end of the first session. "Matt got jammed up in a bottle neck and Doug got past him and lapped him on the last lap", said the team leader and mechanic, Jodi Bateman of JB Racing. In the second session we slowly realed them back in and got back to the current lap, but couldn't catch them. Third place overall went to Team GT Thunder using another Z400 as their weapon of choice. ATV Scene's own Johnny Gallagher and Kory Ellis were the go to guys on this team. "I can't say enough for the machine. Lazurus at GT Thunder had it running absolutely perfect. I shot the chain with some lube as Kory roosted away - that was the extent of our fiddling with it in the pits. I'm really happy with what we accomplished, there was a lot of talented riders and excellent teams out here today, we'll proudly take this podium and be back next year to back it up", said Johnny Gallager with third place $3000 check in hand.

 

 

 

There were so many stories within the story, so to best sum them up, we'll let the teams take it from here...

click HERE for team comments

KY Kultsman, Josh Starrett rips on the American built Cannondale through one of the wooded sections of the track. Questions to the promoters... Why are you trying to build the premier ATV race in the world in Fort Dodge, Iowa? Location Since Fort Dodge, IA is in the middle of the country, we're able to pull teams from California to Conneticut. A track built in PA or Arizona would surely limit attendance from the other half of the country. In addition, the track is only a few miles from the city of Fort Dodge. In fact, it's only two miles from the Holiday Inn and as close as five miles from ten other hotels. Facility The Mid West Offroad Racing complex features excellent elevation changes that make it perfect for spectating.. The rolling landscape begged for a premier ATV course. The facility has a huge amount of potential. It will grow as the event grows. In addition the local ATV club, The Webster County Wheelers, the City of Fort Dodge, Webster County and the State of Iowa are working together to build a premier ATV Park. There is a good chance the neighboring land will become a state backed recreational ATV park. This means more land and bigger and better attractions in the future. Although the proposed park would be located across the river it would provide another location for various activates as the 12-Hours of ATV America grows into a festive multi-day end of the year extravaganza. People The icing on the cake as to where to hold the 12 Hours of ATV America - the fine peple of Fort Dodge themselves! The help and support we get from the people of Fort Dodge is outstanding! From the Messanger Newspaper to the radio stations right down to the city officals and the mayor - this place deserves to hold the reigns of the future home of the World's premier ATV event! We were amazed at just how bad the city wanted an event like this - something not too regular in ATV racing. We'll be back for sure What will the pro purse be for next year? If we max out at 20 teams the purse will be $32,000. 33% of the field will be paid. The majority of the purse will go directly to the podium. In this, we crown the three best teams with the richest purse the sport has ever witnessed. This is not an ordinary ATV national where a little of the purse money is distributed to the most riders possible - instead, it's a once-in-a-year happining that enables a team to win a lot of money if they finish on the podium. What about the amatuer riders? We have established a marketing committe to aggressively go after aftermarket and outside the industry companies for quality contingency that the heart and soul of our sport badly deserves. It's our goal to award top five in each class with quality prizes. At the same time we are looking into new and creative ways to deliver the most exposure possible for all sponsors. At least 50% of entries will recieve quality plaques to showcase their team's outstanding achievment. What else is in the works for next year? An access road will make its way to more areas on the track. Two tractors will pull trailers that will transport staff, racer crews and spectators alike to all areas of the track. Most of the track officials will hop on the "hay-ride" instead of riding their own personal ATVs to their designated areas. Another section will be added to the track for longer lap times and less lapped rider interference. This new section will be on the east side of the track down in the big valley. This will give spectators another bird's eye view of the track and offer more challenging terrain for teams to endure. There will be more tow quads available for disabled racers. We'll widen many areas of the track and create more passing opportunities. We'll work further on track drainage. An awards ceremony director will be hired to make sure the top three teams from all classes are recognized on stage. An ATV Scene editor will be designated for every class to get the scoop for this site and any other media that needs pictures, quotes and behind the scenes info. We've got some surprises in the works that will surely please all.   See ya next year! Mark your calenders for Oct 25, 2003

Special Thanks!! Main Sponsors Maxxis Tires United Trailers SHIFT Red Bull Energy Drink Shipley Construction Limited Mid Country Machinery, Inc & MCM Rentals Rasch Construction, Inc. R&J Material Handling Holiday Inn Fort Dodge Electronic Engineering Racing Unlimited Double M Signs Access Audio Tropical Smoothie Café Hy-Vee Fibrenew Fort Dodge Midwest Top Shop Contingency Sponsors Maxxis Tires Nac's Racing Denton Racing Baja Designs Oury Grip Outerwears Media Chaz Rice - Ehlhert Publishing, ATV Sport Steve Casper - Hi-Torque Publishing, Dirt Wheels Tim Zimmerman & Mike Demaree - Fox Sports Net Hi Octane Producers Fort Dodge Messenger Track Layout & Design Bryan Shipley - Shipley Construction Bruce Bresser Kam Schmehr Jim Dahl Leo Reigelderger Jill Couldter Doug Wilke Track Officials Tom Prendergast - Chief Referee Scott Foens - EMT Webster County Wheelers - Tow Crew/Flaggers Des Moines River Ridge Runners - Flaggers North River Ridge Runners - Flaggers Announcer Mark Straubinger - Banger's Race Announcing Pit Gate, Sign Up and Scoring Angie Crimmins Lisa Crouse Becky Marvin Vickie Crimmins Lori Hoover Beverly Bowden Emil Pellan Kris Bresser Jessica Schmehr John Dains - Trackside Software Promotions John Pellan - Fast-Trak Promo Marketing, PR, Track Building, Event Coordinator... Bob Fleege - Fast-Trak Promo Public Relations Dean Fleege - Fast-Trak Promo Graphic Art Jim and Sue Ricke - Mid West Off-road Racing owners Jay and Anna Lukawski - Mid West Off-road Racing Matt Cooper - Webster Country Wheelers President Iowa OHV Association

 

 

12 Hours of ATV America ™ Ft. Dodge, IA October 12, 2002 Overall Finish Results 54 Entries (Note: elapsed time includes the intermission break)
Place	Racer	City, State	Class	Nbr	Brand	Laps	Elapsed
1	Byrd, Walsh, Gust	Ct, Wi, Tn	Pro	075	WAL	66	15:00:03
2	Covington, Bartosek, Sceale	Sparkman, AR	Pro	008	SUZ	66	15:11:15
3	Phillips, Gallagher, Ellis	Oh, Oh, Ca	Pro	111	SUZ	65	15:08:10
4	Dunkleberger, Frees, Jones	Ia, Ky, Pa	Pro	112	HON	64	15:05:28
5	Luburgh, Burns, Warner	Ia, Mo,oh	Pro	009	CAN	63	15:10:45
6	Flinner, Willett, Starrett	Henderson, KY	Pro	044	CAN	61	15:04:58
7	Hulsey, Higgins	Washington, MO	Pro	003	LEG	61	15:06:34
8	Wimmer, Easton, Ellerbroek	Burlington, IA	Amateur A	911	HON	61	15:06:59
9	Krupinski, Lemley, Jenks	Rockport, WV	Amateur A	014	SUZ	61	15:07:23
10	Kenreigh, Burton, Ogram	Salem, OH	Amateur B	506	HON	59	15:04:25
11	Destafano, Hertz, Borich	Sunbury, PA	Pro	002	LEG	58	14:59:20
12	Cecco, Parton, Moore	Dayton, OH	Amateur A	001	SUZ	58	15:06:38
13	Branson, Rowton, Smith	Texarkana, TX	Amateur A	091	SUZ	58	15:07:38
14	Granlund, Stuart, Little	Nv, Ca, Al	Pro	021	ROL	57	15:08:49
15	Leaver, Frederick, Moore	Las Vegas, NV	Pro	031	CAN	56	15:00:45
16	Plante, Gignac, Beaupre	Quebec, CN	Pro	082	LEG	56	15:08:47
17	Thompson, Pugh, Ragon	Milan, TN	Amateur A	051	LEG	55	14:58:57
18	Marzen, Costello, Bartlett	Jordan, MN	Amateur B	023	SUZ	55	15:03:29
19	Kaylor, Ellett, Lacore	Hollister, MO	Amateur A	040	CAN	55	15:03:34
20	Rotenburger, Boecker, Blint	West Point, IA	Amateur B	033	HON	55	15:06:05
21	Levinson, Whalen, Moel	St. Louis, MO	Amateur B	181	YAM	55	15:08:39
22	Davis, Stokes, Casper	Willow Springs, MO	Amateur B	041	HON	55	15:11:30
23	Alms, Sisk	Kirbyville, MO	Amateur B	245	HON	55	15:12:24
24	Gonzalez, Penland, Kilby	Rabon Gap, GA	Utility 4 W/D	128	KAW	55	15:13:13
25	Baumann, Stratton, Glann	Des Moines, IA	Amateur B	050	SUZ	54	15:02:45
26	Blanton, Ryberg, Gudde	Holden, MO	Amateur A	081	HON	54	15:09:36
27	Olberding, Jimenez, Rewarts	Iowa Falls, IA	Amateur B	063	HON	53	15:00:49
28	Kienast, Mehaffy, Miller	Burlington, IA	Amateur B	032	HON	52	15:00:25
29	Gilreath, Gromowski, Fox	Huntsville, MO	Amateur B	092	HON	52	15:00:27
30	Salsbury, Mcgregor, Schultz	Stewartsville, MO	Amateur B	070	HON	52	15:02:55
31	Eldridge, Dohm, Whitmore	Gaylord, MI	Amateur B	240	YAM	52	15:08:19
32	Ziebell, Brigus, Culsch	Des Moines, IA	Amateur B	098	YAM	52	15:11:37
33	Revis, Harp, Morris	Locust Grove, OK	Amateur B	364	YAM	51	15:06:14
34	Brown, Kellison, Harris	St. Joseph, MO	Amateur B	072	HON	51	15:10:23
35	Bartels, Safar, Julsa	Valley Springs, SD	Amateur B	086	YAM	48	15:06:46
36	Stoebner, Vining	Brookings, SD	Amateur B	395	HON	48	15:08:57
37	Friga, Ferrell, Wood	Kansas City, MO	Amateur A	711	HON	46	13:31:04
38	Hughes, Purcell, Martin	Mustang, OK	Amateur B	251	HON	46	14:43:18
39	Moline, Britt, Smart	Rock Island, IL	Amateur B	038	HON	46	14:52:56
40	Dahlston, Kyner, Mickelson	Carlisle, IA	Utility 4 W/D	034	YAM	44	15:01:40
41	Eide, Loran, Loran	Bismarck, ND	Industry	117	BOM	42	15:02:19
42	Townsend, Curlis, Kelley,	Chanute, KS	Utility 4 W/D	067	HON	36	15:03:22
43	Owens, Gregory, Gregory	Mo, Ia	Amateur B	079	HON	35	12:30:11
44	Brown, Johnson, Turner	Nc, Il, Sc	Utility 4 W/D	011	YAM	34	14:51:02
45	Lingenfelter, Grisell,	Noblesville, IN	Amateur B	256	BOM	33	15:00:22
46	Barnwell, Teixeira, Machado	Tracy, CA	Amateur A	097	YAM	27	05:36:01
47	Schroeder, Pierson, Jacobs	Ft. Dodge, IA	Amateur B	005	HON	27	15:10:26
48	Mcfarley, Wooley, Mangrum	Tulsa, OK	Amateur B	350	YAM	25	05:16:04
49	Carpenter, Carpenter, Turner	Tx, Mo, Va	Utility 4 W/D	035	YAM	20	09:17:39
50	Burkheimer, Bender, Conner	Janesville, WI	Utility 2 W/D	717	KAW	19	14:59:01
51	Danly, Heims, Ortner	Cedar Rapids, IA	Amateur A	069	BOM	7	01:40:06
52	Christianson, Kleinow, Kleinow	Waterville, IA	Amateur B	068	HON	7	02:07:40
53	Pittsenberger, Meadows, Parsons	Cameron, MO	Amateur A	101	HON	1	00:12:37
54	Kryder, Hicks	South Whiitley, IN	Amateur B	099	HON	1	00:13:44