12 Hours of ATV America 2004
- Updated: October 30, 2004
Pit Talk
| Team: | #1 EAST COAST ATV |
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John Natalie, Chris Borich and Matt Smiley
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| Class: | Pro 1st |
| Overall: | 1st |
| ATV: | Honda 450R |
ATV Scene: How did you guys select each other as teammates?
Natalie: Mike Krachun quit, and Chris Borich rides for East Coast, so he asked if I would ride with them. I was honored!
ATV Scene: What was your teams expectations?
Natalie: We figured we had a pretty good chance to win because we had no weak links. Some other teams had one person who wasn’t quite as fast as the others.
ATV Scene: What was your team’s strategy?
Natalie: We wanted to put everyone a lap down in the first session to get a good cushion. We later found that that was wish full thinking. As the race went on we just wanted to stay consistent, run good lap times every lap and keep the bike in good shape.
ATV Scene: What was the biggest challenge your team had to overcome?
Natalie: We didn’t really have any big challenges because our team worked together well. We rode a smart race and kept the bike in good shape. Joe Borich kept everything running really smooth.
ATV Scene: If you could change anything about your machine’s setup for next year, what would it be?
Natalie: A little stiffer rear shock.
ATV Scene: If you could change anything about your team for next year what would it be?
Natalie: I don’t think I would change anything. We worked great together and helped each other out always.
ATV Scene: What were your likes and dislikes about the event?
Natalie: I thought the event went great, but the weather was bad. Personally I would like to see it run in one session with no breaks.
ATV Scene: Did you feel that the course was bias to any type of racing?
Natalie: Not really. There was a lot of everything out there. Motocross riders were running the same lap times as cross country riders, so that tells you it was a pretty even playing field.
ATV Scene: What was the strangest moment of the day?
Natalie: We missed a fuel stop when we changed brakes. Oddly enough, it actually worked out good for us later.
ATV Scene: What are your plans for the 12 Hours next year?
Natalie: Win it again!
| Team: | #784 GT THUNDER |
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Mark Notman, Brandon Sommers and Shawn Hohnke
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| Class | B 1st |
| Overall | 16th |
| ATV: | Honda 450R |
Team GT Thunder pulled a six minute lead early in the first session but let it drop to just a couple minutes when they pitted to tighten their chain. With two hours left, Brandon Sommers took control and stretched a two minute lead into a massive ten minute lead to end the first session! Two laps into the second session the sensor unit for their Honda’s fan got knocked off, so the fan would not come on. Naturally the quad had a problem from then on with overheating. The team was forced to make a two-minute pit stop every two laps in the second session in an effort to keep the Honda’s motor somewhat cool. With GT Thunder’s main man, Lazarus Sommers and a five man support crew they were able to keep the team out in front for an amazingly respectable 16th overall. They easily won the B class along the way. They took the lead on the third lap and despite some mechanical problems, they never looked back!
ATV Scene: How did you guys select each other as teammates?
Lazarus Sommers: Shawn, Brandon and Mark are all at the top of the B class in the GNCC series – and are customers of mine.
ATV Scene: What was the biggest challenge your team had to overcome?
Lazarus Sommers: Overheating problems caused us to have to fill the radiator every to two laps during the second half of the race. And the CDI fell of from all the slippery coolant on the holder. Shawn had to push the bike back to the pits for repair. It was a good thing we had the lead that we had.
ATV Scene: Did you feel that the course was bias to any type of racing?
Lazarus Sommers: No.
ATV Scene: What are your plans for the 12 Hours next year?
Lazarus Sommers: I don’t know. It will depend on when it is and the location. This race is a great race, but my son’s focus will be on the GNCC series. I hope there is no conflict.
| Team: | MEDIA ALLSTARS |
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Todd Macke, Jorge Cuartas, Jimmy Osborn
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| Class | B 23rd |
| Overall | 83rd |
| ATV: | Yamaha YFZ450 |
Perhaps the most interesting team in attendance was this one. Each rider has a disability – but don’t tell them that. Jimmy Osborn (from Dallas, TX) is a left arm amputee, Jorge Cuartas (from Savannah, GA) is a left leg amputee and Todd Macke (from Decatur, IL) has cerebral palsy and spinal scoliosis. The trio was featured in the June edition of ATV Sport Magazine. This is where they go the idea to field a team for this year’s 12 Hours event.
ATV Scene: How did you guys select each other as teammates?
Macke: It came about from a feature that ATV Sport Magazine did on us. We all agreed it would be cool to team up with one another and prove that people with disabilities can overcome their set backs and compete right along side of those without disabilities.
ATV Scene: What was your team’s strategy?
Macke: Our goal was to start and finish the race. We accomplished that goal and finished respectfully. Each rider was putting in consistent lap times (18-19 minutes) all day compared to the pro’s 13-14 minute lap times. Our 12 hour race was a solid team effort from the riders to our pit crew.
ATV Scene: Did you feel that the course was bias to any type of racing?
Macke: No I think it was a fair combination of motocross and cross country. I will say that it was the roughest course I have ever ridden in my 25 year ATV career!
ATV Scene: Can you talk more about your quad set up and how it went for you throughout the day?
Macke: Our Yamaha YFZ450 ran awesome and our ITP tires gave us plenty of traction without getting any flats. Our Custom Axis shocks took all the pounding we could give them. Jorge did an awesome job of setting the quad up for this race! Our rider exchanges for Jimmy Osborn worked awesome too. We were able to tie the front brake lever assembly to the steering stem and flip the clutch over to the right side in the amount of time it took to fill the gas tank!
ATV Scene: Any set backs during the race?
Macke: Our only mishap was when Jimmy caught a post and flipped the quad. He then got back on and went 100 yards and a rock knocked the chain off and wrapped around the countershaft. We lost a lap there but we were able to fix it and finish the race. During the night session our battery quit on us due to the lighting drain we put on it. When we stalled the quad, we would have to find a hill to bump start it.
ATV Scene: How did you guys get along?
Macke: We got along great. We all worked together as a team and formed a bond that I’ll never forget. Jorge and I were really impressed with Jimmy “Lefty” on how well he got around the course with one arm, he’s one awesome racer! Our team showed a lot of heart to be out there racing ATVs with the world’s best. I’m proud of our team for finishing all 12 hours.
ATV Scene: What do you think might come from this in the future?
Macke: I really don’t know. We’re starting to get a lot of press. I think what we did makes for an interesting story. If we can use our disabilities to further expose all the positive things that ATV racing brings to people’s lives – then we’re all for it. Our local paper here in Decatur, IL ran this article about me.
ATV Scene: What are your short and long term goals involving ATVs?
Macke: I currently don’t own an ATV and only raced one time this year (Loretta Lynn’s GNC MX). I showed up for this 12 hour race and put in 12 solid laps. I hope to land a sponsor from racing this event. I would love to find a sponsor that would loan me an ATV to race the GNC events on – so I could prove that people with disabilities can get out and race like everybody else, (or simply enjoy riding ATVs, like everyone else). My ultimate goal is to start an ATV riding school for people with disabilities.
ATV Scene: Do you guys have plans to race next year’s Maxxis 12 Hours of ATV America?
Macke: Yes. I really look forward to racing the with Media Allstars again next year.
| Team: | #515 FD RACING |
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Jason Mickelson, Alex Gronbach and Jarrod Sheets
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| Class | Utility Expert 1st |
| Overall | 45th |
| ATV: | Kawasaki Prairie 700 |
Mike Pendland has won 11 GNCC Championships, many Baja events and has a hand full of other respectable titles to his credit. His Team PBR (Penland Bros Racing) has won the Utility Expert class at the inaugural Maxxis 12 Hours of ATV America in ’02 and again in ’03. Beating Team PBR is no easy task as every competitor in the utility class will attest. Could a bunch of locals put together a utility quad competitive enough to run with former Kawasaki factory PBR? Would three riders with far less track experience as PBR be able to hold their own on a rough, technical course for two six hour sessions? The answer to these question are displayed on the 12 Hours results. The little local team from Fort Dodge (and surrounding areas) called FD Racing, who proudly ran the 515 area code on their yellow Kawie, has accomplished what no other Utility Expert team could. They put together 43 respectful laps and dethroned the master of utility racing with pride.
ATV Scene: How did you guys select each other as teammates?
Sheets: Our team was created by our mechanic Jim Dahl. Without him, our victory would not have been possible. They are more than a team if you ask me. They are like family!
ATV Scene: What was your team’s expectations?
Sheets: Our only expectation was to win. As a team we ran the entire Iowa ATV Harescramble Series. We always had good luck with our Kawasaki Prairies and finishing wasn’t a question. We came to win and we did!
ATV Scene: What was your team’s strategy?
Sheets: Pit only when needed, keep a fresh rider on at all times, ride smart and HAVE FUN!
ATV Scene: What was the biggest challenge your team had to overcome?
Sheets: Just being able to pace ourselves. We are used to running a two hour event, and it took patience to be able to hold back and save some speed for the end of the race. Also, the track broke down very quickly. It got really rough, but it was still an awesome course!
ATV Scene: Did you feel that the course was bias to any type of racing?
Sheets: It was a very good mix of woods and MX!
ATV Scene: What was the coolest moment of the day for you guys?
Sheets: When our mechanics started dancing because we had a good lead on Pendland Bros.!
ATV Scene: Will you return for another 12 Hours next year?
Sheets: We have a title to defend, right?
| Team: #86 Kymco | ||
| Nathan Delebar Brad Morrison Jack Moore |
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| Class | B 25th | |
| Overall | 86th | |
| ATV: | Kymco Mongoose 25 | |
ATV Scene: How did you guys select each other as teammates?
Delabar: The idea of the team came about well before we started looking for teammates. Once it was time to find teammates, I had a few things I was looking for. First people that would really appreciate the race and have fun with the experience. We were also looking for riders that would not normally been able to race the event. Since we were doing testing for a bike we wanted riders that had completely different riding styles. We posted on ATV Scenes forums and opened it up for anyone that wanted to race it. The response was good. We received roughly 35 to 40 resumes. I think the choice of Jack Moore and Bradley Morrison where the right choice.
ATV Scene: What was your team’s expectations?
Delabar: We were racing a Kymco Mongoose 250. We knew we were not going to win. We just wanted to finish the race and hopefully beat a couple teams along the way. We had a great response from sponsors like Powroll, Desert Toyz, Kenda, Douglas Wheels, and Jones Powersports. This put a little bit of pressure on us to make sure this quad finished.
ATV Scene: What was your team’s strategy?
Delabar: Because our goal was to finish the race our strategy was to pit a little more than most teams would to check up on the bike and make sure everything was OK. With a 12 hour race there is time to fix problems, but not if you let them get too far out of hand.
ATV Scene: What was the biggest challenge your team had to overcome?
Delabar: Negotiating the rough track. We were on a stock quad. It really beat us and the machine up.
ATV Scene: If you could change anything about your machine’s setup for next year, what would it be?
Delabar: For what we were doing I was very happy with our set up. If I did have to change one thing though it would be lights. We needed some stronger lights to see better during the night.
ATV Scene: If you could change anything about your team for next year what would it be?
Delabar: If someone would come out of the blue and ask me to race with them and they had everything all set up ready to go, I would think about changing things up. But if I am in the same situation I was this year I would not change my team at all!
ATV Scene: What were your likes and dislikes about the event?
Delabar: I have a lot of likes of the event. I like the fact that the race pulls racers from all different types of racing disciplines to compete against each other. I really like the length of the race. A lot of strategy and planning has to go into the race. I guess I don’t really have any dislikes of the event. Of course I want it in my back yard but everyone wants that, right?
ATV Scene: Did you feel that the course was bias to any type of racing?
Delabar: Yes it was defiantly a cross country track! I think that showed in the finishes too.
ATV Scene: What was the strangest moment of the day?
Delabar: Having riders on 450cc race quads pull over for me to pass them!
ATV Scene: What are your plans for the 12 Hours next year?
Delabar: No real plans just yet. If I can’t get a team together that I think has a good chance of winning our class I want to do something like we did this year. I think we helped Kymco with plenty of R&D. Along the way I feel we gave them a lot of press with our accomplishment. I would love to do the same for them (or another manufacturer) next year.
| Team: | #710 Amy |
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Daniel Ketterer, Jason Hughes and Mark Thompson
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| Class | Pro 15th |
| Overall | 54th |
| ATV: | Honda 450R |
ATV Scene: How did you get your team name?
Amy Fatcheric: I’m Mark’s wife. They named their team after me!
ATV Scene: What was the biggest challenge your team had to overcome?
Amy Fatcheric: Unfortunately Team Amy didn’t do as well as we would have liked. My husband ended up getting hurt on his first lap. And I actually told him to suck it up and sent him out for another lap after the intermission. Turns out after our visit to the orthopedist, he broke his fibula (lower shin bone) and shattered a portion of his ankle. So much for my on the spot diagnosis. I thought it was just a deep tissue bruise. That meant our team was down to two riders except for two laps. Considering that, I think they did pretty well.
ATV Scene: How’s your husband doing? Does he have any desire to try his luck again?
Amy Fatcheric: He had surgery on Wednesday. He’ll be OK after his 6-9 week recovery. We may end up divorced after too much time together though, (just kidding). He’s definitely wanting to do it again.
ATV Scene: What was the coolest moment of the day for your team?
Amy Fatcheric: I would have to say winning the “Best Decorated Pit” award. We didn’t do very well in the race but we still came home with a win anyway.
ATV Scene: What were your likes and dislikes about the event?
Amy Fatcheric: No dislikes at all. We loved it! We had a great time and hope to come back next year. You guys put on a great event.
| Team: | #118 Diamond Racing |
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Jason Farrar, John Winkelbauer and Kyle Carlson
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| Class | 29th |
| Overall | 93rd |
| ATV: | Cannondale |
ATV Scene: What were your likes and dislikes about the event?
Jim Winkelbauer: Great race! How could you have any dislikes about this event? We can’t wait till next year! This race has definitely changed my mind about cross country racing. We’re going to be doing quite a few cross country races in preparation for next year’s 12 hour race.
ATV Scene: How did you guys do?
Jim Winkelbauer: Not very well, but we had an absolute blast! Damn, I was excited! Did you see John’s hole shot he got past like half the pro class! By the end of the first lap we were right up in the middle of the pros. Awesome
| Team: | #30 Wisconsin Hare-MX |
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Andy Seefeldt, Bud Miller and Peter Feldner
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| Class | A 21st |
| Overall | 60th |
| ATV: | Honda 450R |
ATV Scene: How did it go for you guys?
Miller: This was my first time at this event. We had a great time considering one of our riders broke his leg. I was just married prior to the race, although this was not our official honeymoon – in a way it was. I think it shows dedication and love for our sport from both of us.
ATV Scene: How are you doing Andy?
Seefeldt: It didn’t go very well for me personally. I had the leg injury late in the afternoon, and was hauled off to the hospital for treatment. I would like to thank you for all your help in my time of need. That was by far the most painful hour that I have endured in my life. I am pretty sure that I was going about twenty miles per hour when I was ejected from my machine and slammed into the tree. I have a badly bruised rib as well but thankfully my chest protector saved my torso from serious injury. My thigh muscle and tibia (chin bone) received the brunt of the impact. I was found to have a fractured tibial plateau, and had a ct-scan done on that the other day. I will know the results sometime soon. My knee is swollen like a balloon, and is showing bruising on the backside of the knee. My thigh is pretty much not working at this time, but I am sure I will be ready for deer hunting in a couple of weeks.
ATV Scene: Will you compete again next year?
Seefeldt: It is likely that I will be at the race next year, but not as racer. I have decided that at the age of 47, my racing years are complete. I will be very active in the sport, and am on the verge of opening an ATV salvage business soon. Again, thanks for your help when I was down.
| Team: | #70 Chance Powder Coating |
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Todd Donahoo, Johnny Kellison, Mark Uehlin
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| Class | Industry 1st |
| Overall | 42nd |
| ATV: | Yamaha YFZ450 |
ATV Scene: What was your team’s strategy?
Donahoo: We just wanted to finish top three. Who knew we would end up winning the Industry class!
ATV Scene: What was the biggest challenge your team had to overcome?
Donahoo: Racing with Great River Powersports. They were tough. They had Pro-Am GNC rider, Cory Ellerbroek – one very fast kid!
ATV Scene: If you could change anything about your machine’s setup for next year, what would it be?
Donahoo: I felt we were set up awesome. We ran almost trouble free.
ATV Scene: Did you feel that the course was bias to any type of racing?
Donahoo: The course was A1! It had TT, which I hate, two MX section and a woods section, that I absolutely loved. It got super rough but it was awesome. We loved it!
ATV Scene: What are your plans for next year’s 12 Hours?
Donahoo: Just being there and trying to finish again. Along the way — hopefully we will win again, but finishing takes top priority.
ATV Scene: If you could change anything about your team for next year what would it be?
Donahoo: Nothing except more practice. And try to get some sponsorship help next time. It was costly for us.
| Team: | #320 MILLENNIUM YAMAHA |
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Marc Currey, Kenneth Potter and Tom Waybright
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| Class | +30 2nd |
| Overall | 33rd |
| ATV: | Yamaha YFZ450 |
ATV Scene: What was your team’s expectations?
Currey: This was a first time for all of us. All we wanted to do was finish. Ken spent a lot of time making sure the bike was ready.
ATV Scene: What was your team’s strategy?
Currey: Since our entire team was used to racing GNCC we decided to switch off as little as possible. We decided not to race hard until the very end. We just wanted to make sure the next rider had a good bike to race.
ATV Scene: What was the biggest challenge your team had to overcome?
Currey: I think the biggest challenge was the weather. I was freezing! The cold got to an old injury of Toms. Ken and I ended up riding a few extra laps to cover for Tom. Finding heat was a struggle for us.
ATV Scene: If you could change anything about your machine’s setup for next year, what would it be?
Currey: The suspension was almost intolerable. The front end was so stiff it didn’t work. We adjust the stock shocks as best we could. We all have blisters and bruises as a result of the suspension.
ATV Scene: If you could change anything about your team for next year what would it be?
Currey: I think our team did great. This was my first time ever riding a YFZ. If we do it again, I’d like more seat time. We really should have gotten all three of us together to ride the bike before we went there.
ATV Scene: Did you feel that the course was bias to any type of racing?
Currey: As GNCC racers I think the course catered to us!
| Team: #54 Great River Powersports | |
| Cory Ellerbroek Adam Fraise Benjamin Franklin |
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| Class | Industry 3rd |
| Overall | 44th |
| ATV: | Honda 450R |
ATV Scene: What was your teams expectations?
Ellerbroek: Hopefully, to take first in the Industry class.
ATV Scene: What was your teams strategy?
Ellerbroek: To keep each rider fresh by switching out riders after about 4 or 5 laps.
ATV Scene: What was the biggest challenge your team had to overcome?
Ellerbroek: We lost a rider due to an injury within the first four hours. Then we broke a chain right before the first six hours ended, and another at about the 10 hour point.
ATV Scene: If you could change anything about your machine’s setup for next year, what would it be?
Ellerbroek: Nothing, our 450R Honda held up great.
ATV Scene: If you could change anything about your team for next year what would it be?
Ellerbroek: To have all riders healthy the whole 12 hours.
ATV Scene: What were your likes and dislikes about the event?
Ellerbroek: The pits were a great setup. Less rain on Friday night would have been nice. Also we liked the transponder scoring better then the old way of stopping and getting scanned.
ATV Scene: Did you feel that the course was bias to any type of racing?
Ellerbroek: No, we felt the track was great for all.
ATV Scene: What was the strangest moment of the day?
Ellerbroek: We lead the whole race until breaking our second chain of the day.
