12 Hours of ATV America 2007

~Pit Talk ~

Team: DNF Racing #117 Eddie Bright Mike Bright Brian Agnew Class: Industry Place: 3rd Overall: 28th   John; I’d like to thank you for putting on such an event and series as the 6 and 12 hours of ATV America. You have given the average racer a chance to compete in an event and on the same track at the same time as famous racers such as John Natalie, Chris Borich and Chris Bithel, what an honor and a privilege for myself and everyone associated with Team DNF Racing. We had a blast and will cherish the memories from this series and the 12 hour race for years to come.I would also like to say how appalled and shocked I was to hear about some of the antics of some of the competitors from a certain area. In my opinion, they were nothing more than a bunch of thugs and strong arm extortionists that have no place in this industry. Speaking for the four teams that I was associated with for the 12 hour race, we will never venture North to attend another race that these people may be a part of. To us, they are nothing but a sore spot in the history of ATV racing in America and should be banned from this sport for life. Team Team DNF Racing was actually started by myself and two of my friends in 1981 while racing in the Rocky Mountain Enduro Circuit on motorcycles as a joke when certain events had a team class. The name has stuck and in 2004, when my son Mike and I got into racing quads, I carried the name over to quad racing. At first my son was reluctant to use the name as his primary sponsor at the races until people started noticing and knowing who we were from our team shirts and hearing of our name. This year to help with the costs of racing we decided to start a little shop to repair and prep quads for distance races, hence, Team DNF Racing as a business was born. What better way to advertise our business than to compete our prepped machines against other racers at real distance races, that is where the 6 and 12 hour races came in. We set up a third member of our racing circuit here in Oklahoma as a team to be sponsored by Team DNF Racing and set up plans to hit the Texas round of the 6 hour series. At the last minute we lost a couple of guys from two teams and decided to shuffle around people and that left Mike and myself to ride with just the two of us. When we got to the race in Texas, another guy from OCCRA had tagged along to do some video work on the race and enjoy the race. A bright idea came to mind, why not ask him to ride with us, both of our machines can easily do the six hours. To make a long story short, I asked, he said he had no riding gear, we did except boots and the Millers loaned him an old pair of either Cody or Hunters and we had our third member of our team, Brian Agnew. Low and behold, we managed to place third in the B class and 8th overall. Team DNF Racing for the remainder of the year was born. Expectations Our expectations going into this years 12 hour race were simple, don’t break anything doing something stupid, don’t get hurt doing something stupid, and put all four of our teams on the podium at the end of the race. Of the four teams that we were associated with, we broke a set of upper subframe bolts (this did not slow us down), we lost a battery box lid and replaced it at a gas stop and that was it, no major problems and at the end of the race, we won two classes and placed third in the other two, all four teams were on the podium. Strategy With the three quad teams, the strategy options where endless and if anything came up during the 12 hours, your strategy had to change to accommodate the situation. To begin with, Mike (our fastest rider) would start the race and ride his quad and he would attempted the bleachers and tires on his second lap, if he cleared them okay then he would pass that quad off to me (our slowest rider) at the end of his second lap and I would attempt the bleacher section, if I cleared it okay then we were set to do it every lap with all three of us. The time savings if you did not screw up was a whopping 25 seconds a lap, we did it every lap except the last lap of the race. I would run two laps (we could go all out without getting tired) and then park the quad I was on and get Brian’s Suzuki and bring it to him. When he would get done, then we would run one of the Hondas again until it was time for Brian to ride and I would get his Suzuki. When his battery box lid fell off, he picked it back up his next trip out when he was on my Honda and then we made plans to repair it for his next stint. Constant ability to make changes to your game plan was what the three quad stable gave you, what a perfect way to run a race, we couldn’t lose a quad unless I screwed up prepping them and I know they were all ready to go the distance. It was obvious to me the teams that spent little or no time prepping their quads for this race, they were all working on them the night before and the morning of the race. I know, I set in a chair and watched them all up and down the pit rows. Challenges There were several challenges to overcome before and during the race. Months before the race was held, the riders from Oklahoma started coordinating a team concept approach and kept in constant contact with one another to make sure that we were going to be well represented at the 12 hour race with strong and well prepared teams. Every little detail was communicated to all the people involved, from what color of number plate background was needed to how many pit spots we needed on pit row. The teams from Oklahoma were prepared. The challenges on the course and during the race for us, were the bleacher section that helped keep us in the hunt for a podium and trying to pit for four teams and not lose my train of thought for the team I was actually trying to ride on. We broke a couple of sub frame bolts on one quad and parked it instead of trying to repair it and lose a lap, we repaired a battery box lid during a gas stop and it cost us a two minute pit stop instead of a 45 second stop. All three of us got stuck on the bleachers or tires at least once, but we still made up time by going over them. We really did not have a serious problem during the 12 hours because I believe the time we spent preparing for the race kept us from having problems that other teams experienced. Setup We pride ourselves in the fact that we don’t break down during races even though our name might suggest it. This race was no different to us in preparation except that I had to set up lights on four quads which I don’t normally have to do. Some of the normal maintenance items I might have just replaced to be on the safe side, like the chains and sprockets, all four of our race machines got new chains and sprockets two weeks before the 12 hour and then we raced at Hallett the week before the 12 hour to let the chains stretch in. Just some little tricks that I’ve learned over the years, it helps to be an old man sometimes. Track Did I like the track? That’s a pretty dumb question John, that track and piece of property is why we race there. I don’t really care for the MX portion of the track, but the layout of the land and the type of soil there makes for a super fast and traction laiden track, except when it gets wet and then it’s like riding on snot! Location The Miller family have treated us like royalty every time we have needed something from there. It would be very difficult to understand why this event was not run on these fine peoples property in the future. Multiple Machine Rule The multiple quad rule makes it possible for any team of misfits like us to compete in an event such as this. It opens up the world of strategy to your wildest imagination, it makes you think when ten hours into the race, your mind doesn’t want to think. Likes, Dislikes Likes and dislikes? Likes, the track, the people that own the track, the event itself, the comradery between my buddies from Oklahoma and I even liked the bleacher sections. My dislikes, knowing that I’m getting to old to race anymore, the jerks from up North that made a complete ass of themselves at the event, the number of race teams that had no respect for the rules for the event and did not display the correct number plate background on the front and rear of the quad. That made it hard to keep track of the teams that we were racing against in our class. Next Year Sorry, but I will not be racing in the event again, however I will be running two teams again next year to race the event. I feel it would be much easier on me to just coordinate the aspects of the teams and not race on one of them. So, yes John, you can count on Team DNF Racing to be there with two teams again and ready to race the distance. Team: Xtreme Motivation #31 Todd Macke Class: Ironman Place: 5th Overall: 54th Team I have been wanting to Ironman the 12 hour for a couple of years now. Now that the class was available, I started making plans in March 2007. Expectations To ride my own race and have FUN! I used my experience from the two previous 12 hour events to prepare myself mentally and physically to go the distance and reach my goal of 24 laps. Strategy To race the clock and monitor my lap times to keep pace with my goal of 24 laps. Didn’t want to get in the way of any racers along the course. Ride relaxed and enjoy the experience. To reach my second goal, which was to complete all 12 hours. Low pressure, nobody to beat but myself and the clock. Challenges Finding a light sponsor to help make the 3 1/2 hours of night riding safe and enjoyable (never did find one). Finding a sponsor for a simple steering stabilizer that would help eliminate arm pump (never did find one). Getting more members of the ATV community on board to help the ART (Ability Riders of Tomorrow) program. Marketing the ART program to the press and media outlets. Setup Used a Honda thumb throttle; used a special ball bearing clutch lever and perch. Used new FLEXX handlebars that greatly reduced arm fatigue. New OEM clutch, chain & sprockets from CycleSport Yamaha. We used MAXXIS tires and Tire Balls for durability and comfort, mounted on Honda hubs for easy change if needed. We moved the rear hubs in on my Durablue axle which held up great! Track The course was plenty wide and safe, with numerous areas for passing or getting over to allow faster riders by. Riding through the small barn and hay bail maze was a blast. The open fields allowed “safe” time for drinking from my camelback. Location Yes, having the 12 hour in the deep south brought warmer dry temperatures that was a blessing over past 12 hour locations! Multiple Machine Rule Didn’t apply to the Iron Man class, didn’t have time for that and looked like too much of a hassle. I could hit the checkpoint and keep flying down the track. Likes, Dislikes The only dislike I had was having to stop at the checkpoint to be scanned. I liked the transponder where you could fly through the checkpoint and be scored. If you calculate the amount of time it takes to stop, be scanned and take off from a dead stop, you could have a whole nother lap in over the course of 12 hours. Go back to using the transponders. Next Year Yes, I plan to approach an ATV manufacturer to see if I can get factory support and quad to race the 12 hour in 2008. Hopefully my accomplishments at the 2007 12 hour will show that I can do it! It would be great to compete in the Iron Man class again as a factory supported rider and beat my 29 laps. If I can’t get an ATV manufacturer on board, I will do it again on my true and tested ALBA YFZ as a privateer with my awesome pit crew (Craig Suggs, Cody Suggs, Lance Suggs, and Guy Sutton, and my wife Nikki and 2 sons Adam & Max, and Cody Shelton). ART Keith Little stepped up with new FLY race gear, SIDI boots, and Scott goggles, and a large donation. Cycle Sport Yamaha donated OEM parts. FASST Co. donated a set of FLEXX handlebars without batting an eye!!! Durablue pledged a large amount per lap. Ryan Smith (MrTRX) and Daniel Pirrie (ATVSkills.com), both from the ATVscene forum stepped up with per lap pledges. Shelton Trucking (Cody Shelton family) donated a large check. ATVscene.com pledge a large amount per lap and helped market the ART program greatly! Ross Dantonio designed my number plate backgrounds and pledged a per lap donation and Trackside Grafx printed the number plate backgrounds. Team Shrum Racing made a large donation along with S&S Pallet Corporation and ADJ Trucking Co. My brother Courtney Macke of PQS Construction made a pledge per lap donation. My long time friend and mentor Tom Stone made a large donation. Co-workers from my employer State farm donated, and friends and family from Decatur IL donated. Jaymi Nickell from Greeley Colorado made a donation. 12 Hour sponsor Eddie Dean catering made a per lap pledge. Mascot “Tucker” (golden retriever) for team ATVNC.com made a donation. Gonzo Racing of TQRA pledged a per lap donation. The two biggest people I would like to thank is Craig Suggs and Guy Sutton! They prepped my ALBA YFZ for 2 weeks and donated many of their own parts or paid for some. They built me a quad and hauled it to Texas, that allowed me to be confident and go out and put my head down and race strong for 12 hours. Craig Suggs has been my crew chief for two 12 hour events and it was a very emotional moment when I crossed the checkered flag and completed 29 laps, he gave me a fatherly hug and high five! Craig kept me honest and going all day. Highlights I have attended many of the 12 hour events, never making the podium. When John Natalie Jr. recognized my effort this time and called me up on stage during the Pro class award ceremony was very special to me. It was great that all the Pro riders recognized my accomplishment and gave me high fives or shook my hand. Receiving the special Iron Man award from Eddie Dean catering was a great honor. Taking 5th place in the Iron Man class, completing all 12 hours, and exceeding my goal of 24 laps by five laps were outstanding accomplishments. Relaxing during the one hour break and enjoying birthday cake with my pit crew and hanging out with Cody Shelton and my two sons Adam and Max made for an enjoyable birthday and 28 year anniversary of ATV involvement. Media Attn ATVscene.com did an awesome front page article! My local newspaper the herald & Review ran a nice article detailing my effort and ART program. Jaymi Nickell of Greeley Colorado called into the Uncle Nasty national syndicated radio show on KBPI (Denver Colorado) and discussed my effort and ART program. My local radio station WBNQ mentioned it. I provided updates in the ATVscene.com 12 Hour forum. We sent the press release information to ESPN, CNN, FOX news, MSN, Wall Street Journal; no response from any except ESPN which said (ESPN’s policy does not allow us to accept for review or consideration any ideas, suggestions, or creative materials not solicited by us or our subsidiaries.). I sent the information to the Albert Pujols foundation and received a thank you response but nothing further. ART in 2008 I will be coaching Cody Shelton during selected WPSA events. I will travel to Cody’s house in Chattanooga TN this Fall to begin his training. I have a new member of ART, his name is Ben Brown from Canada. Ben is paralyzed from the upper chest down and rides a YFZ on motocross tracks. I will sponsor him to bring him down to a selected WPSA event of his choice and I will work with the WPSA to allow ART members to compete in our own special class (Open DisAbilities 50cc on up). I hope to draw a few more riders to ART and this new class. Ben Brown would like to meet all the WPSA Pro riders that he reads about on a daily basis. I will make that dream come true for him! FLY race gear will be ART racing choice of clothing, along with FASST Co. FLEXX handlebars. Ross Dantonio is designing new ART racing graphics for all ART members. We will have new fliers to hand out at WPSA events to raise awareness. We welcome new sponsors to come on board. You can find me on My Space todd_macke.   Team JH Racing #11 Jamie Andeel Derek Henderson Ty Richardson Class:Industry Place:2nd Overall:22nd Team I work part time for JH Racing, the younger rider washes bikes and cleans the shop, we both race OCCRA and we got another rider and started a team, I was the OCCRA pro, the other was a intermediate and the young rider was a amature, Expectations placing in top 3 of are class and a top 20 overall Strategy i started and went four laps, then handed of to the slowest rider and he went four laps, then the next went four laps, on are own quads, then we started going three laps each intil dark and we went two, Challenges are biggest challenge was we broke a spindle before the mud hole right at dark , and the rider got stuck in the mudhole, he ran all the way back and got another quad, we where in first and had at least a lap or two on everyone in are class, when we came back around we where a lap down from the leader, then one of are quads the lights stop working and we where down to one, we came back to with like 4 mins of the leader at the end of the 12 hours Setup tore all three quads down, put loctite on all bolts and greased everything Track the track was awesome, the multiple lines where great, only complaint and its not that big of a deal is where used to slow tight tracks in oklahoma and this track was wide open, which we all enjoyed and had a fun drifting the high speed corners Location the location was great and the land owners where great Multiple Machine Rule the multiple machine rule is nice but its more of a challenge to keep one quad going for 12 hours, and it tests the other riders skills to ride a different quad, last year i raced with a different team and i race a honda with a thumb and at the 12 hour my team had a yamaha with a twist, that was different Likes, Dislikes everything was great, but john needs more help getting things going, Next Year if its in texas, yes, but if its to far away probadly not, but you never know Team: Media Allstars #70 Brandon Smith Aaron Meyer Caleb Moore Class:Pro Place:4th Overall:4th Team The Media-Allstars had two teams last year so we wanted to race again in 2007 and we knew that Brandon Smith would be a great teamate Expectations As our first pro race we wanted to finish in a podium position, but mainly we wanted to have fun Strategy To have fast pit stops and not crash or break down Challenges Aaron Meyer was sick the entire week before and still sick at the race. Brandon Smith broke down on the track and had to run back to get another quad. Setup We did not put much time or money into our light set up and we paid for it in the dark Track The track was very fun we all liked the track. Location We always have a blast in Texas! Multiple Machine Rule I did not at first but if you can find teamates with similar quads it is very benificial Likes, Dislikes Scoring was terrible, transponders must be used next year. Caddo Point is a wonderful facility and very good host Next Year I plan on being there again in 2008 with a great team and ready to win with big lights! Team: Dirtworks #15 Kyle Martin Michael Burrows Duane Johnson Class:Pro Place:2nd Overall:2nd Team We have been friends and close competitors for a while, both at on the local and national level. Josh and Randy Owens of Dirtworks Motorsports have always been behind us and when they offered us the chance to race the 12hr we gladly accepted. Expectations We knew the competition was going to be tough and that the course was going to be fast. We just wanted to be podium contenders. Strategy Pitting was our biggest help. With the Dirtworks Crew pit strategies we were able to save a lot of valuable time. Setup A lot of machine prep! Track Yes overall it was a good track. Location Yes Multiple Machine Rule Yes, the multiple machine rule was a plus his year, it’s hard to expect one machine to hold up for 12 hrs so it definitely helped. Likes, Dislikes It could use just a little more organization and clarity. Next Year I hope so. Team: Mossboys #401 Jim Moss John Michael Moss Jeff Class: B Place: 11th Overall:45th Team We are all Brothers and have been riding and racing together for 10 years. We have done all of the Maxxis 6 Hours of Missouri, and were looking foward to a new challenge. Expectations All we wanted to do was finish all 12 hours and not finish last in our class! Strategy Rider change every 4 laps. Gas on every 3rd rider change. One long stop to change air filter in the second session. Run consistent laps. Challenges We blew the engine in one of our four wheelers after the first session, then with about 4 hours left we broke the head pipe on our back up quad. after a few repairs, we finished the 12 hours. Setup We kept it simple, if you start changing things that worked for you in other event, ( 6 hour events ) you are asking for trouble. they only thing different we did was make the air filter change. We stuck to our strategy and worked our way to 6th place at the end of the first session!! Track Thought the track was awesome!! We are not motocrossers, but besides that thought it was great !! Location I have no problem with where the event was held!! we drove 10 hours and would have gone further!! We have been wanting to go for a couple of years and this was our first chance ! Multiple Machine Rule Yes, without it, we would have been done after the first session Likes, Dislikes We had a great time ! no dislikes ! Next Year we plan on being there ready to try and better our finish of 11th in our class ! Team: Soul Bros Racing #205 Jason Lawson Mike Randolplh Kevin O’Laughlin Class:+30 Place: 2nd Overall:14th Team Well as you know, I had a bunch of guys to choose from and I wanted to field a good team. The six hour in Texas was our first go for the year. We had a good group but the riders that were destined for the 12 hour were not all there. We chased the 1st place team but they were impressive and ultimately we did not catch them. For the six hour in Mo, our team had a different face due to some injuries and bike issues. We pressed on with new recruits and without much help from me, my two teammates pressed hard for a third place finish. Now, the issues facing us was who was going to make up the 12 Hr team. We took me since I was the rider of record, Kevin from the 2nd place Texas 6 HR team and Randolph as our last minute substitute. Randolph hadn’t raced but two races this year so we were really asking alot of him. He did fairly well considering his lack of training. I guess it is like riding a bicycle, you don’t forget, it is just not the same kind of fun afterwards. Expectations All we wanted to do was finish this race and take the checkered flag. Last year, with the one bike rule, we trashed my motor in the third hour, put in a new one and trashed the stator on it an hour into the night session. We walked away with the hardluck award which was at least something. We didn’t want that one again this year. We took the checkered this year so all was well. Strategy We had planned on using two bikes for the first half and then coming into the night session, we were going to move to my bike that had the good lighting. Well, it started off well but when we started the second half, we had a bike issue that forced us down to one bike. Fortunately, it held up very well and we rode all night. The best part was that both of my teammates needed a twist throttle, I needed a thumb. I put on a Terry Cable Dual Gasser just in case. What a blessing, it worked flawlessly and allowed both of my teammates to ride my bike without a problem. Challenges The biggest challenge we needed to overcome was the five minute skid plate issue we had. We broke a skid and it took around five minutes to fix it. Then we had a chain adjustment issue due to the skid and it took some more time to recover. The biggest problem was that at the break, the team we were chasing was in front of the leader and we were two positions behind. This let them get an extra lap on us with no pressure. That was probably the toughest thing. We finished one lap down to them and that is where they got it. Setup The only thing we did different for this race was preparing a second bike. Track The track was better than last years. The multiple lines made for passing that no one even knew happened. I passed one of our other teams because they went left and we went right. We did not even know it until we came into the scoring chute. The mix of fast and slow and the reduced amount of motorcross was absolutely perfect. Location N aturally, I would like it closer to home. However, given the hosts, the Millers, I would make the trip again and again. They are the best and they work hard to make it happen. How it affects the others traveling is understandable but it is well worth the trip. Multiple Machine Rule The multiple machine rule is crucial. Our team proved that you could be winning, have a very small issue that only takes 5-7 minutes and never recover from that. We bounced as low as 4th but then recovered to 2nd and stayed there. By having multiple bikes, we did not have to simply watch when we did have a problem, we were able to still race. That is one of the problems with the one bike setup, if you drive 5, 10 , or 15 hours and have an issue, you are reduced to a spectator. The multiple bike rule allows you to keep doing what you love but it does not increase your odds of success. In fact the multiple rule means you have to have as many as three bikes that have no problems. One problem on one bike may be what takes you off the podium even if you have backup bikes. Likes, Dislikes The only dislike I had was in the schedule. It seemed a bit loose and unorganized. Allowing a time for the posting of results and then a protest period would alleviate alot of the whining afterwards. The bikini contest that happened in after the race and before the podiums was perfect. It is crucial for satisfactory results that we have a chance to double check everything. Next Year As you know, all the OCCRA teams will be back next year. Our only concern is that the date not be set on top of the Goldrush in Oklahoma. It is always the first or second weekend in November and it is scheduled a year in advance. It is one of the ultimate quad races that we would like to see ATVScene come to. You get every type of race in one weekend. 3 Hour team, 1 hour night, 2 hour individual, and a supermoto all in one weekend. I know that some guys actually race all 4 races in two days. If they are faced with a choice, the Goldrush will win out because it is close and has bragging rights for the year. Avoid this date and all will be well with the teams from Oklahoma. On a side note, Bill Ballance used to make this a regular stop on his schedule. He has not been there in the last 3 or 4 years. I am going to try and get Borich and Natalie to steal his thunder and put their name on Goldrush. Natalie keeps challenging Ballance and there is no answer. Wonder what would happen if these guys tried to take Goldrush away from him??? Team: Team Thrash #69 Conner Sebesta Levi Mitchell Robert Forsyth Class:B P lace:10th Overall:44th Team We’re friends in the ATVCCS. Expectations To come in and dominate, we’re all very fast riders, just had alot of troubles. :( Strategy Race an hour each. Challenges A broken case, tie rod ends that would not thread, and moral! Setup Put on lights, and hydrated alot! Track Yeah it was a very good track to race for that long on, it didn’t change that much actually through the whole event except on the creek crossing, that got alot deeper. haha Location Yeah, very close to home for us. Multiple Machine Rule Yes, I hope it stays the same. Likes, Dislikes I disliked that one of the youth teams started in the front of the pack, whereas one of the teams in our group started where they were supposed to. I like that there were alot of things that went on and the radio station being rented out for the race. I didn’t like some of things that were promised and not delivered, but things can go wrong and people don’t show up sometimes. Next Year Definitely, but I will probably be with a different team. Team: Shrum / Dirt Works Dennis Edwards Class:Ironman Place:3rd Overall:48th Team I DECIDED THAT I WANTED TO SEE IF I COULD LAST 12 HOURS OF RACING BY MYSELF. Expectations JUST TO FINISH Strategy RIDE AT 50% PACE OF MY NORMAL RACE PACE Challenges AT THE FOUR HOUR MARK IN BOTH SESSIONS I JUST HIT A WALL MENTALLY THAT WAS HARD TO OVERCOME. AND THE FACT DURING THE FIRST TWO HOURS OF THE RACE I WRECKED AND FRACTURED THREE RIBS AND BROKE ONE. Setup NOT MUCH BESIDES THE LIGHTS. CHECKED OVER BIKE SEVERAL TIMES. ANY PART THAT LOOKED LIKE IT HAD WEAR GOT REPLACED. Track YES. IT HELD UP VERY WELL Location YES THE WEATHER WAS GREAT!!! Multiple Machine Rule NO. IT TAKES SOME OF THE CHALLANGE OUT OF THE RACE. I ONLY GOT ONE MACHINE TO FINISH THE RACE AND THAT MADE IT A WHOLE DIFFERENT RACE FOR ME. Likes, Dislikes I LIKED THE PEOPLE THAT I MEET AT THE RACES AND THE TIME I GET TO SPEND WITH FRIENDS. I DISLIKE PEOPLE WHO THINK THE HAVE TO CHEAT TO WIN. Next Year YES!!!! Team: Knoxy #717 Jeremy Knox Class:Ironman Place:6th Overall:55th Team I’ve ran it before as a team. I was told that this would be the last one so I wanted to try it on my own… Expectations For it to be a brutal assault on my body since I was running Ironman. Strategy Get a decent holeshot since ironman was starting clear in the back of the pack and just maintain a steady pace to try and outlast the others in the class. Problem was nobody in my class had machines lay down. When I lost my chain twice in one lap and went from 2nd to 5th it wore me out pretty good getting it back to tighten it in the pits. Finishing order was decided by the 9 hour mark for my class. Challenges Having to ride with the damage my body sustained after it got dark and my lights were insufficient. Setup Since the ironman class only gets one bike I guess just double and triple-checking everything to ensure it would make it for 12 hours without falling apart on me. Track The course was great. After about 9 hours my guts just couldn’t take the wide open washboards out in the fields any more. The course was well marked and I liked the many different option lanes out there. Location I’m from Missouri so location isn’t really a big deal for me. I’m right here in the middle and travel is roughly the same wherever the race is. Multiple Machine Rule Didn’t really affect me in the ironman class but if I was on a team I would have to vote nay to the multiple machine rule. Obviously the point of the 12 hour is endurance. Endurance of the machine as well as the body. If your team can’t put one together to last and never has to stop to do any wrenching caused by lack of prep or making mistakes (ie. treeing it and having to change a tie-rod, etc) then the boys that have 3 brand new tricked out quads will always have the advantage. I mean we don’t get to take 3 different machines to run the baja 1000. You make the one last or don’t finish… Likes, Dislikes If you decide to do the picture thing next year. PLEASE start that sometime earlier than when we are suppose to be having the riders’ meeting. I need some sleep before I jump on that bike for 12 hours straight. And of course it would be nice to be able to leave the race with something in our hands besides bags of ice for our wasted hands but I understand that the trophy idea didn’t work out as planned so I’ll leave it alone. Next Year If you do have another one next year I will probably run again as long as it doesn’t interfere with the baja 1000. Team: RX Boys #36 Cody Whitworth Jordan Stanley Matt Welch Class:B Place:16th Overall:57th Team RX BOYZ racing consists of three guys the went to pharmacy school that wanted to race in a different arena than what was out there, 6 and 12 hours events gives us that. Expectations To have a good time, and see a good race unfold Strategy Save the bikes, ride smart, have fun Challenges Get to the race, make the bikes last 12 hours, especially since we opted to ride on motocross bikes, defenetly not built for this arena Setup Taller tires, check, check and recheck everything, skid plates, and flexx bars. Track Love it, except the creek crossing that became a slick and dangerous mess after a few hours into the race. Location Cant beat the weather this year, ideally closer to midwest, since majority of racers this year came from midwest. Multiple Machine Rule Yes and no. If you have a multiple bike failure, it really penalizes you due to the impound procedures, to fix or get another bike you must lose a lap or risk a ton of time trying to get a broken bike back around another lap. With one bike you take it to the pit and fix it, also lot less expensive in the since that you only have to bulletproof one bike. Likes, Dislikes Organization is always key, but when there is no money, staff is an issue, however, try to start the preparations months in advance, however I know how something of this magnitude can be a bear. People like to complain, you cant stop that. Since this event is not as established as many other national events and organizations, they feel that they have more say, which is awesome if it is constructive. overall this event was great, keep miss atv, however try to focus on atv’s, maybe try not introduce everyone, however very personal and a great way to make the little guys feel important. Next Year We will do our very best. Thanks John for making the series available. Team: Can-Am #217 Michael Swift Rick Cecco Cliff Beasley Class:Utility Expert Place:1st Overall:15th Team All three team members are Factory Can-Am GNCC riders and we wanted to bring a stock 800 outlander to the race and win with to allow poeple to see just how good the machines are. Expectations Win Strategy Ride smart, ride fast, no mistakes Challenges Not calide with anthor bike, there were alot of alternative lines and when they came back together you had to make sure the line was clear Setup The track was fast and smooth for the most part, we lowered the bike down as low as we could get it, and used a special Maxxis tire to help increase our over all speed. Track I did like the coarse, it could have used some more woods. Location I do like the location, but you might get your entries up if you moved it back closer to the GNCC family. Multiple Machine Rule I do like the multiple bike rule, we spend alot of time and money to go do this and it not fun when you have to go home two hours in the race becuase of a problem that you can not repair and still be in the race for first. Likes, Dislikes Get a purse for the utility class, do better on scoring and rules , race longer at night. Next Year depends on the date you pick, it has to be after the last GNCC AND BEFORE THE bAJA 1000 AND LEAVING ENOUGH TIME TO GET TO MEXICO. AND IT DEPENDS ON THE LOCATION. Team: Lone Star Racing #33 Josh Robinson Charles Carlock Rj Slayton Class:A Place:11th Overall:53rd Team H ave rode all the Texas 6hrs and 12hrs and we just got three of our fastest guys together and went from there. Expectations To win the A class but a broken axle on the 4th lap of the race ended that really quick and then a bonehead move from the dirtworks team in the A class took us out again by deciding to let one bike by and just running out in front of us and stopping. It was still a blast though. Strategy To run three bikes and just pit as little as possible to make up for the impound but next time we will only be running one bike the impound is just way to much of a disadvantage. Challenges Going a lap down early due to a freak mishap in the first 6 hrs and breaking another quad early in the 2nd 6hrs forced us to make the decision to retire early. We were having bad luck all weekend so we decided to go ahead and throw in the towel. Setup Well we had three bikes to set up but we alll worked together and got our sponsors to help out our team. We prepped the bikes really well and prepare ourselves really well physically Track Loved the track, couldn’t ask for a better setup. Just really fast and nothing to tear a bike apart. Location Yes, being from Texas made it really nice and even if it weren’t so close I would still like the location. The town isn’t too far away and the climate was perfect for racing. Multiple Machine Rule Yes, even though we broke 2 of 3 bikes. I think it attracted a lot more teams because of this. I raced a 12 hr when it was one bike which we broke and it was a bummer to sit and watch the rest of the race. It sure saved us! But I do think it kind of takes away from the overall emotion of the race because hey you always had another bike. Likes, Dislikes Loved it. I really like the extra festivities this year that filled the void during down times and the only dislikes I have is from the negativity from individuals after the race.The impound sucked I could not get our bikes out because other bikes were blocking them but other than that I think you put on a hell of a race. Next Year Yes if I can make it I am moving to hawaii but we already have plans in the works for me coming back next year. Also don’t worry about the B.S that happened after the race I am sure some stuff was blown way out of context and our team has you back. Thanks for the hard work on this race and don’t let it die man it is just one of those legendary races that you look foward to all season. It’s some of the most fun I’ve ever had while racing. Team: ATVskills.com #43 Daniel Pirrie Class:Ironman Place:1st Overall:39th Team I didn’t think I would get to ride at all because our quads, gear, truck, trailer etc was stolen so I told my 6 hour team mate to go ahead and find a team. He did and I put a quad together just in time for the 12-Hour so I decided to go solo in the Ironman class. Expectations Really, just to finish but the racer in me took over and I ended up winning! Strategy Top secret, sorry! Challenges A sore/raw butt and I didn’t have good lighting for the night portion of the race. Setup Invested in loctite and a pretty gruelling workout routine. Track The track was fine. It was open too much for the chance to cut the track. Location Yes. Multiple Machine Rule Yes, but no help for me! Likes, Dislikes First I must say that I almost lost the race because of a rider not running the correct color number plate and I was being told I had a two lap lead and ended up only winning by 7 minutes and I don’t think its fair to those he beat either. There were several riders that didn’t have correct colors. This is crucial and should be part of the inspection. We must know who we’re racing against!!!! The “festivities” were poorly organized which resulted in bored people and a fizzle in the interest to what was most important, the racers. Next Year You betcha! Team: Laker Custom Plastic #8 Jason Gudde Derrick Schrock Jeff Schrock Class:A Place:2nd Overall:6th\ Team We all three have raced together for three years now in Iowa and travel to all the races together we also practice together as often as possible. Also i have competed in all of the 12 hour races so i was not missing Expectations a soild race and a top three in class and possible a win Strategy with the three quad setup this year we pushed as hard as possible for four or five laps and then switch riders trying too use only two machines and the third for a backup Challenges we broke a tierod end on our fast night time machine halfway into a lap took lots of time to get it back to pits and switch out bikes, we were on the lead lap of our class when this happened and where catching first, we do some night riding so our lap times do not slow down much during the dark hours Setup did not work on one bike as hard, not putting the major overhaul on one machine saves time in bike prep but that’s my favorite thing is too bullet proff one quad and hope all other competators break down Track Track was great had parts of all types of Quad racing Location yes very good place easy on machines, but would love for event to come back to Iowa Multiple Machine Rule no i hate it one machine Likes, Dislikes i want trophy and money at end of race not sent to me later no other series does that, that i have ever in 10 years been to, and the pagent needs to removed it took the major spot light away from the racers and we are there to RACE not to see the most skin by some PEELER that knows nothin about Quads or racing Next Year very possible Team: Shrum Racing #12 DJ Shrum Devon Jarrett Ronnie Bloodworth Class:Pro Place:5th Overall:7th Team We have been team racing together for a several years. We ride very similar quads and are comfortable on each others. We race together all year long and know each others strengths and weaknesses, so it is easy for us to compensate for one another. All of us run in the same series and travel to the races together, it just seemed logical to run this event together. Expectations None of us really knew what to expect because we have never ridden for 12 hours. But we kept telling ourselves that it was just another team race. We definitely expected to come in better than we did, but that one tree on the course jumped right in front of one of our riders and slowed us down for a bit (lol). We sort of expected a few more teams to show up, but over 60 was nice. Strategy We tried to treat it as just another race. We rode a lot prior to the 12 hour. But with knowing Natalie, Borich, and Bithell were going to be there as well as Duane Johnson, Kyle Martin, and Michael Burrows; we just wanted to come down and support the series and have a good time. That’s what it was all about to us, hanging out with friends and having a good time. Thanks for making that happen. Challenges Well, DJ can’t race in his contacts, so trees were a big challenge for him (lol). Other than that, I think we were up to everything. The course was wide open, and that took a little getting used to, we are more prepped for racing a tighter course. Setup We mounted lights, thanks to Rick Jones, on two of the quads. Donnye and Rick stripped the quads and went over every inch to make sure they would withstand the abuse they were going to be put through. New cables, clutches, and bearings were installed. Go 4 It Graphics hooked us up with some graphics for the race quad. Tire balls were checked and replaced where needed. New Spider grips were put on to help keep the blisters to a minimum. Moose Racing chains were put on the race and spare quad. Rick and Donnye checked all of the shocks and made the necessary changes to them. Cyclops hooked us up with a discount on some helmet lights. Basically the quads were rebuilt just for this race. Track The bleachers and tires were awesome!! Kind of made us feel like we were running a GNCC (on that part of the track anyways). The course was wide open, it was like play riding out at the flats. The amount the motocross track we ran was perfect. The hay bale maze was a little confusing to some, which could have been a bigger issue than it was. But I guess all in all the track was alright, racing is racing, you can’t please everyone all of the time. Location The location was fine. Racing in the freezing cold for twelve hours would have sucked. Venice, Florida would be a sweet place to race next year. Multiple Machine Rule Either way is okay. I think maybe it takes away from the true concept, but more teams show up and that makes the race better. It wouldn’t be any fun if there were only a few teams to race against. With having three quads, we could just hop on another and get back to the track. So both ways have their pros and cons. We are planning on racing the series in 2008 (if it is still here) either way. Multiple quads seem to work well though, I hate to drive all the way to the races and only have one quad and that quad break down. I know they are fixable, but it is easier to hop on another machine and get back to racing. So really I guess multiple quads are better. Likes, Dislikes Likes: multiple machines, scoring crew was fantastic (they really work well with everyone and everything and they are a great group of people to boot), the gran prix style start, pre registration, lower entry fee, and fantastic bunch of riders to talk to Dislikes: too wide open, food quit being served too soon after the race (when everyone was hungry), some of the other events happening seemed to dominate the race, and vendors should have been available throughout the day Next Year We would love to race the event next year, if it is held in a different location. That course was wide open for our liking. But, we are die hard 6 and 12 hour racers, you definitely got us hooked. On a more personal note….We are sorry for the way some of the people treated you, please don’t think that is the way all of us feel. This could have been avoided by filling everyone in, up front, on what was going on and that you intended to mail checks to the winning teams. People were worn out after the race and things must have gotton out of hand. There was some course cutting going on, but I guess that happens everywhere. But we really enjoyed the entire series and just wanted to thank you for the opportunity to race it. If you intend on putting on the series next year, don’t hesitate to ask for some help, we will be more than willing to help in any way possible. We know that putting on a series is a tough job, but one person cannot do it alone. Let those willing to help out, help. Have a great holiday season, keep in touch. Team: Welchracing #99 Jacob Welch Chad Oldham Chris Foss Class:B Place:12th Overall:46th Team Two of us had competed as a team in the 6 Hours Of Missouri, we liked it so much we then decided to do the 12 Hours Of America. We recruited another freind for our third partner. Expectations We were racing for the top spot but didnt have expectations of getting it. We were just looking forward to finishing the 12 hours and hopefully the top half of our class. Strategy Making all our pits faster and swaps faster. Giving each other advice on faster lines. Challenges We had 2 quads go down on us and had to finish on one. This really hurt our times but luckily I had just rebuilt mine for this 12 hour race and it held together. Our other major challenge was I had a very bad wreck about 3 or 4 hours into the race. I managed to finish my lap as I was only about 200 yards from the finish line and swap to my partner. And it was mostly left to my partners to finish the race. I ran a couple more very slow laps just so they could catch a breather. Setup Rebuilt my motor, made sure everything was tight and put together to last. Done major upgrades to the lighting system. Track Yes, the track was a lot of fun, not really hard. Didnt test your physical fitness near as much as the Missouri track. Could have used some more challenging hills I thought. Only a couple of very small hills. Location Yes, it was different country from what we were used to. A lot farther then we like to travel but it was nice because it was something different. Multiple Machine Rule Yes, Without this rule my team would have not been able to race it. I also think that the way its set up makes it very fair, as the people running one quad save huge time by not having to mess with the impound area. Likes, Dislikes Love the race. Was a lot of fun. I think they should have more of the 6 hour events leading up to the 12 hour. Really, the only dislike was it was a farther drive then I like to do for a race. Next Year Not sure, this wreck might have ended my racing carreer. Depends on how well I heal up. Also depends on the location. Im not real sure I would drive that far to race at it again. But maybe. I certainly want to do it again. Time will tell. Team: Deez Nutz #149 Matt Jackson Rob Sexton Class:B Place:13th Overall:50th Team Matt and Rob have been riding together for a few years now and did the 6 hour together so we thought we should do the 12 hour also Expectations Just to have fun, going into it with only 2 teammates we knew we were in for a fight Strategy Trade off before we got tierd, but that only lasted the first 4 hours or so b/c after that we were just tierd all the time Challenges fatigue!!! Setup This was our first one…we know what to expect for next year though Track Loved it, good variety, good speed Location hour away from home? cant beat it!! Multiple Machine Rule Yes, I crashed in the 10th hour and b/c we had 2 machines we were able to go another 1/2 lap before the other one had electrical problems!!!!!!!!!! I do like the rule, it allows us to keep racing if the damage is too much Likes, Dislikes had no expectations going into it, just wish i was in shape Next Year heck ya! and kickin John Natalies butt!! ya right Team: Triple Dare #101 David Phares Dylan Mason Jimmy Hoen Class:B Place:14th Overall:51st Team I was asked to join in 4 days before the race because one team member broke his foot the weekend before while riding. The team was kind of thrown together by who wanted to ride and who didn’t mind putting their bike through the race. Expectations We rode the B class and really had no idea what to expect. one of our 3 riders had rode the 6 hours the previous year. Strategy Mainly to keep ourselves fresh, to be able to last the whole race. We wanted to try to make our bikes last as long as possible, save them where we could. Be smart about what we do. Challenges Not know what to expect. I went in never racing in a cross country atmosphere. Setup We all had motocross bikes so i tried to just put bigger tires on it with skid plates to get it off the ground and get a little bit of protection. Track It was awesome, it had a little bit of everything. Location Yes, I am a local in fort worth so it was a quick drive for me. Multiple Machine Rule Yes and no. yes because we only had one left by the end of the race. no because it really shows who came prepaired to race with the ultimate machine. Likes, Dislikes Loved everything about it. Next Year I have already started getting ready to race the ironman class for next year. Team: ATVCCS #98 Rusty Carlock Scott Robinson Marty Buchanan Class:+30 Place: 5th Overall:32nd Team David Culpepper put the 12 hours of America on his web page at ATVCCS.COM. A lot of our members showed up to race this event due to Davids’ encouragement. Expectations I was expecting to win my class. Strategy Don’t crash and do not get stuck on the tires, of which I did exactly that, and repeatedly over the tires. Challenges I had to ride with a swelled up knee. Setup I added lights to my quad which did not perform to expectation. Track Loved the track. Location Location was perfect for us. Multiple Machine Rule Definitely, We would have not raced this event with one machine. That is the reason we passed on it last year. Likes, Dislikes I had a great time, but didn’t like the fact the we arrived early on thursday and still had to pit at the far end of the pit lane because some people were allowed to save so mant spaces. 1 or 2 spaces is understandable 13 is a little rediculus, just my opinion but everything else was great. Thanks for all of your hard work. Next Year most definitely just tell us when and where Team: Holding on For Dear Life #345 Bo Wedlake Bret Little Jesse Bierig Class:+30 Place:4th Overall:30th Team All three of us run the full OCCRA cross country season and decided to run the 12hr as a team. Expectations To run strong and place respectably in the overall with hopes of a top 3 in the class. Strategy To run two bikes hard and keep the third bike as a last resort. Challenges We seized an engine 1 1/2 laps in to the second session. Setup Our setups were fairly consistent with our typical race day setups with the exception of extra lights for the night time portion of the race. Track We absolutely loved the track. The multiple lines in the woods were great. Location Being from Oklahoma the location of the event couldn’t have been any better. Multiple Machine Rule Yes we love the multiple machine rule if it were still a 1 bike rule our day would have ended just over half way thru the race (if not sooner) and our weekend would have felt incomplete with out a finish. Likes, Dislikes The event it’s self was great. Racing along side some of the best in the world. The side activities seemed to keep the attention of the non racers and the race its self was with out a doubt the best event we raced in all season. Dislikes, just the dust but hey what can you do about that at a race. Next Year I have to say YES! Again this was the best event we raced in all season and we cant wait to do it again

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