John Arens 6-20-01
- Updated: June 20, 2001
We’ve heard more than one conversation that involved the question of ATV aftermarket companies taking advantage of professional ATV racers. With that, we decided to throw ten questions in front of a few professional riders and aftermarket people in the ATV industry. Here’s what Arens Bros Inc and Dirt Wheels contributor, John Arens had to say…
ATV Scene: Are professional ATV racers getting what they deserve out of their racing efforts?
Arens: No. I would say the top racers definitely deserve more. They’re the ones who are committed to their sport, and are selling parts for the aftermarket and the factories, regardless of any direct factory involvement. If Doug Gust is shown doing a huge jump on his quad, no doubt 1000 would-be racers have to try and air it out the best they can on their quad, be it a Banshee, 400EX, or whatever. The result is they constantly seek out the best performance parts and new quads from the factories and the aftermarkets. I don’t know what all the top guys are making as far as money is concerned, but I know it should be more.
ATV Scene: Do you think that ATV aftermarket companies are taking advantage of the efforts of their sponsored riders? If so how?
Arens: Some of them definitely are, and some are doing as best they can for the riders. There are aftermarket companies and hop-up shops in the magazines that are pulling in huge numbers all based on performance parts, and putting nothing back in return, while some of the very small guys are making a great effort for their racers. Here’s an example: A few years ago, the president of Honda of Troy stated in an interview with RACER X that over 30% of their entire sales were based on the 88/89 Honda 250R! 30% on a model that is over 10 years old is incredible! However, I have yet to see a Honda of Troy semi parked at the track, like they do for the bike guys. They basically sell a ton of parts to the quad guys, and send a ton of money to the motorcycle crowd. It’s the same game with others as well. I know FMF does support a few guys with pipes and stuff, but once again, at least one huge hauler supports a full bike team at the bike nationals and supercross races. I don’t know of anyone in the quad crowd getting a paycheck from FMF like the bike guys do however. Go to a supercross or bike national. They should give each of us a ticket because every one of those enormous trucks and teams is paid for with ATV dollars. Not that the truck is important, because all it does is haul the riders stuff around, but the top ATV racers should be getting a nice check from those companies on par with what their bike riders are getting. After all, ATVs are the leaders in sales, nobody can dispute those numbers, and we certainly go through parts. You can go through the magazines and sort it out this way: If they have full page or multi page ads, then they are obviously selling an enormous number of parts. Only the companies like Nacs who originated from the ATV side of the business are sending anything back to the riders. I guarantee you those companies from the bike side that have the high dollar motorcycle teams like Chaparral, Yamaha, Dennis Kirk, Honda of Troy, etc. are spending ZERO on ATV support. I defy any of those guys to prove me wrong! Personally I don’t buy stuff from the motorcycle guys. In the late 80’s and early 90’s it was hard times for quad riders, and now that everyone has figured out there are tons of quad riders out there, they all want to be our friends again. You simply must go with those that support your sport, and those that don’t are usually way out of touch with what I need anyway. I buy from companies like LRD or CT, or somebody who I know I will see at the track. They’ve got the latest and best stuff anyway.
ATV Scene: Why do you suppose some people are thinking that ATV aftermarket companies are getting rich from their sponsored riders?
Arens: I don’t know of any team that sponsors a rider that is getting rich. Some of the big motorcycle guys like I mentioned earlier are robbing the sport, but they’re not sponsoring anyone anyway, and in that way they are simply milking the cash cow. Other shops and their teams do well by working with a huge number of riders through discounts based on a rider’s skill, and that is a nice way for a rider to advance himself to different sponsorship levels. That’s a great system. However, I do know of companies exclusive to the ATV industry that have been enormously successful but do only a bare minimum for any rider. When even the very top rider in the country has to fight to get maybe a free part or two from one of the big name parts builders, that’s not helping anybody except the builder, and I think that’s wrong. Unfortunately, this hurts everybody else as well because right or wrong – all the amateurs have to have the same thing the top guy has. Riders are partly to blame for this. If somebody refuses to do anything for your sport, then don’t run their stickers. If you do find a company that is willing to work with you, then by all means try to help them in return. Remember that there are companies of all sizes in this game. Some big and some small, and everybody has to live by a budget. Just because you didn’t make the team this time doesn’t mean they aren’t into the sport, but if they don’t have any support program at all, then I start to have a problem with it, and at that point I don’t want their stuff anyway.
ATV Scene: How is the ATV manufacturers’ lack of involvement in ATV racing effecting the sport?
Arens: That’s easy! It’s kind of like a really bad date! Sure they’ll take us out for a good time by throwing out an under powered and outdated motor in an incorrectly tested model every now and then just to show us a good time, but then watch out after that! Get out your mace and whistle because they ‘re the biggest bandits going, and you won’t like what’s about to happen! Kind of like corporate Ecstasy you might say! I don’t know of ANY single program that helps ATV Racing in any way, although they make enormous dollars from their ATV sales. Those are dollars that they pour into their motorcycle or snowmobile teams, or in the case of Polaris even a Nascar team. You know what, every time I see that damn car I wonder if the poor bastard driving it has to run footboards and sit on top of a seat that is as wide as a buffalo, or steer with that wimpy steering stem. No wonder I never see him at the end of the race. The manufacturers don’t necessarily have to sponsor individual riders, but at the very least they should be offering a contingency program and supporting an entire series or individual races with a big cash purse, just like they do for the bikes. After all, they proudly proclaim where their sales come from and how the ATV market has exploded in all categories! In the past they would shrink from any involvement by whining about how the sales came from their utility models, and that was mostly true, but now the sport market has grown as well. Why else would there be a new Raptor, 400EX, or DS 650? In fact, Honda now claims in dealer magazines that since the introduction of the 400EX their sport sales have grown by 86%! For the first couple years they sold nearly 30,000 units per year, and Yamaha has long claimed the Banshee & Blaster were it’s biggest sellers. Both Yamaha and Honda only sell a handful of motocross bikes compared to the ATVs, but somehow they still manage to support the bike customer at the expense of the ATV consumer. I do have to give Bombardier credit for their efforts this year in the Baja 1000 race however. Bombardier made a nice effort in their initial try at supporting a racing team, and I was glad to see them rewarded with a big win. What really made it great was how they followed it up with some huge ads in everything from the LA Times Sports sections to business magazines proudly announcing their triumph. I hope that really gives them some new sales, because they deserve it for doing a great job like they did. Keep your hand on the mace for the other guys however.
ATV Scene: Why is it so difficult to field an ATV racing team?
Arens: I don’t know that it is necessary for a manufacturer to field a team. Sure that would be great, but supporting a series or individual races with big cash purses and a rider contingency program might be better. In fact, I’m not sure I want to be under the Suzuki or Yamaha banner. It might be much better to be working with a Coke or Mountain. Dew effort. If the factories were to help organize something like that it would be the best of both worlds. They can help with those kinds of deals and offer cash purses, and have the factory be a secondary sponsor to a team.
ATV Scene: What needs to be done to accelerate the sport further?
Arens: When you buy a part you expect to get a quality product that can help you ride better or faster or just plain looks cool. That’s what’s expected on your end. The company selling the part expects to get paid whatever it cost them to get that part to you, and a little bit to keep the lights on at their shop. Sponsorship is no different, except that the part your are selling is your ability to gain quality positive recognition. I think riders forget that sometimes, although the top pros are very aware of it, and most do their best to meet those obligations. I do know of a few cases where a mid-level pro rider signed a sponsorship deal and then neglected his part of the deal after a few races. They have to realize what kind of damage this causes, and that although racing is fun, it still has a business side if you’re are looking for sponsorship at any level. The higher you go the bigger your obligations. Great riders like Farr, Spader, Gust, Little, etc. never forget that part.
ATV Scene: What ATV racing series has the most potential money for a professional rider?
Arens: GNCs
ATV Scene: What series is the most competitive, (has the most talented riders)?
Arens: I don’t want to take anything away from the riders of either the GNC or GNCC series because they are both extremely competitive at the pro level. Through the years however it has been easier for a pro from the GNC series to ride a few GNCC woods events than for a GNCC rider to qualify at a motocross race. I know in the past Tim Farr and a few other guys have run some of the GNCC events and have had some good finishes. I haven’t seen too many top GNCC guys at motocross events however. One thing for certain is that at the top level of each series is a closely guarded bunch of little secrets that can be the difference between first place and fifteenth. It’s kind of like an IROC race between a bunch of Nascar guys and some IRL car drivers. Both may be awesome at what they do, but it’s tough to cross over.
ATV Scene: What do you see happening in the future of ATV racing?
Arens: I don’t want to rely on the big factories like Yamaha, Honda, Polaris etc. for everything, but I would definitely like to see the factories support aftermarket teams and help bring in the big outside deals for those teams. If a new team does come from one of the factories, either directly or through an arrangement with another outside sponsor, then it’s in the riders’ best interest to support all those involved. Buy their bikes & parts! It’s extremely important for the riders to make that deal work by supporting those that support the sport. That means stop buying parts from those guys who could care less about what you are doing, and stop running stickers just to cover up the plastic! As ATV riders we’ve managed to hang on through the lean years to the exponential growth seen now, but through it all one thing has been clear; it’s important to help ourselves!
