ATV Racing Highlights of 2005

2005 was a very eventful year for ATVing. From racing, to products, to the politics, there was a lot going on. Looking through all of our archived editorials, we decided to compile a list of what we believe to be the most significant ATV orientated happenings of 2005. So read on, as we recap the year with these top ten happenings.

John Natalie dominated in 2005
In 2005 John Natalie Jr. won more races and titles in a single season than anyone we can think of in the history of the sport. He simply dominated from start to finish and came close to winning every race he entered. Besides winning the GNC championship and tying Doug Gust’s eight GNC wins in a season, Natalie won the 2005 Pro Quad Stadium Series (by winning three out of five rounds). He also won the ESPN Great Outdoor Games, the 6 Hours of Pennsylvania and the 12 Hours of ATV America. It goes without saying 2005 belonged to the Ironman.

The ESPN Great Outdoor Games
ATV racing made a star appearance on the largest screen in sport’s television with the ESPN Great Outdoor Games held for the first time in Disney World in Orlando, FL. Even though Hurricane Dennis slammed into Florida at the time of the event, the sport of ATVing not only received proper recognition for the professionals and personalities in the sport, the ATV events made the 2005 Great Outdoor Games the most successful and highest-rated Great Outdoor Games since its inception. Motocross and cross country stars battled it out and respectfully showcased ATV racing to the rest of the world in style. There was even recognition for the hunter/utility crowd with the introduction of ATV Terracross. And fittingly, past factory Honda mounted legend Marty Hart won the event and spoke well of the sport. Thank you MXi and ESPN for a job well done!
Read our complete coverage from this monumental event here

Cobra produces the first-ever full-race mini
Sean Helbert, owner of Cobra Motorcycles and ATVs teamed up with John Arens of Arens Bros. to create the first high performance youth quad. Unlike all of the offerings from Taiwan and Japan, the Cobra was a no-holds-barred strictly competition-based machine featuring a potent 70cc water cooled Cobra engine, a scaled down competition chassis designed by John Arens with Fox suspension. This controversial machine is a rich dad’s dream, and a parent-on-a-budget’s worst nightmare. Finally a race worthy mini! Thanks Cobra. More on this machine here

Bill Ballance wins sixth straight championship
Chris Borich and Bill Ballance swapped wins throughout the season with Bill having five wins and Borich laying claim to three. During round nine at the Wisp, Chris Borich broke his shoulder finishing 16th while Bill Ballance went on to take the win. This gave Ballance a huge point’s lead heading into the season’s traditional summer break. After the Wisp, Ballance looked to be in complete control until the unthinkable happened. Bill broke his leg at Yamaha’s 2006 YFZ450 intro ride. In spite of missing two rounds, Ballance returned at round twelve where he clinched his sixth consecutive title with a third place finish. With momentum on his side and six championships under his belt, Ballance stands ready to tie the all-time GNCC championship record held by Barry Hawk.

We tip our hat to one of the most disciplined yet classiest champions in the sport. And thanks Bill for being such an outstanding role model for newcomers entering this sport.

Unadilla opens its doors to ATV racing.
Unadilla has been hosting two-wheeled motocross events since the 70s. After decades of promoting USGP and Motocross National events, Unadilla broke with tradition and opened their gates to the ATV crowd in 2005. Undoubtedly this was a decision made easier by the tremendous growth of our sport, but Unadilla went above and beyond by not only hosting one, but two ATV events in ’05. Their GNC and GNCC events were major hits with both the motocross and cross country crowd, and based on comments we’ve heard, just might be one of the most anticipated stops for both series in 2006.

Suzuki reveals first look at their 2006 LT-R450 QuadRacer
After a 13 year hiatus from the high performance ranks, Suzuki revealed their LT-R450 to the general public in the later portion of 2005. A fuel injected, double overhead cam, four valve engine, with a centrally located exhaust power the sharp looking machine. The chassis is perhaps the most impressive portion of the quad. The suspension features preload, compression and rebound adjustability. The machine is 49 inches wide, making it near the ATVA’s 50 inch width limit. This reduces the need to purchase wider aftermarket A-arms. Overall the machine looks promising and may be the most significant machine to hit the high-performance ranks since Yamaha recreated the high performance ATV class with their YFZ.
Click here for our complete review of this instrumental new made-to-race ATV: Outbreak Alert: Yellow Fever Type LT-R

Polaris releases first-ever independent rear suspended sport ATV
A few crafty people have built independent rear suspension sport quads in the past. We remember reading an article in Dirt Wheels years ago where an ATV enthusiast gave and IRS setup to his Suzuki LT250. Dirt Wheels thought it worked reasonably well. Since then ATV manufacturers have adapted IRS to some of their utility machines but no one seemed interested in releasing an IRS equipped model for the sport ranks. That is until Polaris announced the Outlaw in 2005. At a claimed 439 lbs., the Outlaw won’t be competing on many motocross tracks, but nonetheless there should be plenty of Polaris Outlaws buzzing around the woods and trails in 2006.

Pickup truck to factory rider – Travis Spader
2000 GNC champion Travis Spader made his return to ATV racing in 2005. At the beginning of the season he showed up in old school fashion, with his quad in the back of a Toyota pickup. By the end of the season, Travis finished the GNC Motorcross Series with the number six position, Yamaha’s GNC best. This didn’t go unnoticed by the decision-makers at Yamaha, as Travis will receive factory Yamaha support for the 2006 season. From the back of a pickup to a factory deal, undoubtedly Travis Spader’s comeback story was big news in 2005. Knowing Travis, we get the feeling he’s going to make Yamaha extremely proud in ’06.

The So Cal Hick – Jeremy Schell
The GNC Nationals only have one round out west, so other than local races there wasn’t much going on for the ATV Motocross crowd west of the Mississippi for many years. That was then, this is now. The ITP QuadCross Series, based out of world-famous Glen Helen MX Park in Devore, CA, has gained more and more notoriety as of late. In fact many are calling this series the “west coast nationals”. In order to have a successful series, you have to have good competition at all levels. Jeremy “The So Cal Hick” Schell, born and raised in Missouri, has won the QuadCross championship three times in as many years. Over the years, with his talent and charismatic personality, Jeremy has helped bring notoriety to the series. With his success, Schell has become a big name and a definite positive role-model in the industry, and deserves credit for doing his part to patch up the ATV racing scene in the west coast. Way to go Hick!

17 year olds steal the show at the John Penton and Ironman GNCCs
Adam Mcgill (West Union, WV) and Chris Bithell (Irwin, PA) shocked the cross country race scene this year by stealing second place overall from the pro boys at the John Penton and Ironman GNCCs respectively. Adam Mcgill even led the now six-time-champion Bill Ballance for part of the race before dropping back to his second place overall finish. Mcgill went on to easily win the Pro Am Championship. Bithell finished the year up with a respectable third in the Pro Am ranks. These two young guns have proved that they have what it takes to run up front and we’re confident that this is only a glimpse at what these two have in store for the GNCC series in the years to come.

Chris Bithell

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