On The Fast-Trak 12-3-2000
- By John Pellan
- Updated: December 3, 2000
Team Row and Bombardier WIN the Tecate SCORE Baja 2000
In celebration of the new millenium, the first ever Baja 2000 is now in the record books. Not only was the Tecate SCORE Baja 2000 the longest desert race ever held, it was also the richest — with an overall purses and contingencies topping $600,000! With a race this huge it’s an honor to have just finished let alone win. To battle the 1700 miles with a first year product is risky. There are many ATVs out there that have already been put through the punishment of extreme desert racing. Since riders have seen and heard what might become vulnerable on the demanding course they can make changes accordingly before the race. That’s not the case with a first year product like the Yamaha Raptor or Bombardier DS 650. So why did the team of Greg Row, Dean Sundahl, Eric Delony, Jimmy Stevenson, Tim Neidhart and brothers Todd and Eric Dunlavey chose the Bombardier DS 650 as their ride for the marathon of all desert races? Simple, they saw huge potential for the beefy monster. “I knew right from the beginning that we had a good shot at winning this thing” said Greg Row. Row put together the team, organized everything and sure enough took home the big win for Bombardier some 41 ½ hours later in the biggest desert race ever. They came in 41st overall position (including the trucks, buggies and motorcycles) with an average speed of 40.4 MPH
We talked with a few key players of the Bombardier entry about their recent success. Now, eight-time ATV Baja 1000 champion, “King” Dean Sundahl didn’t take long to explain their set up. “Stock”, said Sundahl. “Honest, we didn’t do much to the quad at all. In fact the only performance mod we ran was a Uni-Filter, a different pipe, and we changed the jetting a little. Also we bumped up the gearing from 16/40 to 17/37 and ran 22” rear and 23” front tires, other than that – it was bone stock. We even left the stock skid plates, swingarm, axle – everything.” Even with minimal changes the machine was clocked at nearly 100mph! “You know what? We didn’t even adjust the chain!” said Tim Neidhart, the team’s chief mechanic. “To me it’s proof positive that we probably overdesigned the DS if it wins the Baja in almost full-stock form”, says Bombardier’s ATV Product Manager John Gale. We asked Gale if the recent Baja 2000 win will inspire more involvement into ATV racing. “We are slowly getting more involved with the racing aspect of ATVing. For the Baja we picked up their expenses. We’re not rushing into any big racing teams or anything but we’re keeping an open mind.”
The Nac’s Racing/H-Bomb Films “dream team” entry of Miller, Farr, Hitt, Gust, Goodman, Goodfellow, and the Little brothers battled gremlins all race long. Their brand spanking new Yamaha Raptor led all entries for the first few hundred miles. In fact when Farr completed his leg of the trip, they reported an almost two hour lead! The lead didn’t last long. They later had several unfortunate problems, but still somehow finished a respectable sixth place. “There were plenty of other Raptors out there that finished – even bone stock ones. I think the main reason that we had problems is that we rode ours so hard that we literally beat the hell out of it. At the rate we were going, I think we could have overalled all the bikes and quads. I think the Raptor was a great choice, it was comfortable and motored extremely well. It’s got a ton of potential. We just need to dial it in a little better next time”, said the team’s ace, Tim Farr. “We had the best riders, the best bike, and the best support, said team coordinator, Wes Miller. “I would have liked to have had the Raptor this time last year and done testing all summer. I think it would have been a whole other story then”. He added, “Sometimes it’s just not in the cards. We had a good size lead about 500 miles into the race and everything was coming together as planned. But then we had some major problems that ended up costing us the race. All in all, I think running the Raptor was the right choice. It is the best bike out right now, we just needed more time to test it for such a long race. Running a quad at extreme race speed for 40 plus hours puts a tremendous amount of stress on the entire vehicle. It’s not really intended for that kind of abuse”.
1. Greg Row and Team 41:34:44
2. Gary Lee White and Team 41:51:40
3. John Gregory and Team 45:37:21
4. Gilberto Santana and Team 47:53:49
5. Carmen Cafro and Team 49:24:54
6. Wes Miller and Team 57:50:50
Baja 2000 Notables:
There were 84 motorcycle and ATV entries. The event started in Ensenada, CA and finished some 1679.54 miles later in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Amazingly, the 185 total finishers (out of 262 starters) represented a 70.5% finishing rate. That rate is the highest ever! The first Sportsman ATV class competitor to finish first was the Glen Walvaren’s team. They did it in 44:46:17. It takes 22 hours to drive back to LA from the finish line.
GNCC on TV!
Finally! Premier ATV coverage on television! Although not 100% official, there is a very good chance that the GNCC series (both bikes and quads) will be featured on The USA Network. Fred Bramblett has been working hard in making the deal happen. There will more than likely be a full hour of ATV racing from each event! Motoworld host Art Eckman is on the hot list for doing the play by play. We’re hoping ratings for the new show will be good and this will lead to more ATV racing on television. How much bowling, women’s ping pong, golf, lawn mower racing and can the general public honestly sit through – it’s our turn – we’ve earned it and we deserve it!
GNCC Briefs
GNCC correspondent, Scott Johnson attended a secret testing of while at the GNCC Awards Banquet (Story on that coming soon). Scott got some details for the new Mickey Dunlap Supertrapp/Maxxis/Miller’s Yamaha team. The team will consist of four Yamaha Raptors and two utility quads. Bryan Baker is for sure on board. He’ll be riding a laid out Fourstroke Tech modified Raptor. It’s reported that Fourstroke Tech has riled up some series ponies in the Raptor’s motor. Scott mentioned that it sounded more like a small-block Chevy than an ATV engine. Rich Travalena and Randy Kilby will be the two guys that will take on the Utility Class. Rich will be defending his title in the Utility Mod Class. As soon as our ace GNCC editor recovers from shoulder surgery we’ll have full details on this and more.
440cc change stands as it came out of AMA Congress
The AMA Congress Executive committee recently decided that the rule, which states that fourstroke displacement be increased to 440cc, not be changed back to it’s 416cc limit. The rule will stand just how it came out of congress. The class will remain at 440cc (including allowable overbore). Note: Honda’s new CR450 thumper motor need not apply. Well not this year – maybe next year we’ll end up bumping the displacement again so it can play too? Maybe someday soon we won’t have to wedge modern-day technology dirt bike engines into our ATV aftermarket race frames. We’re thinking that that day is nearing.
Introducing ATV Off Road Furry on Sony Play Station 2
This looks like a must have for diehard ATV enthusiasts. If you’re at all interested in video games than this one is a must! It’s called ATV Offroad Fury. It’s made for the brand new, (and hard to get) Sony Play Station 2 video module. The game allows up to four players to compete against one another in real life looking ATV racing. There’s even two square miles of free-roaming – true off roading to encourage players to extreme all-terrain-vehicle riding experiences. Players will navigate their way to the finish line over sandy deserts, rocky hillsides and thick forest mountains. Players can choose from more than 12 different ATV models from real manufacturers! There are even real riding factors such as traction, acceleration, top speed and stability, depending upon the landscape. Realistic physics force gamers to feel every bump, turn and crash in the terrain, and a track editor allows players to diversify the competition by creating their own unique racetracks. With more than 20 tracks and six authentic event types to choose from, including Cross Country, Enduro races and Freestyle Stunt competitions, players sit in the riders seat and will be tested to their absolute limits, as the thrill of ATV racing is genuinely delivered. If you get yours before we get ours, let us know what you think of the game we can’t wait to get our hands on this one.
2001 World Cup Ice Speedway Championship Series
I.C.E./WSRA once again brings wild wheel to wheel quad ice racing to arenas throughout the US.
Here’s the 25th anniversary schedule:
January 12-13 San Angelo Coliseum, San Angelo, TX
February 2-3 The Family Arena, St. Charles, MO (St.Louis)
February 9-10 Knoxville Coliseum, Knoxville, TN
February 16-17 Lubbock Municipal Coliseum, Lubbock, TX
February 23-24 Bakersfield Centennial Garden, Bakersfield, CA
March 9-10 Midwest Wireless Civic Center, Mankato, MN
March 16-17 Alliant Energy Center, Madison, WI
March 23-24 Huntington Civic Arena, Huntington, WV
Honda’s Humanoid
“You don’t have a robot? What do you mean you don’t have a robot?” much like a grand kid might say to his grandparents that still don’t have cable TV, — this might be a common thing to say to someone that doesn’t have a robot in the future. Honda has recently announced a breakthrough in the way their mechanical humanoid walks. Th 4-foot, 95-pound robot is still in its experimental stage. But Honda says it’s serious about making robots part of its business and part of tomorrow’s society. Honda said it is studying ways to give the robot voice-recognition, ability to identify faces and other functions to make it a common commercial and then residential product!
Asimo, which stands for “advanced step in innovative mobility,” is the third prototype since Honda began robot research in 1986. The new machine can move in a natural way resembling human movement. Technicians operating previous models required bulky computer workstations, but Asimo can be steered from a handheld remote control. We want one bad! We’re already thinking of what to name it and we’ve got plenty of chores lined up for him as soon as we unpack him. Someone needs to tend business and answer phones while we’re out riding.
Eastern Ohio & Western Pennsylvania ATV Club
A group of ATVers are forming a club–the Northeast Trailriders Association–to help protect and keep open trail riding areas in Ohio and Pennsylvania. It’s time to organize and protect our right to ride. Contact any of the following for more information: George Spaid 440-428-7041, Jerry Richmond 440-223-1980 or 440-969-1971, Adam Keisel 440-998-7890.
Bombardier Rumor
Bombardier is said to be secretly testing a high-performance twin-cylinder quad and a single cylinder 250cc two-stroke! These are only rumors so take it as you will. All we can say is that the sport segment of ATVing is getting pretty popular – we’re loving it!
More Bombardier News
Here’s your chance to be an ATV test rider and just maybe get a sneak ride on a new Bom prototype! If you live in FL or can relocate there for the next 4-5 months and you are an extremely experienced ATV rider then you might want to call them up and get paid to ride. They are wanting the rider for a full 40 hours a week. The position is said to pay $8.50 per hour. If interested give Lori Zielsdorf at Bombardier a call at (321) 726-2053 or e-mail her at: Lori.Zielsdorf@recreation.bombardier.com
Making The Scene
“King” Dean Sundahl
Married: Brenda
Children: Brittany
Employment: Owner SRP — Sundahl Racing Products (619) 448-3219
Combining desert, stadium supercrosses, motocrosses and TTs, Dean Sundahl, (refer with respect) “King” Dean Sundahl more than likely has more major ATV race wins than any other rider! His legacy is indeed our roots of the sport. In 1981 Honda’s Racing Coordinator, Wess McCoy signed Sundahl as the first ever full time factory ATV racer. At the time Sundahl had already ridden and raced ATVs (then three wheelers of course) for nearly 10 years! Later that year, Sundahl, Mark Weixeldorfer and Mike Chester, all under the Honda wing, took on the SCORE International Baja 1000 on their air-cooled ATC 250R. At the time they were laughed at. Most thought that a three-wheeler would never finish the grueling Baja and that they would only be in the way causing unsafe circumstances. Thanks to Sundahl’s wide open extreme speeds, the team not only won their class, but they beat several of the whiners in the four wheel car classes, and only two motorcycles finished ahead of them! This was a huge accomplishment considering that the team started last! From that point on Honda got serious about ATV racing and the then skeptics gave their respect to Sundahl and the ATV entries.
Who would have thought some 20 years later that Sundahl, now 44 years old, would beat the desert yet again in the biggest desert race ever! That makes eight times his beat the desert and one the Baja! We spoke with the King just after he returned home from a complimentary trip to Bombardier’s Dealer Convention in FL, where he and his ’00 teammates were the life of the party. Here’s what he had to say about his recent success.
ATV Scene: Congratulations! Was that your first time on the Bombardier?
Sundahl: Thanks. Yeah I never rode one before. I didn’t even do any pre running on it either. The rest of the team had ridden it and they all loved it. After Greg (Row) talked with me about the machine, I had a pretty positive impression about how it would handle the long race.
ATV Scene: How was it?
Sundahl: Sure enough the shiny yellow Bombardier came rolling in right on time. I took off for my session and right away was amazed the thing was only stock. The powerband and the feel of the quad is awesome! It’s got plenty of torque and power even with our taller gearing set up. I think it’s the ultimate desert racing quad! It pulls like a tractor. I would grab a gear, crack the throttle and it would roll on strong and hard but never scream its guts out and yank you around. It’s really fun and easy to ride. It’s all usable dependable power.
ATV Scene: Were you the go to guy as you usually are in these things? How many miles did they give you?
Sundahl: I’m pretty good at night so I volunteered to ride all the night sections. I logged about 500 miles – two 250-mile sections.
ATV Scene: With that many miles you guys had to have a few problems. Right?
Sundahl: Amazingly we didn’t have too many problems at all. We had about 2-3 hours of downtime total. We replaced a clutch and a swingarm pivot bolt. It broke from us over tightening it. I was riding it at the time. I held it in with my ankle and limped it in. Luckily I was only about 6 miles from the roadside where we could fix it. Other than that we went flawlessly. No crashes and no problems. We changed the airfilter but after looking at it, I don’t think it even needed changed – it wasn’t even dirty. And the stock skid-plate ended the race in perfect condition! That kind of thing is unheard of in desert racing, especially 2000 miles! Usually after a 1000 mile Baja the thing is all mangled or gone and everything else on the quad is completely wasted. We even got about 100 miles to the gallon!
ATV Scene: Describe the race to the checkers.
Sundahl: We had gotten word that we were in third place. While I was waiting for my turn, which was the final 250 miles to the checkers, I have to admit I was really feeling the pressure. Everyone was so stoked that we had a chance to catch the leaders and win the thing. They were all patting me on the back “You da man Deano – You da man!” Everyone was really fired up. I didn’t want to let them down. Greg calmed me a bit by telling me to just have fun and enjoy the ride. I took off with that thought. I think it helped me not ride over my head and end up on my head. I felt really good out there. Sure enough I reeled everyone in. I remember coming up on the leader. Just when I was coming up with a plan on the best way to pass him, he pulled over and let me go by. Guess he thought I was a truck or something. I was like SWEET! Thanks buddy! From there I put about twenty minutes on him.
ATV Scene: OK now you’re rolling into the finish, pretty much knowing you were going to win the biggest desert race ever promoted. How did that feel?
Sundahl: You ain’t kidding! It was such a great feeling. I came up to a really slow section with lots of turns, rocks and stuff. I just concentrated on being smooth and not doing anything stupid. I got through that and saw the lights of San Lucas. All I could think of was what my teammates must be thinking and how nervous as hell they must have been in not knowing if I could pass the three guys a head of me. It was a cool feeling knowing I was going to pull in and make them all so happy. Let me tell you it was one sweet victory!
ATV Scene: Any trouble with sand fleas? You know the Mexican degenerates that want to see someone crash at 80 mph?
Sundahl: I started to see a lot of them as I got closer to the finish. I call their traps Mexican speed bumps. They want to see some air or a wreck. It’s their excitement I guess. After all these years, I’m pretty hip to what to look for. I go around their obstacles. Once I see a bunch of people I somewhat head straight at them, then pitch it sideways and roost sand at them. They all go running and scattering. It’s great because it becomes fun for me and a scare for them. Kind of reverse the whole situation!
ATV Scene: All these years, Honda and Yamaha factory race teams, all the incredible rides you’ve had — are you saying this was your biggest win?
Sundahl: You know what? I think so. It was a huge race and a major accomplishment.
ATV Scene: So I take it you guys did some major celebrating down there?
Sundahl: O hell yeah! They gave you 80 hours to finish so we had two days to celebrate before they started the awards ceremonies. It was a lot of fun.
ATV Scene: Are you sore?
Sundahl: No not at all. The Bombardier rides great. It’s really smooth. I think I was sorer from dancing and celebrating the win than I was the actual race.
ATV Scene: So it’s safe to say the best moment of the race was crossing the checkers?
Sundahl: Yeah the climax is always the best moment. Right?
ATV Scene: Very true Dean. Others can only dream of the climax you had.
Sundahl: And they gave us a great Governor’s Cup Trophy’s for it too.
ATV Scene: Looks like Bombardier is pretty stoked on the win. What was the Florida trip all about?
Sundahl: I’m really excited about how excited they’ve become with this. Now that it’s a race proven machine — they’ll promote the win quite a bit. They flew us all to Florida as their guests for their Dealer Meetings. We were pretty well liked that’s for sure. There was a ton of reps, sales people and executives there. It was a first class deal. They have some beautiful property there with a man made lake and a test track – the whole works. The lake even has alligators in it! (Laughing) There were lots of locked doors with top-secret stuff behind them. Not even the reps were allowed to see back there.
ATV Scene: (laughing) Maybe they release the alligators at you if you wonder into any forbidden places to endure that you wont be leaking any top secret stuff. So do you think they are interested in fielding a professionally backed factory race team?
Sundahl: It looks like it. I can tell you they want to do something with us for ’01. Right now I don’t know any details, but they are extremely enthusiastic about the Baja win and I think it’s got them in that mind set.
ATV Scene: For those that don’t know, Bombardier is no small company. In fact they employ over 56,000 people all over the world. They not only make a complete line of motorized recreational vehicles, but they’re also a manufacturer of jet aircrafts, and rail transportation equipment. What we’re saying is that they have the finances to really help out our sport and get involved.
Sundahl: With out a doubt, they have the capability of fielding a full on teams. Best part is they really understand the concept of what wins on Sunday sells on Monday. I think if they were to get involved they could easily dominate ATV racing. I really think they are going to.
ATV Scene: So what’s up for your future?
Sundahl: The whole team will be at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, CA for an annual sand sport trade show. Bombardier will be there with us. We’re going to promote the quad and the big win. As for racing, I want to compete in the Best of the Desert series – hopefully as a Bombardier factory rider. Then who knows maybe I could help them out by being a representative for their ATV products.
ATV Scene: Any last words?
Sundahl: I would like to thank Bombardier, My teammates, and my family for the sweet win.
New Catalog Season
K&K’s ATV has just released their 2001 catalog. It’s jam packed with all kinds of ATV goodies. To get yours call K&K at (413) 467-2093 or check out their web site at www.kandkatv.com
PSI Performance has also released their new catalog. The catalog showcases their new Genesis ATV motor kits and more. Get yours by calling (920) 622-4555 or cruise over to their site at www.psiperformance.com
Honda Recall
In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), American Honda Motor Co., Inc. is voluntarily recalling approximately 126,000 All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs). Two models of Honda ATVs are being recalled for separate problems, the TRX 400EX and the Rancher TRX 350. The brake pads on the Honda TRX400EX models could have been assembled incorrectly. Honda has received 53 reports of the brake pads assembled incorrectly on the 400EX. As for the Honda Rancher TRX350, a mounting bracket on the front suspension could be welded improperly to the frame. Honda has received 98 reports of improper welds. No injuries or incidents have been reported.
If you have a 400EX or Rancher you should call your local Honda ATV dealer to schedule a free inspection, and repair if needed. Registered owners of the vehicles have been notified directly by American Honda about the recall. For more on this click here: Honda ATV Recall
Pentium 4
Thinking of buying a new computer for Christmas? Don’t do it. Wait until after Christmas. Intel has yet to publicly release the date of their newest and most powerful chip, the Pentium 4 (1.5 gig), but we have heard it’s only a few weeks away. When this new computer is available, current state of the art computers will become much cheaper. You’ll be able to buy the same exact computer available today for about $400-$500 cheaper in a few weeks. So why not wait?
Race for less money!
We’ve seen some God-awful racing resumes lately, so here’s some quick words to help make yours better.
Getting a sponsor and keeping a sponsor.
Only send quality color resumes (at least the front cover page). Remember that the resume you send acts as a direct reflection as to how the sponsor sees how you will represent their company. Keep in mind that companies need to make money to stay in business – the whole theme to the resume is to show them how you can make them money if they sponsor you. It’s not a bragging page of how you’ve done in the past. Be professional, well spoken on and off the track, an overall good image reflects on your sponsors. You should maintain a good relationship with your sponsors by sending them monthly newsletters. These newsletters can even be e mailed, but do yourself a favor and take some time to write them. It’s not a note to a friend. Use proper grammar, and spelling does count! Just like your resume, your newsletter will be a direct reflection on how you represent their company. You should also provide them with quality pictures of yourself in action. The report should give the sponsor some feedback on your personal results as well as other details about the races that they were unable to attend. Also keep the media (including ATV Scene) in tune with your interesting news. After all the reason your being sponsored is to positively showcase yourself and your sponsor to as much exposure as possible. Good luck!
Wheelie King Dies
Doug Domokos of Lake Elsinore, California, died in an ultralight plane wreck. While flying with his instructor their ultralight crashed near Bear Creek Field in Murrieta, California (very close to Kory Ellis’ home). Witnesses said that the ultralight was between 300 and 1000 feet off the ground and was in a steep turn when the wing apparently tore and the craft plummeted to the ground.
Domokos was world-renowned in the industry as “The Wheelie King”, He had a passion for motocross but made a career out of wheeling motorcycles and ATVs (usually three wheelers). He set many records for wheelies over the years, including the record for the highest wheelie ever, performing the feat on top of the Empire State Building in New York City.
For more on this and to find out when and where the service will take place check out Domokos’ web site, www.thewheelieking.com
Surf’s Up!
Motorcycle Online: Yamaha’s Y2K Motorsports Media Day and 2001Race Team Introduction http://www.motorcycle.com/mo/mcyam/press/99press.html
No mention of ATVs here at all – why list the link then? Just to let you know it’s there and we’ll (ATVs) be there someday soon!
Ride spot issues
LA Times: State Funding Urged to Save Open Spaces
http://www.latimes.com:80/news/state/20001130/t000114949.html
Imperial Valley Press: Study: Plant numbers increase despite off-road use
http://elcentro.townnews.com/archives/index.inn?loc=detail&doc=/2000/November/28-214-news04.txt
The Oregonian: Clinton urged to step up land protections
http://www.oregonlive.com:80/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/news/oregonian/00/11/lc_41land29.frame
Cycle News: EPA to make things tougher?
http://209.130.30.142/ShowStory.asp?HeadlineID=1356
Associated Press GOP Says Roadless Plan May Mar Forest Health
http://www.sltrib.com:80/11212000/nation_w/45723.htm
Environmental News Network: Blue Ribbon Coalition reveals USFS proposal will
allow managed use of off-highway vehicles
http://www.enn.com:80/news/enn-stories/2000/11/11172000/newsbytes_40267.asp
Denver Post: Clinton plan for forests pleases off-road groups
http://www.denverpost.com/news/news1114h.htm
San Francisco Examiner: Preserving Timber Country Creates a Clinton Legacy
http://www.sfgate.com:80/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2000/11/15/ED19313.DTL
Christian Science Monitor: In last days, Clinton begins environmental offensive
http://www.csmonitor.com/durable/2000/11/15/fp2s2-csm.shtml
Pix of the Week:
Quotes of the Week:
“The worst people to hang out with after the races? Magazine guys like me. All we want to do is talk about the races and figure out ways to put the bill on someone’s Hi-Torque expense account” — Davey Coombs in his recent Reason for Being column in Racer X Ill.
“After they closed it up and I stood there shivering for three hours, I thought there is absolutely no way I can pull this off, but I accepted the fact that I had to and did it anyway”. — David Blain commenting on what determination is all about the day after being frozen in ice for three days in his recent Frozen In Time stunt.
“We’re dead set on finally bringing modern technology to the ATV industry.” — Tom Darnell of Hi-Per Technology while speaking of their new carbon fiber ATV wheels.
After all these years, I’m pretty hip to what to look for. I go around their obstacles. Once I see a bunch of people I somewhat head straight at them, then pitch it sideways and roost sand at them. They all go running and scattering. It’s great because it becomes fun for me and a scare for them. Kind of reverse the whole situation! – Dean Sundahl on Mexican Speed Bumps. (read the interview above).
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“We have been very pleased with ATV Scene.com and the response we’ve gotten from our advertisement in it. In fact, we would even step up to a higher sponsorship level but as you saw at the banquet, this year I’m diverting a lot of finances towards the Nac’s Racing Team itself. We at Nac’s feel that we’ve continued our business on a level comparable with Darren’s direction and goals; we now have to focus on his other dream, which is to bring national prominence and recognition to ATV Racing as a premier motor sport. Team Nac’s Racing will certainly strive to do its part towards that goal.” – Nac’s Racing Jim Naccarrato’s thoughts on ATV Scene sponsorship and their plans for 2001.
“Too many whiners and quad bashers” — Bill “WBGO” Lanphier responding to a recent ATV Source/ATV Scene chat room question of why he left internet chat room hosting. (Lanphier had hosted scheduled chat room nights since 1994.)