Mike Walker 7-8-08

There are a few Engine Builders whose names inspire fear in the sport of ATV Motocross. Many riders have experienced that sinking feeling when they line up next to a motor with (Curtis) Sparks, TC (Tom Carlson), (Mark) Baldwin, DASA (Dan Lamy), or Rage (Dee Manchek) stamped on the side. More often than not, it means that the racer next to you, will be in front of you in the first turn. We’re pretty sure there’s a new name ready to join that exclusive “Fear Inspiring” club; ATP (Mike Walker).

Mike Walker is the new kid in the arena, and he’s not afraid to call a spade a spade. The Floridian has been putting up strong results with several top Pro Am riders, and has tested the waters in the deep end with Pro rider Jeremy Lawson (2007).

What caught our attention was Walker’s seemingly tireless work ethic, and repeated trips to the starting gate at a recent MX National. Every time we looked he was either packing a gate, cleaning the grooves in his rider’s tires, or waving a pit board. We decided to track him down shortly after the High Point GNC for a few questions.

Mike, we’ve noticed you running around like a maniac during the Pro Am races at the ATV MX Nationals. How many Pro Am riders are you wrenching for these days?
LOL, yeah it seems when the action gets started at the nationals or even at our local SSQSA series, you can only catch a quick streak of me on the fly with people pointing in the direction that I had gone. I guess that’s not a bad thing being so busy.

We started this business to help people and no matter if the customer is riding our products or not, we do our best to make sure that every rider makes it to the gate.

ATP is exclusively building engines, sponsoring and tuning on the Suzuki LTR450’s for several Pro Am riders. The Media All-stars #18 Cody Grant, and #74 Aaron Meyer.

The Media All-stars is a new sponsorship for us for the 2008 season and hopefully a long term relationship to help grow some amazing up and coming amateur and future pro class riders. ATP continues to sponsor and support our local riders #7 Devin Heimes and #6 Chris Bowen. We have been working with these two Florida based riders for several years now, and had the opportunity to help them grow as well as grow our business with them. We are also working with a few riders in Production A and Production B as well.

You seem pretty excited every time the gate drops; how are your guys fairing on the starts?
At High Point, excited was an understatement. I was very proud of our riders, when the gate dropped, Cody Grant not only took the holeshot, but we had a total of four out of the top five riders turn the corner after Horse Power Hill, as it has been called, out in front. On Saturday’s Pro Am Unlimited second moto we had a pretty bad gate pic with Devin, but he managed to put it together and pull the holeshot and ride on to a moto win which gave him a second overall for the weekend in Pro Am Unlimited. What a feeling to be part of all that! Between all of our Pro Am riders, we have taken a good number of the Pro Am holeshots and moto wins this season with our Suzuki LTR450 riders. (Editor’s Note: Cody Grant won the Muddy Creek Pro Am Unlimited Class shortly after we conducted this interview).

The Pro Am classes are getting ridiculously stacked these days, it seems like there are easily fifteen guys that can win at any given moment. Getting to the first turn first is obviously a huge advantage, how satisfying is it to see your guys leading the pack?
We are very happy to get to be a part of these rider’s careers. The competition this year is amazing. With the riders and builders stepping it up this year, its any ones game from race to race. ATP has been pitted against arguably the best ATV engine builders and their riders in the world. Going to the gate with competition like Mark Baldwin, Curtis Sparks and DASA, we definitely have our work cut out for us. To be able to go up against these guys and come out in front is humbling to say the least. However, we couldn’t do it without the talented riders that we have.

Last season (2007) you enjoyed some serious Pro class success with Jeremy Lawson, are you helping out any Pros this year?
2007 was a great season for us. We were told that ATP didn’t have what it takes to build Pro caliber engines. At the season opener at Pell City, we had our first chance to show what we had at the PRO LEVEL. With Jeremy Lawson piloting the A.T.P. Racing Engines powered factory Honda 450R, we won our Pro Class début the first shot out. All I can say is that with the obstacles we have overcome, outside of the births of our children, that victory had to be the most emotional time in our lives!

Coming into the 2008 race season we had decided that we wanted to devote our efforts to the amateur ranks. Our goal coming into this industry was to help riders as much as we were able, and what better way than to help a rider move into the Pro ranks. During the Pre-season, we met up with Cale Downen. Cale had been training here in Florida with some of our riders and took notice of how well their machines were running. We eventually built Cale an engine for his 08 TRX450R and shortly after he was hooked. We were going to build Cale’s AMA PRO racing motors for the 2008 season. Cale already had obligations with the K&K team for the WPSA series. Unfortunately, just as many others in this industry were affected by the WPSA’s demise, we were too. K&K was forced to move their racing program over to the GNCs, and we lost the opportunity to work with Cale. We hope to be able to work with his future engine program.

How different are your Pro Class engines from the ones your Pro-Am guys are running?
There really is no difference in the internal components of the engine. As for our engine program, the difference between a PRO and amateur level engine is the amount of money that is invested in the initial build, as well as the amount of time and money that is spent on the maintenance to keep these engines running at 110%.

Can non ATP sponsored riders get the same sort of work from ATP?
YES! We feel that everyone works hard for their money, and they deserve the best products for that hard earned money. The biggest differences in our customers’ engine combinations are the amount of money that the customer has in their budget to spend. If you can afford it, we will give it to you.

I feel that there has been a trend in this industry for years to keep the customers on a hook, to give them a little bit, so they want to come back later for more. In most cases with cylinder heads for example, there is not a level 1-10 that you could or should be able to have. Every cylinder head has an optimal flow potential. Once you have met the flow potential of the cylinder head, that is the best that it can be, and anything short of that is second rate.

The biggest point that the customer needs to know is that, “With Great Power comes Great responsibilities!” A top of the line, arm ripping engine is not only more expensive to build but also more expensive to maintain.

It seems like just about every engine builder is making claims as to how dominant their engines are as opposed to their competition, is there really that much of a rivalry between the builders these days, or is this just a part of doing business?
I don’t believe that there is a rivalry between “ALL” of the builders. I believe there are oneor two (builders) out there that are trying to make it seem that way.

I believe that “MOST” of the builders are not making those claims and that they are simply doing well by their results, customer service and doing their jobs with integrity. Lets face it, to say that an engine is what got a rider to the podium would not only be arrogant, but a lie. Peak horsepower numbers alone will not win races. I think that most of the builders would agree with that.

How long have you been building ATV engines, and what were you doing before that?
I have personally been building ATV race engines since the four stroke era emerged. If we were still on two strokes, I would probably be sending my cylinders to Sparks or Baldwin, LOL.

I have spent my entire life around racing, and engine building. Following in the footsteps of my late father, I don’t think I have known or really been any good at anything else. I came from the automotive industry. I have been lucky enough to learn from builders from NASCAR, NHRA, and many other facets of racing.

I have spent the last 15 years dedicated to airflow research and engine dynamics. We built everything from 2000hp drag racing engines, to 750hp circle track engines, and everything in between.

Coming into this industry, I have looked to many of my automotive manufacturers to supply me with the best parts available to keep my riders out front, as well as the invaluable technology and building methods that I continue to bring from my automotive background.

Did you ever race ATVs yourself?
HA-HA, more so when I was a kid on my 250R. My wife and I were riding when I came into the sport of ATV racing again a few years ago. About the time I started ATP, I was jumping freestyle, had a pretty bad get off, and had to do some soul searching. I was already too old to try to start any type of riding career, hence my choice, ATP Racing Engines. I still ride from time to time, and I feel that it’s beneficial that if a rider is not able to explain to me what’s going on with their setup, I am still able to suit up and take it to the track for myself.

If you had to break it down percentage wise between speed and reliability, what would you say is the ideal race engine?
This is kind of a hard one. I think that for most people in today’s economy a 50/50 mix is what you should shoot for. You have to finish to win it! At a higher level of racing, those numbers would change significantly. There is a big difference in an engine build that only has to last for two Pro motos versus a customer’s engine that needs to last the season.

The South East seems to be producing some serious talent in both the Dirt bike, and ATV worlds, what would you attribute that to?
Weather, and terrain; we are privy here in Florida to many good days of sun, which in turn lets us ride allot. Along with year round riding, we also have a great variety of tracks here, as well as a fantastic off-season quad series. Florida riders can not only train all winter, but can get some great gate time as well.

On the other hand, it’s the worst area to be an engine builder. 100% humidity and 100 degree weather is hard to make power in.

Where do you see ATP, and the sport of ATV MX Racing in the next five years?
Broke if gas prices don’t come down. On a serious note, we have seen tremendous growth in the past few years. It’s been great having the factory support back. Not only from the financial support they have given the industry, but the goals it has again given our amateur riders. I would like to think that if we all keep our heads down, and work side by side, ATV’s will see the mainstream exposure that the Super Cross Teams have had.

As for ATP Racing Engines, I would like to have the opportunity to work with a Factory level race team and to help develop and grow our ATV race engine program. We have accomplished more in the last four years than I could have ever imagined, so it is hard to think about where we could possibly be in five more years.

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