Mona

By Mona DeShong

First and foremost I love this sport! Just like all of you. I can totally understand that all of you who are faithful to this site, or even the new guys may be a little confused right now, but I am glad that you have checked me out. Since this is my first column, maybe I should give you the low-down on myself. So here it goes.

I am a 22 year old girl from PA who is always looking for fun. I work my butt off and go to school so I do not have much time. Although, I always make time for what I love most ATVing. Yes, I do own a quad, and man do I love to ride it. Although, sometimes it is tough being the only girl out there – but I can hang. No, I do not race, but I love to be there and be a part of the action. I have met so many wonderful people and made so many friends at the track. Hopefully one of these days we will see ATV racing move up to the bike standards. It really breaks my heart to see the way the quads are sometimes mistreated. Local district 5 races are a really big part of my weekends. There are a bunch of us that go racing, pretty much on a weekly basis, as long as my boyfriends quad isn’t broken down. We had some major problems last year & we are still trying to work the bugs out. On that note, I promise to do my best to get you the latest scoop on everything and anything that I can possibly get my nose into. The industry, any new machines, AMA/ATVA updates, and I plan to bring you news from the track-side as well. In addition I plan on hitting some of local district races in my area and I promise to give you photos, stories and even some interviews. I also plan on hitting some national events. If you guys want the scoop on anything please let me know and I will see what I can come up with. I want you to know that all of your ideas questions and comments are very much welcomed.

 It is about time! Who wouldn’t agree — finally, some quad racing on TV! Don’t get me wrong, it’s fun to watch all of the SX, FMX riders, man even outdoor bikes are on now. But GNCC on television? This is a whole new ballgame!

Man I am getting goose bumps just thinking about how cool this is. I think this may be the start of something big. If we are getting recognized by a national television station – who knows what will be next! I’ve seen the first few rounds and have to say they are better than I even imagined. They’ve got it all, helmet cams, interviews, the whole nine yards.

 

With all the hype, I thought my first column would be a great place for some feedback from a few heavy hitters in the GNCC Scene.

Kawasaki: Reid Nordin –
FMF: Danaae Roth – Marketing Coordinator
Wiseco: Ralph Johnston – Advertising Director
Outerwears: Scot Smith – G.M
Scott USA: Bob Lowry – G.M

What are you all doing to take advantage of the GNCC series being
televised?
Kawasaki: The past three years our main focus has been directed towards GNCC racing and the ATV’s. This will be highlighted because of the television coverage. This new development will help us evaluate where the last three years has taken us and it will also help us to see where the future will take us.
FMF: Anything that promotes the industry is great for us, especially since we are a title sponsor of the series. The industry is full throttle right now and we’re very excited to play a role in its growth and future.
Wiseco: It is great for the sport. This can solely be considered the next step in the evolution of the sport. Not only for the sponsors, but for the riders, the fans, and all the people involved the scene. There is not one bad thing about this and I have a feeling that everyone will benefit from this groundbreaking coverage.
Scott USA: Do you remember the Blackwater 100? That is one of my most vivid memories when it comes to GNCC racing. Blackwater was an excellent spectator sport. Thousands of people would show up to watch the creek crossings and the atrocious hill climbs. The track was very spectator friendly. The GNCCs today are a lot harder to watch. They are much more spread out, and a lot of the sections are impossible to see. Provided the television coverage shows all the things that the spectators are not able to see, it will be excellent. I also think that it will really appeal to the “weekend-warriors” like myself. Most guys that ride here and there and hit the trails on the weekends, will surely be interested in this type of racing. Simply because this is what they already do. I think the weekend warriors will be really tune in and slowly want to get involved as well.

How will this help the industry?
Kawasaki: This is a tremendous step for the industry. And it is great that the whole thirteen week series will be broadcasted. The coverage is currently focused on the pro class. Hopefully in the future we will see more with the supporting classes. It will be great to see all of our guys on TV. And as far as sales goes, I am positive that it will help the market. The ATV sales are doing pretty well right now but I do expect the market accel even further. The exclusive thirteen week series will not only help ATV sales, but also aftermarket sales.
FMF: The more exposure the sport gets to the general public, the better! We’ve had a long relationship with Racer Productions people and feel that they are the key in helping this sport and of course the motorcycle GNCCs to explode during the last few years.

Do any of you have any interesting plans in store, now that ATV racing is on mainstream television?
Kawasaki: We have been discussing plans for the direction we will be taking
with the ATV racing teams and sponsorship for 2002 and beyond. But other than that, nothing much.
FMF: We do use this as a marketing tool when our sponsored riders step up to the podium. It’s great for brand exposure to all enthusiasts out there attempting to duplicate their bikes to match their favorite riders. We build a certain amount of print ads around the GNCCs and focus quite a bit of energy into the FMF Website choreographing race coverage with FMF pilots. We believe that racing helps us build better products, but the credibility is very important.
Wiseco: Right now it is all about the budget. We spend most of our funds on rider sponsorship. But we are always looking to help with advancement. There may be a possibility of network sponsorship. We are looking to take advantage of this from every possible angle.
Outerwears: Of all races we go to GNCC races are the best. It’s just amazing how fast these guys go through some really tight trail sections. Combine that with the fact that these guys race for two plus hours — it makes perfect sence that it’s on TV. The creek crossings are great too so hopefully the excitement will be apparent on TV. In our opinion this should be great for our sport being that ATV racing is done on machines that anyone can buy at their local dealer. Considering how popular all forms of racing are today I believe our target audience would watch this racing and think to themselves – I can do this – the things that I need, an ATV and the gear, can easily be bought locally for not too much money.

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