On The Fast-Trak 12-3-02
- Updated: December 3, 2002
Year 4, Issue 3
by John Pellan
jpellan@atvscene.com
Thanksgiving day south of the border will make you love America more than ever! Actually it will be one Thanksgiving to remember because I’ll always remember how thankful I was to finally be back in the good ole’ US of A. And how thankful I am to have the friends I have back in these wonderful states. Anyway, on to the latest news…
Finally! Youth ATV age requirement revised!
The AMA Executive board passed ALL of the ATV rules as written at congress! ATVers rejoice! We now have somewhat realistic rules which will deliver youth ATV riders to our sport!
Myself, as ATV delegate from District 12, Ellis Robertson, Carl Reynolds, John Arens, Tom Prendergast and all the other ATV delegates at this year’s AMA Congress creatively put together a plan that indeed worked. We got our way! Good job guys! This is a huge battle won in “taking ATV racing to a higher level”.
Interestingly enough, the week before their meeting John Arens (ATV delegate from District 14 in Michigan) sent all of the board members an overnight letter explaining our position on youth ATV racing. In this letter, Arens quoted Thomas Jefferson’s statement from the Declaration of Independence concerning how it is the citizens (in our case members) who control an organization, and Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburgh address statement about “governments of the people, by the people, and for the people.” Arens wanted them to know it was not just their organization, but everyone’s. In addition, Arens leaked to Davey Coombs (one of the executive members on the board) that he was going to write an article and name the offenders if things did not go our way. Who knows if this had anything to do with their decision to pass the new age requirements but, I got a kick out my boy’s plan B to make sure it happened.
Anyway, everyone was for our changes, including the OEMs involved with the AMA (even though they voted the company line).
Finally! An OEM with an ATV contingency program
Support for ATV racers from an OEM? I know, sounds strange after all the years of them ignoring our existence. Believe it or not, it has indeed happened. Kawasaki Team Green becomes the first ATV manufacturer to offer amateur support in more than 15 years! They will provide technical support, plus contingency money for KFX700 V Force™ racers.
Team Green-Kawasaki’s racing support program-will have a dedicated truck and 30-foot trailer with a full-time technician who will attend all 13 races of the Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) racing series. The technician will offer track-side technical support and emergency parts for all Kawasaki ATV-mounted racers. The support rig will also attend other ATV racing and non-ATV racing events that do not conflict with the GNCC series.
A total of $117,000 will be available to KFX700 V Force riders competing in eligible classes in the GNCC series. Hopefully this will just be the start and they’ll soon offer the same for their KFX400 mounted riders. And hopefully other OEMs will take note.
Interested racers should visit their local Kawasaki dealer or the Kawasaki web site at www.Kawasaki.com for more information.
Who’s riding for who and what are they riding
Everyone wants to know the latest news as to what kind of changes are going down in the pro classes in the GNC and GNCC series. I do talk with a lot of the big names of ATV racing but I don’t talk with them daily, (besides I’ve been stranded in Mexico lately) – so if you are a pro rider or a sponsor that has just inked an official pro rider let us know and we’ll pass on your good news. After all this is what sponsorship is all about.
As for what I do know of the ’03 season:
Johnny Gallagher will ride a Z400, Kory Ellis will do the same in the GNC pro class with a Lonestar framed Z and a stocker in the new GNC pro production class. He will also ride in a few selected GNCC races on yet another Suzuki. Keith Little will be Lonestar framed CRF mounted and stay clear of the pro production class. Joe Byrd will abandon the 250R as well with a slew of CRFs of his own. He has no plans to race the pro production class either. Shane Hitt will pretty much resume his same rides and concentrate on the GNC pro class. Shane says he’s not really into the pro production class as of yet but thinks he might like a GNCC change of pace in ’03. Former Team Green rider Jackie Meadows will more than likely ride a Kawasaki KFX 400 in the new pro production and an R in the Pro class at the GNCs. Father Jack is pursuing help from Kawasaki but as of yet – nothing official. Jackie’s past with Kawasaki and their liking to him make me think that they just might throw an old dog a bone. The always tight lip’d Tim Farr wont leak anything, but I have a feeling he and head wrench Mark Baldwin have something top secret in their sleeves for ’03 that will turn some heads. We’ll have to wait and see. Last but not least, everyone I talked with has plans to field a team for the ’03 12 Hours of ATV America.
Assigned numbers in the GNC pro class
Again I haven’t talked with each and every pro rider, but the five or six that I have spoken with were all for reserving numbers instead of running their respective numbers that they earned last year. You know a NASCAR-image kind of thing. I agree this will give better identity to riders and this helps build the sport. I only hope there is some organization to how these dedicated numbers are drawn otherwise this can get ugly. We’ll keep you posted as this develops.
Cody Hurst Memorial TT at Orrville, Ohio’s Wayne County Speedway
Although not official, Terry Reynolds of Twin Creeks Raceway in Arkansas is negotiating with the current track owners at Wayne County Speedway in Orrville, OH to bring back a GNC TT National with the name “Cody Hurst Memorial” on it. As past promoter of three nationals at Wayne County Speedway, I for one believe this event could be one of the biggest TTs of the year, hanging right there with the legendary Ashtabula event. Lets hope it’s a go. I’ll keep you updated as soon as I hear any news.
Want Bill Ballance’s jersey?
The Racers for Research, the promoters of the Flat River Grand Prix, have a signed jersey that was donated to them by Bill Ballance to be sold to the highest bidder on E-bay. This was the jersey that Bill Balance wore at the GNCC Ironman race on October 19th of this year. Bill Ballance is the overall ATV GNCC champion for the past 3 years. This jersey might make great Christmas present or perhaps displayed in a shop or at your home.
The jersey will be listed on E-bay Wednesday evening December 4th for 7 days ending December 11th.
The money raised by selling Bill’s jersey will be donated to the MARCH of DIMES by the Racers for Research.
The Flat River Grand Prix is part of the Missouri Hare Scrambles Series. The Grand Prix is a 2 day event, with ATV’s and a Poker run on Sat, and the Motorcycle Race on Sunday. The event is on June 28th and 29th of 2003. Riders will bring in pledge money as there entry fee for the hare scrambles or poker run. Prizes will also be given out for the amount of money raised by each rider along with the trophies for racing. This is the 6th year that the Racers for Research has been doing the Flat River Grand Prix. Each year they have raised between $25,000 and $30,000 and then donated to the MARCH of DIMES.
For more information about the event check there website at Racers4Research.com.
Congratulation 2002 SCORE Champions
The CT/Avina Prep/ Js Pest Control team of Jimmy Stephensen, Mike Cafro and Cain Smead used their Roll Design 265cc CT Racing 250R powervalve to win this year’s overall SCORE Championship. The team won the San Felipe 250 and the Baja 500. A second place at the Terrible 250 and a fourth and the recent Baja 1000 gave them enough points to pull off the title.
Trinity Racing Suzuki Z400 Stage IV Exhaust System
Trinity Racing R&D released their Stage IV exhaust system for the Suzuki Z400. According to Trinity the Z400 Stage IV exhaust gives you a five horsepower increase. When matched with additional performance modifications, because you probably will not stop at just the exhaust system, right? The Stage IV System comes complete with the header pipe, hardware and muffler, and is constructed from the high quality Polished 304 Stainless steel. Great job on this baby Trinity!
Toys for Tots
The US Marine Corps Reserve presents Toys for Tots harescramble racing for ATVs bikes and 4x4s. It will be Saturday Dec 7 at the Badlands Off Road Park in Attica, IN. Just bring a new unwrapped toy with receipt showing worth of $5-$10 and receive $5 off admission, worth over $15 and get in free. Moe info at badlandsoffroad.com Contact Missy Rowda (812) 523-4484 or rowda@voyager.net
2003 ATV Missouri Hare Scramble Championship Series
Sat March 1st Elk Creek, Lebanon, MO
Sun March 16 MXP Columbia, MO
Sat March 29th Midwest Trail Riders, Bixby, MO
Sat April 13th Mo Dirt Riders, Westphalia, MO
Sat May 3rd Midwest Motorsports,, Kahoka, MO
Sun June 1st Blackwater 50, Marshfield, MO
Sat June 28th Racers for Research, Park Hills, MO
Sat July 12th Show Me Motorsports, Tebbets, MO
Sun July 27th Poor Boys, Florence, MO
Sun Aug 24th Lake Creek, Sedalia, MO
Sun Sept 14th Newark, MO
Sun Oct 5th Plattin Creek Riders, Blackwell, MO
Sun Oct 19th Missouri Mudders, Park Hills, MO
Quotes of the Week
“It will take a whole hell of a lot to get me back in Mexico” — Joe Byrd on his time in Baja California, Mexico
“John, dude, where ya at? Put that bottle-a-tequilla down and get the hell out of Mexico! I WANT MY FORUMS BACK!” — Jack Moore going through ATV Scene forum withdrawals”
Mark Weixeldorfer where are you?
Pix of the Week
Not a quad, I know, but check out how big Seth Enslow is going in this shot!
Kory’s YZ was a hit at the Yamaha outing at Glamis. Could a blue YZ 450 thumper quad be in the works? Man I hope so!
Aloha from Hawaii’s Kelly “Steel Rod” Chang. Kelly was the guy that just about ripped his leg off when he bailed while going big over a huge double. It was on Huevos 4.
As you can see Kelly’s healed up good as new.
If you thought Glamis was big, wait ’til you see the sand dunes in South Africa – check out Huevos 5. You wont believe the footage that Wes Miller captures. Here, Wes is about to go airborne for some serious seat of the pants footage!
Keith Little seen here roosting the top of a dune on a borrowed Yamaha Raptor. Keith says that some of the dunes are so big and steep you have to give up and try to turn around. Not always an easy task.
