AMA Pro ATV Motocross Championship Replaces GNC
- Updated: March 3, 2006
By Ben Horgen
A new ATV championship title has been created within AMA Pro Racing. The AMA Pro ATV Motocross Championship is replacing the current ATVA Grand National Pro Championship.
Enduringly called “The Nationals” this series has been quad racing’s finest since 1985. The decade when the great Gary Denton, Jimmy White and Marty Hart raced under multi-rider factory teams; the decade when Doug Gust debuted as a rookie privateer.
In 2003 the ATVA announced two premier Pro titles when ATV manufactures became interested in chasing ATV championship titles again. That year Jeremiah Jones won the last national championship on the custom-made 250R-based machine that dominated race tracks throughout the 90s. Doug Gust and Tim Farr saw the new class as the future of the sport and concentrated their efforts in the ATVA’s new Pro Production class. Gust went on to win the extremely important inaugural Production Grand National Championship Motocross Title.
Another change to the series came as two disciplines split. In 2001 the series alternated between TT and MX tracks. This required racers to possess both motocross and flat track skills to win the Grand National Championship title. When the series split GNC promoters quickly raised the series to 14 motocross rounds and an 8 round ATVA Extreme Dirt Track National Championship Series replaced the old TT portion of the GNCs.
Recently the Pro ATV portion of the GNC MX Series has fallen under new leadership within the same sanctioning body. Enter AMA Director of Motocross, Steve Whitelock. Whitelock became the series manager for the AMA Pro Racing Supercross and Motocross series in 2004 and has been working for factory race teams and international sanctioning bodies for decades. He has worked inside the ranks of Kawasaki and Honda, and severed as the FIM Technical Director for ten years. Whitelock has been involved in professional motocross, supercross and road racing while working as a team manger. It is safe to say Whitelock has worked in almost every area of professional motorsports racing.
We visited with Whitelock about the addition of ATV racing to the AMA Pro Motocross titles. He is very excited about the explosion of ATV racing and is excited to bring it to the next level.
Bringing more spectators to the sport is what Whitelock believes is that next level and tops his list of things to do. In order to attract more spectators he wants to focus on establishing better and more exciting events, but timed practice and Pro licensing are the changes that will get underway first. Trackside Software has been enlisted to time and score all AMA Pro ATV Motocross National Championship races in 2007. The change will help provide more professional racing results, which will be posted on the new AMA Pro ATV racing web site. ATV enthusiasts following the championship series will have access to results directly from the AMA. This kind of professionalism is parallel to the information available to AMA Pro Bike fans. Once again TV coverage will be on Versus (formally OLN) and aired as Racer TV. The focused web site and continued TV programming are a good start in the AMA promotion campaign of their new motocross title.
In 2007 the races will remain primarily the same. They will be held in conjunction with the ATVA Grand National Championship Motocross Series for amateur ATV racers. The series is scheduled for a 12 round series starting in March and ending in August. The primary changes for 2007 will be the release of a Pro class rulebook written by an assembled rulebook committee; a referee specifically for the Pro class, and the addition of officials to observe the race from the infield. For 2008 the series is advertising the addition of a Pro 250 class, mimicking the current Pro Bike class structure. It will take the AMA officials a year to gain the experience necessary to officiate ATV events. 2007 will be a transition year as Steve Whitelock and his staff work to grow AMA sanctioned ATV racing.
Can you briefly describe your history in Racing?
I started racing motorcycles in 1968 and worked for factory Kawasaki and Honda over the years. My guys have won 6 or 7 championships. I’ve been a mechanic, team manager, series technical manager and now I’ve been with the AMA for four years.
What is the best part of being the AMA Director of Supercross & Motocross?
I get to be involved in racing. I’m a fan most of all.
Why is the AMA interested in Quad racing? What does the AMA gain from sanctioning ATV events?
It went through the CPSC and now the consent has past. We see the sport growing and feel it is our duty to help it grow.
Who will promote the AMA ITP/MOOSE ATV Motocross National Championship series in 2007?
The same promoters will be involved in this season, the ATVPG. I feel they have done a good job in the past and believe they will continue to.
What is the first thing ATV race fans will recognize as being new to this year’s series?
I hope they notice consistency from the AMA staff. One new position is the ATV Series Manager who will be at every round. Harv Wipple has been assigned the job. He has been running the AMA Arenacross Series the last two years. In Arenacross the racing is tight and can get pretty wild. He has done a good job managing that and that is why I went after him for this job.
Highlight the advantages of issuing a Pro License?
It will carry more recognition. It is the same license Bubba Stewart has. It allows the rider a chance to win an AMA Pro Racing #1 plate. As it is in motorcycle racing, we hope it becomes a sign of prestige.
What is the cost of a Pro License?
$250 and most of which goes into rider medical. That provides riders with additional coverage to their personal medical insurance policy. It helps provide quick admission to hospitals because they know they are insured for motorcycles racing incidents. We have extended the invitation to 52 riders. Since this is the first year issuing the license we worked with promoters and race teams to build a list of class candidates.
When can we expect the Pro Rulebook to be released?
I thought it would be done last week. It’s probably at the printer. The first place it will be posted is amaproracing.com.
Do you exercise any control over the ATVA amateur racing that takes place during the event?
The Series Manager will be there to help. He wouldn’t be the lead official, but he knows the AMA amateur rulebook well since Arenacross uses it too.
Since the enforcement of exhaust sound restrictions, how do you feel its affected motocross racing?
I think the most important thing is for everyone to get quieter so we don’t loose the right to local practice tracks, public riding trails, and private land usage. The noise of a four stroke is different, the sound waves carry farther. We don’t want moms hearing engines while washing dishes in their house a mile from a practice track. The best way is to exercise the rule. Technology will catch up and make more power with less noise. Then it will have been worth it.
Thanks for talking with us today. Any parting words?
Thanks for having me. I’ll see you all at round one – Mar 10-11th at Pell City, AL.