It's getting close and we are finally only a week away from the "ATV Motocross Nationals Night of Champions". The night of November 24th will reunite the top 10 in each class for a night of celebration and recognition. The elegant Waterfront Place Hotel in Morgantown, West Virginia will be the location and if you haven't made plans yet, it's not too late.

If you haven't reserved your hotel room for the 2012 ATVMX Banquet, you can still do so! The folks at Waterfront Place Hotel have extended the ATVMX block until November 18, so get your reservation in before then! To reserve by phone:‚  call 1 (866) 782-9974 and mention the "2012 ATVMX Block". Click here to reserve your room at a special rate.

If you haven't check the official top ten list for each class make sure you do. I know there are a lot of questions about eligibility and according to the ATVMotocross.com website it states:

J. CLASS CHAMPIONSHIPS

1. To be eligible for series awards, a rider must enter the following minimum number of events in the same class. However, only the maximum number of events will be counted. Furthermore, a Disqualification (““DQ” ) cannot be used as a throw-away.

Pro-Am ”“ Minimum: 4, Maximum: 10

Amateur ”“ Minimum: 4, Maximum: 8

Youth: Minimum: 4, Maximum: 7

Some folks may wonder why the location and banquet timing changed. The answer is the location seems to be a little more centrally located to the mass core of riders. The answer to time is that it was the best time available on the schedule. (This will be much earlier next year so bear with us this year.)‚ 

The hotel itself is a much nicer facility and it is located close to the ATVMXPG/MX Sports HQ and easier to manage. I promise you that if you have attended in the past you will be much more satisfied with everything all around. The only draw back I can think of is that there aren't any go cart tracks that I am aware of, but there should be plenty of things for the family to find to get into.‚ 

Below, Jen Kenyon has some good info on activities to pass along. I do know that it is the beginning of the Holiday shopping season for Christmas and there are plenty of places to shop around town. It is also the home of actor Don Knotts (Barney on The Andy Griffith Show/Mr. Roper on Three's Company/etc.), West Virginian University Mountaineers and some really fun nightlife around town.

Here’s Jen:

If you're heading to the banquet next weekend and you have a bundle of kids in tow, I'm sure you're wondering what there is to do in this hotel/town. Well the answer is plenty! The hotel has a first-class indoor pool that's open from 6am - 10pm every day so most likely in your downtown the kids will want to swim some laps. Just outside of the Waterfront Hotel is the "Rail Trail", which is a bike/walking path that runs along the Mon River in Morgantown. Weather pending, it wouldn't be a bad idea to bring the bicycles out to cruise up and down the path, or maybe even the fishing poles since the water is right there. There's also a playground along the path just outside of the back door of the hotel. Parents, the Rail Trail also runs along quite a few popular bar/restaurants that make a great "pit stop" along the way!‚ 

It's not quite the touristy town of Pigeon Forge but I can assure you Morgantown has something to keep folks of all ages occupied. The night of the banquet, we will have a couple of TVs with video games on site to keep the kids busy. We did this for the GNCC banquet last year and it went over very well with both kids and parents! We also rented out the room just beside the banquet hall (where the bar will be located during the awards ceremony) and then it will turn into the after party, if you will, for adults and kids alike. The bar will stay open until 12AM I believe, and we will have a DJ and dance floor set up from about 10:30PM ”“ 1:30PM. This will give everyone a collective place to hang out after the awards are finished and it will remain a family atmosphere all evening. Please don’t congregate in the hotel rooms, it disrupts the other guests and causes more problems for everyone. The after party location is completely remote in the basement of the convention center and we can be virtually as loud as we want, but please keep in under control!

Looking forward to seeing everyone next weekend and have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanks Jen. As far as the what is going on next season and the schedule for 2013, all I can say is that it is close”¦very close. There are a few things that organizers are trying to iron out. The good news is that there may possibly be a new track or switch up in schedule. Who really knows right now but soon we all will.

As mentioned last week there are a lot of things changing up in the ATV Motocross world this off-season. Again there are a lot of silly season rumors and some carry some weight, other do not. The only advice that I can give you is it be careful what you believe and just because someone says it or puts on the internet does not make it true. Plus, they call it "Silly Season" for a reason.

I have spoken with a few riders and many have made and are making changes. Some can be talked about others cannot but I feel there will be a lot of surprises announced soon and some of us will be left with our mouths open. Some I know, some I am hearing about and others I am sure I haven't even heard.

A few things I do know for sure is that Pro Am racer #25 Cody Janssen is returning in 2013. Cody spoke with me on Quad Radio this past Wednesday and we finally get the full story of where this kid comes from and what it means to have the opportunity to be where he is now. It was a very enlightening interview as Cody shared his journey from Wisconsin TT and Flat Track to ATV motocross and the national scene. Cody and Joel are in Part 2 video of the post.

Joel Janssen, Cody's dad joined us and gave us some real insight to Cody as well as the whole Janssen’s Motorsports empire. Joel actually raced and was one the mid wests top TT racer and was also quite successful in building machines and equipment. Cody caught the motocross bug one day while watching after a TT race and the rest is history. Joel shares the story and it is one that I feel most will enjoy.

Joel also shared with us some major changes that the Janssen Motorsports team were going through. It appears the Outlaws will be focusing more on a two-rider team featuring of course Joel and Troy Hill from the 90 Mod and Super Mini classes with SSi Decals and the Hill family as a big part of the backing program of the new Janssen Outlaws Racing Team.

While surfing the internet and looking for things talk about and dream about over the next few weeks, check out Seth Fargher's latest article. Where Have All the Sport ATVs Gone?, and is surely of some interest to every ATV enthusiast. To read this rather intriguing article, check out ATV.com.

With the off-season seeming so long at this point, I have been rather busy chatting with folks online and on the phone. One thing about this time of year is it always makes us feel rather sentimental and a walk down memory lane can be good. So yesterday I phoned former ATV Motocross National Champion Jeremiah Jones. Jeremiah has been a big part of the scene even since his crash in 2006, which shines through in this interview. Jeremiah is a passionate and driven individual and just listening to this ATV great speak is inspiring. Click here to listen.

I guess that is enough fodder for this week. If you have anything you would like to share be sure and pass it along to me at [email protected] and we will try to pass the word.

That'll do it for now. Till next time, God Bless Your Heart and All Your Vital Organs.