As I had mentioned Chad had recently spent some time on vacation. He and Danica left town for about a week or so to an island in the Caribbean region. He said it was a welcome break from the scene and it was good to get away and do a little yoga in a tropical climate. He said he had been back for a couple weeks and business was rolling. He said that Wienen Motorsports was busy prepping and building. He said that things are going pretty good as a business now as well. If you didn’t know you can purchase all the products Chad and the entire Wienen Motorsports group uses you can. They will also build machines and set you up with some top-notch equipment. I feel the record speaks for itself with 3 championships and all. You can find out more by visiting Chad’s webpage at wienenmotorsports.com/.

While on the call the 3-Time AMA Pro ATV Champ said that he had been conducting some riding schools was set to go to Argentina to teach right after the banquet in Morgantown, WV. Chad also said he was excited to be going to the banquet this year and enjoying the night with his team and friends and family.

Chad said that there were some pretty big changes coming up in the team this year. Of course we have all heard about Cole Sepesi signing onto the WM team and Chad says he has been helping at some of the schools and that he is really excited to have him on the team. Chad says that he and even Cole realizes that there is a big step that lies ahead as moves straight from the youth division to the Open A and Pro Am classes. However, Chad said he feels he is ready for it and that it will be a good learning year for the youngster. He said I just want him to learn and adapt and adjust to all the changes and that Cole has a bright future ahead in the sport.

Nick Gennusa will also be making his return to the WM crew. Nick had such a stellar and breakout year in 2013 but seemed to find some struggle in 2014. Chad though feels they are building blocks and that Nick rose above many problems on and off the track that he adjusted to quite well. Chad is pretty pumped to have two contenders in the Pro Am class this season and hopes to see a lot of blue up front in 2015.

Something that many may have already known or expected is the fact that Thomas Brown will not be riding under WM tents next season. Thomas as many know had built a program coming into the Wienen Motorsports camp a couple of seasons ago and actually worked a lot of that into his program with WM. Having both the number one and number two riders in the championship is certainly a great honor but Chad said that Thomas had some plans of his own and that even though they are not on the same team there are no regrets, no remorse and no hard feelings.

That brings the obvious question now. You guessed it! Does that leave a spot open on WM team for AMA Pro ATV competition? The answer I got was “Yes.” Chad said they are looking at some established and up and coming talent. There may be some surprise announcements coming up soon and even though I have been disclosed some inside information, I will have to wait till I am given the OK to speak on the subject any further. Just like Chad and Wienen Motorsports, this is going to be “Big!”

 And for those of you wonder about Megan Manshack’s first run at GNCC, I can tell you that she didn’t do badly at all. Considering the challenging rocky and very dusty conditions she got a glimpse of some of the things the series holds. Megan said she had fun but it was a challenge. I will talk a little more in depth next week.

Now let’s check in with Ken “I had my contribution in on time last week, where was yours?” Hill: 

Thanks Rodney,

Well it is official Megan Manshack is a tree basher!  It was cool seeing her tackle a new challenge even if I only caught a glimpse of her here and there due to the dust. That may have worked to her advantage by slowing things down a touch as she learns the ropes of XC racing. It surely wasn't an ideal setting for her to get broke in on but racing is not golf or indoor tennis, it is brutal and we run in the conditions thrown our way. 

I am going to try and keep on the "who's who" and behind the scenes stuff as we await word from the series heavy hitters on their plans for the 2015 season. So that being said, I need to think of who to pick on this week and it is harder than it appears! Maybe just a big swing at the fences and tackle the chief, the main dude, the head honcho! 

Well, taking on the highest-ranking member of this deal would exclude the word dude because "she" happens to be a lady. That's right, I am talking about Carrie Russell. The problem with talking about her is that she has her hands into so many fires that you could spend half the season talking about each series she is involved with, her accomplishments over the years and the fact that she is a lawyer so that in itself scares me! Of course, I am just kidding because she is a top-notch person with more going on between her ears than most and she just happens to be a fascinating person in general.

When I started hanging out at the races I knew her as Carrie Jo and knew that she was a big wig. Rumors always made her larger than life and most times, the stories involved her ripping someone a new rear end. I sort of fell into the "stay off her radar" mindset and life would be good. That worked out well for almost a decade with short conversations and small talk being the extent of my dealings with her. That all changed when I became embedded with both the Mtn. Dew ATV MX National championship series and the Amsoil Grand National Cross Country series presented by Maxxis.

My official capacity started out as just a photographer and I went into observation mode. I studied everything, watched everything, and kept my mouth shut and ears open. There was no real strategy, I did exactly what she asked of me to the best of my ability and decided that I needed to understand how things were done so I could be ahead of the curve and do my job better. It seemed to work and when it came to observing Mrs. Russell, what I thought I knew about her changed. She wasn't the fire breathing boot planting goddess of hell fire that I had been warned about, she was indeed a well educated forward thinking business woman and that is how I began to see her. Instead of seeing her as a boss, I viewed her as a leader and with good reason.

Learning about the different series and seeing her in action was an eye opening deal for me. I had experience dealing with business owners that have loads of responsibility and financial burdens so I started seeing things that many others were missing. The way she handled problems, the way decisions were made on the fly, they all had more depth than what may outwardly be seen by the masses. This was a tough deal for me because even though I kept quiet, I had that "what the hell is she thinking" feeling several times but knew the bigger picture isn't always seen from those not on the top floor. As my opinions formed, I started to admire her dedication and started to get to know her as way more then just a big fish that was to be avoided. 

Most of my time spent with her wasn't at the ATVMX races. I see way more of her at the GNCC events and I get an entire week with her at the Loretta Lynn's Amateur National. I think that is where I saw her at her best and it was not anything she did, it was her son and how he handled himself that showed me the boots are laced up from the top down in this family and the work ethic has been handed down from her father, Dave Coombs Sr., and has landed on Davey Coombs in a way that speaks volumes about hard work, integrity and honesty. I recall standing in the tunnel at Loretta Lynn's about an hour before the races started, sipping on my coffee and watching a man move nasty and muddy hay bales. I took a few pictures and realized it was Davey doing the grunt work. Carrie Jo entered the infield and the two began to talk, while I was way to far off to hear the conversation, their body language showed that these may be the elite of off-road sports but their actions showed they are not above diving into the nasty stuff like a regular Joe even when no one is around to see it. I have seen Carrie soaked, muddy, cold and tired yet soldier on when she could have been in a dry RV sipping on red wine! So the work ethic and dedication runs throughout the family and it is shown in the pride they have in all that they do and that makes me proud to be a small part of it all.

She is quick to bring in the history she has regarding her father and his vision that have steered her to where we are today. She is short on praise but when you receive it, it is honest and sincere and I find this consistent with others who have reached her position in the business world. She may be tough and born again hard but the industry has formed her and while I did not have the pleasure of knowing her father, I can see his strength in her based on what others who knew him have relayed.

Now if you really want to see her get cranked up, bring up her teams venture in regards to RacerTV and how it is shaping things in the off-road racing world. We all have enjoyed the airings of the ATVMX series and I still do not think the majority grasp how big of a deal this is. I have commented several times that this vehicle is the future for growth of several racing disciplines and that for now, is being under utilized by many. I am pretty sure Carrie sees it as well, and that is why she is so adamant as to how well it is run because when it is a LIVE show, there is no room for big mistakes as the world is watching. It still has a long way to go but rest assured, she will see that it gets where it needs to be. 

There will be more on this remarkable figurehead of our sport in the months ahead. Time just does not permit for a biography and the way I see it, she is still creating our future that is joined at the hip with many of us. Our success depends on her success as she continues to build and grow a sport that has to be one of the toughest in the world to market and expand.