The New Year bell has rung and the ATV Racin’ Nation is gearing up and ready to head out. Training schedules just got serious and bike builds, if not done already, are in full swing. I see folks heading to Texas and Florida so all indications are that the season looks as bright as any we have seen. The hustle and bustle is underway and many teams are starting to gather for the big push to Daytona to kick the year off.

If you have not heard, you can get more information via Facebook on this, but Root River Racing will be conducting a riding school coming up next week January 15^th through the 17^th at Splendora MX Park in Splendora, Texas. The whole team will be out in full force featuring instruction from top AMA ATV Pros Thomas Brown, Jeffery Rastrelli and Josh Upperman. As well Rage ATV Motor builder Dee Manshack himself will be offering instruction as well. Manshack is not only a great motor builder, but has an eye for talent and has worked with some of the top ATV stars in our sport including John Natalie during his 2005 championship campaign.

The Root River Racing riding school deadline for registration is January 12, 2016 so you have through Tuesday to reserve a spot. The cost is $350.00 if you pay with your registration, or $375.00 if you wait till check-in. That amount will also include camping Friday night and Saturday night, plus breakfast, lunch, dinner, water and Gatorade on Saturday and a Root River gift bag. The costs will also include open practice on Sunday from 9am till 3pm.

The Root River school is open to all skill levels from beginner to advanced and will feature information on quad maintenance, podium speeches, obtaining and maintaining sponsorships and of course on track instruction. Harlan Foley will be on hand writing a story for ATV Insider Magazine and ATVRiders.com, and can be booked for personal and promotional portraits. All in all, it sounds like everything you need to know in a nice little package.

Nick Gennusa has been quite busy lately on social media as well as working with sponsors. He has also been entered into a contest with Champion Spark Plugs. If you click here, you can follow the link to vote for Nick and at the same time help our sport be recognized. If we as a racing community support this effort, we can help Nick obtain some sponsorship as well help them recognize our sport as a possible option to support in the future. Nick posted this message on his Facebook explaining what the deal actually is.

He wrote “To all my loyal fans and fans of ATV Motocross Racing, I have entered a sponsorship contest with Champion spark plugs. Please sign onto sfac.championautoparts.com and support the sport of ATV Racing as I am the only ATV entry in the ADVANCED CATEGORY out of 100+ entries. Your daily vote over the next 30 days (From Jan 5th-Feb 2nd) will mean a lot to me as well show support for the sport we all love! Thanks for your vote as I strive daily to bring major attention to the awesome sport of ATV Racing!”

I would like to take this time to wish Mark Baldwin of Baldwin Motorsports a Happy 49^th Birthday today. Mark is such a huge part of the sport of ATV racing. Even though he builds racing motors for all disciplines of motorcycle and ATV racing he really is focused on ATVMX. It is a passion that has been a part of his being since he and Tim Farr started working together in the mid-1980s. Mark has helped produce a number of championships and champion contenders. I tip my hat to one of the biggest influences and driving forces in our sport and say “Happy Birthday Mark!”

Before I go this week, I wanted to add that I was going through some things and started listening to old Quad Radio interviews. I came across one of the very first interviews that featured a rider, who was then heading into his 26^th season of racing ATVs and fresh off a near championship win, John Natalie in 2011. Since then many things have changed, but if you listen to Joe’s interview much of it still rings true as he heads into his 30^th and final season. Give it a listen! You may also enjoy listening to the first ever Quad Radio show posted featuring Chad Weinen talking about the recent broken back and his new program he was building with Yamaha that has since yielded 4 AMA Pro ATV National championships. You can listen to this bit of history here.

That’s it for me for now. Let’s check in with Gloop’s Loop and Ken “Settled in for the winter” Hill. Till next time, God Bless Your Heart and All Your Vital Organs.

In the Loop with Gloop:

 

 

 

Keeping up with Ken Hill:

One more week behind us as we look towards the start of the 2016 season, and the remaining time is going to roll on at a break neck pace. I have already started getting requests for images as the series starts to build its run up to the Fly Racing Daytona ATVSX. Riders and teams have began their promotional campaign, so I hope all of you are getting in the training and/or wrench work so you can be ready to turn it loose! I mentioned last week about the photo challenge and how cool it was as well as beneficial. Seeing so many of the older images and stories makes this build up to the 2nd ATVSX race almost surreal as I look at the posts followed by what this race means in a historical perspective. How cool is it honestly to drive into the Daytona International Speedway and unload your gear and look around knowing so much racing history lives throughout that facility! 

As a kid, I used to wear out every magazine I could get looking at the races from out west in the stadiums as well as every other topic they covered, however, it was the racing that seemed to always draw me in and keep my interest. And now, over 30 years later I get to be part of this in a way I never really considered! I am helping capture the memories that will last a lifetime and beyond and I often wonder if there is a kid out there with a backyard and an ATV who lives to see what you all do! Will that kid make it to a race, be sucked into this life and have the ability and talent to get to Daytona? Will they be able to make their own history, as well as, a head full of memories from racing the series? I can’t help but feel that the odds are against this kid, but that goes for just about any dream or desire and you play a part in that future more than you know. The way you promote racing, your sponsors and even yourself all are pivotal in how any series is perceived so give that some thought as you move forward with your own career in this industry.

Ok, so the historical aspect of Daytona aside, I can feel the excitement building across social media as riders head south to train, the builds continue and the gym selfies flood the online world. My own excitement waned a bit since last weeks Site Lap not because of any lost interest; it is due to being too tired to think about much else! Most of you know how it is to be away from home and how behind you can get on chores and for me that is the story of my life! It is 5 am as I type this out and I am waiting on the sun to come over the ridge so I can back on my “to-do” list so once I am on the road I don’t have that underlying worry that I have things to do that didn’t get done! Since Christmas Eve, my life has revolved around firewood and planting trees and I must say, those two are about as conflicting as anything I know! Cut up a tree; plant a new one, repeat! I know it is not really exactly that way or the reason for it all but when you are looking for that last piece of wood to stack it sure seems that way! I am convinced my neighbors think I am OCD or just plain nutty, in fact a conversation last night enlightened one neighbor as to why things get crazy around here in the middle of winter and then go silent for weeks at a time. This is indeed a wild lifestyle so many of us choose!

That is all from me this week as I close the laptop and fire up the Deere for another day of work. It was in the single digits most of the week so while my actions were pick up, stack repeat, my thoughts were on that warm Florida sun!