I ran into ATVMX star WMX champ Megan Shepherd and her hubby Luke at this past event. Megan did not race in the WXC ATV class, but did she ride shotgun with Luke in the UTV race. Luke seemed to be doing well after the big crash at Unadilla ATVMX and said he was happy to be able to get back to some form of racing. Megan said she was just glad she could be with him even though she had no control of the situation riding as passenger. 

Wesley Wolfe posted his third win in the XC2 Pro Am class on Saturday at the Powerline Park GNCC in Ohio this past weekend. He has pulled to within ten points of second place in the championship and locked a secure third place in the class. Westley confirmed on Saturday he intended to race AMA Pro ATV and Pro Am if ATVMX and was considering XC1 Pro for GNCC. He said he knows they are big steps but he will have an opportunity to do something he has never done before and that is train the entire off-season down south to prepare for both disciplines. He is stoked at the idea and the final decision will be known before next season. 

Rising WMX Kiersten Keane was also sighted at this weekend GNCC. Though she said she has no interest or at least “quad to ride” at one she does enjoy the atmosphere and racing that takes place. Who knows she may end up a woods crossover too. It sure doesn't seem to hurt a condition that’s for sure.

Speaking of rising WMX stars, I saw something this past week on social media that had me a little excited. I had to confirm before I said anything but in the end I was a little disappointed. As many of you know Brandy Cottage who is at the races with Thomas Brown but many of you may not realize she a few years ago was one of the top stars and on the rise to some pretty big things. This past weekend she posted a pic of her with a captions saying look who’s back type of thing and I was immediately thrown into overdrive with excitement knowing what her talent could bring to there class. However I was let down when all it turned out to be was just some riding and nothing in the works or plans for more.

One other thing that sparked my interest was a post that Nick Gennusa made when he captioned a photo of a new red ride. It was a Honda and he said that he was going to be switching next season. I know some may find it odd especially since Honda stopped production of the Sport Quad but even still many favor what they bring to the table. Nick rode Hondas in the A class and then Can-Am before Yamaha. If you remember he finished second at the ATV Pro Challenge and there he said he rode one of the afore Brothers Racing Hondas and loved it. 

To say there is a lot going right now may not be the right thing. Silly season is still in full swing and we may be hearing more things in the near future we didn't expect. Thomas Brown said he has some things in the works and may have some releases to be putting out next week after the banquet. It should prove to be an interesting night as many may make some big announcements. I can't wait. 

That’s it for me for now. Let's check in with Gloop's Loop and with Ken “my boy raced the GNCC and kicked butt” Hill. God Bless Your Heart and All Your Vital Organs.

In The Loop with Gloop:

Whip it Wednesday edition with Thomas Brown.

Koster racing throwing it back to the start of the season at Daytona. Congrats to Brett Musick on his Pro-Am championship!

Keeping up with Ken Hill:

Ok folks, just a few days until the banquet and it sure should be fun! I know many of you are looking forward to the various activities offered by the facility, so please enjoy yourself because you earned it! For me it is another night at work but that’s what I do so I will sit back and listen to the successes and failures that got you up on that stage! Failures? How can one fail and still succeed, well that is indeed an interesting thing but you have to have some failures in order to learn from those mistakes and pad your arsenal of things you have licked that the world threw at you. That is just life, to steps forward and one back and I know very few who can beat that feller who keeps changing things up so we all can just more forward and reach success! And then in order to achieve success you need to have set a goal or benchmark right? Haphazardly rolling through life or racing without a plan and the forethought to meet problems head on or deal with them in a way that keeps you moving forward just doesn’t work, so I fully expect to hear of the struggles that you all faced as well as what it took to get you back on track. 

Now I know the banquet is upon us and the racing season is complete, but a post by Nick Moser kind of put many things in perspective. He was simply asking for work for a few months until he has to head south to start training for the 2017 season. First, yes the off season is indeed that short and second, he is showing what it takes to live this life with a great work ethic and determination to succeed. It also shows the downside as I do not often see pro’s of other racing styles needing to work in the “off” season so reality smacks home even when you are doing everything right. I was always confused as to how one managed to race and work at the upper levels with out some very serious support and with social media, it has opened my eyes to how real the struggle is and Nick is not alone as so many of our top riders seek out jobs or employment that allow the lifestyle they chose to be doable. John Natalie has his excavating business and the family business, Jeff Rastrelli just threw out an advertisement for his own heavy equipment services and the list goes on. Anyone whose life doesn’t revolve around the next gate drop may never understand all of this. Yes, we all wish there was a solid paycheck in it but no one yet has come up with a workable plan to make that all happen.