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Honda's
2x AMA ATV MX Pro Champion Joe Byrd |
Torrance, CA (11/11/2011) - Champion
ATV racer Joe Byrd proves that it’s possible
to both teach and win. Not only is Byrd a two-time
AMA ATV Pro MX champion, but through his Joe
Byrd Quad Riding School, he’s helped foster
the careers and talents of many of the country’s
top ATV racers. “It’s funny that
many of the last few national champions have
all attended my riding school,” admits
Byrd. “So I guess you could say I’ve
taught them too much!”
Byrd began racing ATVs at age 13 and collected
an amateur title. In 1993 he turned pro and
established the Joe Byrd Quad Riding School,
teaching racing techniques and safety to hundreds
of riders every year. He’s proud of the
fact that many of the top competitors in the
AMA Pro ATV series are graduates of one of his
training schools. “In the pro class I
estimate over half of the racers competing have
attended a Joe Byrd Quad Riding School,”
explains Byrd. “It’s really rewarding
to see everyone doing so well. Riding schools
teach racers techniques to help them become
top-level professionals. Once they leave a school,
it’s their job to go home and continue
honing their skills—to develop an edge
over their competitors.”
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Joe
Byrd teaching one of his students how
to corner at of his Quad Riding School |
In 2005, when American Honda got involved in
ATV racing at a factory level, Byrd was a logical
choice to receive Honda’s support given
his success and long association with the manufacturer.
He went on to win the first-ever AMA Pro ATV
Motocross Championship in 2006 and made it two
in a row by winning the following year. “I
took my first Pro ATV Championship victory in
2006 and again in 2007,” explains Byrd.
“In 2008 and 2009 I finished runner-up—I
barely missed out on those titles. Unfortunately,
I got hurt in 2010 and wasn’t able to
complete the season; 2011 hasn’t gone
quite as planned, as we’ve had a number
of niggling things come up early in the series.
However, the team and I have figured out our
issues, and things are looking up for the remainder
of the season. I’m definitely itching
to get back on top this year and pulling for
a dominant 2012 season.”
Joe Byrd is again riding Honda’s TRX450R
in the Pro, Pro Am and Production A classes.
“Honda has the same work ethic as I do,”
Bird says of his long and successful association
with Honda. “We click well together. They’ve
always taken good care of the team. Honda wants
to win as badly as I do so it’s a good
partnership. It’s one thing to have a
sponsor behind you, but it’s another thing
for that sponsor to always be there and treat
you as good as Honda does. I don’t ever
feel like I’m just a number. I feel like
I’m a part of the family; I feel at home
here. The two of us just make a good combination.
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Honda's
Joe Byrd takes Podium |
“I started riding a Honda quad when I
was young because Honda had a reputation for
being reliable, and the product was readily
accessible. When Honda decided to go ATV racing
at a factory level in 2005, I was riding their
product and doing well. It was a logical choice
for them to get behind me, and we’ve been
working together ever since.”
Over the past 17 years, Byrd’s knowledge
and experience in all aspects of ATV racing
have taken him all over the world. He’s
traveled to Argentina, Ecuador, Australia and
France teaching ATV riding, plus he conducts
courses across the USA, year-round. Byrd’s
schools take place in Phoenix, AZ, November
thru January, followed by Tampa, FL, from February
thru April. He then moves on to Union City,
TN, for the summer months teaching April thru
October.
However, as good a teacher as Byrd is, he’s
still very much a racer and still gets that
high when lined up on the start line. “It
feels like jumping out of an airplane at 15,000
feet,” explains Byrd. “It’s
just such a rush; it’s a natural high.
You get nervous at the start of a race and hope
that the other rider going into the first corner
beside you backs out before you do. You must
be committed to getting into the turn before
anyone else does. The first 15 feet of that
holeshot is the most important part. It’s
definitely an extreme sport.”
What is it about racing that keeps bringing
Byrd back? “It’s the adrenalin rush,”
concludes the racer, “the pride and accomplishment
of being the best at what you do. That’s
what keeps me coming back.”
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