Andy
Lagzdins first became involved with ATV’s
about 20 years ago, since then he has dedicated
a big part of his life to being involved in
the ATV community and racing. Andy began racing
the GNCC series in the late ‘80’s
and has consistently placed in the top 20 throughout
his career until this season when a broken thumb
sidelined his efforts. Not one to let an injury
get the best of him, Andy recovered quickly
and went on to win his first national Pro championship
at the OMA series.
Andy’s
involvement in ATV racing isn’t limited
to just the track, Andy loyally provides the
GNCC race reports for ATVriders.com after
every GNCC race, as well as test riding and
product reviews. Andy also has a successful
shop where he does service and set up of quads.
You could say that Andy’s life is pretty
much dedicated to the sport of ATV racing.
We recently had the opportunity to sit down
and talk to Andy about his recent championship
and his involvement with the sport he loves.
ATVriders.com: Andy, can you tell
us a little about your background and how
long you have been racing ATV’s?
My first year of racing nationals, was in
1988 and we were still racing the 3-wheelers.
That was the last year that 3-wheelers were
allowed in competition. In 1989 I switched
to the 4-wheelers (a Honda 250r) and rode
those up until the 4-strokes started coming
around in 2004.
Andy
Lagzdins cruising the beach on a Honda
ATC 250R
Andy
Lagzdins racing in 1993 on the legendary
Honda 250R ATV
What
series were you racing?
Predominantly the GNCC. That’s the series
I started in but also mixed it up a bit with
some hill climbs and motocross and I’ve
also done some flattrack and road racing.
I really wanted to experience every aspect
of riding motorcycles and ATV’s. I live
really close to Budd’s Creek, which
is a phenomenal MX track. It’s such
a great track and so close, I can’t
help but go there once in a while and ride.
So
what’s kept you in the woods racing
the GNCC and now the OMA series?
Cross country racing appeals to me because
I think it’s a true test of man and
machine. It has the endurance aspect to it
and I’m really into the workings of
the quad so I like to have the hands-on. I
like to build something that I know is going
to go the distance, and have that appreciation
for a fine tuned machine. Also the 2-3 hour
races are where it comes down to who can prepare
for it the best and who puts the most time
into it and the different terrain is a true
test.
In
2006, Andy Lagzdins ran the #8 in the
GNCC Series, which was a GNCC career
best number
In
all of the years you’ve raced the GNCC,
what has been your best number racing that series?
My best number was in 2005. I finished 8th overall.
I’ve been in the top 20 for years. I only
raced “C” class for one year then
moved up to the top class, which was “A”
class at the time. Right from the start I wanted
to be in there with the best guys. My theory
was that riding with the best guys would help
me progress that much faster.
You
got started in racing a little later than
some, how old were you when you earned the
number 8?
I was 36 when I earned it. I still feel like
I’m going strong and every year it keeps
getting better. The OMA series is my first
national championship and I’m 39 years
old now. I’m inspired by people who
are still doing well in late age like Doug
Eichner for instance, he’s 42, and Doug
Gust. It let’s me know that I can still
do it.
How
much more difficult is it for you to race
now than when you were younger?
When I was younger I didn’t really pay
that much attention to training and diet.
When you’re young you can just go out
there and do it, but now with things getting
so competitive, it’s really pushing
the level as far as having to watch your diet
and do specific training. It really becomes
a day-to-day job just to stay in shape and
be ready for the races.
Andy
Lazgdins browsing through catalogs at
Dirt First in Baltimore, MD, which is
basically his home away from the race
track because he lives and breaths the
sport
When
you aren’t racing you run Dirt First.
Can you tell us a little bit about Dirt First?
I started Dirt First in 1991, I was working
on my bikes and started making some custom
parts for it and it was something I kind of
wanted to get into so we bought some welders
and started making some bumpers and grab bars
and other little specialty items for cross
country racing. There really wasn’t
that much aftermarket out there yet for racing.
I started making things for other people’s
bikes and started a business. Over the years
it went more from fabrication to just selling
parts, doing service and race prep, we do
very little fabrication now. It’s not
that I don’t want to but most of my
time is spent servicing bikes.
How
many people do you have working for you now?
I have 5 full time people now. I have 2 parts
guys, 2 mechanics and myself. It’s kind
of nice having that around me all the time,
it’s like 24/7 motorcycles and ATV’s
and it makes it easier to stay into it to
be able to talk to people that are racing
and keep my mind on it. It helps me to stay
focused instead of having a job that has nothing
to do with racing.
You
have your mechanic Jim who helps you at the
track and also works at your shop, does that
help you out a lot and keep you motivated?
Jim is really pretty new to all of it. He
had never worked on quads until I met him
a few years ago. He worked on and raced bikes
for years, but he had never worked with quads
before. He picked it up really fast. We didn’t
have any DNF’s this year. He’s
very meticulous and checks every aspect of
the quad.
Tony Kwiatkowski was Andy's Mechanic
for many years till late 2005 when Tony
developed health issues, which kept
him from traveling to the race
Dirt First Mechanic, Jim Quesinberry,
took over as Andy's race mechanic in
2006 and was a critical factor in Andy
achieving his 2007 OMA Championship
