Doug Gust Interview:
Suzuki LTR450 AMA Pro ATV Motocross Racer
| Doug
Gust Interview Links |
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| #55
Doug Gust - Quick Facts |
| Birth
Date: |
1/24/1967 |
| Weight: |
175lbs |
| Hometown: |
Salem,
WI |
| ATV: |
Suzuki
LT-R450 |
| Occupation: |
Factory
Pro Racer |
| First
ATV: |
1984
ATC 110 |
| Started
Racing: |
17
Years Old |
| FavoriteTrack: |
Echeconnee |
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Doug Gust has been an icon
and inspiration in ATV motocross for nearly
two decades. The Team Suzuki racer began riding
when he was just a kid, and even in the late
1980’s after all the factories pulled
out, he refused to give up his dream of one
day being a factory-backed racer. Gust endured
through the darkest time in ATV racing history
and in 2004, his dream became reality when
he inked a deal with Suzuki and was the first
racer to get a factory deal since 1989. It
was that support from Suzuki that allowed
Gust to not only take home the championship
that year, but also claim the longest winning
streak in the Nationals’ history.
Over
the next few years, “Digger” Doug
(a nickname he earned while owner of his own
excavation business) has had many successes.
Doug played a big roll in helping Suzuki develop
and test the LT450R Quadracer and he has seen
his share of success in racing as well, including
his recent wins during rounds three and nine
of the AMA ATV Motocross Nationals, which
has him holding third in the points race and
within striking distance of second. We recently
got a chance to talk to Doug about his past,
present, and what he hopes the future has
in store for him.
ATVriders.com:
Doug, could you tell us a little bit about
how you first got involved in racing and ATV’s?
Doug Gust: When I was about 12 my dad took
me to a motocross race and that was all it
took. I started out on two wheels. Then I
progressed to three-wheelers and then four-wheelers.
I knew right away that I wanted to race quads
for a living. I was doing really well and
then when I was about 21, my quad, truck,
and trailer and everything in it was stolen
and it took me a while to get everything replaced
and get back into it. It was quite a set back
for me.
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In
1999, Doug Gust won his 1st GNC Pro
ATV Championship on a NAC's Racing Honda
TRX 250R |
Doug
Gust raced a hybrid TC Racing's DRZ400
engine before the release of the LTZ400
in March of 2002 |
Speaking
of set backs, what went through your mind
when all the factory support pulled out in
1989?
I thought it was going to come to an end,
but I hung in there and stayed in it because
I loved racing.
Looking
back on your racing career, what has been
the most memorable moment for you so far?
There’s a couple of them actually. The
first was back in 2004 at Redbud. I had crashed
and was dead last, but I gave it all I had
and came back to win the race. The other is
definitely at the last round of the WPSA in
2006. It was a tie-breaker for the championship
between me and Dustin Wimmer and I won the
championship.
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| In
2004, Doug Gust put the Suzuki LTZ400
on top of the box with the ATV Motocross
National Championship along with a record
breaking 6 race Pro win streak &
8 total wins. Also, Doug never finished
below 2nd place all season |
In
2006, Doug Gust battled for the WPSA
Pro ATV Championship with Dustin Wimmer,
and it came down to the final Moto with
Gust winning the Championship &
Dustin Wimmer would sign with Suzuki
for 2007 |
Your
home in Wisconsin is basically every quad
rider’s idea of paradise. How did the
idea of having a track built around your house
come about?
Actually, the track was there first. I started
building that track when I was 8 years old.
My buddies and I would be out there on the
weekends with shovels building jumps. It just
progressed from there. I bought the property
from my parents and had the house built later
and had a sprinkler system installed to keep
the dust down.
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| Doug
Gust's house is tucked away in the woods,
and it is surrounded by a motocross
track. Doug's playground also has a
airplane runway, rc car track, and a
large lake with a water slide |
Many
of the jumps surrounding Doug's house
are not for the faint of heart including
the massive double named "King
Kong", which launches Doug high
enough to clear his entire house |
You
also have a runway on your property.
I built that before I even knew how to fly
or owned a plane (laughing). I was digging
out the lake and just decided to build a runway
with the dirt. I had always wanted to learn
how to fly. Now I have my pilot’s license
and plane and I fly myself to races.
There’s
a recent rumor that you just bought a snow
machine from a ski resort, the type they use
to groom the slopes. Is that true and what
is the purpose for the machine?
Yes, I did buy one. Instead of heading south
to train over the winter, I cross train doing
snowcross. I bought the machine to keep the
track maintained during the winter so instead
of having to be on the road all the time even
in the off season, I can stay close to home
and train that way.
