Privateer
racer, Jesse “The Working Man” West
came away with this years WPSA QuadTerrain Pro
Stock Championship. Despite stiff competition
from big name factory teams such as Can-Am and
Arctic Cat, Jesse practically came out of nowhere
this season and managed to prove that with hard
work and determination, anything is possible.
Even though West placed first in only one race,
his consistency and smart riding style helped
him overcome injuries and other obstacles, to
find a place on the podium an additional five
times during the year, securing the points championship.
While
the big teams rely on factory mechanics and
support, the West Racing/Arctic Cat team (led
by Jesse West) has more of a family oriented
atmosphere that includes Jesse’s Dad
(David) and brother Josh. The family environment
and Jesse’s hard work both on and off
the track, seems to be a winning combination.
ATVRiders.com caught up with Jesse after the
series final to talk to him about his remarkable
first ever championship win and his future
in ATV racing. Here’s what he had to
say:
#888
Jesse West .- Ten Quick Facts
Birth
Date:
11/15/1982
Weight:
175lbs
Hometown:
Theif River Falls,
MN
ATV:
Honda TRX450R
Occupation:
Engineer / Racer
1st ATC/ATV:
Honda ATC110
Started
Racing:
19 Years Old
Thumb/Twist:
Thumb
Hobbies:
Hunting & Fishing
Favorite
Food:
Crappie
ATVriders.com:
Jesse, it’s the end of the season and you
won the championship pretty much as a privateer.
You didn’t have the big fancy rig; it was
just you and your family out here racing together.
How does it feel to be in this position now?
It feels great! We’ve worked really hard
this season to get here. We set out with this
goal and to accomplish it is just incredible.
How difficult was it
being out there without a mechanic and doing
all the work yourself? How did you guys keep
it together?
We put together a team where everyone has their
part, but I definitely shouldered most of the
workload. That’s why they started calling
me “The Working Man”. I handle all
the mechanic duties, I guide out other two riders
in what to do on the bikes, and I run the whole
team, manage the team. I pretty much do all
of it. My father and girlfriend Teresa have
definitely put a lot of work into this, but
there’s a lot to do.
You have a little knowledge
from working at Arctic Cat in the engineering
department, correct?
Yeah, I’ve worked for their ATV engineering
department for 2 ½ years and their snowmobile
engineering prior to that. I definitely know
the quads inside and out and that helps me a
lot.
Jesse
& Josh were in some heated battles
on the track a few times this season,
but once they take the checkered flag
they are all smiles
The quad terrain tracks
are pretty grueling and machines break all the
time, but you guys have managed to keep your
quads running and finish the races and that
seems like it’s a key factor in where
you are today.
I’ve said it before, and I think it’s
going to be even more true next year, the smartest
guy out here is going to be the guy who prevails
more often because the machines won’t
necessarily take what we put them through, so
you have to ride smart and know how to make
that quad live through it plus go fast. My brother
and I have learned that and are still trying
to perfect it.
How important is it to
you to be out there racing with your brother,
who is winning races now, and with the rest of
your family?
It’s great! It’s what my brother
and family and I set out to do. It’s been
a long hard road, but we’re definitely
getting there. I wouldn’t have it any
other way. No matter what trailer we’re
racing out of, we plan to keep that family effort.
You have to have people there that you can work
with and be close to and be around day after
day to excel at it.
West
Racing Family & Friends (left to right)
Patrick Brons, David West, Jesse West,
Teresa Meyer, Josh West, Susie West
It has to be really
rewarding for you to know that you won this
championship as a privateer against all the
big teams, that’s got to put you on cloud
nine!
It does, but it hasn’t really sunk in
yet. I’m kind of worn down from it; it’s
a lot of mental stress. There’s a lot
of weight on your shoulders going into it. It’s
unbelievable to do it against the people we
did it against; to do what we came out here
to do is simply amazing.
You’re
a hot commodity now. You’re going to have
a lot of people talking to you. One things for
sure though, you worked for Arctic Cat, so I
don’t expect to see you changing brands
there, but are you going to go out there and
start working on sponsorships for next year,
are we going to hopefully see you in a rig?
You can definitely expect it. This is a business
when it comes own to it. We have a passion for
racing and we plan to stay loyal, but we are
definitely going to explore our options and
make sure we get as good of an opportunity as
we can and do the best we can. Just because
I work at Arctic Cat doesn’t mean I’m
going to race them. (Laughs)
