Zac Zakowski GNCC 4x4 & SxS Racer

Menasha, WI (3/3/2014) - Zac Zakowski doesn't just have just a catchy name, his name is well known in in the GNCC Racing 4x4 Utility ranks as well.

Although Zac Zakowski has been battling a knee injury, he is taking every precautions he can to continue racing both ATV & SxS classes at the GNCC Racing Series.

We recently caught up with Zac Zakowski to see how his recovery is coming, and his plans for 2014 GNCC Racing Season.

ATVriders.com: Zac, you just went through a second surgery on your knee. Can you bring us up to speed on how your recovery is going?
Zac Zakowski: Well I actually just had my third surgery on the same knee about a month and a half ago, so that’s surgery number three in the past year and a half. It is coming along and I am honestly the best I have been since the initial injury, which was at Ironman in 2012. I finally have decent range of motion and am back doing everything, just still have no muscle in my leg and struggle with muscle control. Aside from that, I just have pain everyday, but it is getting better. I just need to get my strength, range of motion, and stamina back.  I have a long way to go still but I am getting around again and really close to not limping anymore.  

Zac Zakowski landed on the GNCC 4x4 Open Class Podium twice in 2013

ATVriders.com: Will the injury and resultant surgery have a major impact on the 2014 season, what plans as of now do you have for the first half of 2014?
Zac Zakowski: You know I have been on an emotional roller-coaster with all of this and in my heart I really want to be at the first round in Florida and run the entire season in the new Pro-4x4 class to get that championship, but I don’t think it’s in the cards right now. My entire 2013 season was shot from this injury and although I worked hard all summer and got close to my old speed, I still should not have been on the quad. Right now I am just worried about my overall health and being able to ride my quad 5 years from now, so I think I am going to focus on getting my knee and body back to 100%, so I can come out of the gate winning when I decide to run. Nothing is set in stone, but I am thinking that I might skip the first couple rounds and get back out there before the break. I just don’t want to come out and “ride around” and get frustrated. I would rather come out and be able to win. I will however be at all the UTV rounds running the XC-1 UTV Open class again in an all-new 2014 Can-am Maverick X-XC and I am really excited and determined to get the championship this year. 

Zac Zakowski grabs the holeshot on his Can-Am Outlander

ATVriders.com: Besides money, what are some of the biggest factors you face with running both a SxS and ATV?
Zac Zakowski: Honestly the biggest issue is being able to get in and out of the proper mindset to race both.  It is so different doing each of them that even doing something as simple as walking the track is really hard for me.  My brain wants to read the UTV track like I am racing my quad and the opposite when I am walking the ATV track.  I want to focus 100% on anything I am racing and doing both is mentally challenging.  Aside from that, just finding the time to practice for both and deciding how much to practice on each.  It’s not all fun and games!

ATVriders.com: Does having a bad morning race on the quad bum you out for the SxS race later in the day? I am sure you can take out more frustration on the trees with the SXS!
Zac Zakowski: Ha-ha!  I wouldn’t say that it bums me out, but it makes me angry and in my own little zone until the start of the UTV race.  I feel bad for anyone that has to line up on the starts with me ha-ha.  I definitely take my frustration out on the track in the UTV after a bad quad race, and I try not to take it out on the trees because they always seem to win!

Zac Zakowski kicks up a roost in his Zakowski Motorsports Can-Am Commander

ATVriders.com: The new GNCC Racing 4x4 Pro class was unveiled for the 2014 season, what is your take on it?
Zac Zakowski: I think it is awesome!  I was one of the main guys really pushing for it back in 2010 when all the manufacturers were interested in it and it is really cool to finally see it happen.  The 4x4 classes have always had a ton of competition but all of the best riders were divided among 3-4 classes over the years so we were really never able to all run together.  There are a lot of guys who have a lot of championships and wins but to me they really don’t mean much because all the top guys were never in the same class.  I think you can wipe those slates clean because this is the only class that matters now.  We all have been putting in as much work as the XC-1 pro guys and I think that it is really cool for us all to finally have the title and representation that comes with it. 

ATVriders.com: If you could beat one rider every race, who would it be?
Zac Zakowski: Hmm, well there are multiple ones but I would have to say Bryan Buckhannon.  Bryan is hands down the fastest 4x4 rider in the country and I have been racing against him since I started in 2009.  We have always been great friends and I know that I can beat him and I know that although he is my competitor, he knows that I can beat him and he secretly roots for me to challenge him.  There are one or two other unmentionables that I would love to beat every race as well to help deflate their egos so that their helmet fits but I’ll stick with Bryan.

After his third knee surgery, Zac Zakowski will be back competing in the newly created GNCC 4x4 Pro Class in 2014

ATVriders.com: We know you love sarcasm, so I have to ask, do you pre select the trees you hit or is it a completely random process?
Zac Zakowski: Ha-ha!  I have to admit that it is a completely random process.  Sometimes to be successful at hitting trees you need to just let fate run its course and crack the heck out of a random tree!  If you’re going to do it, do it good.

ATVriders.com: I know you need to throw some love around, so who is it that keeps Zakowski Motorsports on the track?
Zac Zakowski: Well you know I’m always loving everyone, but I’d like to really emphasize my family and friends that help out all the time.  There is no way that I could do this without them pulling long hours and taking so much of the work load off of me.  My dad Paul for spending every waking hour wrenching on the machines to try to give me the best equipment possible, my mom Linda for giving up her life to go racing and handling all the little things I don’t want to deal with, my friend Jack for helping out and trying to keep me motivated, and my sisters and friends for putting up with me. I’d also like to thank all the people who cheer for me or give me a thumbs-up on the track and sticking with me over the years through all the ups, downs, and this injury.  It means a lot more then you would think and I have the best support group even when I let them down.  We could not do it without our sponsors who make it happen.  So thank you so much to all these guys who help us build some awesome machines!  Countryside Auto Transport, Can-am/BRP, Turnkey UTV, Straightline Performance, Kenda Tires, Amsoil, STM Powersports, Custom Axis, Beard Seats, Tweeked Powderworks, Rath Racing, K&N, Flexx Handlebars, FrogSkinz, Evans Coolant, Wicket Bilt, DP Brakes, ATR, OMF Performance, Spider Grips, BOW Training, O’Neal, Scott USA.