2010 North and South Challenge Announced

[TNT]

I like it! step in the right direction, except I don't get their North/South dividing line.....Now if they can just find the east and west side of the US unite them and create a series within a series or regional “qualifying” we might get somewhere rather than all these series popping up calling themselves “National Championships’, with no synergy. Why it took until “tough economic times” for this to be conceived of is beyond me. I think this sport has always suffer tough economic times and growth since it’s expensive enough just owning a race quad more so all the travel money needed to gain a Championship.


2010 North and South Challenge Announced

Morgantown, W.Va. (December 15, 2009) -- The ATVPG and the ATVA, administrators of the ITP/Moose Racing AMA ATV Motocross Championship Series Presented by Parts Unlimited, have announced the creation of a North and South Challenge. Consisting of six races each, the Challenge is a program within the Championship Series established to accommodate those who are unable to contest the entire National circuit.

"In these tough economic times, we had a lot of requests to make it possible for families to still participate in the Nationals," said Sam Gammon director of the ATVPG. "Although winning a Challenge title does not supersede a National title, it does merit prestige for riders who chose to participate."

For riders who attend all six events of either the North and/or South Challenge, the Top 3 in each of the 35 amateur and youth classes will earn special awards at the final event of the series. Points will automatically accumulate for both the AMA ATV Motocross Championship and the respective North/South Challenge at each National event.

The Challenge Schedules are:

NORTH CHALLENGE
May 15/16 - Sunset Ridge MX, Walnut, IL
June 12/13 - Spring Creek Motocross Park, Millville, MN
July 3/4 - Pleasure Valley, Armagh, PA
July 17/18 - Unadilla, New Berlin, NY
July 31/Aug 1 - RedBud, Buchanan, MI
August 14/15 - Loretta Lynn Ranch, Hurricane Mills, TN

SOUTH CHALLENGE
March 27/28 - Millcreek Raceway, Pell City, AL
April 17/18 - Ballance Moto X, Bowling Green, KY
May 1/2 - Birch Creek - Danville, VA
May 29/30 - Steel City Raceway, Delmont, PA
June 19/20 - Muddy Creek, Blountville, TN
August 14/15 - Loretta Lynn Ranch, Hurricane Mills, TN

To view the complete Challenge Information: http://www.atvmotocross.com/pages/amateur-racers/2010-north-south-challenge


The opening round of the 2010 ITP/Moose Racing AMA ATV Motocross Championship Series Presented by Parts Unlimited and the South Challenge will kick off on Saturday, March 27, 2010 at the Millcreek Raceway in Pell City, Alabama.

For more information go to the official series Web site at www.atvmotocross.com.

About the ITP/Moose Racing AMA ATV Motocross Championship Presented by Parts Unlimited
The ITP/Moose Racing AMA ATV Motocross Championship Presented by Parts Unlimited is the nation's premier amateur and professional ATV motocross series, and competes at top motocross facilities nationwide. Established in 1985, the 11-round series features the Nation's best racers, teams and sponsors, and is America's largest and longest-running National ATV Motocross series with more than 20 years of competition. The series produces top talent in the professional and amateur ranks, keeping close to the grassroots fun that makes people love to go to the races. For more information, please visit www.atvmotocross.com.

[Pappy]

I agree, this should have been something that was done years ago! Hopefully it can work out wellf or everyone and maybe even bring back some riders who left the series simply because they knew they couldnt make all the rounds due to travel or expense.

[TrapZ400]

Sounds good to me!

[quadracer707]

Wonder how they figured out the races?? From were we live in Pa, the south has to come up to Delmont(pittsburgh) pa, Danville, Va. I know this is a start, & Iam not here to bash the idea. Being in buisness, I know you have to start somewere. Iam sure they didn't think this over in a week. Heads up to the ATVA, apparently they were listening to people & that Is a GREAT step in the right direction. Everyone will not be happy, so lets give it a try.

Ken

[Pappy]

Originally posted by quadracer707
Wonder how they figured out the races?? From were we live in Pa, the south has to come up to Delmont(pittsburgh) pa, Danville, Va.

From the looks of it, the SC PA race had to go to the south to even out the number of events. The VA race is a southern venue so no biggy there....that is my geuss anyway. They could have made the rounds uneven in number really, seeing it is a split series.

[motofreak2772]

I know there is some more tracks in the south. Maybe put some texas, south carolina, georgia and florida tracks in and make them a 10 race series. Then even the north out with more tracks too.

[national #9]

I am pretty sure they did it, because red buds race at walnut was the only other choice for the south, and I am sure the people at red bud, didn't want to be in both series. The only flaw I see with this split series, is if you don't go to all of the races in your series, you don't qualify for anything. You are sol, and have spent all of your money for nothing, its just a way for the promoters to force you to show up, if you want to run for a championship of any kind.

[Lasher]

One of these days, the ATVA will stop being scared of us NEATV racers and come back to New England...

But I like the split idea. Hope it works out and continues to grow.

[mamaknothead]

YES!!!! Bring some races to Texas and Florida!!!!

[mamaknothead]

YES!!!! Bring some races to Texas and Florida!!!!

[TNT]

Originally posted by national #9
I am pretty sure they did it, because red buds race at walnut was the only other choice for the south, and I am sure the people at red bud, didn't want to be in both series. The only flaw I see with this split series, is if you don't go to all of the races in your series, you don't qualify for anything. You are sol, and have spent all of your money for nothing, its just a way for the promoters to force you to show up, if you want to run for a championship of any kind.

Yeah your right, they get you 6 mandatory races to qual for these “special awards at LL” or 8 out of 11 for a championship, so your on the hook for 6-8 races guaranteed if you participate. Guess that means you can qual for the awards and championship if you make all 8-11.

If this didn’t revolve around the buck so much they make a series within NEATV, TQRA, GCQRA, SSQRA, IPTquadx, WORC’s, and let you gain AMA Championship points similar to what HLR has done, simple you just send out a form to those series races then send your top x with some points to the AMA nats and centralize them more. HLR champ race is AMA sanctioned. Why that is so difficult I don’t understand!! I mean I can see their side too, we don’t want the attendance to drop off at nats, guess I’m not smart enough to know how to do that but know there has to be a better way. :D

[national #9]

Its very simple, all of the other sports have local, to qualify for regional, to qualify for national. We can do it too, we are the only amature series that has to run a series. to be a national champion. They have us screwed, for a trophy and a promise of riches and a factory ride down the road. There should be 3 races that we need to go to. one local to qualify for regionals, one regional to qualify for nationals and one national to be the national champion. How many amature football teams travel all over the country to be the national champion? They don't they play in their area, and work their way up the line. HLR has the right idea, and could be bigger, if they put the second step in with a regional for each area. Who ever thought that the atva was doing it right, is very wrong, and it is killing our sport, because of the cost involved. How many 50cc parents are willing to mortage their houses for a trophy? That, is where the sports growth will come from, and as I see it we will be done within the next few years as a sport, if we continue to follow the atvpg down their path of distruction.

[coryatver]

They should do this for GNCC's

[TNT]

Originally posted by national #9
Its very simple, all of the other sports have local, to qualify for regional, to qualify for national. We can do it too, we are the only amature series that has to run a series. to be a national champion. They have us screwed, for a trophy and a promise of riches and a factory ride down the road. There should be 3 races that we need to go to. one local to qualify for regionals, one regional to qualify for nationals and one national to be the national champion. How many amature football teams travel all over the country to be the national champion? They don't they play in their area, and work their way up the line. HLR has the right idea, and could be bigger, if they put the second step in with a regional for each area. Who ever thought that the atva was doing it right, is very wrong, and it is killing our sport, because of the cost involved. How many 50cc parents are willing to mortage their houses for a trophy? That, is where the sports growth will come from, and as I see it we will be done within the next few years as a sport, if we continue to follow the atvpg down their path of distruction.

Well put!!

[Pappy]

Im not going to disagree that a regional series to national series is not a good idea.......but your looking at following the way they do it for bikes and quite frankly, I doubt you could get enough quads racing to support the step up from local to regional to national.

A LL qualifier at a local track will drag in 800 bike racers, a national atv mx race doesnt pull that.

[mamaknothead]

I agree. we live in Texas and it is a heck of a chore to make 9 to 11 races when the closest one is 14 hours away. It would be great if we could do qualifyers like the bikes do. Maybe you would see more talent at the nationals instead of just the richest . Dont get me wrong there are some that cant afford it but still find a way but for the most part the majority of the riders are the richest not the fastest. If you had to qualify at severel regional races you could compete with the fastest in the country when you go to the nationals.

[TNT]

Originally posted by Pappy
Im not going to disagree that a regional series to national series is not a good idea.......but your looking at following the way they do it for bikes and quite frankly, I doubt you could get enough quads racing to support the step up from local to regional to national.

A LL qualifier at a local track will drag in 800 bike racers, a national atv mx race doesnt pull that.

Is it really about existing numbers? Isn’t more about utilizing boosting existing numbers in a smart way, having a plan in place for growth that series(s) can profit from? HLR concept takes local existing series as is, puts a qualifying system in place to an AMA sanctioned regional champ race, or maybe lately they are calling that “national” like everyone else I lost track. That allows and attracks more affordability to the sport to bring the numbers up to a national level from the grass roots. There are a lot including bikers that just can’t afford the quads and travel money that would get into it.

Lets take our local series of about 60 racers in KS that would qualify to TQRA(a regional) of about 200 to AMA through a series of points. I bet the same surrounds NEATV, Worcs, IPT, etc....We see less than 5% at best in the midwest that attend all the nats, from KS we will be the only ones in 2010 and the case the past 5 years, none have run the entire series. Out of TQRA, about 5, Millers, Brown, now Snapps, few others, and some are people that can afford big $150K+ rigs or are in debt to thier ears, own several top race quads and “buy” thier championship since they can, .........so whats the point in having 11 races noone can attend or a very small populus? How is that making anyone any more profit compared to the scenario nat9 described?

Well it’s not, it’s hurting the sport. All it would take is for someone like HLR that has the revenue and brain power to do this properly and my guess is the roi would be huge!! You’d see more local and regional sponsors and industry involvement. Any smart business man should see that over the past 5 year plan the numbers have not grown leaps and bounds in attendance at these nats and with the current economy that will not change over the next five years. When a 5 yr business plan is not promoting growth, then obviously a new one is necessary!!

We have seen some good signs next season granted the branching out to Millville combined with this split series which is a step in the right direction, but much more is needed and has been for a long, long, time imo.

[Pappy]

Again, its not that I disagree with any of this or the thoughts of growing racing

What I know and what I have seen is the fact that the number of entries at local ATV races all over the country is not growing except for a few series (GNCC being one of them)the MX nats did not set any records but I dont think entries were down for the season. If there is a way to get this turned around great, but I think your pissing in the wind honestly. It all falls back to the almighty dollar and there isnt that many dollars going around in the world of atv racing to start branching it all off like they have been able to do with the bike side of things. The benefit I do see would be as suggested, that regional sponsors may be more willing to pony up which would be great....yet again...where does the $$ come from to manage it. I honestly dont think there is any organization willing to do it now. Hell, the last ATVA newsletter I got did not have any racing related info in it I dont believe:ermm:

Then you have to worry about tracks allowing atvs to race. The east coast is loosing a ton of them, and the big ones are owned mainly by the promoters that run the Nats so atleast they are secure. I have talked with track owners who will not reopen to atvs simply because the numbers yo-yo and they cant depend on them or feel they arent worth the extra effort. Im sure it could be worked out over time, but again, it would take the full weight of the ATVA and AMA to act as the 900 pound gorilla or at best you could find a series that would be willing to get involved.

All huge tasks.....and if it could all be done then great! I get paid to go to them all, if there are more then I grow so count me in:D We decided chasing a $8 trophy wasnt worth the $80K it took to outfit and follow the series, so we race for fun. More power to those that can continue chasing the tailights, I am always amazed at how people manage to do it at the amatuer levels!

[TNT]

All these tracks closing thier doors to ATV’s huh, then where does the membership fees go to prevent this. I always understood my money goes to keep atv’s riding and I pay it at the races to keep the doors open. I also pay huge entry and race fees at these events so I know the membership money is not going to race events. What have you heard about that Pappy where is our money going? They should post on the AMA website a yearly report of income and expenses and what good in detail our money has done for the sport.....Pell City I’ll be sure to ask where my money is going lately????? :D

[Pappy]

Its up to a track owner wether he permits atvs to ride and or race at his facility. The ATVA as far as I am aware is not in the business of keeping private tracks doors open or mandating that ATVs are allowed to ride/race on them although I do believe they can help in the legal side of things if needed to help a track fight off being closed, but dont quote me on that.

There is a ton of people on this site who are switching to bikes simply because their local track doesnt allow atv's anymore....its a shame. I always thought that my AMA/ATVA membership helped all aspects of the sport but I am pretty sure that racing is indeed a venture to make money for the track and promoter. Not sure where the organizations such as the AMA /ATVA play into all that but I can garuntee it doesnt promote itself as being the savior for race tracks or race series, but its role is more regulated as a sanctioning body for the sport.

I dont worry about those questions, I pay my yearly dues to get our AMA membership card so that we are allowed to race....I pay my gate fee and entry fee and race. If I cant afford it, we no race!

Follow the money TNT...follow the money:p It has to go somewhere but I dont think you will find that race promotion monies and the ATVA dues end up in the same pocket. Just take a gander at the fight the AMA puts up for all of us daily as our sport is attacked nationwide...for me, the $39 is worth it.

[TNT]

Originally posted by Pappy
Its up to a track owner wether he permits atvs to ride and or race at his facility. The ATVA as far as I am aware is not in the business of keeping private tracks doors open or mandating that ATVs are allowed to ride/race on them although I do believe they can help in the legal side of things if needed to help a track fight off being closed, but dont quote me on that.

There is a ton of people on this site who are switching to bikes simply because their local track doesnt allow atv's anymore....its a shame. I always thought that my AMA/ATVA membership helped all aspects of the sport but I am pretty sure that racing is indeed a venture to make money for the track and promoter. Not sure where the organizations such as the AMA /ATVA play into all that but I can garuntee it doesnt promote itself as being the savior for race tracks or race series, but its role is more regulated as a sanctioning body for the sport.

I dont worry about those questions, I pay my yearly dues to get our AMA membership card so that we are allowed to race....I pay my gate fee and entry fee and race. If I cant afford it, we no race!

Follow the money TNT...follow the money:p It has to go somewhere but I dont think you will find that race promotion monies and the ATVA dues end up in the same pocket. Just take a gander at the fight the AMA puts up for all of us daily as our sport is attacked nationwide...for me, the $39 is worth it.

Well if it's good for you the goose it's good for me the gander but if they raise it one more dollar thats crossing the line!!!! :D

[Pappy]

Well I hope it dont go up, but we enjoy all types of riding and sort of like the firearms world, we have one voice large enough to be heard in DC so I would hate to drag them into an issue about racing and its related expenses.

Its a cold hard fact that this stuff aint cheap,never has been and if you cant swing it you cant swing it. If enough drop out maybe it would force the hand of some percieved villian in all this but until then I dont see much of a change. The split should help out alot of folks, and I dont think there is any answer that would help out everyone. The NEATV is doing good, WORCS is exploding, and several other series are doing well, so it appears to me it is a few that want the most change which we know wont happen over night but should indeed be looked at as any prudent person would look at all options.

If you want to be a national level racer in the national series then you run it. It is the series that claims a national champion and if thats what you seek then you do what it takes to get there and let the rider do the rest.

Ok folks, enjoy. Im heading off to find me a big black bear and my conversations will be the crack of my rifle. Keep the ideas flowin!