2006 ATVA MX Nationals Round #5 – Budds Creek - Amateur Coverage

The ATVA national series stopped in Mechanichsville, Maryland this weekend to let riders from all over the country competing for championships have a try at the well known Budds Creek race track. Earlier in the week, many weather reports were stating thunderstorms throughout the weekend. Thankfully this time the weather men and women were wrong, the weekend turned out to be nearly perfect with a little rain spout Friday evening and a short downfall during the day on Saturday. The rainfall was just right to keep the somewhat sandy track from drying out to quickly.

Mototees keeps things looking forward for our sport as they continued their live broadcast to all those that were unable to attend and didn’t want to miss a second of the action. They were also selling the compiled video from Round #1 at Glen Helen. In a few short weeks, riders and enthusiast will be able to purchase the recording of all the action at this weekend’s race. With multiple videographers, they were sure to catch all the action.

Along with Elka, Custom Axis, Fox Racing Shox, Maxxis, ITP, Mototees, Terry Racing, and more on vender row, this young woman was selling lemonade to many as they passed by. Throughout the weekend, it was great to see the support Elka, Axis, Tireballs provided to racers throughout the weekend. Thanks a lot to all those companies giving back to your customers and helping our sport grow.

As Harlen mentioned in the Pro Race coverage, Donny banks spent the week at the Budds Creek facility at the request of the owner to have help in preparing a top notch quad national race track. The track was everything I expected it to be. With a mixture of sand, the braking bumps developed as over 700 entries tore up and down the track. The trick to the track was how the braking bumps changed throughout the race. Lines changed as quickly as they developed. The ability to see these lines and take advantage put many riders out front. And the ones that thought the track was the same as it did in the morning were the ones who had trouble. Here is an innocnent picture of the track before it changed its attitude.

With the GNCC series off this weekend, the men behind Cardio Stack Racing, Jasen and Jamie, along with Phil Cole sported their “factory” shirts as they answered questions from racers and kept an eye out for their amateur riders out on the track. Not only were the Pros attracting fans, but many amateur riders brought many spectators through the gates.

After giving respect to our country with the playing of our national anthem, everyone was anxious to go racing. The hills began to fill up and the engines began to roar. Harlen Foley, the man behind it all is pictured wearing the press "gidde up"

As the number of entries grew, the need for more qualifiers became evident. The production A class took only 20 of the best racers to the final gate on Sunday. Nathan Crommer #328 started out his weekend good as he opened up a lead in the first qualifier of the day for the production A class.

The weather must have brought out the racing spirit into full effect, as there was great racing in every class this weekend. Making the trip from Ovieda, FL, the # 713 of Kyle D. Mcculloch decided to make the trip worthwhile as he shot his way to the final with a 5th place finish in the qualifier. His 8th place in the final set him up for an overall 8th position among some of the fastest riders in the country.

Tom Fink, a local D6 A class rider and ATVRiders.com member, made the trip down from Coatesville, PA to compete in the 265A class as well as the Production A class. A 6th place finish in the production A qualifier put him into the final. His DNS in the final sent him to the back. He put that aside of him and hammered down on his East Coast Yamaha YFZ to finish the 265A with a 4th overall finish.

Chris Williams piloted his white Honda 450r to a 7th place finish in the qualifier, although was unable to repeat his performance in the final and finished out the weekend with a 17th overall spot. His speed was shown in the 16-24 class as he knocked out a 6th place overall finish. Coming off a 1st place finish in the 16-24 class in Macon, Chris shares the points lead with the #84 of Thomas Brown.