Heartland Challenge Team Stories

I am extremely happy with how everything came together for the Heartland Challenge, and I had plenty of help co-promoting my first ever race with IATVHSS Series, Andy Kyner, and without all the track volunteers and friends stepping up to the plate at the last minute it wouldn't have turned out nearly as well.

Besides the worst possible weather conditions, I feel everyone had a great time, and I am already working on the race for 2009, which will either be in August or once again in November.

It would be great if all the teams shared their team's experience from the race including any problems that you might have run into throughout the day, and any comments on the event.

Be sure to include your Class, Team Name, Members, and I look forward to reading your stories

C Class, Wreckless Racing, Shawn Traylor (Raptor), Brad Auen (KFX 450), Travis Jenney (Predator)

This is what I wrote in another forum.

This was my FIRST race I ever entered and to say the least I am HOOKED!

We arrived in Carlisle, Iowa early Friday and it was starting to snow, was really windy and about 30 degrees. The track was muddy before the snow so it only got worse. It snowed ALL day Friday and finally ended around midnight. Just walking the track was hard. Some of the hills you could'nt even get up on foot. They had to shorten the track some due to the muddy hills. It went from 8 miles to about 6.5 miles. On a clean run lap times were about 20-25 minutes. I started the race and after the first lap the ruts were 6" deeper than the tires were! I decided to ditch my half wore out XCR tires and picked up some GBC X Rex tires before the race. THANK GOD!!!! My old tires would not have cut it.......PERIOD!

We had three guys and three bikes. Me on my rappy, buddy on his predator and another on his KFX450. The predator would not start durring the race and had to be towed back to the pits. We worked on it for about an hour total and said SCREW it! He had to use my bike. I was really scared about running my bike that hard for than long, but we had no other choice. Needless to say the rappy came out strong! No failures AT ALL! The motor REALLY shined in the stright aways. I would pass 3-4 guys at a time in the strights...lol.

The track was slimy/muddy and tacky....if that makes since...lol. 90% of the turns were nasty off camber turns, making turning really hard! By the end of my three lap turn I could bairly even turn the bars. Three laps is all any sane person could do at a time! Keep in mind its 30 degrees, muddy, and about 30MPH winds and snowing. I had on two under armor shirts, two jerseys, and for the last stint I tossed on another long sleeve shirt. When my turn was up ALL FIVE shirts were SOAKED with sweat!

As far as placing I can't complain. It was our FIRST XC race. With the hour we waisted trying to get the predator up and running we were 16 minutes down in last place. By the end of the race we were in 5th place. If we did'nt have mechanical problems we would have be in third place or so.

The way we ran it was I would do three laps ( about an hour and a half or so) and then get the next riders bike in the impound and bring it to him in the pits and have him do another three laps.

Heres the rappy all said and done. No beaks, mechanical problems at all. Pretty satisfied with how it preformed.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...PICT0058-1.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...8/PICT0059.jpg

Chance Kellison and Dakota Stevenson got out front in the youth race on Dakota's quad from the beginning and stayed there the entire race even after the break down and tow in. They had to finish over have the race on Chance's sister's stock 90. This was officially Chancers last race in the mini ranks and will run the full season in the junior/schoolboy class in 2009 on his raptor 250. He was thrilled to go out with such a bang.

Now on to the big quad race. Taylor raced with Brandon O'neill and Saige Johnson as Sudden Impact. Tay went first. She got the holeshot on her class and put the moves on her Dad's teammate Miles to make the pass on the entire +40 class also. She said she was feeling awesome and putting some ground down when she threw her chain without completing a lap. She gets towed in and we had to deal with a emotional breakdown but her teammates picked up the slack until she was able to recompose herself. They were able to hold on and with the Kymco team having issues were able to make up the time and take second place in the schoolboy class.

Johnny teamed up with Miles Harris and Ron Mueller in the +40 class as the Banned Loslers. They had a good race with only one flat tire and really no other issues. They had a several lap lead when Homer came in for what could have been his last lap. His teammates told him they had already won the class but I told him to go back out and take the checkered.



So we had a great time and came home with 2 first place trophies and one second place. We had an incredible time, even with the horrid weather. I really hate the cold and am looking forward to next year with the plans for August.

Thanks to everyone that put on the event and to all my families teammates and their families, we had a great day.

Piaa Powersports Team Can-Am Michael Swift/Rick Cecco/Cliff Beasley
Competing in the first Heartland 10 hour challenge was a great experence. I would like to thank Andy and his wife, Harlen and Atvriders, Kevin and Gbc and all the other sponsor who helped make this first event as nice as it was.
Our race went well with little to no problems, we got off to a good start with each rider completing 4 laps before pitting. We held a good lead threw out the race, just after dark we lost a belt on one of the bikes which set us back a little. This would be the only problem we would incounter durning the race. We kept our heads down and and made a charge to get back out front, a little while later Polaris had some problems as well which put us back in the front by over 16 minutes. At that point our plan was to finish the race out with any flaws. We crossed the finish line taking first place in the Pro- utility class and ninth over-all.
I would like to thank all who competed in the class, Polaris done an excellent job and I beleve that the new 09 850 is going to be competitive machine next year. Fd racing, thats a great group of guys with alot of skill, is was good to see artic cat back out racing with us and all the other teams who spent alot of time to get things ready go race. Thanks!
We spent alot of time getting ready for this race and we had alot of help. So I would like to thank our sponsors who helped make our team what it was.
Piaa Powersports, Can-Am/BRP, Cyclops Motorsports, ITP, OMF, Tireballs, Rox, Spider, Fasst Co., Tribal Carbon Fiber, IMS, Outerwears, EVS, A/C Racing, HMF and Scott.
Thanks to David Jesse for building our light mounts and brackets.
Thanks to Warnert Racing, a top notch race team. And to Warnerts Racings Nick and Alex for helping us in the pits.
Also to Rick and Cliff for there awesome performance!

Those boys were haulin' as usual. Dakota was so far ahead the first lap, scoring called over the radio and asked if he cut the track even though he was led the whole way by the track worker.

Youth
Heartland Challenge

This one is coming from the top of my head, the excitement was way too much for me to record and Andy wanted me to wear his head set which I am sure he regrets doing now since I don’t shut up.
Well I have to say that this 3 hour youth race was the most exciting thing I have seen all year, really, it was highly electrifying for the parents and the racers and for those of you who decided to stay in your trailers where it was warm you missed the best racing yet.
The day started out with seeing the youth sign up and moving about, there wasn’t the ordinary “lets all hang out" don’t know if it was the cold or the tension but I would have to say tension as you will hear later.
The start was excited and tense as well seeing the youth and their team mates all cheering each other on, a true show of sportsmanship.
By the first hour I seen teams change riders when tired, I seen teams change riders because the other team did, I seen riders waiting for their team mate to pull over and they fly on by.
Well from the start of things Andy shows up in the dark hours getting his boy's ready already moving 100 mph in back of the trailer while trying to answer questions from various workers (me included) and it gave me a new respect for the amount of dedication this man has, most people would have lost their minds by now but Andy took it in stride all the while making his boys be first. Tracy, well what can you say about Tracy, no matter how bad things get or how tense it gets she still smiles, I need some of that.
The workers in the trailer, lets talk about pulling your hair out and answering the same question 500 times and still smiling about it hats off to them.
The score keepers always trapped inside out of the action and always over looked, well here’s to ya, hats off and great job.
The course workers, man I have not seen so many people willing to stay out in the freezing cold for 15 hours ( to include the youth race) lending a hand, you guy's are my hero's , specially when you pull us out from being broke down.
Chad the announcer well what can you say about Chad that nobody already knows we have called him Willie Wonka for the way he draws the youth to him and this day was no different, Chad has a knack and a gift that it for sure and he is a asset to the series.
Andy gives his pre race speech in the early hour of 7am with a bunch of wide eyed youth and a bunch of sleepy eyed adults.
The start is off , couldn’t tell you who got the hole shot I was just to plain excited over all of it..
The course was by far the best course I have seen for a youth class it had it all, I would rate it with out a doubt to the GNCC and not be scared.
Well here we go.
In the 90 production class
Banned Young guns, wow these 2 boys Dakota Stevenson (the 2 wheel wheelie wonder) and Chance (all business) Kellison were bringing home the mail all the way to finish for 1st. I got to get behind these 2 for a bit and wow they were moving and were all business just like it was another point’s race. Seen both of them make some incredible moves and picking lines and staying with in the 25 ft rule all I can say is great job boys really!! On a further note we did get Chance to smile for the camera’s 1 time and that by it self was accomplishment.
Rad Racer gave it there all for 2nd place and only coming in 1 lap and 1 minute behind the leaders. I wasn’t completely focused on the others and did get a chance to see them
As much but what I did notice is they were picking their lines carefully and never stopped their momentum, a great finish for a very cold day, and you have got to love the name!
The Kymco boyz just barely got squeezed out of 2nd with only 3 seconds from the finish and that one sounds like it was a race to watch down to the wire they kept to their pace and stayed steady all day long and in a endurance race where anything can happen they stuck to their plan; great try for not giving up to the very end, WOW!!
In the 90 stock class
Well, this race would make the pro’s jealous I mean the kids went at it back and forth and
Out of 10 years racing and then doing the 10 hour myself I have to admit this was the most exciting race I have ever followed. I went into the 10 hour race so pumped up from watching all the youth that I didn’t care what happened the rest of the day.
Parents were watching other teams, teams were watching other riders, switching riders when another team did, one would break down and all the teams would change strategy.
Every time I passed through the pits all parents were very polite and same ole same ole but you could tell that everyone wanted that “Big Ole Trophy”.
The winners I am very proud to say and very much deserved the coveted “Big Ole Trophy” because they earned it without a doubt.
The team Blue Ridge Runner’s were the team to beat with Hunter (Hollywood) Vanpaten, Cole (Blue Ridge Bad boy) Deskin and Gabe (Ironman) McCaughey.
They were putting the iron down and making it happen nothing was going to stand in their way and you could see it from the start. They had their engine problems but that only seemed to make them more determined to take home 1st place in the 90 stock classes.
2nd place was our team Boyz from Illinoz and we tried every trick in the book to come out on top but it was not our day but we had some great battles with all the teams and they will never forget this one I can assure you of that.
In 3rd place it was A and J racing I saw a lot of these fellows and remember seeing how they moved in the creek sections with ease and the small jumps that were there were done with speed and careful landing’s. It seemed to me they had their game plan and stuck with it trying to keep the “Puddle Jumpers” off their tail. Good job for 3rd in a rough race and look forward to see you all next year in the series and be on the look out for them cause they can not be taken lightly.
The Puddle Jumpers had their share of troubles and still managed to complete the race, the team of Keegan Crawford and Shyanne Stevenson was a dangerous combination and no one really knew how to take them with such a combination of talent, they were on the gas and putting moves on anyone they could find until Keegan’s bike had clogged jetting issues and they had to finish the race on Shyanne’s Apex that was already bogged down from the mud. They never gave up and were pushing both of their bikes to the max and it was a great race for the 2 Man/Woman team.
The combo of the TNT sisters definitely gets the best name award and they never once gave in regardless of how bad the course had got. I have followed these racers earlier in the year and after talking to the parents it answered some of my questions with a MX background these girls don’t know the word quit , and the drive they have to compete,
Look for Taylor and Tessa Anderson next year and don’t let their innocent looks trick you; they mean business.
70 cc class
Well we all know the 70 cc class and what can really be said about these 2 that we don’t already know, speed , yea we know that, skill that’s a gimme, determination no words there, tricky, moves well that is not a surprise. The team “Team Iowa” of Brady Kyner and Sky Volkamer should say it all if anyone knows them a deadly combination with lots of skill and speed dangerous to any class. Hats off for the 1st place finish and feel for anyone getting in your way. Well deserved 1st place boys!
50 cc class
The team “Wild child” of Brock Kyner and Kenderick Uehlin is no surprise to anyone
That they would master the course and come out on top, as said before I have been watching these 2 all year and have seen them pull off moves that adults would be scared to. These 2 are a force to be reckoned with and you better not cross their paths or you might be mistaken for a small log jump. Great job boys on the 1st.

All in all this race was the one to watch besides any other, these youth are all of us or what we used to be at one point and that is what makes it so pain stakingly tuff to watch. If we were our youth at this point in the game, by the time we get of age no one could touch us
On a national circuit, I have been many places and seen a lot of different styles of ATV racing and I can say that these are the best I have seen as a whole in 1 single series.
Be proud of all of them because I surely am, after a 7 am start and finishing up with a adult 10:30 finish , 15 1/2 hours of racing I am still excited over what the
“1st Ever Youth Endurance” race has etched into my heart.
Again just not enough words to express.
Thanks
Scott B Johnson
Team ‘ Ole Black and blue”

Quote:

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Originally posted by gyii
Those boys were haulin' as usual. Dakota was so far ahead the first lap, scoring called over the radio and asked if he cut the track even though he was led the whole way by the track worker.

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thats funny, rumor was the track worker actually slowed him down on the first lap:D

Quote:

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Originally posted by trailrunner77
thats funny, rumor was the track worker actually slowed him down on the first lap:D

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Being the track worker I have always taken the worst road possible when Dakota or Chance come up on me, they are fast and I feel for thier rivals in the furture.
Going to miss Chance Kellison next season since he is moving up to the big guy's in the morning but he has a replacement of tessa his sister taken on his ride now.
No rest for the weary.
Cant wait for next year and it being bigger and better than last.
Scott B Johnson:D

Chance says he is so ready to move up to the junior class this year . He rides everyday no matter the weather , An picked up a really great sponsor for next year . Tessa she is out to just have fun I think lol . Thanks for all your good words scott . We found a non AMA race that Chance can run next weekend in ark. for his first junior class race since he`s not 13 untill Jan. 2nd .

Chance will do fine and he is motivated that is for sure, I love to watch him his nick name a" all Buisness" fits him.
Tear'em up Chance
Scott