Hurricane Mills, TN (8/10/2007) -The
curtain closed on the Air Nautiques AMA Amateur
National Motocross Championships in Hurricane Mills
last week, but the show goes on at Loretta Lynn’s
Ranch itself. This weekend the world-famous facility
in Hurricane Mills will host the fastest riders
of the four-wheeled ATV set, including defending
AMA Pro ATV Motocross Champion and Union City son,
Joe Byrd.
The 22nd Annual ATV Dirt Days at Loretta Lynn’s
Ranch serves as the 12th and final round of the
2007 ITP/Moose Racing ATVA National MX Championship
presented by Parts Unlimited. After winding its
way through the southeast, west coast and north
central states, Byrd and his competitors are happy
to get onto familiar turf at Loretta Lynn’s.
Since 1985, the Queen of Country Music, Loretta
Lynn, has welcomed ATV pro and amateur racing
to her backyard. Located in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee,
the Loretta Lynn racetrack offers racers a unique
mixture of loamy soil and sand, and a course design
of sweeper turns, double and triple manmade jumps,
and the infamous “Ten Commandments”
– a series of 10 small whoops set straight
in a row.
|
Joe
Byrd |
Tennessee’s own Joe Byrd looks to defend
his 2006 ATVA National championship, along with
the AMA No. 1 plate in front of his hometown crowd.
“The Loretta Lynn track has some nice elevation
changes,” said Byrd, of Union City. “It’s
not a very technical track, it’s very high
speed. You won’t see but a few seconds between
our lap times, and what Carmichael and the top
dirt bike guys do. It’s way cooler watching
a 400 pound machine jump obstacles and rail up
the hills and around the turns than a 200-pound
two-wheeler like you see everyday.”
The point’s chase also heats up in the
Women’s class, as Joe’s wife Heather
Byrd, is tied with the reigning Women’s
Champion, Angela Butler,for points lead heading
into the final race at Loretta's.
Byrd is a long-time promoter of the sport he
makes a living in, and he’s as happy as
anyone to watch the sport grow as much as it has
in the last few years. Like the 1,400 motorcycle
racers who competed at the Ranch last week, Byrd
is paid a salary by his equipment manufacturer,
Honda, and also rides for endorsements from his
gear, goggle, and helmet sponsors, among others.
He also teaches ATV racing with the popular Joe
Byrd Quad Riding School, and his wife, Heather,
is a multi-time champion of the Women’s
class. There are few more dedicated to the craft
than Byrd.
|
Jeremy
Lawson |
Competition this year comes from upstart Jeremy
Lawson, who hails from the apt-named Battletown,
Kentucky. Lawson won the opening round of the
2007 season in Alabama, and then notched another
couple wins in Michigan and Pennsylvania to keep
him close to Byrd in the series standings.
“Me and Lawson and Pat Brown, at every
round so far, it’s been a good battle with
all of us,” says Byrd. “This is like
having three Carmichaels or Stewarts out there.
The competition is really stiff, because there’s
no way you can stretch it out on somebody.”
Byrd and the rest of the AMA ATV Pro riders race
on Sunday, while amateur racing takes place all
weekend at the track, which is located is located
60 miles west of Nashville. Take Exit 143 off
I-40, and head north on Route 13 for 7 miles.
In addition to the racing activities, the racers
and their families will be treated to dinner Saturday
night, compliments of series sponsor, Parts Unlimited,
along with a live performance by Elvis impersonator,
Donnie Fox, and an ATV Freestyle Show at 8 p.m.
|
Pat
Brown |
The 22nd Annual ATV Dirt Days at Loretta Lynn’s
Ranch runs Saturday August 11th through Sunday
August 12th in nearby Hurricane Mills, Tennessee.
Amateur racing takes place on Saturday and Sunday.
Pro race Sunday at 12 pm and again at 3 pm –
rain or shine. Pro pits are open to fans and the
pros will sign autographs at 1:15 pm. Pros race
for a $10,000 purse. Sunday’s gate admission
is $15 for adults and $10 for kids 6-11. Children
under six are free. Tickets are available at the
gate.
The ATV Dirt Days will be televised on the Versus
Network on November 21st at 3 pm, and again on
November 28th at 3 pm.
What: ATV Dirt Days at Loretta
Lynn’s Ranch, the 12th and Final round of
the ITP/Moose Racing ATVA National MX Championship
presented by Parts Unlimited
Where: Loretta Lynn’s
Ranch, Hurricane Mills, TN, 60 miles west of Nashville.
Take Exit 143 off I-40; then North on Route 13
7 miles.
When: August 11-12, 2007.
Course: 1 mile (approx) hard
packed and soft dirt, sand.
2006 Winner: Pro Class: Joe
Byrd (Honda).
Schedule: Saturday – Amateur
racing 9am-6pm; Pro Practice 12:15 pm and 2 pm;
Pro Am Woman racing 10:30 am and 1:30 pm.
Sunday – Amateur racing continues 9 am;
Opening ceremonies at 11:45 am, with Pro racing
12 pm and 3 pm; Pro autographs 1:15 pm.
Visit www.racerproductions.com
or call Racer Productions at 931.296.4015 for
more information.
About Racer Productions:
A West Virginia based motorcycle and ATV event
production company, Racer Productions has been
a leader in the off-road racing industry for over
30 years. It’s repertoire of events includes
the 13-round Can-Am Grand National Cross Country
Series, since 1973; The Kawasaki/Monster Energy
High Point National in Mount Morris, PA, since
1977; The ATV Dirt Days at Loretta Lynn’s
Ranch in Hurricane Mills, TN, since 1985; The
Monster Energy/Kawasaki Steel City National in
Delmont, PA, since 1988; The ATV Stampede ATVA
National Motocross at High Point Raceway, since
1994; The Wrangler ATVA National Motocross at
Oak Hill Raceway in Decatur, TX, since 2006; as
well as numerous amateur motocross events, and
a World Motocross Gran Prix in 1987. In addition,
the Racer Productions staff is the same crew that
brings you the prestigious Air Nautique/AMA Amateur
National Motocross Championship at Loretta Lynn’s
Ranch, since 1982.
For more information about
Racer Productions and the events they produce,
visit www.racerproductions.com.
For High Point National Motocross information,
visit www.highpointmx.com.
For Steel City National Motocross information,
visit www.steelcitymx.com.
For GNCC Racing information, visit www.gnccracing.com.
About the AMA ATV National
Motocross Championship Series:
Sanctioned by the AMA and ATVA, the nation's
premier amateur and professional ATV motocross
series is hosted by many of America 's premier
motocross facilities. The 12-round series approaches
its 21st season with the Pro class newly under
the wing of AMA Pro Racing. The 2006 series hosted
over 8,000 entrants, making it America 's largest,
as well as its longest running, ATV National Motocross
series. Series sponsors include title sponsors
ITP Tires and Moose, and presenting sponsor Parts
Unlimited. Premiere and Feature sponsors include
ATV Sport, Moto Tees, Scott USA, Maxxis Tires,
Elka Suspension and H-Bomb Films/Division Four.
Associate sponsors include Weekend Warrior Trailers,
Denton Racing, and Hinson Racing. Media partners
include ATV Insider, ATV Rider and ATVRiders.com.
About AMA Racing:
AMA Racing is the competition arm of the American
Motorcyclist Association and is the leading sanctioning
body for motorcycle sport in the United States
. Its professional properties include the Amp'd
Mobile AMA Supercross Series, the AMA Toyota Motocross
Championship presented by FMF, the AMA Superbike
Championship presented by Parts Unlimited, the
AMA Ford Quality Checked Flat Track Championship,
the AMA Supermoto Championship and the AMA Pro
ATV Championship. In amateur and pro-am competition,
AMA Racing sanctions over 4000 events in 24 different
disciplines and supports over 110 thousand active
members. For more information about professional
racing, visit www.amaproracing.com.
Accredited media outlets can also access an on
line Press Room at www.amaproracing.com/pressroom.
For amateur racing information visit www.amadirectlink.com/amrace/amasports.asp.
About the ATVA:
The ATV Association ("ATVA") is
the official sanctioning body of the amateur divisions
of the ATVA ITP/Moose ATV National Motocross Championship
Series Presented by Parts Unlimited. The 9,000
member ATVA is the sister organization of the
260,000 member American Motorcyclist Association
("AMA"). ATV racing has experienced
phenomenal growth at the rate of 25% in the past
two years alone, and continues to gain momentum
and support, outselling off-road motorcycles annually.
Each round attracts 600-700 racers who compete
for bragging rights to one of 31 amateur national
titles. For more information about ATVA, visit
www.atvaonline.com.
About the ATVPG:
The ATVPG is comprised of the 12 individual
promoters that host the AMA ITP/Moose ATV National
Motocross Championships, presented by Parts Unlimited.
The goal of the ATVPG is to raise awareness of
ATV motocross through the production of professional
and amateur championship racing events. For more
information on the ATVPG and the ATV National
events they produce, go to www.atvmotocross.com.