Interview:
Michael Coburn - Honda TRX 450R Pro ATV Racer
#038
Michael Coburn - Quick Facts
Birth
Date:
7/27/1987
Weight:
140 lbs
Hometown:
Garretson, SD
ATV:
Honda TRX450R
Extreme
Dirt Track Pro ATV racer, Michael Coburn has
had an incredibly successful 2009 season that
includes setting some new records at the legendary
Pike’s Peak, and after an intense points
battle all season long, coming out on top to
take the Extreme Dirt Track Pro ATV Championship.
Hailing
from the small Midwest town of Garretson,
SD, Michael Coburn has come a long way in
just a few short years. Coburn began riding
quads for fun when he was just six years old,
but his fascination with racing began when
his older brother became involved in sprint
car racing. Looking for a thrill of his own,
Coburn soon found his niche in TT racing when
he was asked to take the place of an injured
racer at a local series. From there, Coburn
began racing regularly in his local series
and doing a little ice racing on the side.
It wasn’t long before he was confident
enough to tackle the national TT circuit.
Coburn
took on the Pro ATV class for the first time
in 2006 and raced against the likes of Tim
Farr, Shane Hitt and Harold Goodman with marginal
success, but in 2008, Coburn came into his
own and after a close battle with Goodman
all season long, Coburn was ready to step
up his game for 2009.
ATVRiders.com
had the opportunity to talk with Michael Coburn
about his impressive 2009 season and what
his plans are for next year. Here’s
what he had to say.
#038
Michael Coburn claimed the 2009 Extreme
Dirt Track Pro ATV Class Championship
ATVriders.com:
Congratulations on taking the Extreme Dirt Track
Pro Championship, Michael! Michael
Coburn: Thank
you!
You
and Harold Goodman were so close in points
last year, and this year you were right there
again, but you managed to pull ahead and take
the championship. How does it feel to be on
top? Michael
Coburn:
It’s pretty exciting. We were really
close last year and when the final round got
rained out in 2008, it was kind of disappointing
that I didn’t get that final shot at
it, but now I finally caught up and I was
able to take it.
Did
you do anything different this year to give
you a bit of an edge out there? Michael
Coburn:
Not really anything different. I did train
a little harder by riding everyday after work.
Michael
Coburn faced plenty of competition as
he chased after his first Extreme Dirt
Track Pro ATV Class Championship, and
with only 6 rounds of racing, a single
mistake could have cost him the championship
Where
do you practice? Michael
Coburn:
Luckily, I have a practice track at my house
so I can ride anytime, plus in the winter
when the river freezes over; I go out there
and ride as well.
Is
your track a typical TT style track? Michael
Coburn:
No not really typical, it actually has a few
jumps in it and it weaves in and out through
the trees. It’s really good practice
because there’s a lot of clutching,
braking and cornering.
