Macon, GA (05/30/2006)
- The WPSA PowerSports ATV Championship
Tour will head into the Deep South this weekend
for the PowerSports Peach State ATV Championship
at Echeconnee Off Road Park. The double-championship
event, scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, June
3-4, will feature some of the top
ATV riders in the country, competing in QuadMX and
QuadTerrain Challenge events. Saturday's event will
be telecast on ESPN2 on Saturday June 17 at 2 p.m.
EDT, while Sunday's race will air on Sunday, June
25 at 1:30 p.m. EDT. Both days will feature Pro Class
finals in both Series.
Online registration is now open at www.powersportstour.com.
Riders can save the hassle of registering onsite by
pre-registering using the Tour's online registration
portal. The web site will also feature live timing
and scoring from the event, as well as online video,
photos, and news from trackside.
Leading the charge into the Peach State are points
leaders John Natalie, Jr. and Daryl Rath. Both riders
doubled their pleasure in Rounds 1 and 2 two weeks
ago at Daniel Boone MX in Kentucky, sweeping the finals
on both days.
Natalie (No. 13 Elka, HMF, Swift/Honda) dominated
the first QuadMX SuperQuad Pro 450 event on Saturday
and then rode from the back to the front to win the
second final on Sunday. Natalie, however, will have
some stiff competition here, as Jeremiah Jones (No.
2 Suzuki, Yoshimura, Fly/Suzuki), Doug Gust (No. 55
Team Suzuki, Yoshimura/Suzuki), and many others will
be hot on his trail, seeking their own shot at WPSA
greatness.
Rath (No. 67 Rath Racing/Arctic Cat) too had an exciting
weekend in Kentucky, and will be looking to pad his
Pro Stock QuadTerrain Challenge points lead here.
However, several veteran racers, including Donny Banks
(No. 38 Moto TST/Honda), Joe Duncan (No. 220 Park
X/Quad), and others are certainly in the mix, and
will be ready to do battle on the rough-and-tumble
course.
Meanwhile, the Manufacturers' Championship also heated
up at Daniel Boone. In QuadMX, Honda holds a tight
four-point lead ahead of Suzuki, while Artic Cat leads
Honda by 10 markers in the QuadTerrain Challenge standings.
Riders will be vying for one of the richest purses
in ATV racing here. The Tour will award 22,500 in
purse monies for each race this season. The purse,
which will be awarded in the Tour's Professional Classes,
pays to 20th place in the QuadMX Series and to 15th
place in QuadTerrain Challenge. The purse structure
awards $4,000 to win in QuadMX and $2,000 to win the
QuadTerrain Challenge, with $15,000 and $7,500 available
in each Series, respectively.
Additionally, Quad Magazine is sponsoring at "Holeshot
Award" in SuperQuad Pro 450, awarding $1,000
to the rider who grabs the holeshot at the beginning
of the final.
The ATV Tour will operate two racing series at each
venue this season: the "QuadMX Series" and
the "QuadTerrain Challenge Series." QuadMX
consists of professional and pro-am sport MX racing
on pro-style, big-air MX racing circuits. The QuadTerrain
Challenge comprises professional and pro-am sport
utility racing on purpose-built all-terrain racing
circuits. ATVs allowed to compete will include stock,
near-stock utility-type, and modified.
The Tour will feature two Pro Classes, the SuperQuad
Pro 450 in QuadMX and Pro Stock in the QuadTerrain
Challenge, as well as 20 other classes for amateurs,
Pro Am and Youth riders.
The Echeconnee track layout, like all circuits on
the Tour, is designed to optimize television coverage
and fan viewing for both racing disciplines. The QuadMX
course is central to the design and is tailored exclusively
for ATV racing. The QuadTerrain course is constructed
immediately adjacent to the MX track and incorporates
a small portion of the technical section of the MX
course, but excludes all big air MX sections. The
balance of the QuadTerrain course consists of specialized
terrain and obstacles. All obstacle sectors are raced
at speed. Races feature obstacles that demonstrate
the machine's and a rider's capabilities under race
conditions. However certain sections will require
careful maneuvering, or a deft high-speed touch. The
QuadTerrain courses are a half mile or less in
length.
In order to allow competition from amateur and junior
classes, without taking away from the professional
show, the courses include amateur alternative lines
for each Series.
Sponsorship continues to contribute to the growth
of the Tour. The factories have recognized the importance
of racing as part of their overall marketing program.
Participation from BRP Can-Am and Suzuki are confirmed,
while other manufacturers, including Honda, Yamaha
and others are planning to take part. AMSOIL, Dennis
Kirk, Jack Link's and many others are also partnering
with the Tour. The Series will also support unique
programs designed to help teams secure sponsorship
and to allow them to grow with the Tour.
A full slate of ATV racing will be held on both Saturday
and Sunday. Tickets will be available at the gate.
A full race weekend schedule is available at www.powersportstour.com.
About the PowerSports
ATV Tour
The PowerSports ATV Tour is North America's
newest ATV racing tour. The Tour is North America's
premier form of ATV racing, with its jumps,
gyrations and dirt-slinging racing action. The
Tour is organized by the World PowerSports Association,
North America's largest and most respected snowmobile
sanctioning body, and promoter of ATV and snowmobile
racing on both the regional and national level.
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