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Todd Macke Interview

Todd Macke Interview
Todd Macke Races Red Bud Motocross

Todd Macke Links
Todd Macke ATV Racer
Todd Macke ATV Racer
Buchanan, MI (8/25/2014) - Considered to many an ambassador to the ATV Community, Todd Macke has held a passion for riding ATVs since he was a kid. Like most ATV enthusiasts they got started riding at an early age; so was true for Todd Macke, but Macke's story is a little different than the average ATV Rider. Macke was born with Cerebral Palsy, a condition that is caused by brain damage while a child’s brain is still developing. Cerebra Palsy otherwise known as CP, limits the ability of body movement and muscle control. In Macke's case, CP makes it hard for him to move his legs, hands limits his speech.

Unable to walk until the age of 7, Macke's father bought him a Honda ATC 70 so he could ride with his two brothers. The coordination to ride a 3 wheeler helped Todd start walking. After progressing up to larger displacement machines, Macke started racing locally in 1987. Two years later, Macke attended his first national events and steadily fine tuned his racing skills. In 1997 Todd Macke won the National Triple Crown Championship in his class.

Todd Macke 3 Wheeler
Todd Macke & his Honda ATC 70

In addition to racing on a national level, Macke also raced in the 2007 Heartland Challenge solo in the Ironman Class, which is an impressive feat for anyone, yet alone race 12 hours solo with Cerebra Palsy!

To this day, Todd Macke continues to race when he can. Although his CP makes it difficult to race, Macke continues to stay strong and persevere to enjoy the sport he has grew up with.

We had a chance to catch up with Todd Macke at the eighth round of the Mtn Dew ATV Motocross Championship Racing Series. After speaking with Pro ATV Motocross Racer Cody Janssen, Macke was able to get the full pro racer experience at Red Bud, which as been a dream of his ever since he started racing.

ATVriders.com: How did you get the idea of racing Cody Janssen’s Pro Quad at Red Bud ATV Motocross National?   
Todd Macke: Joel Janssen found me on Facebook; he remembered me from racing the national series back in the early 1990’s. He posted a picture of 3 Kawasaki 450 quads in January and I mentioned how I would like to race one at a national. That led me to approach Cody and ask if I could race his practice quad at a national, and how it’s been a dream of mine. 

Todd Macke Heartland Challenge
Todd Macke took on the 2008 Heartland Challenge 10 Hour race solo and finished fifth in the Ironman Class, which was an impressive accomplishment

I missed an opportunity to race Kory Ellis’s ALBA YFZ at Glen Helen back in 2006.  I had Doug Gust’s factory Suzuki quad lined up to race a 12 hour event, but Suzuki pulled the plug. I have always wanted to race a Pro level quad to see how the engine pulled, and how the suspension soaked up larger jumps.

Todd Macke Yamaha YFZ450
Todd Macke aboard his #31 Yamaha YFZ450

ATVriders.com: How did your weekend go racing Cody Janssen’s Pro quad?
Todd Macke: Perfect weather, zero pressure, simply go out and race for fun!  Rode all 3 practices on Friday and getting used to the motor, suspension and handling. The engine was definitely faster than my ALBA Yamaha. The Janssen Honda motor pulled as hard as my CR500 quad back in the day. The Walsh front end and Elka suspension handled the breaking bumps and kept a solid footprint enabling me to build confidence. I had my fastest laps in the 3rd practice session when the track was the roughest.

Todd Macke ATV MX
Todd Macke, who suffers from cerebral palsy, raced on a borrowed Honda 450R from Pro ATV Motocross Racer Cody Janssen at Red Bud

I raced the 30+C and 40+ classes, and Amy Ritchie made signing up easy for me. My wife Nikki and son Max were watching the start of my first race on Saturday. Cody Janssen was with me at the gate to pack the dirt and kick start the engine for me. We did a fist bump and said “Shake n Bake”.

Todd Macke ATV Motocross
Cody Janssen helps Todd Macke at the startling line at round 8

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