Inside the tech-support trailer-a miniature control room on wheels with an entire wall covered with TV monitors-Bryan and I stood quietly in awe as we listened and watched a pro race from a multitude of behind-the-scenes vantage points. This lair of producers, directors and crew hummed with activity under the phosphorous glow of a vast array of screens and hundreds of lighted multicolored buttons on a daunting control panel. From this pocket operations center, the masters of the show control a field crew of 30 as they cover the weekend's activities. But the show continues long past the checkered flag. Over the course of a typical event, this team produces more than 100 hours of tape that must be edited down (in less than a week) to a heart-pumping, hour-long package of amazing ATV action for you to watch on Sunday afternoon.
Maybe I should click it in reverse. It all began earlier in the year when, out of nowhere, something big and explosive leapt onto television screens throughout the country like a big-bore blasting out of the woods-the newly formed World PowerSports Association's ATV Racing Tour. So quickly did the WPSA racing hit the airwaves, assertively grabbing the attention of American ATV enthusiasts and garnering a huge audience, that the new venue seemed like an overnight success. No doubt the buzz over its awesome footage, intense racing and big names lining up to join helped spread the Tour's popularity like wildfire. Whatever the reasons, the bottom line is the WPSA series jumped to the forefront of ATV racing in less than a year's time and in doing so clearly dispelled a (mis)perception that quality off-road ATV racing is only a grassroots sport run on farmland and in nearby woods.
With thrill-seeking viewers able to get their weekly ATV racing fix on ESPN2, the sport has transformed before our eyes. Not since the heyday of the Mickey Thompson series has ATV racing been accessible to so many (including so many nonriders) so easily. Reaching an estimated 250,000 households, the series appears only able to grow as the numbers add up to a happy ESPN, pleased advertisers and, more important, satisfied racers and fans. Naturally, we had to get a look behind the scenes; we're typical nosy journalists content only after asking loads of questions, bothering everyone we can find and ultimately discovering exactly what makes an organization tick.
The Foundation
The roots of this "new" form of racing take us back to ESPN's "Great Outdoor Games" in 2005 at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida. That year, the motocross races and the newly formed 4x4 TerraCross event proved to be a huge success as they brought high-flying aerial displays, jumps, logs, mud and exhilarating battles to the games. The objective was to help deliver the GOG from dwindling ratings. And with over a million viewers tuned into this enormous display of adrenaline, it was obviously a success. After witnessing this groundbreaking event, racers, fans and manufacturers knew they had just glimpsed the future of the ATV sport. However, the event was not held in '06 because ESPN wanted to retool the series for '07, and the big question was who would lead the charge in taking the sport to the next level?
Stepping up to the plate would be the World PowerSports Association, one of North America's largest and most respected promoters and organizers. The company had 10 years of running the highly successful Snocross racing series under its belt, and at the urging of the North American OEs involved in the snowmobile racing, the WPSA turned its attention to ATVs. It had the clout and ability to develop an ATV racing series focused around spectators watching via television to make the maximum impact.
Just who is pulling the strings of such a well-oiled machine? While tracking down the names, we uncovered the CEO of WPSA, Rick Murphy. A large, gregarious man, Murphy was happy to shed some light on the history and philosophy of the company and the new series, as well as reveal electrifying details of its future.
"At first, we ran up against mountainous hurdles and had many people wondering why us Snocross guys were trying to enter the ATV business," Murphy explained. "I must give credit to Tess Sewell, who was the creator of the TerraCross type of racing and played an integral part of the series with his ATV experience. We had a vision of getting into ATV racing using the TerraCross model, which was later transformed into the Quad Terrain Challenge we see today. We felt that we were properly equipped to build an exciting and challenging four-wheeled event in and around the motocross track with rocks, logs, mud and some of the MX track that would excite fans. Quad Terrain Challenge as well as the MX racing have both been big hits on television. It consistently leads its timeslot for that day."
How Do They Do It?
I must say, witnessing the level of planning, attention to detail, equipment and sweat that actually goes into making each event a successful reality was a shocker. A staff of 21 plus camera crews adds up to around 30 skilled people working on the race and its coverage, with another 30-some back at the headquarters, churning out the finished product. The execution of the event itself and the coverage worked like clockwork with surprisingly few delays-amazing to anyone who's ever spent time around TV sets, movie sets or even a weekend race series.
A typical production crew consists of cameramen, utility workers (who assist the camera crews), audio technicians, technical staff and graphics staff, with a producer and director coordinating them all. Spread around the track are an average of eight carefully positioned cameras focusing in on the action at various berms, jumps, rock gardens and mud holes. And they move on occasion to update or simply change the view. In addition, there are several POV (point of view) cameras mounted on the racers themselves or their machines to give audiences their perspective of the challenging course. And several mobile interview teams armed with beta cams and microphone-equipped talents like Jerry Bernardo float around the pits for colorful interviews.