"We have a scout team that shows up one week prior to the event in order to begin the layout of the production equipment throughout the track," Producer Dave Bruner told us. "About midweek, the rest of our crew begins flowing in and preparing for the major undertaking that is about to take place. It requires a huge level of teamwork to make this show happen, but we have a successful team that has worked on everything from NASCAR to Snocross events across the nation."
Once the weekend comes to an end, the production crew gets no time for rest as they must pack up within just a few hours what took several days to assemble. By this time, all that filming has created about 50-plus tapes-approximately 100 hours of action-ready to be sent on to the production facilities for the editing process.
What About The Racing?
Let me set the record straight: The excitement you see on ESPN2 is even better in person. The title for both motocross and Quad Terrain Challenge (utilities) came down to the last round. The fans in Englishtown, New Jersey, and I got to witness some of the fiercest ATV battles, and hopefully the camera crews were able to capture the energy of the crowd and racers, as Dustin Wimmer and Doug Gust performed a racing bout that will forever be etched in my memory. The championship for the inaugural season of the WPSA series came down to a wheel-to-wheel battle to the very last turn.
"This is a great series. I'm glad they are doing it and believe that this is exactly what the sport needs," Gust exclaimed after adding another championship to his rsum. His archrival, Wimmer, echoed his sentiments-once we finally caught up with him-and shocked us with this statement: "Next year, my focus will be on the WPSA series. The WPSA is the way of the future and is getting us out there with the TV coverage."
The new Quad Terrain Challenge went from what seemed like a sideshow to the main motocross racing program to basically stealing the show-not that it's a big surprise since 4WD machines lead ATV sales. Massive crowds pack the stands to view the bashing and banging of quads as the riders tackled gnarly rock and log sections and jumped their 700-pound machines into slushy mud pits. Factory support was evidenced by not only the Can-Am and Arctic Cat semis but also by the Jack Links-sponsored team rig in the pits. Surrounding the castlelike semi-trailers of the utility teams was a sea of RVs and trailers housing satellite teams for both MX and ute, and privateers of all levels. Wrapping around the large vehicles was an outer ring of amateur racers out for a weekend of fun on the track.
Daryl Rath of Team Arctic Cat was able to keep his machine running (with help from the skilled mechanics in the black and green semi) to become the first-ever QTC champion. That was part of the thrill-a racer might go from leading the pack to chasing it in just one lap. Luck was as important as skill-and it makes for good television, of course. "I just met a group of fans who had been watching the television shows all season and were fascinated with it. They decided to drive six hours to come and check out the last race of the season," Rath said. "That was really neat, and that's just what our sport needs in the long run." Add in big names like GNCC pros William Yokley and Chris Borich, who already have a large fan base following them, and the WPSA seems like it can only grow.
Future?With the promise of bigger and better racing on the horizon, it's exciting to realize that the WPSA series has just scratched the surface of potential as these promoters have nothing less than larger-than-life dreams for the future. "The 2006 season was all about organizing our race circuit, getting our television program up and running and letting the racers know we are here," Murphy explained. "But the goal of the future is to continue building up our racers as well as birthing a nonpoints regional series. We want to build a much more fan-friendly experience for our national events. We want our fans to see, taste, touch, feel and buy from our new vendor village that will continue to grow in '07 and allow the fans to enjoy a festival-type atmosphere. And as if that were not enough, WPSA plans on adding a toned-down Quad Terrain Challenge course for anyone who is willing to risk it."
By "toned-down QTC," Murphy means the alternative loop will still have the rock and log obstacles to provide a challenge, but they won't be as devastating on the equipment as the brutal sections that destroyed the pros' ATVs this year-this way you can show up to a WPSA event, race and then take your utility home (and hopefully a trophy, too) without requiring a major visit to the parts counter before riding again. As we said, that can only mean bigger crowds and more fun for '07 and beyond.
So don't get left behind!