ATVR: Why did Dave Hamel sell the series that he worked so hard to build?
SR: The brief answer is Dave wanted to spend more time with his family, and he had been traveling nonstop with the series for three years. He needed to spend some good, valuable time with his family.
ATVR: So how did you come to own the series, and what promoting background did you have?
SR: I started out working for Dave and helped him run a few races. My professional racing background led me to the series as I was looking for something professional to race in the Midwest/West Coast. I ended up helping Dave run a few races in my home state of Texas, and they were pretty successful, where most of Dave's best racing had been out west. Later, I was in the market to purchase a motocross facility in Texas and thought about asking Dave if he would like to sell the series. Dave didn't want to just sell the series to someone who would take over and let it vanish after a year or two. In the end, he sold me the series, and I finished out the last three races in the 2004 season.
The Hamels gave me a great base to work from. It wasn't like I hit a home run here. They did all the groundwork, and I am just a pinch hitter in a sense. We have recently acquired a new semi that will be up in Washington for the first time, and then at the rest of the events this year. It will be for registration and be sort of our main hub, basically a self-sustaining machine. Also, we are pushing for the series to get televised in the future.