ATV/MX Series Racing Market - Factory Invasion

Despite Farr's big-picture thinking, it was in fact a Suzuki/Nac's Racing-backed Doug Gust who won the inaugural pro production class championship aboard a highly modified LT-Z400. Regardless, Suzuki's early win made history and set the ball rolling. The factories were back, sort of. Sadly, internal problems at Cannondale ended with bankruptcy for the ballsy company that prompted the return of the Big Four OEMs.

The months leading up to the 2004 season were hectic. Yamaha beat everyone to the punch by releasing its YFZ450. Honda scrambled to follow suit and not only released the TRX450, it signed Farr as the first Honda-backed ATV racer since the '80s. Suzuki took it 10 steps further and not only sponsored Doug Gust, it sent out a big trailer and a crew of seven mechanics and team personnel to support him. Yamaha fired back with support for Jeremiah Jones and Keith Little on the MX side and Ballance on the GNCC side. The pro production class was suddenly relevant, as the nonproduction pro class was eliminated. Suzuki's Gust once again earned the championship.

The next few years were a whirlwind of activity: In '05, Suzuki added a big rig and Jones to the team. Honda added Joe Byrd, Yamaha signed Kory Ellis, Polaris stuck to the GNCCs and picked up Matt Smiley. The first factory satellite team was introduced to ATV racing by Farr; the MotoSport Outlet/Honda team was the first factory expansion into the pro-am ranks.

The next big break for the sport once again came by way of Donnie Banks; this time it was TV that he had set his sights on. Working as a consultant and race director for ESPN's "Great Outdoor Games," Banks assembled a committee of like-minded ATV industry insiders and put ATV racing into literally millions of households. Honda-mounted privateer John Natalie Jr. not only won the inaugural "Great Outdoor Games," he won the 2005 Pro Class Championship. In addition to traditional ATV/MX, the GOG organizers added a utility ATV competition (Quad Terrain Challenge), which pitted riders against a man-made obstacle course. The result: huge ratings and a new competition market.

Not surprisingly, Honda picked up Natalie for '06, and the whirlwind continued. Yamaha responded by signing Pat Brown and Travis Spader. The ATV racing portion of the GOG ratings were good enough to attract the attention of snowmobile-sanctioning body and event producers, WPSA. A 2006 series was announced and the biggest political nightmare in the history of ATV racing began. The WPSA's ATV tour enjoyed huge TV ratings, factory and rider support in 2006, garnering further attention from the OEMs. With two series came two champions. Honda-mounted Byrd on the GNC side, and Suzuki's Doug "Digger" Gust at the WPSA. The pressure was now on; you see, it's one thing to have your machine beaten at an untelevised event in the middle of nowhere, it's another to be completely beaten in front of millions in their living rooms nationwide via ESPN.

ATVR: How important is ATV racing to the effective marketing of sport ATVs? Does the "What wins on Sunday, sells on Monday" adage apply?

Allen White, team manager, Epic Racing/ Can-Am:
I believe the slogan does have some merit in our sport. When you start growing larger and larger, such as how the ATV industry is, and there are so many manufacturers to choose from, much of the public that's "not in the know" look at race wins to determine the quality of the machines.