ATV Racing Redefined

Flashback to midway through the 2003 ATV MX National season...just as the sport as a whole seemed to be on the rise the once-mighty Nac's Racing team was on its way out. The powerhouse squad was coming off of a brief stint as a factory team, and its riders were enjoying unprecedented support for both pro and amateur racers. Rather than reaping the rewards of bringing the factories back to the sport, Team Nac's was ironically on its last leg, facing a slew of legal problems stemming from Cannondale's bankruptcy, effectively making '03 its last season. The team's pro riders would certainly land on their feet, but the amateurs could sense the impending doom. Among the soon-to-be-ride-less roster were Zac Willett, Kyle Taylor and Jorge Cuartas. As the season progressed, the outlook seemed grim and the trio prepared for the worst. Going from the prestige of Team Nac's back to the struggles of privateer life wasn't appealing. "Dude, let's start our own thing, but make it punk rock and anti-corporate," suggested Willett while sitting in a Pennsylvania Applebee's restaurant with Cuartas, Taylor and Mark Kendall. At first, the idea seemed ridiculous, but as the season's end drew closer, talk of the new "anti-team" grew in frequency and seriousness.

Just a couple of months later the "anti-team," aka Media Allstars, had become a reality, sort of. Armed with the remnants of Nac's sponsors (and amateur roster, for that matter) and a handful of personal supporters, the Media Allstars decided to make a run at this team thing. Sponsors didn't really know what to make of the plan; after all, unlike any other team on the circuit, the Media Allstars were a team for team's sake. There was no actual Media Allstars business, product or shop to speak of. In essence, all the team was built to promote were its riders and sponsors. And promote the team did, a barrage of full-page team ads flooded the series' event programs, while the team members themselves sought out as much press as possible through the enthusiast websites, TV shows and magazines. In the inaugural season, Kendall, Cuartas and Willett were joined by Josh Upperman, Hollie Shartzer, Jamie and Lee Rentz, John and Leslie Ragon and a Godsend by the name of Jeremiah Jones (JJ). JJ's title sponsor had backed out on him at the eleventh hour, and as a result he agreed to run the Media Allstars graphics, which brought the start-up team some much-needed credibility.

At the end of '04, Jeremiah went to factory Suzuki, taking with him Jamie Rentz (his future bride) and John Ragon. Coming into '05 the Media Allstars pulled off a miracle by landing FMF as a title sponsor, the deal including use of FMF's team 18-wheeler. Mind you, in '05 there were two big rigs at the races, factory Suzuki and the business-less, pro-less Media Allstars amateur team. The ad campaign intensified, and the roster grew in size and prestige. Joining the team were Angela Moore, Casey and Patton Thompson, Hunter Johnson and Rob Baumsteiger. That season Upperman and Kendall dominated the Pro Am class with Upperman eventually landing the team its first championship (Pro Am Unlimited). The peak of dominance came in '05 at High Point, where the entire team went undefeated on the weekend, winning every single moto they entered. Presence, results, advertising and championships all combined to make the second year an overwhelming success. Sponsors were now actively pursuing the team, instead of vice versa, and literally hundreds of rsums poured in from riders wanting a spot on the roster