Growing up as an avid ATV racing enthusiast I could hardly wait to get my hands on the latest magazine so I could catch up with all the latest happenings in the sport. I read about championships won in MX and GNCC racing, the evolution of the 4-stroke racing ATVs and even injuries that sidelined some of the top-tier riders our sport had to offer. While I was captivated by every aspect of the sport, MX racing is what really grasped my attention as it's all we really had out here on the West Coast. While GNCC racing is awesome and I have the utmost respect for those riders, at that time in my life I had yet to experience that kind of racing, so I focused on what I knew.
In 2004 I was able to attend my first ATVA MX race event, because that year was the first time that the national circuit trekked west to take on Glen Helen Raceway. I watched in awe as some of the fastest racers on the planet battled back and forth, giving their all to take home the bragging rights for this event. My heroes were right in front of me and I got to experience the true intensity of the sport that cannot be captured through words or photos. I vowed to go back every year as long as the race was held right in my backyard, but in 2006 I was unable to attend for whatever reason. That would be the year I was told that I shouldn't
have missed.
My best friend came back from the race raving about an amazing young rider that astonished everyone in site as he exploded out of the gate and preceded to put a 30-second gap on the most talented racers in the country. He then continued by explaining how this rider pushed his machine so hard to the limits that the frame had cracked and literally started pulling the head off of his engine while he was riding. While this mystery rider seemed to be hard on equipment, he not only proved his talent and the drive it takes to compete with the most incredible riders in the business-this kid had unbelievable passion. This miraculous unknown rider's name was Chad Wienen.
The Galena, IL native got his first taste of riding ATVs for fun at 10 years old when he would visit his cousins and would set out on off-road adventures with them. Over the years, the fun he had while riding continued and at the age of 16, Chad had entered his first motocross race where he won his very first moto and crashed in his second. While his second moto would leave more to be desired, he was now hooked on this high-adrenaline sport of ATV motocross and attributes this experience as a major part of what has propelled him to where he is today. ATV racing wasn't the only sport that he was involved in during his teenage/high school years, as he also was a fixture on the school football and baseball teams. It would be safe to conclude that a very competitive spirit has always rushed through the veins of this athlete.
As the flagship rider for...
As the flagship rider for the Motoworks/Can-Am MX team, there are many hopes and expectations for Chad in 2010.
One of the things that I've noticed about Chad from watching him ride is that he is always giving a minimum of 100%. When I asked him where he pulls that intense drive and motivation from, he gives credit to his high school coaches. "The coaching was really influential in what I do today, particularly Coach Korte. He always pushed you to give 100% and he had a way of getting through to you as a kid. In my senior year at high school, he led our team to a Division 1A State Championship before he retired." He attributes this as one of the major factors as to why he pushes so hard in what he does now.
In talking with Chad he emphasized that the harder you work, the better the end result can be. This was very prevalent in his career when in only his second year as a Pro racer he caught the eye of the Suzuki Factory Race Team. Starting out the season with a strong presence during his races, Suzuki was quick to sign Wienen to the team and put him in the line-up alongside Dustin Wimmer and one of his heroes, Doug Gust. When asked what it was about Gust that inspired him, Chad had this to say. "At 42 years young he is in great shape and come race weekends, he's out there bustin' his butt like all the rest of us. You wont find many people at this age who are still out on the track at his level. Other racers at that age have turned in, are working their job and started losing their figure where Doug continues to train hard and it shows."