Normally we hit up racers from across the country for this page, but this time we're mixing it up. We wanted to get into the mind of someone behind the scenes and not in the limelight, so we turned to our good buddy Allen Knowles. Once he was finally able to get away from the hustle and bustle of his shop, we received our answers and quickly made our first appointment for therapy after reading them. Take note that these are only the answers we're able to show you.
1 What exactly do you do at CT Racing?
Build fast, reliable motors.
2 What magazine(s) do you have sitting next to the king's throne?
Shotgun News.
3 What's the most recent post on your Facebook status?
Adam Campbell threatening to call the FAA just because I'm going to fly a helicopter. Said he's not driving anywhere until it's been confirmed that I've landed. What a pud!
4 Speaking of Adam, who has better style out of you two?
Adam has style, I have class.
5 We've heard people call you "Crazy Al" from time to time. Do you have some interesting stories and skeletons in your closet?
The closet is so full I can't even close the door. That nickname came out in the '80s. I was younger and it was the '80s.
6 If you weren't involved in the ATV industry, what would you be doing?
Probably pushing a shopping cart around.
7 Have you ever been involved in any humorous rivalries with any of your competitors?
Lots of them... I love to have fun at other people's expense. I've been known to pull a gag or three. 8 If you could talk a manufacturer into building your dream ATV, what would it be and why?
I'd love to see a racier open-class ATV in the 600-700cc range with more MX influence, much like the XR650R that we've dominated the BITD series with for the last few years. I'd also like to see a racier 250cc-class machine for the youth racers.
9 What is the one thing you can't live without but probably should?
Speed!
10 If you had a spare grand burning a hole in your pocket, what would you spend it on at this exact second?
A needle and thread to sew up that hole that was burned into my pocket.
11 They say by taking the name of your first pet and the name of the street you live on, you get your porn star name. What would yours be?
Dutch Balboa. With a name like that I coulda been a star!
12 If you were stranded on a desert island, what one person or item would you want with you?
My wife. She can fish, hunt, clean fish, make a gourmet meal out of anything and is my best friend. "Survivor" would have nothing on us.
13 With the decline of the economy, do you think the manufacturers will ever jump back into the ATV racing scene as strong as they were before?
If they build another round of race-type quads, and we all know they will, they'll have to promote them, so yes.
14 When you hear the words "fastest ATV racer of the '80s and '90s," what names come to mind?
Gary Denton, Marty Hart, Dyno Dean Sundahl, Tim Farr, Barry Hawk, Bob Sloan, Hiro Koike, Jimmy White, Chargin' Charlie Sheppard, Paul Winrow and Allen Knowles.
15 Which machine do you feel made the biggest impact in the sport ATV market?
The 1985 Honda 250R ATC or the '85 Suzuki QuadRacer 250? The Honda US 90 started it all, then the Suzuki QuadRacer revolutionized that extra wheel.
16 Obviously you're in the business of working on ATVs, but do you still take time to get away and get some seat time?
I still ride and test a lot. Many nights I'm riding at Milestone MX Ranch in Riverside, California, and I make a few trips every year to the dunes. I also do some magazine testing. I get a fair bit of seat time for an old guy.
17 Are there any particular ATV racing series you like to follow?
Best In The Desert and WORCS.
18 What's your favorite ATV event of the year, official or not?
The CT Racing/Hinson Racing guys' trip to Glamis. For racing I can never miss Vegas to Reno.
19 If you could get the AMA to make any changes, what would they be?
Definitely change the rules on the youth 300 class. It should have been a 250 class and not a 300 just to include the 300EX. It makes it too hard on families that are racing a 250, because they have to spend a lot of extra money, and the 300EX was never marketed to the performance community, so the class shouldn't have been bumped up.
20 Finally, if you could have a superpower, what would it be?
You mean besides the ones I already have?