OZ ATV :: The Australian ATV Forum

[Roycroft]

i would like to give you all that might not be aware a bit of an insight to what is happening to our sport of ATV racing in Australia for 2008.
for 2008 our sport has turned pro with great financial support directly from the manufactures, this has been relitivly unheard off before in Australia but well deserved
its great to see manuafactures start to get involved and put there money back into the sport that we all spend alot on over the years.
Polaris with Luke B and Aaron Ovens onboard the Polaris outlaw MX
Kawasaki with Paul Worth and Todd Oleary on the KFX 450
Can Am with Jamie Barkla, Rick Beers and myself on the DS 450x
with all the manufacures getting invoved with great sport quads, this will make for a exciting year on the trails, race tracks and at the motorshows.
i can't wait to get on the start line in early march, it will surly look like a rainbow?
if there is anyone else out there with great support from a dealer or factory, let everyone know as it only helps the sport if we know what everyone is upto.
in the mean time check out the link below.
cheers
mick


http://www.atvpod.com.au/racing/2007/can-am_announce_08.asp
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2012 sponsors, Working on it.

[Quad]

thats good to see , pros racing that get payed , you do get payed for racing thats a pro yes.

[OZ_450]

cowchaser gets paid in crownies
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black covered in 5.7 powered oversize quad
model vx ss 350 hahaha
enough bass to compensate for lack of skills
Empty Wallet Racing proudly on track for GM Motorsport

[Linc]

The whole QRCV state series is now sponsored by Polaris Industries.

Also, we now have a seperate tri-state series (Vic, NSW & SA) sponsored by Polaris Outlaw......

I hope to see you all there.

Linc

[moogie]

Its great to see these teams for 2008...the thing as per there press release they are doing major events inc 2008 Nats, tri series, vic and queensland series and other stadium events.
Dont see any events over here in WA. I know its a long way but as an Australian based race teams you may be able to get to the state that sells alot of quads and race the best of the best. I know alot of dealerships of these manufactures would love to see it and surely the manufactures would help the there race teams come over here, after all Kawasaki, polaris and canam have dealerships and sales in WA as well ???

Just food for thought

[TasRaptor700]

Great to hear, can only get bigger

I sponsor our club, Tas Endurance Riders, with sign writing and all numbers and direction signage.

I think that it is the least I can do for a club that puts together some awsome enduro tracks for the quads as well as our 2 wheeled cousins...
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Andrew

[Q67Dazza]

Roycroft wrote:

i would like to give you all that might not be aware a bit of an insight to what is happening to our sport of ATV racing in Australia for 2008. for 2008 our sport has turned pro with great financial support directly from the manufactures, this has been relitivly unheard off before in Australia but well deserved its great to see manuafactures start to get involved and put there money back into the sport that we all spend alot on over the years. Polaris with Luke B and Aaron Ovens onboard the Polaris outlaw MX Kawasaki with Paul Worth and Todd Oleary on the KFX 450 Can Am with Jamie Barkla, Rick Beers and myself on the DS 450x with all the manufacures getting invoved with great sport quads, this will make for a exciting year on the trails, race tracks and at the motorshows. i can't wait to get on the start line in early march, it will surly look like a rainbow? if there is anyone else out there with great support from a dealer or factory, let everyone know as it only helps the sport if we know what everyone is upto. in the mean time check out the link below. cheers mick http://www.atvpod.com.au/racing/2007/can-am_announce_08.asp

yeah it's great too see, and whilst I wouldn't quite compared the factory support to our 2 wheeled bretheren
It's certainly is a quantam leap in ATV manufacturer support from just 1 or 2 seasons ago
.
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it's not easy getting sponsorship as some of you may be aware
in the states you send in resume's approach team's,,, interviews talent scouts,,, public speaking and media courses
you need to show our sport in a positive light and add value back to your sponsor
can be a tough ask for your average joe rev head
.
.
.
and on a lighter note
Honda & Yamaha seem suspiciously absent from that list..
Is that cause the fastest riders are ova West
and they'd have to get serious and send them to your Tri-State series ....easy cough cough
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007257 where are you???.... bring back the Bling

[old55]

As far as we know Honda Race team fully sponsor only two wheeled riders (and those two wheel riders are fully paid by the enormous amount of quad bikes sold, both sport and farm) goes to show that quads can pay for its own sport - imagine if they put those dollars back into thier quad riders - our rider is on a race plan like most other quad riders, he buys his bike - ours is not paid thus not classified as a "Professional Rider" only getting what prize money may be availalbe at each race. The only way our rider will get there if he saves his own butt off.

So I must also ask the question, why not come race here in WA.

Teams have been around for years, but generally its only the local Retail dealerships that assist, not the Manufacturers. Apparently we are too too far away, but guess what, we have proven to produce very fast riders, maybe its the vast spaces we have to ride in.

Roll on the day when a team offers our rider money to race.

[Predatory]

Yeah, out of all the riders named, how many from WA? How come no dedicated off-road sponsorship? How many of the state round MX races get TV coverage?
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Its not if you win or lose but how you enjoyed the ride!

[lukeb]

Its ture the WA boys have proven to be the fastest in the country and i feel they should be getting more support for sure, i can not speak for any other teams/manufacturers but with my team the plan was to run the first year with riders from the east coast so we can work closely together and learn how to work as a team, this will help us learn what we need to do for next year to make things even bigger, i can say that we will be on the look out for a rider from WA for next season as we want to cover both sides of the country and the deal they would receive would be well beyond what any other racers in Australia receive now, i know this because i see both sides as a racer and a sponsor and i want to see all different teams out on the track with the support they deserve, this is a start and i hope it contnues to grow, good luck to all.
Luke Beechey
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What would you know i read it on a forum it must be true ha ha

[IC chill]

Not trying to kill the subject here but just trying to clarify everyone's definition on a "PRO" or factory racer.

my take on it is that you get paid to do two things ride a bike or quad and train, thats it nothing else, not working a day job and riding on the weekend and after work.

[lukeb]

Thats a good point Warrior, i know that when some pro MX riders join a team for the first year they get bikes and parts and maybe say $5000 and then it is there responsibility to get to the races and they still have to work during the week, theres not many Quad racers here making money but that will change in the next few years i feel, this probaly doesnt clear things up at all but its just some info i thought i would share, this is a good subject lets hope everyone can keep it positive as it is only going to help the sport grow.
Luke
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What would you know i read it on a forum it must be true ha ha

[cowchaser]

Great subject Roycroft and congrats to all the new teams for next year, it is very exciting to see most manufacturers supporting our sport now and this can only make it grow for the future.

I think most of you know that Suzuki and I are about to head into our third year of working together and it has been a partnership along with many other sponsors that has benefited all parties.

I don't think it matters what we call ourselves but there is a Pro class in Aust so I guess the guys that ride in that class are able to call themselves Pro Class riders. Don't think for a second that every rider on the gates in the Two Wheeled Pro Class dose it for a job.

Predatory don't think that there is not support for Off Road Racing the problem is there are just no events. I know Suzuki, Polaris and Honda take Finke very seriously because of the Media coverage. Suzuki were over the moon last year when I won they said it was bigger for them than if I had of won the Nats. I know Honda were just as thrilled when Rod Scale won and Polaris have been desperate to win it for years now.

Just one last thing please don't think that the sponsored guys are just lucky bastards that might get a couple of free bikes for the year because they have had some good results. They have put in hours and hours of work building relationships with company's, sending out resumes, writing press releases after every event, giving feedback to company's on their product, and so on. You might get some good equipment to use and some extra exposure but it a hell of alot of work for it.

But in the end if helps make out sport grow and manufactures sit up and take notice well I guess its worth it.
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Smitty

[TasRaptor700]

Some good points here,

When we sponsored 2 riders last year it was not just a case of heres 5 grand and see you later, I sat down with both boys personally and told them what my expectations were too. They were both still in high school and it was made quite clear that school came first and of coarse any thuggery on track would result in myself and their other sponsores pulling the plug, At the end of the day they were out there with my name and the names of 4 other good blokes that sponsored them, with young kids watching you can't tell me that they don't read what's on their trailers and bikes, if they are being stupid it carries on to the sponsors names also in those kids eyes..

What I am trying to get to is that it is a lot of hard work, not just riding the bike but putting out a goo image for the brands names that are also their.

We have 2 really good quad riders here but with their attitudes they have burnt bridges that will take a long time to rebuild with the bike shops...
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Andrew

[CCR]

Well said Smitty!
But you forgot to mention that it also costs the rider dollars as well, you have to keep yourself reasonably fit, get yourself to and from the races, accomodation when neccesary, entry fees etc.
Must be worth it though as you all seem to enjoy yourselves at the race meetings.

[Q67Dazza]

this is one of my positive spin- outs.

one of the reasons I thought that W.A. got no MX Nokia Nationals last year and QLD got bundles was that strategically the manufactureres needed to raise the profile of MX & Dirt Bike Sales on the east coast

if the east coast sold as many dirt bikes per capita as W.A. it would mean huge business too them
.
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similarly,,,raise the ATV profile on the eastern seaboard is a good thing
If Quad sales on the east coast equalled W.A. per capita sales
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Look-out,,,it's all good and it's gunna be huge
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Give it heaps guys,,,,and good luck too ya's
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007257 where are you???.... bring back the Bling

[PeteW]

cowchaser wrote:

Just one last thing please don't think that the sponsored guys are just lucky bastards that might get a couple of free bikes for the year because they have had some good results. They have put in hours and hours of work building relationships with company's, sending out resumes, writing press releases after every event, giving feedback to company's on their product, and so on. You might get some good equipment to use and some extra exposure but it a hell of alot of work for it.

Well said mate, not many people seem to appreciate just how much the top racers go through to get any of what they've got. no-one in this country has walked into a deal of any size without for one the help and support of someone already involved in a team in some way and further to that it can take years to build up a profile within the industry to be a candidate for sponsorship of any kind. And then you need to be able to keep it.

I've been an advocate for quite some time for the manufacturers coming along and setting up real teams and this is just the begining, after the manufacturers needs to come sponsorship from outside the industry to broaden the exposure of the sport to the public and there by start to bring us onto and even keel with our 2 wheeled MX buddies.
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www.thumbpump.com
www.dirtcomp.com.au

[old55]

The sport will grow, slowly but surely. As far as I am aware there are no factory team sponsored riders here in WA for the Quad side of things. The best sponsorship deal that I have know off is Polaris Central and Kevin Fanning our #66 which has exceeded what everyone else may have been getting and has been ongoing for about 4 year.

Pro classification is just a class name. Not a division between paid and unpaid riders, just a class grade. Unless of course its the ATO asking.

We are hanging out for a Manufacturer to offer just one bike at no cost, not race plan. That would save money.

Theres no harm in wishing, one day in maybe the not so far future.

[Huskygoat]

Smokin Trailers plan to pay riders in 2009 for selected events. sponsors and businesses demand results . last year Cam AM won Kamfari 18 renegades have been sold in Darwin alone since then. My sponsors want to win finke and Kamfari nothing else matters ( I don't agree with) Quads already out sell dirt bikes in Darwin but the market is the hunter. AS we as a industry grows we can't lose track as bikes did and not cater for the clubman . Clubman are 90% of the industry . They are the computer guys who earn 100k a year or miner who works 2 on and one off and has a $30 000 harley chained down in his living room . In time these guys will ride Quads


So in time we will have bigger budgets than bikes.

Huskygoat

[OZ_450]

congrates to all the guys who got support from factorys and hope more get some soon
_________________
black covered in 5.7 powered oversize quad
model vx ss 350 hahaha
enough bass to compensate for lack of skills
Empty Wallet Racing proudly on track for GM Motorsport

[TrevH]

Manufacturers are likely to come onboard and sponsor teams if approached with the right business plan and it is a no effort proposal for them. As in they front up some bucks and/or machines and then they only receive the good news of race wins and exposure their investment gets. They are in the business of selling ATVs and are not at all likely to take people away from their core business roles in order to set up an ATV team in-house as such. Even the big boys have gone this way with their half million $ road race teams and motocross teams. Generally it is outsourced to an independent entity under contract to the manufacturer as all the manufacturer/distributor wants to do is spend the bucks or provide the machines and then get back to their business of selling machines and marketing their product. I think this is clearly evident in the recent announcements, distributors have linked up with proven third parties that can manage their investment in the sport and can be trusted to portray their brand in a positive light.
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Trev
www.atvpod.com.au

[Q67Dazza]

congrats Luke............GAitor28, MrsG...excellent stuff
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tell-him...keep it rubber side down

Quote:

Gaisford and Rockingham Powersports Team up in 2008 Author Message Shan Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 4:08 pm Post subject: Site Admin Joined: 19 Mar 2006 Posts: 1990 Location: East Perth Rockingham Powersports (Previously Honda Country) have started the new year with a new name and a new building. The Cameron Family have refurbished their premises on Dixon Road Rockingham, and are now selling Can-am as well as Honda. The Can-am 450cc Machine has been along time coming while BRP make sure its new machine was tested & scrutinised in the amateur series in the US and now is in full production and arriving in showrooms across Australia. On Board the RPS Can-am 450cc Quad is 16year old Luke Gaisford who has been with Honda Country throughout his Junior career of Quad Motocross, 2 National and 2 State Titles in both the 90cc and 200cc class amongst his career highlights. August 2007 saw Gaisford move to the Senior clubman Class onboard the Honda TRX 450ER in the WAMX Smokefree State Championship Series, he achieved 6/6 wins, finishing off the year at Southern Capes Open 2nd to Brenton, who had just won the WA#1 Plate, he was immediately upgraded for the 2008 Motocross Series. WA has dominated the sport of Quad Motocross for last 3 years, producing some of the finest riders in the country. Luke will embrace the challenge and is excited at the prospect of racing the new Can-am and putting it through its paces. Rockingham Powersports Team will no doubt bring a tinge of Yellow to the Pits this year. WAQuadMX noted that most of the Quad Race teams would not make the trip west, racing only events on the East coast. Quads participate in some of the biggest events in WA which attract East Coast Solo riders of the calibre of Marmont’s, Broomfield, Stewart with home-grown Heroes Addison, Porter, Bell and Humberston. Grant Gaisford stated “ It would be great to see some of the Eastern Seaboard riders plan a trip over for 4 weeks and take in as many events as they can, great for the sport, sponsors and certainly the spectators would be the big winners !�

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007257 where are you???.... bring back the Bling

[dillon66]

congrats to all its good to see our sport grow
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ride hard

[Roycroft]

great comments from all people, please guys keep us all informed, what about guys that are on race plans or deals from dealerships? there has to be more and more, if not get hold of your dealer and sell your ideas, PM me or contact me if you need any help chatting to your local dealer, Can Am dealers of course. na just kidding the more help we get from all Dealers the more we all get noticed. just letting you know Team Can Am will be announcing the Major sponsors in the coming days, keep an eye out in the press.

cheers
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2012 sponsors, Working on it.

[IC chill]

Yamaha Motor Australia is pleased to announce the full factory support of emerging ATV racing talent Ryan Lancaster as he continues to blaze trails towards a successful career in the rapidly-expanding sport.

At just 20 years of age, Lancaster is proving that youthful exuberance and enthusiasm can triumph over experience. 2007 was a standout year for the Tom Price local, and one in which he would shoot to the top of the sport after a string of victories.

He had spent the previous year learning various tracks and coming to grips with his new Yamaha YFZ 450 after racing previously on a Yamaha Warrior. Incredibly, he only had his first taste of racing an ATV at age 17, but instantly developed a passion for the sport.

Top five finishes soon turned into podiums for Lancaster, who was further refining his racecraft in various state-based series. A shoulder injury, which prevented him from contesting the nationals event in 2006 unfortunately flared up again while competing in Western Australia. He battled on in spite of this, and continued to make regular appearances on the top step of the podium.

His clean-sweep of race wins and an overall victory at the 2007 Victorian ATV titles signalled the start of something big. Charging head-first into the 2007 Nationals, it appeared that nothing could stop Lancaster, until a freak accident in the opening race threatened to unravel his campaign.

Instead of slowing him down, the DNF forced him to fight even harder, and the end result was amazing. He swept the remaining 4 races to finish just a few points shy of the national title.

“I’m very excited and honoured to be racing for Yamaha Australia for the 2008 race season. I believe with Yamaha’s close support and my feedback, it will make 2008 a great year for Yamaha Australia’s ATV program,� said Lancaster.

�My goal is to develop a good working relationship with Yamaha, to ensure we can get the best out of the 2008 YFZ 450 and win championships, to further grow the profile of ATV racing in Australia.�

“In the future I would love to race overseas, to experience the level of competition and continue to develop my skills.�

"I’m very excited to be racing with the 2008 YFZ 450 model. It is lightning fast and definitely a contender straight out of the box.�

�In 2008 I’ll be competing in all 6 Western Australia state championship rounds as well as the 5 North West championship rounds and of course the ATV Nationals where I hope to take home the crown.�