2007 looks good for ATV Racing

 
 

2006 has been an exciting year for ATV fans and ATV racers and the same way that it has been traditionally honoring those ATV racers who have performed outstandingly throughout the year, the 4 th AMA Sports Awards Banquet mid November 2006 presenting top atheletes with awards for their active participation and achievements. Although this is old news, as the year comes to a close, it seems appropriate to close the year properly by giving you the low down on who's got it made this year.

This year the 4 th Annual AMA Sports Awards Banquet was held in Rio Suites in Las Vegas , Nevada . And then on the following night, the Orleans Arena was filled to the brim with ATV riders from all around the globe for the 4 th Annual Maxxis Eudurocross event. That night, ATV riders with varying skills and inclinations gathered together under one rood to test out the indoor obstacles set up for them – so, on they went to test their skills out going over and under obstacles like boulders, logs, tires and water. Suffice to say, indoor trails are not as easy as they sound because some outdoor ATV riders may find it a little bit difficult to adjust to the way they ride if they seldom ride indoors. However, for the defending champion, David Knight (hailing from the UK) turned up but as it turned out, not only did American rider John Dowd give him a tough time, the American finally took the title. However, the champion did not have an easy time because he had a close battle with Nathan Woods. In the end, John Dowd came out tops followed by Nathan Woods and the defending champion, David Knight, managed to get a space on the podium.

And of course, the celebration didn't end there because they brought the fanfare to Rio for the AMA Pro Racing Banquet. The categories they presented awards to were motocross, supermoto, drag racing, hill climbs and road racing. Athletes from these disciplines were honored and presented with their award on Sunday night.

Although the winners and high achievers deserved all the limelight they could get throughout the night, someone else took a share of their pie. Seven time National Motocross Championship ATV powerhouse announced his retirement from ATV racing. Rickey Carmichael , as we all know, flies everytime he's on an ATV and it just seems like such a pity that he would retire now although many other older riders were still in the game. However, many respected his decision and paid extra special attention to this legend when he was awarded the 'Speed AMA Pro Racer of the Year'. Ricky Carmichael will be migrating to NASCAR next year. Seems that there will be a lot of changing for Carmichael to do because not only is he switching from Motocross to NASCAR, he will also morph into a father of twins.

If the star-studded night was a good chance for many to see ATV Pro Motocross Racing as an official professional form of racing and this news was announced this year. What a relief for ATV riders and racers as they have waited nearly twenty years to hear this news. This is a huge step forward for ATV Racing as we can already see a lot of sponsorships and support from manufacturers in year 2007. ATV Racing is finally making it into the world of actual racing because an ATV Supercross Series is in the pipeline and we can expect this when we hit 2008; and together with that there will be a big expansion on the Pro Class series that will see participation in 250cc and 450cc ATVs.

With the support of AMA, WPSA and future sponsors, we can expect ATV racing to explode with a vengeance because ATV Racing will soon, we think, be made viewable at home on the tube. With the wide coverage and introduction of ATV Racing to many TV viewers all around the world, we can expect tougher competition and increased number of races and ATV racers.

As the curtain falls on 2006, let's welcome 2007 and hope that it will be even more exciting than it has been for 2006.

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