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By: Robert Janis
Commanding the Sport and
the Business
 Daryl Rath knows ATVs. He's been riding them
for 30 years, racing them for more than 20 years
and making parts for them for close to 20 years.
He won the WPSA Riders Championship in 2006, the
QTC WPSA Championship, and the Grand National
Championship TT Series in 2004 and 2005. He has
raced ATVs for Polaris and currently races for
Arctic Cat. He served as a consultant to the
Polaris engineering department assisting in
designing and manufacturing parts for ATVs, and
is currently a consultant assisting in the
designing and manufacturing of parts for Arctic
Cat. He is owner and founder of Rath Racing, an
aftermarket company that manufactures ATV parts.
The company's inventory includes peg nerfs,
a-arms, front end kits, nerf bars, rear grab
bars, bumpers, flex handlebars, graphic kits,
mini skids, skid plates, suspensions, sway bars,
gusset kits, axles and hubs, and fuel tanks. He
has a machinist's degree and uses this knowledge
to make the parts. Find out more about Rath
Racing at:
http://www.rathracing.com.
Rath's passion for ATVs came from his father.
His father had a passion for speed and purchased
a 1976 Honda three wheeler for young Daryl. He
then constructed a dirt track in the backyard of
his home where Daryl rode almost every day. So,
getting into racing was just about a foregone
conclusion. He raced a 1984 Honda 200X in his
first races, adding only tires to the machine.
"Back then it was just the tires because of the
rules," said Rath.
Rath started to run pro at the local level in
1987 and nationally in 1992. He races all over
the United States and even participated in a
series in the Dominican Republic. He estimates
he has run in close to 1,000 races over the
years. "I have received national, regional,
local and state championships; and I compete in
all forms of racing including TT, MX, cross
country, ice. Now I have added quad terrain,"
said Rath.
Rath now races for the Arctic Cat racing
team. The team also includes Joe Duncan, Kevin
Johnston, Ken Robey, and Jesse West. "Arctic Cat
is 100 percent behind this effort," added Rath.
"They supply the bikes and mechanics, and they
make certain that the bikes are at the track
ready to go."
Currently, he is racing the Arctic Cat 650H1.
"Arctic Cat wanted testing done on both the 700
and the 650H1. So I started the season on the
700 and switched to the 650," said Rath. "The
quad chosen was a team decision. Our main goal
this year was testing and development." The
650H1 was customized somewhat for the races. "In
the beginning of the season the rules were very
clear -- only handlebars, foot pegs, wheels, and
tires. A few more changes were allowed after a
few rounds, and we added some stabilizers and
some clutching," added Rath.
 Rath has kept his EDT racing independent of
Arctic Cat so that he can develop his line of
Rath Racing products on the track. He noted that
there are differences in running for a
manufacturer as opposed to running
independently. "The main difference in racing
for a manufacturer's team is that you are not
the sole decision maker. Changes to the bike
need to be agreed on and approved. When racing
independently I am free to make whatever changes
are needed to get out front," said Rath.
Besides Arctic Cat, Rath is sponsored by Rath
Racing, Baldwin Motorsports, PEP, Douglas Wheel,
Janssen Motorsports, Maxxis Tires, Fly Clothing,
Flex Handlebars, Scott Goggles, White Brothers,
Maxima Oil, Advocare Nutrition, Precision
Stabilizers, Lonestar, UpDog, Troy Lee Helmets,
Hinson Clutch Components, and ASV.
According to Rath, the best part of racing is
the thrill of the win. The worst part of racing
is having a mechanical or equipment failure and
losing because of it. "It is frustrating to have
something out of your control," he said.
His favorite obstacles are rocks and logs.
"They are the true sections that take both a
great bike and a skilled rider to get through
well," he said.
Now 39 years old, Rath is married and has
four sons -- Jaydon, Jerrod, Jansen, and Tucker.
His wife Jen is co-owner of Rath Racing, and is
the company's sales manager. She travels with
Daryl to most of the races and is almost as well
known in the ATV racing community as Daryl.
As for the future, Rath is excited for the up
and coming racers. "The future is so bright
compared to how it looked 10 years ago," he
said. As for his future, he says to not count
him out quite yet. "I was considering retiring
from the Pro Class in the 2007 season, but it
seems that I am just not ready to hang the
helmet up yet. When that time comes, I plan to
remain very active in the ATV industry and at
the ATV racing tracks with my company, Rath
Racing. ATVs will always be a part of my life,"
he concluded.
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