There's More to Sand than Sand Castles and Beach Bunnies

When one thinks of a beach he or she is probably dreaming of getting a tan, feeling the spray of salt water on their swimsuit clad body, and watching kids making sand castles. When one thinks of the desert, they are probably imagining oasises and mirages and movies like "Lawrence of Arabia."

However, when Derek McCabe sees sand--either at a beach or desert--he immediately conjures up memories of ATV races in which he has participated.

McCabe is a member of the Teixeira Technologies' ATV racing team which also includes Jason Anderson, Jason Sparks, Bubba Hustead, and Max Messina.

The 36 year-old who resides in Dublin, California got an early introduction to sand as a surface for off road ventures. "My earliest memories as an infant are of the sand at Buttercup," mused McCabe. "Back then it was in jeeps and buggies, but then my dad brought home two brand new 1979 ATC110s and my ATV craze began. Growing up in Southern California, sand was my life and as far as I was concerned, dirt was for dirtbikes. When we moved to Northern California, I went down to Pismo every once in a while, but that was the extent of ATV riding until a couple of years ago when I met Max Messina and Ed Teixeira. They opened my eyes to desert riding and racing."

McCabe's first race was as a member of a team at the 2005 Best in the Desert Parker 250 on another racer, Robert Sandoval's TRX450R. It was a life-changing experience. "Talk about diving in head first," laughed McCabe.

Still, he was really hooked after that experience, and he went out and bought a 2005 YFZ450. He chose that ATV because it had electric start, and he raced it in the VORRA Series.

"The first time I raced the YFZ was a short course race at Prairie City with nothing but nerf bars and number plates," said McCabe. "Starting out on a bone-stock quad was good experience, and a good way to find out what I really needed on the bike. As the season went on, I added parts to it little by little until I had something that was competitive."

His racing career has not always been smooth sliding. He noted that most of his Best in the Desert Races ended with mechanical failures, and he had a bad crash in 2005 in a VORRA race and broke his neck. However, 2006 was kinder to him. "2006 was a good year in VORRA for me with some wins and no major problems," he said.

McCabe turned pro in 2006. He ran the Pro class in the VORRA Series and won the championship. He didn't totally give up his amateur status. He ran in a couple of races in Best in the Desert with some amateur teams.

For 2007 McCabe plans to participate in the Best in the Desert Series for the full season. He will race in the amateur quad category on his YFZ450. He will be part of a team including Max Messina and Robert Sandoval. He is very happy with his selection of the YFZ450 as his racing partner. "The quad has treated me well and with the help of Ed Teixeira, it is fast and extremely comfortable," he said. The ATV has been customized with Teixeira Tech +3 front a arms, Custom Axis shocks, RPM axle, Teixeira Tech +2 steering stem, Precision Racing Products steering stabilizer, Hardkor hubs, Acebis desert tank, Quad Tech desert seat, Maier race plastic, AC Racing bumpers and skid plates, Edelbrock carburetor with twist throttle, and Yoshimura exhaust.

When asked what the best part of racing is, McCabe quickly responded, "I love to ride!" So, what is the worst part of racing? "The quads and bikes start at six a.m.!"

His favorite race is the VORRA at Hawthorne, Nevada. "It has a good combination of technical rocky sections, sandy washes, and some fast graded roads," he said. "I've always done well there." His favorite race to chase is the Vegas to Reno. "And I look forward to riding it in 2007."

No wonder then that his favorite obstacle is the technical rocky sections.

"Anyone can hold the throttle pinned on a graded road, but getting through the rocks takes a lot of concentration and skill. It definitely keeps you on your toes."

And what does the future hold for ATV and for Derek McCabe? "ATV racing is getting huge. I really look forward to working my way through the classes in Best in the Desert and being part of a team to watch out for," he concluded.