By: Jason Weigandt

Interview with ATVA Promoter Group President, Sam Gammon of Victory Sports

Sam Gammon of Victory Sports, the ATVA Promoter Group President

Recently we met up with Sam Gammon of the ATV Promoters’ Group to get the scoop on the 2006 ATVA National Motocross Championships. Here’s what Sam has in store for us next year. Sounds like it will be a great season!

So you head up the ATV Series, how did that come about?
I have been running an ATV national for almost 20 years. When the ATVA was formed we (the Promoters) met with Doug Morris and all agreed we wanted to do everything possible to help the ATVA succeed. We felt this was an important step for ATVs and ATV racing. We discussed all aspects of the ATVA - racing, membership, factory involvement, sponsorship, and long-range goals. Somewhere in one of those early meetings I was selected to help out with the series.

ATV Racing has shown a lot of growth over the last five years. What made it happen?
Yes, it sure has, and we believe this is just the beginning. One of our first goals in working with the ATVA was to separate the MX and TT events from being one championship. We wanted to have a good series of MX races and the same for TT. How many events does that take? We’re still working on that magic formula. So far in motocross we have gone from 6 to 8, then to 10, and then to 12, and now we are at 14. The new events are strategically selected to open up new markets that will introduce new fans and riders to our sport. Each time we add on, the number of riders grows and the ATVA membership grows with it. As those aspects grow, racing grows with it and that is our goal. There are more ATV shows, more ATV magazines, more machines made, and yes, more rounds to the series. But so far it has all been positive growth. We feel that with the manufacturers producing new machines and hiring riders, it will only get bigger and bigger. We believe we are only at the beginning and the best is yet to come.

So is 14 the magic number?
I can’t say 14 is the ‘magic number’, but we are moving slowly to find that number. It may be 14, it may have been 12, or it could be 16, who knows? However, I do know that the manufacturers sell 800,000 plus ATVs a year, but most ATV owners have never seen an ATV race, not even on TV. We need to grow ATV racing for the sport to grow. We need TV coverage and we will have that in 2006. We need more exposure, we need more racing, we need to build stars, and then ATV racing will grow to what we all know it can be.

Did you say TV in 2006?
Yes, we partnered with Gear Media for 2006. We watched what they did with GNCC in 2005 and felt it would be a good move for the ATVA MX Series. For 2006 the entire series will be televised - 14 half-hour shows, one for each round highlighting the event. We really believe this will bring ATV racing to a new level.

How will the shows air?
Shows will air weekly and I think they will start in April. I know we are working with two networks right now to get the best time slots. Either way, it will be a big step forward.

You mentioned Gear Media, which is owned by John Ayers. Where does he fit in all this?
John has a company that deals with the industry in both ATV’s and motorcycles. The Promoters hire him and his company to do special services for us. They help with lots of things from sponsorship sales and implementation to parking at the events. It’s good to have someone who knows the ATV and motorcycle industry from many aspects. If you look at it this way, you work for a magazine and that’s your job. I promote races and that’s my job. John goes to many races - bike and ATV, pro and amateur - and works with many different companies and people. From that he has relationships you and I don’t have, and he has introduced a lot of them into our ATV world. We have found our relationship with John beneficial in our efforts to grow and improve the sport.

With gas hovering over $2.00 a gallon, how will that effect racing in 2006?
We think the added rounds will help that in 2006. An east coast rider can now ride 8-10 rounds and not travel more than 500 miles to any of them. Our information has shown us that riders like to compete in 10-12 events, this year they can get the 10 scores they need as an amateur rider and not have to travel across the country; I think it will be much better. In the coming year a northeastern rider can skip the events in the west and the far south, and still get 12 races in. A rider in the south may skip CA, NY and/or Michigan. The idea is to give the riders enough events that they can have a good full summer of racing at quality facilities and not travel 25,000 miles to do it. 14 rounds will really help the situation in 2006. I feel sure the series will take well to the 14 rounds in 2006.

Many riders feel all we need is PR and ATV racing would be mainstream. What’s your take on that?
Each year we have spent more money on advertising and promotion of the series and 2006 will be no different. In fact, we have hired Harlen Foley, an ATV racer with great promotion ideas, as our media agent for the series. In 2006 he will be providing PR services both to the GNCC Series and the MX nationals. We hope to have open houses at all events, radio and newspaper coverage, and the most aggressive magazine campaign we have ever had. You will see ATV racing in all forms of media this coming year. It should really be good.

Who will be the series staff in 2006?
Great question. We have always worked hard to have the best people representing the ATVA series. For 2006 we are working with several new announcers. David Screws, Robbie Whitehead, and Rodney Tomblin are all on board for 2006 - sometimes all of them at once, and that will be as good as it gets. They are all really talented, love ATV racing, and will do a great job. Smitty will continue as the referee. As I said, Harlen will be the media guy. Dean Vanleeuwen of Moto Tees will be the sponsor coordinator. John Ayers through his Gear Marketing and Media, Inc. (GMMI) will produce the TV package. And of course, Doug Morris will be representing the ATVA. All said, a really topnotch team.

Who makes the rules and picks the classes?
In the end the ATVA does, but we all work together. It used to be that those decisions were left mainly to the ATVA, but over the last couple years we have developed a good working relationship with Doug (ATVA). Now at the end of the season the Promoters meet with the ATVA and we go over the year and make those types of decisions together using our collective knowledge and experience. A lot of the Promoters run other ATV events in addition to the nationals, and they bring that experience to the decision-making process. We also include rider and team input. We started having a preliminary meeting at the Loretta Lynn’s event for the pros. We also invite rider representatives to attend our formal meeting in the fall. This year John Natalie, representing the pros, and Rich Hetrick, representing the amateurs, attended. We feel this is a good system. It bonds the ATVA with the promoters and the riders to make the right changes needed for the series to grow. This is a system developed by the NPG (National Promoters Group).

What is the NPG?
The NPG is the promoter group for the motorcycle outdoor nationals. There are 12 members for the 12 outdoor nationals. They started the group in 1998, and through trial and error over the years have developed a professional and effective system for managing the series, securing and successfully activating sponsorships, and meeting the needs of the riders and fans. Several of our promoters are NPG promoters, and they have brought their system to our group. We are very fortunate to have this type of relationship with the NPG. I guess we are lucky that most of the kinks have been worked out. But it’s an ever-changing work in progress. That’s what makes it fun.

How did you pick the new tracks?
Finding the right tracks has always been very important. The riders don’t want to feel like they’re at just another motorcycle track; they really like it when we take them to a really nice facility and they have a great weekend. The goal has been to get the events to the tracks that can hold 1000 riders, have good parking, a spectator base and the staffing to put on a good event. Sometimes we have had to go to motorcycle track and ask, or should I say convince, the promoter to work hard and learn ATV racing. Jonathan Beasley at Budds Creek was one of them. This year it was Unadilla. It was their first ever ATV race and was one of the best events all year. The other ATV promoters worked closely with them in the pre-event stages to help prepare them for the event and educate them on the different needs of ATV racing. That’s another big benefit to the ATVA Promoter Group. Unadilla was a tremendous race, great track, thousands of spectators and an overall huge event. We feel good about that - a motorcycle track producing a fantastic ATV event the first time out. Again, all part of our growth and what we are trying to accomplish.

What about the new MXi Series? What’s that all about?
You probably know just as much as I do. All I know is, a flier was handed out at the banquet announcing the 8-round series. I don’t believe they have announced any dates, locations or purse. Other than that, your guess is as good as mine.

Where do you see aftermarket companies in all this?
Aftermarket companies have always been a big part of ATV racing. Teams like Duncan Racing, Nac's Racing, Hinson Racing, Leagers and Baldwin Racing helped the promoters carry this sport for a few years when ATV racing was all but illegal. We really feel they are important in the development of the machines and the sport. We try hard to work with them and help them do their job, while we do ours. We all play a part in the ATV racing community. We are both builders - they build machines, we build events - and both take their role in this sport seriously. Due to the nature of ATVs, aftermarket companies will always be an important part of ATV racing.

How about Sponsors? There seemed to be a lot in 2005?
Yes, 2005 was good for sponsorship. The series had more sponsors than ever, and the riders had more options than ever before. Last year Parts Unlimited and Moose racing joined us. That was a big step and their effect will be felt even stronger this year. I think sponsorship for everyone is doing well. Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki all have supported riders in this series and more are going to join in. I think that maybe for the first time in ATV history there were three manufacturers supporting pro teams. We also have companies like Cobra making a big difference in ATV youth racing. I know more will be coming too.

Anything else new for 2006?
Oh yeah! Tons more. The Pro Purse will be $10,000. We will still seed the top 10 pros, but the top 5 will also have top 5 gate picks. We will have reserved parking in the pro pits for the top 20 pros. We will be issuing pro hard cards, as well as Media hard cards. The Pro hard card will allow the pros a “Fast Pass” at rider registration. We’re running both ProAm Production motos on Saturday, and both ProAm Unlimited motos on Sunday to help the top level riders participate in more than one class if they’d like. On the amateur side we massaged the youth classes to make them more in line with rider ability. We added a 4-Stroke Stock Production class to encourage new riders into the sport – this actually was Doug Gust’s idea. We changed the names of the Women’s classes (Women and Womens Sport) so that the “A” women are not penalized at the local level – this was John Natalie’s idea, and we agreed. We increased the throw-aways for amateur and youth to account for the extra events. There will be no increase in fees. We will redesign the practice schedule to try and avoid as many conflicts as possible. We moved up Riders Meeting up on Saturday to 7:30 am so that we can get started racing sooner. And we’re working with Debbie Bartosek to get Doc Ragon a mobile medical unit that is designed for him.

Final words?
We all love what we do - the riders, the ATVA, the promoters, the industry as a whole loves this sport. We all try hard to make it better and I feel the record stands for itself. The racing has grown to an amazing level - factory semi’s at the events, 1000 riders at our largest event this past summer. Think of that - 1000 ATV racers at one event! I feel the work everyone has done has paid off. Unfortunately, change always, upsets someone and it’s usually because they are only thinking of it from their own perspective - whether it is their time schedule, their budget, or just their opinion. We feel a responsibility to the sport and the rider base as a whole. Some live in New York or Massachusetts or some may live in Florida or Georgia and we want them all to have a place to race their ATV in a professional environment and have fun. We hope they will begin to see the bigger picture and the series will be a lot better off. Over the next few years there will be more teams, more riders, more TV, more growth and more happy ATV riders, and that’s what it is all about, having fun on an ATV. That is what we are committed to, so let’s all go have some fun.

Okay then Sam, I’ll go do that.

Thanks!