STQRA’s Final Round a Mud-Slinging Race to Finish

A crowd, disappointed with the weather, waited Sunday morning to hear if they would be racing.

As the weekend of October 15th grew near, weather reports did not look good for the final round of the South Texas Quad Racing Association’s 2006 Southern Challenge Series. Under a forecast for rain and possible heavy downpours, riders and their families began arriving Friday at Splendora Motocross Park in Splendora, Texas, hoping for the best. Surprisingly, Saturday turned out to be a beautiful day.

Anticipating Sunday’s double points round, in which top series positions would be determined in most of the closely matched classes, riders honed their skills and worked on their quads while enjoying the autumn weather. After practice, many of the younger racers gathered to decorate mini pumpkins, since Halloween was near. Some even decorated their quads and paraded them through the pits. A bonfire with hotdogs and smores finished off the evening.

But the mood quickly changed by morning. Drenching rain started during signup, and new arrivals told about thunderstorms they had just driven through. The rain slowed to a drizzle, and the riders’ meeting became a vote on whether to continue with the race or postpone it. Some wanted to race, others did not.

Jason Murff (3) and Justin Lawson (8) practiced Saturday on a dry track. The conditions changed drastically Sunday.

Noting that since another local quad series would be racing the following weekend, and other weekends were tied up as well, and considering the long drive of many riders, race officials made the final decision to continue as scheduled. Due to track conditions, the two Pee Wee races would be postponed until the following Saturday morning. The Pro class voted among themselves to leave their points standing and not race. Everyone else had to face the mud for one race each or forfeit their final round. Some were ready, others refused. Most lined up at the gate when their turn for practice came.

The drizzle began again, and previously clean quads quickly became caked with thick mud. The day only grew worse as rain continued and the mud thickened. Racers slid their way around the track, many requiring a tow and others considering a finish an accomplishment in itself. Several laughed as they came off of the track, unrecognizable.

Justin Lawson (8) took third in the Open A final round and fourth for the series.

Justin Lawson, who finished third in Open A, says he does not like mud and he did not want to race in it, but he knew his teammate and cousin, Josh Juneau, who was one point down from first in the Sport Quad class, would win. “He’s good in the mud,” said Lawson. “He beat me in the six hour race.”

Lawson and Juneau both competed on separate teams in the 2005 Maxxis Six Hours of ATV America in Texas, Lawson in the B class and Juneau in Youth. That race prepared them for their first ATV motocross national, held a few weeks later at Lake Whitney.

“It was about the same this weekend as it was then,” says Juneau. “It wasn’t something I prepared for, but I dealt with it and it worked. I ride in the mud all the time, and I raced the six hour and I raced Whitney. Both of those gave me a lot of experience.”

Juneau voted to race. “I had just gotten my motor back Friday morning after blowing it in the last race and it felt like it was my weekend to win,” he said. He was right. Although Alex Kohl got the holeshot, Juneau quickly made a pass and led the rest of the race, taking the checkered flag and class championship. “I was relieved, exhausted, happy, excited,” he says, smiling. “I thought it was a great accomplishment. There are other kids out there who are really fast and hard to beat, and over the season I had the most consistent finishes and I just came out on top.”

Josh Juneau (56) is relived and exhausted as he takes the checkered flag and Sport Quad class championship.

Racing motocross in the mud is difficult, he says. “I don’t know how I stayed on the track. I just did.” It is also different. “The mud is an equalizer. It doesn’t matter how fast your bike is, how good your suspension is or even if you’re racing injured, it comes down to how well you can handle the bike in the mud.”

Kathy Helms, mother to Open B racer Shawn Lane and Mini racer Briana Helms, agrees.
“At first I didn’t want the kids to run, only because I didn’t want to clean that mess up,” laughs Helms, “but I am glad we did. I think (referee) Dee (Manshack) was right for going on with the race. Just like he said, it’s getting you ready for nationals. I know both of my kids were glad. Briana came from fourth to second for the year-end finish. I was so proud of her. She made it through all the laps with no problem.”

Briana and Shawn, both sponsored by Tejas Motorsports, took their first wins in the series during Round 10. “As for Shawn, I guess he really needed that,” says Helms. “If the track would not have been muddy he wouldn’t have ran at all because of his broken foot.” With the conditions as they were, he decided to race and he won it. The win gave him fourth place for the series in Open B.

Blending in with the mud, Shawn Lane pulled off a first place win in the Open B class. Lane took fourth for the series in Open B.

“I was glad they held the race because I got to play in the mud without getting into trouble,” says Briana, “And if I make it to nationals, I will know what to expect if it’s muddy.”

Briana says there was a lot of mud and a lot of slipping, but she never slid off of the track. “I just held the gas down and hoped for the best. It was a lot of watching where to go.” The corners were really muddy, she says, but she felt excited knowing she was out front. “I think that’s what kept me moving, and hearing my mom scream ‘You’re first, go girl, go!’ It was my first time to get first place.”

Nine-year-old Briana says it is great that they both won, since Shawn is the reason she started racing. “My brother asked me before he left to go to Iraq in 2004 if I would race with him when he came back,” she explained. “He made it home safe, so here I am. I love it. He helps me a lot, along with my mom.”

Family involvement is often a big part of ATV racing. Another such case is STQRA’s new Super Mini class champion -- Grady Antich.

“My dad asked me if I wanted to try racing two years ago,” says Grady, “and I told him ‘yes.’ He took me to an STQRA race that year to see what it was like and I really liked it. Over that winter my dad built my quad up and we raced a little in 2005. We didn't do too well, but I loved it. This year my dad worked real hard to get me to every race and keep my quad running. I just love racing and hope I can keep doing it. I really like all the new friends I've made in the STQRA. Even though we're out there trying to beat each other, we still play together before and after the race. I really like getting all dirty too.”

Class points leader Grady Antich wins the race and class championship.

Grady started the final round as class points leader, won the race and took the championship. “The mud was slippery and the racing was slower, but I thought it was awesome,” he says. This was Grady’s first time to race in the mud, and he says he does not know how he stayed on the track. “I just took my time. I kept my weight over the back tires as much as possible. …I knew I just needed to keep on the track and keep the quad moving.”

Grady’s dad, Nick Antich, says he is proud of his son’s racing for many reasons.

“He is a good sport with the competition, and he gets frustrated when he doesn't do well, which I think is good because it makes him try harder. He listens to everyone about being safe on the track and racing smart. He loves the success he's had this year, and it gives him confidence in other things that he does.”

Antich admits that is has not been an easy season. “Making it to every race is a challenge with my work schedule,” he says, “but I work with some great people and this year they allowed me to move my schedule to make some races. Keeping Grady's quad running good is a challenge, too. Billy Holt at WRH racing has been the man I've turned to this year with our motor. We could not have been as competitive without his help. He was always ready to answer questions and give me tips to keep the quad out front. He built us a very reliable race motor and I can't thank him enough.”

However, the most valuable member of this family team, says Antich, is Grady’s mom, Deby. “She supports the racing, gets us ready with clothes and food, makes friends at the track, helps anyone out she can at the track, takes pictures, cleans up after us, nurses the wounds, she does it all” he says. “Without her support, Grady and I would not have had such a fun year.”

Megan Manshack (58) won STQRA's final Open A race and finished the series in second.

“It was a great year,” says Michele Manshack, who along with her husband, Dee, heads the STQRA. “People really pulled together to get things done, and I felt it made a lot of people closer.”

Other first place winners in STQRA’s Round 10 included Megan Manshack in Open A, Brant Draper in Open C, Bryan Fuhre in Over 30 A, Gary White in Over 30B, Kara Corn in Women, Tyler Webster in Youth, Kentleigh Nichols in Super Pee Wee, and Nicholas Webster in Pee Wee. See more results at www.stqra.com.

STQRA’s 2006 Class Champions

Pro-Am John Buller #18 Honda
Open A Robert Hanson #94 Honda
Open B Ryan Callahan #124 Yamaha
Open C James Lozano #741 Yamaha
Over 30A Robert Salinas #738 Yamaha
Over 30B Gary White #40 Yamaha
Women Kara Corn #454 Suzuki
Sport Quad Josh Juneau #56 Honda
Youth Tyler Webster #104 Honda
Super Mini Grady Antich #00 Eton
Mini Sara Trevino #61 Honda
Super Pee Wee Kentleigh Nichols #10 DRR
Pee Wee Nicholas Webster #105 DRR