East Coast ATV Racing Update

Photo By: Andrew Mahey Dunk Training in Florida

Coopersburg, PA -- East Coast ATV dove back into the race scene last season, support several local riders that quickly rose to the top of their respective classes. For 2008, they took it one step further and signed on the proven pro rider talent of Jason Dunkelberger. As the winter season moved in on the north eastern based teams, Jason "Dunk" Dunkelberger and several ECA teammates headed south with their machines to be prepared for the tough competition in 2008. All new Honda 450r machines were suited and prepared for battle in the ATVA National and Regional series, along with select other events.

ATVA Nationals (Round #1) Glen Helen -- The East Coast ATV crew rose against the odds to make the trek across the United State to reach the Glen Helen Raceway for the ATVA Nationals opening round. After a strenuous off season training program, Dunk was ready to test his new Honda 450r against the pro class. Although the team would endure a few ups and downs, the overall outcome was positive. A seventh first moto finish and first among the privateer riders proved he had the speed to compete against the fastest ATV racers in the world. When the second moto gate dropped, Dunk fell into a solid 5th place position when his chain would dismount, causing a moto DNF. "It was a disappointing end result, but everyone was turning their heads out way before we suffered minor problems," says Dunk after an 11th overall. He would go on to state, "the New ECA Bikes are working great. They are by far the best machines I've ever had the chance of riding and they are only going to get better." Matt, owner of East Coast ATV and team manager, stated, "I was happy about the bikes performance. Unfortunately, we couldn't do anything to prevent the minor mishap in the second moto. Dunk has been training hard and it definitely shows. My sponsors did a fabulous job getting us all of our parts in time to be ready for Glen Helen."

ATVA Nationals (Round #2) Mill Creek -

The second round of Nationals at Mill Creek, Alabama was a great weekend for the East Coast ATV race team. Jason Dunkelberger had a 5th place finish overall for the weekend. He had this to say about the weekend, "It went really well, we discussed the changes I wanted to make and everything worked." Matt Detwiler, from East Coast ATV, says, "Dunk's hard work, dedication, and motivation all show in his riding this season." Fellow ECA team rider, Shawn Welsh scored a 1st place finish in the 16-24 class. After his victory he had great things to say about his East Coast ATV bike, "I felt really good and comfortable on it, my Fox Shoxs and Maxxis tires really worked well for me."  Matt was thrilled with Shawn's performance and said, "His hard work is paying off. He spent much of the off season training down south and it's obvious." Matt was very pleased with the weekend's outcomes. "The team really works well together. Everyone supports one another and that's what a team is all about. Our sponsors have worked with us to get us what we need to build such great bikes. We couldn't build such great bikes without them." The atmosphere in the pits is what makes this team work. Dunk says, "I look forward to the races more and more every week. I've never had so much fun racing as I do with East Coast ATV!"

ATVA Nationals (Round #3) Ballance -

Ballance was a tough weekend for many of the East Coast riders. Dunk had a great practice on Saturday and everyone was hopeful for success on Sunday. Unluckily Sunday didn't turn out to be one of the best days for Dunk. His bike suffered problems that were unforeseeable, causing him to pull off. Sadly, the second moto mirrored the first and ended up forcing Dunk to mark up a DNF for the season. Matt, from East Coast, said, "It's an unfortunate turn of events. Dunk was running strong. As he was passing into the fourth position the problem started. It's a shame that he had to stop. You can't prevent something from happening when it wasn't evident in the first place." Nick Moser  pulled off a 1st place finish in his 450 C class. Tony Pacheco took a 1st place finish in 4-stroke A. He gained a huge lead over the competition and never looked back. After a tough weekend filled with misfortunate events Matt said, "The weather and the track conditions were horrible. Everything was working against us this weekend. We're still positive and looking forward to more success in Virginia."

Next Race: ATVA Regional (Round #1) Doublin Gap -- April 19-20