ATV Drag Racers and Their Image

ATV Drag Racers and Their Image………….. By: Randy Edley, President ATV Drag Racing Association

 As president and founder of the ATV Drag Racing Association (ATVDRA), I have seen a lot of ATV drag racing over the previous 5 years. During this time I’ve come to the conclusion that the biggest issue facing our sport going forward, is the image that certain ATV racers portray. Unfortunately, for the most part people only see the guy on his tricked out banshee in shorts, tennis shoes and a tank top shooting across a temporary track at some sand dune event or a temporary track that some jamboree threw together with no regard for racer or spectator safety.   ATV drag racers spend as much on their ATV’s, if not more in some cases, as GNCC or TT racers who run professional circuits sanctioned by AMA. However, you do not see the same sort of sponsorship participation in drag racing from corporate sponsors as you do at these events. Next time you see a GNCC or TT race on television look at the sponsor banners and the corporate sponsored riders. What do they have in common? Professionalism. There are two main reasons why ATV drag racing continues to languish behind the other forms of ATV racing, perceived image of the sport and perceived image of it’s participants.   Let’s address perceived image of the sport first, corporate sponsors are looking for a place that number one will make them money, but number two will not cause them any embarrassment or legal exposure. They will not and cannot stand for someone to associate their company with a group or organization that does not maintain the highest level of professional behavior. Exposure to risk is another prime reason you do not see them involved, there are still a lot of drag racing facilities that do not carry proper insurance coverage and the company cannot expose itself to that legal risk. Image of the participants is a bit more trick, but all you need do is look at the ATV drag racing pictures you see posted on any number of sites on the internet. You see riders who are not wearing proper protective gear, who lack control over their ATV, their ATV, itself does not have the proper safety equipment, and irresponsible behavior while racing. I can also point out a television show on a national satellite tv network that did more damage to this sport with their five minutes segment than anyone can imagine. Any potential corporate sponsor that saw that would disassociate themselves from this sport very quickly.   What must be done? Well there are several answers to that question, but probably the most important one is that ATV drag racers must organize and police themselves. We must as a group require that individuals who participate in our sport put forth an image that is consistent with what we believe is necessary for the sport to grow. The ATVDRA has come up with a strict set of safety guidelines, track setup features, and a unique racing program. The main reason for this is to standardize and bring this sport forward. I personally would like to see the day where ATV drag racing is on a level playing field with GNCC and TT racing. We can get there because our sport allows racers to still compete while not having to spend professional money or have a professional status to be on an equal and level playing field. But we must require them to maintain a professional attitude, appearance and hold safety of the racer and spectators above all else. When a GNCC or TT rider retires where does he go to keep that competitive fire going? We would like to suggest he or she try drag racing. Your body is not beat up by our sport, all you need is the proper gear, an ATV and a willingness to participate, to be competitive. And best of all, we are a family sport that all can participate in.   In closing, I hope that ATV drag racers will take the time to explore their sport, learn what it takes for a sport to be successful. You will find very quickly that you can make a difference.

Randy Edley
President
ATV Drag Racing Association
http://www.atvdra.com