ATV Editorial

Calling Ricky Carmichael…

By Matt Fredmonsky

I’ve got a challenge for returning AMA ATV Motocross champ Dustin Wimmer: Pin the throttle, dump that back-torque limiting Hinson clutch and don’t look back. Sounds easy for the two-time champ, right? Tell that to the GOAT.

No other rider has proven more dedicated or more talented on two wheels than Ricky Carmichael. For more than a decade, from 1996 to 2007, Carmichael set countless records and won practically every championship in dominating fashion.

Undeniable records, like winning 24 of 24 motos during the 2002 outdoor nationals season, are what helped Carmichael earn the attention of mainstream media outlets like Sports Illustrated and bring televised motocross races into the homes of millions. In the past decade, Ricky Carmichael became a household name for motor sports enthusiasts. He is a supercross and motocross legend.

The Florida native earned his nickname, the Greatest Of All Time, and became the face of two-wheeled motocross during his career before successfully using his brand to jump into car racing. The GOAT his since passed the job of promoting dirt bike racing on to the likes of James Stewart and Chad Reed, whom you just might recognize from T.V. commercials for global icons like Nike and Toyota trucks.

We all know ATV racers have it rough compared to our two-wheeled cousins in more ways than one. ATV racers don’t have glamorous venues like AMA Supercross to help boost their fan base. And, despite recent cutbacks, motorcycle factory riders far outnumber the guys on four wheels pitting out of factory semis.

Those challenges hold true despite the fact annual motorcycle sales in the U.S. – about 1 million – continue to top ATVs by only about 250,000 units, give or take, according to recent figures from the Motorcycle Industry Council. Ironically, ATV sales have actually increased since the start of the decade.

With the struggling economy, there’s been a lot of talk in the ATV industry that the big shows like the ITP/Moose Racing AMA ATV National Championship Series don’t need the pros. After all, the amateurs far out number the guys with their pro cards. And the amateurs are the ones who truly support the industry by paying for many of their parts and actually buying their quads from dealerships.

So why spend millions on one or two racers?Because those premiere racers are where every amateur wants to be. Dedicating every moment, training day and night to win races – and getting paid to do it – is every rider’s dream. Our sport has some incredible amateurs, but not many of them are endearing enough to avoid getting lost in the crowd. That’s where the pros come in.

On Sunday afternoons, the track fences are the most crowded for the pro and pro-am motos, when strength of will, preparation and machine are put to the test. And it’s not just their families watching. It’s that guy who drove from Tennessee to Kentucky with a number “7” painted on his chest. Or it’s those weekend warriors from Ohio who’ve never seen Doug Gust in person, so they made the short drive to Pennsylvania to watch just how fast the legend is.

There’s no doubt we need the amateur racers. They are the sport of ATV racing’s life blood. But we also need riders who can be ambassadors, who can be spokesmen, and who can transcend the sport and appear in a dirt bike magazine ad – like Gust – or look like they belong on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

But maybe more than anything the sport of ATV racing needs its own GOAT, someone who can capture the world’s attention for their strong will, seemingly superhuman achievements and respectable demeanor. And who else is young enough, dedicated enough, and has the right support to earn the crown for ATV motocross? Coming back from a shoulder injury to win four motos in a row last season and take back the title is proof enough in my book.

So consider this part of the challenge, Dustin, for your next guaranteed appearance atop the podium. Your prowess on a quad seems unmatched, so take a promotional lesson from one of our sport’s best ambassadors, John Natalie Jr., and share some insight with your fans and talk up that hot Suzuki ride that got you there.

Fredmonsky is a professional newspaper journalist whose byline has appeared in Dirtwheels and on ATV.com. He has been racing and riding ATVs since the age of 5 and also freelances by writing promotional materials for some of the ATV industry’s top companies. Look for him at the track with Tarantula Performance Racing.