ATV Obstacross. Keep it interesting!

After riding motorcycle trials, flat track, hare scrambles and Motocross, you might find yourself searching for avenues of excitement that actually turn your crank. Don’t get me wrong, I love racing, but let’s face it boys and girls, if you do a lot of something it can eventually get old.

O’ Bit of History
1986 was the year that it was decided that I’d pack up my Motocross career, mainly due to my skin turning orange from eating too much poor quality, high calorie food like Kraft Dinner, not to mention the beat-up pair of legs, so bowed that a small ATV could drive through them. So naturally I moved on to a career in Event Organization in the popular world of Powersports! Putting it bluntly; I like to create new things, some good and some on the fringe of bizarre-O.
Tri-Obstacross was one of my creative ventures; trials bikes racing over cars, logs, jumps, oil barrels, etc. It was pretty ‘wacked’ for ’86. I put it on VHS and brought it down to Bar Hodgson’s International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW trying to sell the concept to the riders. One in particular, Blair Sharpless loved it, while everyone else thought it was too far ‘out there’. I worked hard and learned for a decade or so, and eventually found out that timing was everything! 2006 came rolling by, when Rich Kehoe, Snow Show Honcho - Manager, called me up and asked me if I had any ideas for an outdoor ATV Obstacle Course to take place his show. I responded with, “ATV Obstacross!”

Rich asked me if I could make it work. Now scrapping the Tri, for another try; with my tail tucked so far between my legs it was touching my chin, I responded with a solid, “Should Work!”
I brought in cars, logs, tires, dirt, mulch, jumps, berms and turns. It worked, and the crowd loved the terrain. Fast, short races really show what an ATV can do at maximum potential. The difficulty to the riders is intense! Unlike dirt surfaces, the tires and metal jumps require a whole other set of skills to master. The logs are set tight on the inside and wide on the outside. This gives the riders more racing lines and the wood mulch surface requires a skilled throttle hand to obtain traction. ATV Obstacross racing is some of the most intense racing you’ll ever see. The course is only 4 meters wide with a ton of terrain to deal with. Passes are solid and sure. In 7 laps there is no room for error, so the riders push hard to pressure their opponents. Sure enough, mistakes are made and racing is Great!
The very first ATV Obstacross race was held at the Toronto International Snowmobile, ATV & Powersports Show at the Toronto International Center. Now there is an entire Ontario Series with the Final Grand Championship being held at the Show. In its third year, ATV Obstacross is backed by Suzuki Canada, Royal Distributing, Fired Up Foods, XOG, ATV World Magazine, and Fast Eddies Restaurants.

Canada has over 1 million ATVs in active use. Anyone that has ridden a quad for work or play can appreciate the skill, physical demands, and sheer fun that these Obstacross Racers go through in a race. The Ontario Obstacross Series is not only challenging, but fun for riders and their crews. Over the last decade, the  popularity of ATVs has grown tremendously. This is due to the versatility of “Utility Quads” which are not only used for agricultural and construction purposes, but also for hunting, fishing and  trail riding. The Utility Quads have carrying racks, skid plates and larger tires to handle mud, rocks, logs and other harsh terrain you may encounter while attempting any of these activities. At the other end of the spectrum are the “Sport Quads.” This type of ATV has smaller wheels and is much lighter. Racing and trail riding is the main purpose of the “Sports”.

Take some logs, rocks, berms and mud, then throw in tractor tires and a few jumps, and you have Obstacross Racing. The terrain is harsh enough to challenge the Utility Quads without destroying the lower and lighter Sport Quads. There are four classes; Pro Sport, ProAm Utility, ProAm Sport and Open Combined. The open Combined class is extremely entertaining, with both types of quads fighting it out using different riding techniques to see who can win over the “insane terrain”! 

For more information on Obstacross Racing, visit www.atvobstacross.com