R450: What do you see happening with the series in the future?
Ray: Well, of course we’re going to keep growing. As you look through the pits now, it used to be a twenty-foot Tee Shirt trailer and now it’s fifty-three feet. Vendors used to be in twenty foot EZ Ups and now they’re in semi trailers. The growth will not only be in vendor row, but also in the pro pits. You have the industry stepping up. Suzuki is here this year with a full-blown team. They’re out here supporting Doug Gust. You’re going to see the other OEM’s stepping up too. Eventually, it will be like going to an outdoor bike national. That’s our goal in life to bring this sport to that level. The numbers in the rider area are awesome. The focus for 2005 is in the spectator area. We are going to do a better job advertising both nationally and locally. We are going to try to fill these bleachers up when you come to an event we’re hoping that you will see ten to fifteen thousand spectators.

R450: Well, that’s what we’re trying to do is improve the sport by getting out the information about the national circuit. That is why we are strictly a race magazine. With all of the new guys coming out and as good as Doug has been doing this year, do you think that next year the other factory teams will come up to that level, or do you think it will take a couple of years?
Ray: My heart and my head tell me that the OEM teams won’t want to get blown out like they did this year, so I think that you will see full blown teams next year. With this thing just getting bigger and bigger, those pro pits will be all semis next year.

/ Ray had to talk to his kids and help out some other people at this point, so we patiently waited for a couple of minutes before continuing. /

R450: Do you bring your whole family along with you to the races?
Ray: Like I said, I have eight children, my two oldest are 21 and 20. They stay back home and live their own lives now. My four youngest come with us to the races though. Actually, today is the one-year birthday of my youngest. She was actually born last year while I was here at Loretta Lynn’s. The four of them and my wife and I travel together about forty weeks of the year.

R450: So, would you say that coming to these events with your family is a disadvantage because you are working a lot, or an advantage because you get to travel with them?
Ray: We’ve adapted to it really well. My family could chose to stay at home, but we chose to stay together as a family and travel together. It works out well. We have a nice motor-home that the kids spend most of their time in, and they get to use and abuse it the way that they want. Your life is a little different, but you get used to it, and it works out good.

R450: Do you have any advice for anyone who is just starting out in the sport?
Ray: If you are interested in the sport, Get Involved. The worst thing that can happen is that you don’t do any good. It is a wide open sport and it is so much fun. I tell all of the riders that I help, try to get some practice time with people that are a little better than you. It seems to make people better and faster. Whatever class you are running in, try to get a little practice at home with people in a higher class. Go into the pro pits and talk to the people that are there. Talk to these people and they will give you so much advise that you can use. That’s the greatest thing about this sport; all of these guys are out there to help one another.

R450: What did you think about the first trip back to the west coast in many years?
Ray: I thought that the track was awesome. I thought the facilities were top notch. I thought the promoter was great. We had many goals for going to the west coast. We wanted to expand the series and to bring the series close to the product builders. Most of the people who build and distribute ATV parts and accessories are out there, so they got to see first hand what the series is all about. It was a great move to have an event on the west coast, and we were happy to do it at Glen Helen. I’m sure that we will be going back there next year.

Ray thanks for your time and all that you do for the sport. Good luck with Moto Tee’s and we’ll definitely see you next year at the nationals.