Champion ATV racer Joe Byrd proves that it’s possible to both teach and win. Not only is Byrd a two-time AMA ATV Pro MX champion, but through his Joe Byrd Quad Riding School, he’s helped foster the careers and talents of many of the country’s top ATV racers. “It’s funny that many of the last few national champions have all attended my riding school,” admits Byrd. “So I guess you could say I’ve taught them too much!”
Byrd began racing ATVs at age 13 and collected an amateur title. In 1993 he turned pro and established the Joe Byrd Quad Riding School, teaching racing techniques and safety to hundreds of riders every year. He’s proud of the fact that many of the top competitors in the AMA Pro ATV series are graduates of one of his training schools. “In the pro class I estimate over half of the racers competing have attended a Joe Byrd Quad Riding School,” explains Byrd. “It’s really rewarding to see everyone doing so well. Riding schools teach racers techniques to help them become top-level professionals. Once they leave a school, it’s their job to go home and continue honing their skills—to develop an edge over their competitors.”
In 2005, when American Honda got involved in ATV racing at a factory level, Byrd was a logical choice to receive Honda’s support given his success and long association with the manufacturer. He went on to win the first-ever AMA Pro ATV Motocross Championship in 2006 and made it two in a row by winning the following year. “I took my first Pro ATV Championship victory in 2006 and again in 2007,” explains Byrd. “In 2008 and 2009 I finished runner-up—I barely missed out on those titles. Unfortunately, I got hurt in 2010 and wasn’t able to complete the season; 2011 hasn’t gone quite as planned, as we’ve had a number of niggling things come up early in the series. However, the team and I have figured out our issues, and things are looking up for the remainder of the season. I’m definitely itching to get back on top this year and pulling for a dominant 2012 season.”
Joe Byrd is again riding Honda’s TRX450R in the Pro, Pro Am and Production A classes. “Honda has the same work ethic as I do,” Bird says of his long and successful association with Honda. “We click well together. They’ve always taken good care of the team. Honda wants to win as badly as I do so it’s a good partnership. It’s one thing to have a sponsor behind you, but it’s another thing for that sponsor to always be there and treat you as good as Honda does. I don’t ever feel like I’m just a number. I feel like I’m a part of the family; I feel at home here. The two of us just make a good combination.
“I started riding a Honda quad when I was young because Honda had a reputation for being reliable, and the product was readily accessible. When Honda decided to go ATV racing at a factory level in 2005, I was riding their product and doing well. It was a logical choice for them to get behind me, and we’ve been working together ever since.”
Over the past 17 years, Byrd’s knowledge and experience in all aspects of ATV racing have taken him all over the world. He’s traveled to Argentina, Ecuador, Australia and France teaching ATV riding, plus he conducts courses across the USA, year-round. Byrd’s schools take place in Phoenix, AZ, November thru January, followed by Tampa, FL, from February thru April. He then moves on to Union City, TN, for the summer months teaching April thru October.
However, as good a teacher as Byrd is, he’s still very much a racer and still gets that high when lined up on the start line. “It feels like jumping out of an airplane at 15,000 feet,” explains Byrd. “It’s just such a rush; it’s a natural high. You get nervous at the start of a race and hope that the other rider going into the first corner beside you backs out before you do. You must be committed to getting into the turn before anyone else does. The first 15 feet of that holeshot is the most important part. It’s definitely an extreme sport.”
What is it about racing that keeps bringing Byrd back? “It’s the adrenalin rush,” concludes the racer, “the pride and accomplishment of being the best at what you do. That’s what keeps me coming back.”