1/27/04

KTM Energizes Already Powerful Ford QCCPOV Team for 2004.

As the 2004 AMA Progressive Insurance Flat Track Season rapidly approaches its March opener, rumors circulate and riders and teams scramble to put together the pieces that will make or break their season. With a fifth championship behind him, Chris Carr had no problem convincing an already enthusiastic group of sponsors to renew their support in his drive for a sixth title. Always on the lookout for new candidates to improve that package, Carr landed a significant player recently to improve his short track and TT program, enlisting KTM USA as his OEM bike of choice.

It was important for Chris to be able to have the option of using his trusty Rotax-powered machines in these specialized events however, and KTM was flexible enough to provide what the team needed and not lock Chris into using the orange-colored Austrian machines exclusively. If the track suits the old-school C&J-framed Rotax, that's what they'll run, and if the KTM is quicker, they'll race it. As Chris would probably say, whatever it takes to win championships. WIth KTM's support, it will likely be that much easier.

I talked to Chris briefly before he headed off for a short winter vacation trip about his off-season and his thoughts on 2004.

What have you been doing in the off-season?

It's been a typical off-season for us. Along with putting together our program for the year and dealing with stuff here at home, making sure our kids are going to school on time and figuring out ways to convince the schools about their days off coming up and how educational it's going to be for them be either on a dirt track circuit or on vacation, it's pretty challenging. It's as challenging as the racing itself.

What are the details of you 2004 relationships with your existing sponsors?

All of the same again, with the Quality Checked Certified Pre-Owned Team - Ford Motor Company has stepped in again to be the title sponsor of the Chris Carr Racing Team. We're glad to have them. They're a great marketing partner, I think they're doing some really great things with flat track and their brand associated with flat track. We can expect some more good things from them in the future.

And you have Lancaster Harley-Davidson back as well?

Yes. All of the other players are in place. All the same pieces that we had a year ago - we're going to put them back together again and we're going to go for it.

There has been a rumor circulating that you have a new piece of the puzzle - that KTM will be helping you with your short track program.

The truth to that rumor is that, yes, when I decide to ride an OEM-based motorcycle, that I will ride a KTM. I'm not locked into that bike for all short tracks and TTs, but when we feel that a production-based bike is going to be the bike of choice, I will choose to ride a KTM.

Does that end your relationship with VOR?

Oh yes. We never had a deal with VOR. They just gave me some bikes and parts. I had pursued some stuff with them for '04, and it boiled down to them not being able to make parts for a 503 version of VOR, and that's the reason why I've chosen not to go that route. They're a great group of people, I think it's a good bike, and it shows potential, but I don't think they're ready to go racing the way we need to in flat track.

Is your deal with KTM USA, or do you have a dealer supporting you?

It's through KTM USA.

So you still have the choice whether or not to race a frame-bike (i.e. Rotax) or run a KTM depending on the track.

Yes. If I'm at a race track and I think a framer bike is the way to go, then I will run a Rotax-based flat tracker.

A lot of your fans are probably asking if you'll run the KTM at Peoria.

That's a long way away. I think we've proven over the years, even this past year, that a Rotax-based flat tracker is still competitive there, despite the success of most OEM-based bikes, and to sit here in January and say what I'm going to ride in Peoria in August without ever having ridden a KTM OEM-based bike would be kind of silly for me to speculate.

Do you have any tests coming up for the KTM, or have you already tested it?

We haven't tested them yet, but we have tests coming up between now and what I would expect to be my first time on the KTM in racing competition, which would be the Springfield TT. We will test it everywhere we test everything else, so we're going to get some time in on it. There aren't any specifics that I can enlighten everybody on as to where and when.

We're looking to going out and rocking and rolling, man. The season can't get here quick enough.

I'm sure Kenny Tolbert and his crew are working hard on it now.

Yeah, they've been working hard over the winter, as well as over the Holidays, and they're hitting it pretty hard and heavy over the entire month of January, so we're getting ready to go.


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