A few months ago we visited with a young lady who had just won three amazing races in a row in the ultra-competitive GNCC Women's ATV class. A virtual nobody that never let all the hype, history and expectations of other riders detour her hopes of becoming a champion. Let us re-visit the now GNCC Morning Over All and Women's Class National Champion, Kristen Atwell. What has this bright smiling, mud slinging, ATV racing, Dump Truck driving lady been into?
GNCCRacing.com: So what's going on with the 2010 GNCC Women Class ATV and over all morning race champion?
Kristen Atwell: Things are going real good. It's been cold. But I have not been in to a wholelot. It's kind of been nice to have a little bit of a break. My boyfriend and I actually bought snowmobiles and we have been riding those. So it's been a little bit of a change of pace.
I guess the weather has really been cooperative for snowmobiles lately?
Photo By: Xcountry Photos
Kristen Atwell is the one everyone is chasing now in the A.M. ATV Races.
Oh yes. Riding a quad in the snow and cold isn't too much fun.
Are the characteristics of the snowmobile and the ATV similar enough to cross train for you since you cannot go south for the winter?
It's a little different. It's harder for me to get used to. It's a lot harder to turn for me but it's a good arm workout for me. So ultimately it is a good thing for riding quads for me. I think it will make it easier.
How is your Christmas Shopping going?
Oh...(laughing) It's Christmas shopping I guess. Trying to find something that I swear does not exist. I mean you are always looking for the perfect present and you just can't ever seem to find it.
What would you like for Christmas?
At this point probably quad parts for next year. I guess I should really just say a quad for next year. The parts end of it are coming along nicely so I suppose a quad would be the thing to ask for. I am going to be staying with pretty much the same program I had last year. A lot of the same sponsors came back on board with me. So as far as I am concerned things are looking really good next year.
Photo By: Xcountry Photos
K. Atwell found it to be like home on the podium when the season was over.
Yes, I work for my dads coal mining company. I drive a 40 ton rock truck and I run an excavator loading my cousins truck and haul coal and rock and dirt and whatever needs to be hauled for the day. We work 11 to 12 hours a day and with hours like that it really makes it tough to train. But we make it work.
So does a big ole truck like that have power steering or do you have to manually turn that big monster? Is it much of a workout for you?
(Laughing) It's got power steering so you don't get much of a workout, you just get bored.
That is pretty cool! Have you ever crashed one of those big trucks or run over something crazy like a car or porta potty or anything like that?
I have had it take off backwards down a hill on me a couple of times before and that's not much fun because you can't control it and you can't stop. But I have never run anything over. I have rolled one over but never run anything over. (Laughs)
You rolled one over?!
Yes. They are called articulating trucks. The front is like a truck and the back is like a trailer and I rolled the back over on it.
Did your dad yell at you?
Yes! I get yelled at a lot. (Laughs)
Okay let's get back to racing. You had a remarkable season and we talked to you about mid way through this unrelenting battle for the championship. At that time you were tied in points for the championship with a 3 win streak under your belt and you had stated that you had reached all the goals you had set for your self. The only other goal to attain was to win the championship. What was it like through the latter half of the season as that goal came closer and closer to becoming a reality?
It was very exciting to battle like that. I really didn't expect it to actually go down that way. I knew it was going to be so much hard work because that class is really tough. We just kind of kept doing what we were doing and it just kept paying off. Finally at one point as we got closer, I thought to myself that I can really do this now. It was just an incredible season this year. I actually finally had some luck on my side.
What has it been like since you claimed the # 1 National Champion title?
Photo By: Xcountry Photos
The #1 Plate could be a hard thing to pry out of Kristen Atwell's clutches.
There aren't words. It was just great . It was something that I worked so hard for and to actually finally be able to sit there and hold it and to just get my hands on it and say, I did this. I was just blown away.
How much did it mean to you to have it be passed on to you from your Aunt Angel?
It was just great to be able to keep it in the family like that. And to have us 1st and 2nd like that is just awesome.
Does it feel complete for you yet? I mean how will you feel on Friday night at the GNCC Awards Banquet to finally seal the deal with that #1?
I definitely think that Friday night at the banquet that it may finally set in that I won it and that is actually mine.
You said earlier in the season that you would treat yourself with ice cream or some kind of a treat after a win, what did you do to celebrate the championship once it was over?
Surprisingly we haven't really got to celebrate yet. I guess we are saving that for the banquet. The night I won the championship we did go to one of my favorite restaurants. But other than that things have been so crazy since the season ended and we just haven't had any time to do anything. I actually wanted to fly to Florida and go to Sea World because I didn't get to go this year when we were down there. It's kind of a bummer but we have just not had the time.
So what are your plans for next year?
I will most likely stay on the old style YZ. I will be on the same suspension and pretty much same everything. There are some changes with some products and sponsors but I think we will be back on the same bike. I am very comfortable and happy with that bike and it is really working for me so it is kind of hard to change something when it is working so well.
Do you have a good sponsorship program working?
I have a number of the same sponsors. I did pick up a couple of different ones though that I think are going to be a big plus in my program. I am going to be working with Rath Racing and Hiper Wheels. Other than that, like I said it is pretty much the same. I am hoping to have another good season and hoping luck will continue to go our way.
I am not so sure that is luck. That looked like hard work paying off to me. I mean you don't just go out and get lucky and win six races against champions like Traci Cecco and Angel Atwell. You had to feel like you have been riding with a target on your back with everything going so well this past season?
Some days for sure and some day not so much. It's just one of those things where I like to just go out and ride my own race and I don't like to think about it because I feel the more you go and think about it the more it stresses you. So I just try to keep myself calm.
Thanks and congratulations again. I guess I will see you at the Awards Banquet this Friday Night!
I can't wait till Friday night. It is going to be fun. I would also like to thank my boyfriend Brad(Shankle) for all his hard work and support this year. I am not sure I could have done it without him and my dad. My dad has supported me so much and I for sure could not have done it without him and his years of dedication to our program. Thanks to my sponsors that were behind me this year like Laz at GT Thunder, GBC, Powermadd, Hiper, HMF, Intense Fabrication & Design, Buchanan Racing, Rekluse, Motopro, XCountry Photos, G4 Graphics, Fasst Company, Pro Armor, Motorex, Scott, & MSR
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