It took 16 regional qualifying races during the summer throughout the USA to set up the top ATC/Odyssey drivers to compete at the first ever nationals where champions were crowned in eight divisions: four for ATC and four for Odyssey.

Satruday, October 9, found the Santa Clara fairgrounds overflowing with over 400 participants, some from as far away as Ohio, Indiana, Florida, and Alaaska, to try out the 9/10 mile track.

Heat races, starting at noon, would transfer four finishrs in each heat to the main event on Sunday. The remaining 70 percent would have to run off semi on Sunday morning with one to two places in each semi transferring in the main.

In 125cc Spring Valley's Steve "Too Tight" Wright won his heat race Saturday by borrowing Tracey Dickson's Pileggi Porting/Dickson Design Yamaha. Sunday "Too Tight" became 125cc national champion on the same Yamaha be beating 25 other riders, including Honda's Factory Best, Curtis Sparks and Tom Gaian. Quite a feat for a "privater".

Paul Woods of Escondido on his Accessories Plus Honda, another privateer, placed second in his heat and turned right around and again beat back all but one to place second in the 200cc class. Tracey Dickson placed fifth on his 125cc Yamaha less 75cc to do so. Steve Wright came back in the 250 class placing sixth. Dean Sundahl of El Cajon on a factory Honda ran second until engine problems put him out.

Sunday was a beautiful day with temperatures in the mid 80's which is practically unheard of for the bay area in October. As a result, the clay became very hard and slippery by early afternoon and when the Odyssey main event started the drivers found sections of the track like "racing on ise" without the piked tires.

Super Stock Odyssey was represented by Ramona's Mike Robinson in his Pileggi portin 3-E Enterprises Odyssey who won his heat race Saturday nd was running third in the main Sunday when a rear end collision broke his exhausst. He eventually finished seventh.

Modified Odyssey was represented by Ramonian Mike Pippin driving his 3-E Enterprises Odyssey. He won his semi Sunday and was leading Hillside Honda champ Eddie Brown in the main when overheating put him out of the race.

Myron Hemley of Fallbrook in the Super Stock Odyssey had steering problems while leading his semi and had to drop way off page and did not make the main event on Sunday.

The first ATV nationals were made a great success by all wo participated. The promotors are now planning a Spring national; more towards an off road type track, which should certainly benefit Southern California drivers who are unaccustomed to the flat hard type track that met them this year.

Doug Richards of Coyote Racing Association did an excellent job of organizing and pulling this off with uniform rules and it could be the apark to ignite ATV racing to eventually equal SCORE and HDRA type racing.