Racing makes 12-hour round trip worthwhile
ATV racer from Ottawa area competes regularly at Welland track
Welland County Speedway’s motorcycle racing season is only two weeks old, yet Chuck Graham is already 2-for-2 pocketing the biggest payouts in the two ATV classes.
The 44-year-old truck mechanic from Embrun, Ont., southeast of Ottawa, should be smiling ear-to-ear, laughing all the way to the bank.
Except Graham can’t afford to. Travel costs alone for the 12hour round trip, $200 each way he hauls his big trailer down the 401, dwarf the $150 top prize for finishing first in ATV Open and $75 for pacing the pack in ATV Production.
“No, it doesn’t cover it,” Graham said with a laugh. “But I’m not coming to earn money, that’s what I go to work for.
“I just come down for the sport, I really enjoy racing.”
Graham was 14 when he received his first ATV — “I never had good luck on two wheels when I was kid,” he said — but never graduated into stock cars.
“I was never allowed, my mom said no and once I got married then my wife said no.”
Graham switched to racing ATV Open and Production classes three years ago following a five-year break from racing. Before that he competed in motocross ATVs.
“Now, there doesn’t seem to be much of a circuit for it, and I’m older and hitting jumps and then hitting the dirt hurts,” he said with a laugh.
“That’s why I would rather just stick to the smooth track.”
Embrun, which is halfway between Ottawa and Cornwall, would be closer to some track in Quebec, but Graham prefers satisfying his need for speed at the Welland track.
“I really like this track,” he said. “It’s a small track and it’s clay versus some of the bigger horse tracks that are gravelbased.”
Racing so far from home that he needs to stay overnight in his trailer has its drawbacks. He once made it as far as Cobourg only to find out there wouldn’t be enough of a field to make ATV racing worthwhile.
“That’s not even halfway, still my side of halfway,” he said. “But what are you going to do, it’s racing. I just turn around and go home.”
Biggest differences between Graham’s racing model and a run-of-the-ruts ATV are a modified engine, lighter parts and a sway bar in the front.
“You wouldn’t find that on a regular ATV,” said Graham, whose engine produces 55 horsepower compared to the 36 to 40 for stock engines.
Setup is key in ATV racing. He said the right front, because the racer is turning left; and the left rear, to prevent rollovers; should be a little heavier.
“What you’re trying to do is working against going on two tires,” said Graham, who determines the right weight distribution for a specific track by first placing a bathroom scale underneath each wheel.
Victories are only a byproduct of competition as far as the veteran racer is concerned.
“In racing terms, I’m an old guy,” Graham said. “You don’t want to come out and be at the back or at the front by yourself.
“Even if you’re racing so you’re not in last place, at least you’re still racing. That’s the most fun, that’s why we do it.”
He is more than willing to help the competition if it keeps the racing class thriving.
“If anyone wants to know anything, I would be more than happy to help.
“Healthy competition is a lot better than winning by default.”