A Podium Filled Weekend For Pro ATV Sand Drag Racer, Gary Gee Armstrong
- 23 Aug 2012
The rider embarked upon his first year as a pro racer in 2010. That in mind, one might suspect that Armstrong would be seeing his fair share of success. Granted, the rider is finding his way to the podium this season, but on the other hand, he became a name in the sport early on in his career. In fact, at the conclusion of his first season, Armstrong was awarded with Rookie of the Year.
"That big victory really gave me the taste of winning that keeps driving me in my racing today" recalled Armstrong. Referring to his passion for riding ATVs prior to his pro racing career, he said, "I'd been a recreational ATV off-road rider. In 2003, we moved to Florence, Oregon, a town on the Oregon coast, right next to the Oregon Dunes National Park. I was always out there riding in those sand dunes in a Yamaha of one kind or another,"he continued, "blasting up huge dune faces, and racing tourists and locals, you know; just for fun. Eventually, I wanted some custom engine modifications done to my Yamaha YFZ, and became friends with engine builder and owner of Redline Racing, Cameron Sawyer," he explained. "He is also one of the fastest racers on the planet. One day, he called me up and said he and some other builders had rented a sand drag track fro the day, and invited me to come along and play. I did, and after making passes down the track all day with the timing lights, getting computer print-outs of my reaction times, elapsed times, sixty feet times and all, I was hooked on drag racing." Armstrong then said, "Fast forward a couple of years and a few hundred sand drag track races, and here I am." Gary "Gee" Armstrong and his team are very satisfied with the outcome of the 2012 season thus far. In fact, he is currently sitting in first place in the Sports Bike 2 class, and tied for first in the Pro 2 Class. When asked the key to future success, the rider said, "We're going to continue to train and work hard to be a very tough competitor on the track. And were going to continue having fun racing. Train like you race and race like you train," he continued. When asked how he prepared for the rigors of the sport, the rider explained, "I swim, and I cross train by mountain biking several days a week. I especially like doing downhill "bombing runs", blasting down steep forest slopes, while dodging huge fir trees. I also enjoy ripping down summer/fall ski resort slopes prior to snowboarding season." Although Armstrong is an advocate of training, he is also acutely aware of the importance of maintenance. "I'm a fanatic about maintenance," shared Armstrong. "Not only do my wins depend upon it but my life does also. I've been bedside, visiting in the hospital with friends after some horrible accidents, one just two weeks ago, that maintenance could have prevented. We check, recheck and check again," he explained. "We use the best products our research can find to keep us reliable, strong, competitive and safe." That in mind, Gary Armstrong depends upon K&N products to keep the internal components of his engine contaminant free. "We use K&N air, oil and crankcase filters exclusively," stated Armstrong. "I've used them since turning pro in 2010. The dyno tuning of our engine at Redline Racing demonstrates K&N air filters, with an Outerwears pre-filter, deliver increased horsepower to our engine without danger of sand and dust infiltration. Our tests of K&N's oil filters demonstrate that they trap more engine and transmission debris and clutch particles than any other oil filter we've used, thus assuming engine longevity and reliability. Nothing can end your hard earned winning race season like an engine failure!" When asked what fans can expect from Gary "Gee" Armstrong during the remainder of the 2012 season, he said, "Let ma answer this way. According to one of the largest international off-road racing magazines, in just three years of racing pro, my name has become synonymous with ATV drag racing in the Pacific Northwest and the western region of the United States. Apparently, I'm a friendly, colorful and entertaining racer, who's been fortunate enough to attract national media attention to my sport. So, I guess race fans can expect more drama and excitement from me during this 2012 racing season." In conclusion, he said, "The fans are a big reason I'm out there, and making something happen." Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the K&N dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world. |
