AMA ATV National ProAm & College Class Racer Cody Gifford Ready for RedBud MX in Buchanan, Michigan
- 16 Jul 2013
"ATV racing doesn't have the following that dirt bikes do, so (ATV racers) have to work twice as hard for less money," Gifford said. "But I wouldn't give it up for the world."
Cody Gifford started riding before he could walk, he says. "My parents bought me a battery powered four wheeler," Gifford said, when asked about his first bike. But despite all of the family trips to the trails and all of the hours on the quad, Gifford never showed interest in racing, until 2010. "A friend of our invited us to a local race. My first race I grabbed both hole shots and both moto wins, and from there on out I've been hooked." This year Gifford brought his talents to the national stage for the first time. Running in the AMA ATV National Championship ProAm and College classes, Gifford has been strong when mechanical incidents haven't plagued the team.
Cody Gifford currently sits fourth in College points, where he has a pair of podiums. In the ProAm class, Gifford isn't racing so much for a championship, but rather for experience. "If I can finish in the top three in College and continue putting together top tens in ProAm, it will be a successful season," Gifford said. Round 5 at Sunset Ridge MX in Walnut, Illinois, proved to be the most important race for Gifford so far. His 8th place finish in ProAm proved that all of his training was paying off. Cody Gifford trains as much as he can, and not just on the bike. Workout programs like Insanity and a healthy diet keep Gifford in top physical condition, and he believes that gives him an advantage over his competition.
"Fitness is very important in this sport because you want to be able to go as fast as you can for as long as possible, but as rough as these tracks get, your body needs to be abe to take a beating and not get tired. "That's why I like running the ProAm class. They run 15-minute races, plus one lap. This really caters to me because even though I'm not always the fastest, I'm consistent. I make most of my passes in the second half of the moto's." By comparison, the Amateur divisions only run four lap races, and while Gifford might be faster in that class, it also doesn't play into his strengths. Cody Gifford is looking forward to the upcoming race at RedBud MX in Buchanan, Michigan, which reminds the youngster of many of his home tracks. "RedBud has huge jumps and gets really rough, so it shows who has been putting in the hard work. It's a sand track, so it's really similar to a lot of the tracks down in Florida that I'm used to." Gifford thinks he's closing in on that first Nationals win, and he credits a lot of that to K&N Filters. "K&N is by far the best filter I've ever used," Gifford said. "Not only do they increase horsepower, but they are so easy to clean. The K&N filter is reusable and they hold up to anything I put them through, from rain to mud and sand to clay. K&N has never let me down. They really pay for themselves." |
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| Related K&N News Articles about AMA ATV National racing: AMA ATV National Racer Chad Wienen Takes Overall Win at ATVMX Series Opener; Team PCS Performance/Can-am's Josh Creamer to Race AMA ATV National Motocross Racing Series; K&N's Dalton Millican Caps 2012 with Strong Showing at AMA ATV National Race Loretta Lynn's ATVMX 450A Event; Chad Wienen Takes Top of Podium During Second Round of AMA ATV National Race at Muddy Creek |
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