New ATV events are no stunt Series: OUTDOORS

July 10, 2005

When Hollywood stuntman Regis "Andy" Harrington heard that ESPN would be adding all-terrain vehicle events to its Great Outdoor Games, he was eager to compete.

"I rode motocross professionally for five years," the 27-year- old from San Diego said. "They are a lot a like four wheels instead of two."

The ATV competitions - Four Wheel Frenzy and Terracross - are among five new events in this year's games at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex.

In the Frenzy, 24 racers on 450cc ATVs compete for 16 spots (scheduled for Saturday night) in the final race that includes straightaways, turns, jumps and water hazards.

In the Terracross, eight riders compete for four spots in the final that combines all-terrain racing with archery.

Harrington said he was "recruited" to run the Terracross and had not touched a bow and arrow until a week ago.

"I am used to doing different things," the 5-foot-7, 135-pound ATV rider said. "Because of my size and stature I do a lot of doubling for women. If you watch the movie Charlie's Angels, I do all of Cameron Diaz's stunts.

Harrington said strength is a big factor.

"The smaller you are the more performance you get out of your machine. But the bigger you are, the more strength you have to control the quad, but the downside is you lose horsepower."

The Terracross course is a challenge, Harrington said. "We've got go through a mud bog, up some hills, pull a log through a field, then get off the 'quad' and shoot three targets. If you hit all three you get to climb back on and go. But for every arrow that misses, you have to sit and wait three seconds."

The targets are 8 inches by 8 inches, Harrington said, and the competitors shoot from about 20 yards. Even without the arrows, the Terracross, like other ATV events, has inherent dangers.

"If you crash you can get hurt," he said. "I have had nine surgeries in the past seven years. I have two, footlong metal rods, four metal plates and 39 screws in my body."

Joe and Heather Byrd love ATVs almost as much as they love each other.

"This is a great event, one of a kind," Heather said of the Four Wheel Frenzy. "Hopefully it will catch on."

Husband Joe said he expected the racing to be tight: "There is a lot of sand. It should make for a real interesting race. It will be hard to pass."

The couple, who have a supercross track in their back yard, are used to racing each other.

"He usually comes out on top," Heather said. "There have been a couple of times when he has had a mechanical problem and they mark down that I win. But that doesn't really count."

Joe, 32, is the heaviest rider on the circuit, and he said the winner of the Four-Wheel Frenzy will be determined by the start.

"I'm 6-5 and weigh 210," he said. "Most of my competitors weigh 150 to 170. Every 7 pounds equals a horsepower. Do the math. Obviously, I'm at a disadvantage on the start. But I'm taller and stronger and that helps in the rough stuff."

Byrd, who has an ATV riding school in Tennessee, said injuries are part of the sport, but he doesn't worry about them.

"You can get injured do anything," said Byrd, who has jumped his 400-pound ATV 145 feet in the air. "You can get hurt walking to the mailbox."

Heather Byrd and Angela Moore are the only women in the field.

"Going into the first turn with 14 guys makes you a little nervous," the 27-year-old Byrd said. "They are bigger and stronger and if you bump tires with them on a turn we might roll a little easier than they would."

Moore, 24, has been racing for half her life.

"I never get any attitude on the national circuit," she said. "I go out and do the same jumps that they do; they always come up and congratulate me."

Moore completed a 50-foot jump over water on Thursday.

"I lift light weights and do a lot of cardio," she said. "The guys have an advantage because of their strength. I have to work extra hard at it."

Moore said nothing could keep her from this year's inaugural ATV events.

"I crashed last weekend and partially separated my shoulder," she said. "It still hurts a little bit. But I just had to come."

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