GNCC Racing

Tuesday Toolbox: Hunter Hart

Tuesday Toolbox: Hunter Hart

Tuesday, February 10, 2015 | 4:35 PM
by:
Tuesday, February 10, 2015 | 4:35 PM

Hunter Hart made a name for himself in the youth ATV ranks as a front runner for a number of years. After multiple class and youth overall titles, Hunter made his way into the Schoolboy classes of the morning, competing for the title there while also racing a bike on Sundays. We caught up with Hunter to talk about his plans for 2015 and more.

GNCCRacing.com: How's it going today?
Hunter Hart: Today is going great! I just got home from school and I’m getting ready to go ride my snowmobile this evening, which should be a pretty fun.

Watch out for Hunter Hart his coming year making his way through the amateur ranks!
Watch out for Hunter Hart his coming year making his way through the amateur ranks! Photo: Ken Hill

Sounds awesome! So how's your winter break been going?
My winter break has been a ton of fun. I have about 18 inches of snow at my house, which makes for some great snowmobile riding. Over Christmas I was able to go down to Florida for two weeks. I had fun riding with my dad, then towards the end of the break Cody Collier and Drew Landers came down and spent a few days. We had a blast.

What's it been like getting in the seat time down south?
It’s definitely a lot of fun to get out of the cold and go do some riding. I actually haven't been back to Florida since Christmas, but this Thursday I’m headed down until the first GNCC.

So what are your plans for when you head back down to Florida?
My plan is to go and ride at Croom until the first GNCC. It’s a pretty popular spot for both ATV and bike riders, so I’m pretty excited to get down there and start riding.

Hart will once again race an amateur ATV race on Saturday and then a amateur bike race on Sunday!
Hart will once again race an amateur ATV race on Saturday and then a amateur bike race on Sunday! Photo: Ken Hill

Are you ready to get back to racing too?
I’m very ready to get back to racing. I’m planning on hitting some FTR and SORCS races before the first GNCC to get in some extra seat time, so that will be nice too.

What are your plans for 2015?
My plans for 2015 are to race the Schoolboy (13-15) class on the ATV side and the Supermini (14-15) class on the bike side. I’m hoping to contend for the morning overall title on the ATV side. There’s some pretty tough competition there but it’s definitely not out of reach.

You mention racing the bike too, which you’ve been doing for a little while now. What’s it like racing both in the same weekend?
It’s really fun! It adds a whole new view onto racing. There are a lot more lines available on a dirt bike since they’re not as wide, and it kind of helps to find new lines on the ATV as well.

So it's always a debate, but which do you think is harder to ride?
I'd have to say that they both have their strong points, but I feel like the ATV is harder due to their size and weight.

Hunter Hart will be racing the Supermini (14-15) class on Sundays
Hunter Hart will be racing the Supermini (14-15) class on Sundays Photo: Ken Hill

What do you hope to accomplish in 2015?
What I’m really hoping for is to win the Schoolboy class title and be in contention for the 201 plate. I’m also shooting to finish in the top 5 on the bike.

What about beyond 2015? What do you hope to accomplish in the future?
In the future I hope to line up next to Chris Borich and Walker Fowler, and compete for the title in XC1.

What's it going to take to make it happen?
It’s definitely going to take a lot of training, dedication, and support from my family.

Best of luck to Hart on Saturdays and Sundays this season!
Best of luck to Hart on Saturdays and Sundays this season! Photo: Ken Hill

Alright, before we wrap this up, who would you like to thank?
First, I'd definitely like to thank my mom and dad. Ithaca Recreation Sports, if anyone wants a good deal on a new KTM motorcycle, contact me, I can hook you up with those folks, and even bring it to the races. Also, Motorex, Muddy Kotton, Custom Axis Racing Shocks, Spider Graphix, God for always keeping me safe, my quad mechanic Gary Chamberlain, my bike mechanic Jason Walker and my personal trainer Nate Thomas.