by: Chuck Lemaster
Tuesday, July 19, 2016 | 10:20 AM
Chad Duvall is well known in the paddock as “Bad Thad’s Dad!” but few know that Chad actually used to line up on the GNCC front row. GNCCRacing.com caught up with Chad to ask a few question and get some insight on what makes “Bad Thad” so fast!
GNCCRacing.com: Hi Chad! Congrats on a solid year so far.
Chad Duvall: Thanks. It started out slow but it’s coming around.
I’m not sure that all our readers are aware that you have a pretty strong background in racing. The “Duvall Legacy” actually started with you!
[laughs] Yeah, I raced for 12 years as a pro. It was on four wheelers, but that’s what got us here! I actually started on dirt bikes when I was a kid and raced motocross in the early 80’s. I guess I did that until about 1986? Then the group I was hanging with kind of grew up and everybody disbanded. I stopped riding for a little bit.
What got you back into it?
We had a little Suzuki Quadsport 230 on the farm and I was fooling around on it. It was fun, but wasn’t really meant for the abuse I was giving it. In 1988 I went out and bought a Yamaha Warrior 350. I thought that was cool! It had racks and a light. I could do farm work or go play. I hadn’t really thought about racing, but my brother-in-law wanted me to come out to a District 11 Hare Scramble.
How did that go for you?
My brother-in-law was at signup when I pulled in. There were some guys standing near him and they started laughing and saying, “Look at that Warrior in the back of that truck.” He turned to them and said, “That Warrior is probably going to smoke you guys today!”
So is that what happened?
I did pretty good! I came out of there with 2nd. I’d never raced in the woods even in my two-wheel days, so just figuring it out and not embarrassing myself was a step in the right direction! I mean, as a kid, I had ridden in the woods. That was just trail riding. The cross-country racing was a new experience and I really enjoyed it! I’d say I was hooked after that!
What did you do next?
The Warrior didn’t last much longer for me. I needed something better, so I stepped up to a Honda 250X. That was a couple generations before the 400EX, but in its day, it was cool! I started racing 4-Stroke B in the District 11. I remember being at the Pioneer 100 and beating Barry Hawk. Barry was having an undefeated season that year and I guess I upset that! Of course, no one had ever heard of me, so lots of folks figured I must have cheated. But I didn’t. I was just having a good time.
When did you come over to GNCCs?
Well let’s see, I raced 4-stroke B that year, moved up to 4-stroke A the next year. Won a District 11 Championship and then I guess it was about 1991 that I came here? I only raced a few races; just testing the waters. I guess it was the next year I came to run all the GNCCs and ended up 12th for the season.
And you moved up to Pro pretty quick, didn’t you?
Yeah. I ended up running Pro GNCC for 12 years! It was a good crew I raced with: Barry Hawk, Bill Balance, William Yokely, Bob Sloan, Kim Kuhnle, Doug Whitmer…super good bunch of guys! I got to see Barry [Hawk] rise up and then Bill [Ballance]. Yokely was always in the mix. Plus, the industry was changing and making the move toward 4-strokes there toward the end. I got to see [Chris] Borich coming up through the ranks and start to make his mark. It was just a really good time to be involved!
So when did you retire?
2005 was my last year racing.
So you and your son, Thad, had a little overlap! How did Thad come to be on two wheels instead of four?
Lord knows I love what I did and all I was able to accomplish. But there are a lot of moving parts on a four-wheeler and they are a lot of work! Plus back then, there wasn’t much industry support for ATV. No money, no funding. So when Thad was growing up, I pushed for two wheels. I even got him a little bike, but he always wanted to ride the little ATV we had at the house. Finally, some of his friends started coming over to ride and they had dirt bikes. Thad came to me one day and said, “Dad, I want a bike!” We went to town that day and got one! Haven’t looked back since!
So did Thad start racing right away?
Back then, there were no Micro races, so you had to be 7 to do a GNCC. His first race was a WV round and he had a KX60 with drum brakes. We got to the race and Thad didn’t want to ride! I kind of turned into a mini-dad for a minute and was like, “Look. We’re here. Just go out and ride!” He did, and something clicked! We haven’t looked back and been coming ever since.
How was that racing on Saturday and then him racing as well?
Fortunately, the youth bike races were Saturday afternoon right after the Pro ATV race! Neither one of us in a morning person so I’m really grateful we didn’t have to get up that early on Sunday morning or who knows how this might have turned out?! [laughs] But as it was, I would get off my quad, rinse off, throw some clean clothes on and hustle to the line for his start. I figured that probably helped develop my training program! We did it that way for a long time; his whole mini career.
So what is this that I hear about you being a runway model?!
[laughs] You got me there! Well, back in 2004, I was diagnosed with leukemia. I had gone and got a tooth pulled and thought I was going to bleed to death during the night! I went to the doctor and he said, “leukemia.” I started going through treatment immediately. But it really came to bear on me in 2005. I didn’t want to quit racing, but treatment was really sapping me. I remember hitting some whoops and my guts were just tearing me apart. I felt that I had sponsor obligations and so I would go put in a couple laps to represent, but it was never the level that I’d had in the past. Plus, I was 38 years old! So that’s how the retirement decision came about.
Right! But the runway…
So, last year, Strickler Cancer Center in Marietta, OH was having their annual fundraiser to help people going through the process; whether they need transportation to the hospital for treatment, or medication, or whatever. My sister-in-law works there and she roped me in to being a model for this fundraiser. I was terrified! I’m not real big on being the center of attention. I’m the kid who couldn’t even give a speech in school! But I did it and had a blast! So they asked me to come back this year and I was the only repeat model. It was a lot easier. I knew what to expect and let loose and have a little fun! They had 848 people this year, raised money for a good cause and I was truly happy to be part of it.
So you were diagnosed back in 2004. Fought it in 2005. How are you now?
Doing good! It’s been 11 years now. I go to the doctor every 6 months and get checked out. Everything keeps looking good so I’m really blessed!
You’ve been on both sides. A Pro racer and now a father to a Pro racer. What advice do you have for dad’s out there?
First, I’d say, don’t push the kids. They’ve got to want to do it. One time, we were out in a field and I tried to show Thad how to do corners. He got mad, I got mad. I decided then to just let him be. Let him have fun with it and progress at his own pace. He basically taught himself how to ride. And I’d say that without me chewing on him all the time, it let him grow into his own. He rode because he wanted to ride and he still does!
Anyone watching Thad ride can tell that he loves it. Especially when we get somewhere that he can jump – like the Skyshot at Unadilla!
He’s done it on his own. My role was to take my knowledge and provide him the opportunity and best equipment that we can afford. I’m really proud of him!
Any other advice?
Take it easy. There’s no hurry! If we had it to do over again, I think we moved Thad up too quick before the mental maturity was there. He was always fast! At the end of his 200B season, we moved him to 250A to try out a race. He led for a while and ended up 3rd, so we figured, “He’s ready!” But there are still a lot of things to learn at 15 years old before going to a big bore bike. Same thing with the XC2 class. We probably should have let him stay and defend that title instead of going straight to the front row. This isn’t motocross. By the time a rider is in his mid-20’s, he’s coming into it here in the woods. It takes a certain mental maturity beyond just going fast. There’s plenty of time. Don’t rush it.
Good words of wisdom, Chad! Thanks for taking time to share with us. Have a great summer break! And tell us who you would like to recognize?
Well first, thank you for the interview. It’s been a long time since I did something like this. Thank GNCC for letting me be able to say I’ve done this for so many years and giving Thad and me a place to ride. Thanks to my wife and my family for all the support over the years. It hasn’t been all peaches and cream! There’s been a lot of struggle but we made it happen and grateful to be here!