Press Release –
On August 11 Jesse Skvarek took first place at Hurricane Mills, Tennessee, giving him enough points to win the 90 CVT class in the ITP Tires/Moose Racing AMA/ATVA National Championship. In riding to victory at Loretta Lynn Ranch Dirt Days, the Jefferson, Ohio racer reclaimed the crown he first won in 2006.
At age 13, Jesse has two ATVA National Championships in three years – both on board the same KYMCO Mongoose 90 he has relied on for four full racing seasons.
“People call me continuously wanting to purchase Jesse’s quad,” says his father and crew chief Paul Skvarek. “Performance-wise, that machine just rips. He took the hole shot in all but two or three races, which tells you everything about the performance.”
Jesse Skvarek is factory sponsored by KYMCO USA. “The people at KYMCO have been great. They’ve help us out any way they can.”
Beginning in May in Walnut, Illinois, Jesse got on a roll and just scorched the competition, taking first place an amazing five events in a row! But, after finishing 3rd in the RedBud in Buchanan, Michigan, Jesse needed a win at Dirt Days – and he and his Mongoose delivered.
Jesse’s Mongoose is tough, but he may be even tougher. He had a minor riding accident and broke his ankle just before the Buchanan event, but rode anyway. Then, still in some pain, he went to Dirt Days and got the necessary points for the championship.
“The doctor gave him a removable cast,” Paul explained. “On race day we took the cast off and then laced his riding boot up real tight.”
Though only 13, Jesse Skvarek is already a veteran on the youth ATV racing circuit. In 2006 he won his first ATVA National Championship in the 90 Production Jr. Class after finishing third overall in 2005 riding in the 70 Modified class. Last year, he raced the same Mongoose 90 on the WPSA circuit in three different classes, taking a second and two thirds.
Asked how his children got into ATV racing, Skvarek says that in his family, “we grew up riding. We’d get fifteen or 20 machines together and just go trail riding.” He noticed that his son Jesse “never could stand to follow anybody.” So racing just came naturally.
For the Skvareks, ATV racing is a family affair. Jesse’s sister Erica raced one season herself, on a Mongoose 50. Their mother, Robin Skvarek, supports Jesse’s racing efforts and attends most race weekends, as do two older children who don’t race themselves but are there to cheer on their brother.
The Friday before a race finds the Skvareks packing their camper with food and gear and setting out on road trips that can take them a thousand miles or more from their home in Northeastern Ohio. They enjoy the time together and the family atmosphere of ATVA venues on race weekends.
Once they started racing seriously, KYMCO became the obvious choice for the Skvarek team. Jesse campaigned on a Mongoose 50 in 2004, and, according to his father, “It floored me. I couldn’t believe how that thing ran.” Paul Skvarek, an electrician by trade, is his own chief mechanic. He says that the reliability of the Mongoose has made his job easier.
“Our big advantage has been consistency,” Paul says. “We had no DNFs because of the machine. In fact over three years we’ve only had one part failure, and that was a four year-old part that we wanted to see just how long it could go. This year, same way. We had no issues with the machine. Others have continuous breakdowns. We ride it, clean it up, and then go on to the next race. It’s pretty amazing.”
In addition to KYMCO factory support, Skvarek Racing received help from Powroll engines, Bud Fisher and Fisher Cycle, Wiseco pistons and HiPer carbon fiber wheels.
Paul said he especially wanted to thank Joe Wofford at KYMCO USA. “He really made it all happen.”
For more visit KymcoUSA.com
