Indiana resident Michael “Tyler” Moore is one hard working individual and XC racing is where he decides to spend his free time – that is if he has any. To spot Tyler at the track is not hard; he always has a smile and a welcoming personality. With his accomplishments in racing, his fun attitude, and his hard work AEM decided to go a tad deeper and see what Tyler is all about, especially off the track.

Tyler, what quad have you chosen to put the #110 on this year?
The TRX450R

What class are you competing in for 2007 and is the GNCC the only race you participate in?
In the GNCC I race in Jr. B, in D-17 my class is Quad B and Indiana Cross Country Series I also race in Quad B

Tyler what do you do in your spare time?
What’s Spare Time? … Between working to try to pay for all my Toys, Quads, Truck, Ect., I have no Spare time. I can barely make the races to be totally honest. But, I really like to just hang out with my friends and work on my quad. My biggest hobby is my quad and racing so that takes up the majority of my time.

Sounds like you are busy – what does your hectic day usually include?
This varies day to day but for the most part it goes something like this… Wake up around 5:30am, Rush to Work by around 6:30am, work 8-12 hrs a day, answer E-Mails and fill orders for my Off-road Parts and Accessories Company Merrill-Stone Racing, work on my quad(s) on NON School nights, go to school 2 days a week, rush home around 9pm-11pm so the girlfriend doesn’t get too mad, go to bed and do it all over again. In all honesty I am too busy for my own good to DO what I really want to do. But I guess that is a thing my mom always told me about called, LIFE!! I am going to free myself up a little bit here later on this year with letting a few things go that are cluttering up my daily routine so I can enjoy some of my OWN time.

Does your family take the same interest in ATV racing as you do?
Most of them are into NASCAR, Indy Car or NHRA Drag racing. I have been going to the NHRA NATIONAL’S here in Indianapolis, IN. for 24yrs STRAIGHT. I will be there for my 25th straight year this September 3rd , which will be Monday after the new “Mountain Ridge GNCC” in Somerset, PA. This means that I won’t make the whole race on all 5 days, but I WILL MAKE my 25th Finals. Some people wonder how I ever got into racing with quads when my family and I have been so into Drag Racing, but the start of every GNCC is a drag race, right? My uncle used to ride MX with dirt bikes and he was the one that got me into riding anything when I was 2yrs old on my first 1984 Suzuki Quadrunner 50. He now races SUPER Bikes and his daughter, my cousin Kylee, races Go Carts. My little brother wants to start racing quads with me but we will see how that works out in the future I guess. I’m going to have to let one of my practice quads go I guess.

You have your own company and you work on your own machines – so what is the most important thing you do to your quad to make it “race ready”?
SUSPENSION, you can have all the power in the world but you have to be able to make it stick to the ground. If you are spending more time with your quad bouncing around you are loosing power by not keeping your wheels on the ground.

How is the week leading up to a race weekend, anything exciting happens on your journey’s across the US?
Panic all week to get everything together and leave on Thursday night, then a nice drive to the track trying to make myself stay awake for well over 24 hrs starting Thursday morning and all day at work. I normally travel with my girlfriend Morgan or my mom Janet and little brother Joey. Every now and then we will pick up another racer that needs a ride.

What is something racers, riders, and/or friends do not know about you?
I am “OVERCARING” … I care too much about my friends on and off the track and I will stop everything (including a race) if I see one of them on the side of the track or if they need help just in a normal day. I’ve been trying to break myself of that habit, especially in a race. I have a few people that get mad at me for helping in the pits because I neglect MY quad and gear to help others with their issues.

Tell us how you got your beginning in racing Tyler...
My buddies, David and Dustin took me to this race that was 30 min’s from our hometown. It was called, I think, “IRONMAN” in Crawfordsville, IN. Yeah, I think that is right, The IRONMAN GNCC, Ever heard of it, LOL, I hadn’t. I had been riding, as mentioned earlier, since I was 2 yrs old, and never even knew there was RACING for ATVs. I was hooked after watching the START of the race. I started Max’ing out Credit cards left and right trying to build a quad that I thought would be competitive. Needless to say I have always been able to build them, just had difficulty riding them, LOL. Started hitting district races and a lot of practice with friends and then when I bought Stephanie Parton’s’ 05 TRX450R, is when I started to hit the National Circuit. First race, other than the “Ironman GNCC” 2004, was “The General, GNCC” and then “Steele Creek, GNCC” 2005, and I have to thank JONATHAN SHAFF and his mom for taking me to that one and in the same breath I must BLAME them for getting me addicted to the NATIONAL Circuit.

One question many people have is how GNCC riders prepare themselves for the 2+ hour race. How do you get ready mentally?
The only metal preparation that I need is to make sure that EVERYTHING is taken care of for the race day. Make sure that I get up on time, get my gear laid out, make sure that my quad is 110% race ready, and make sure that my trailer and pit area is cleaned up and ready for the race as well. Then it is off to help others with anything they need help with, watch a little bit of the morning races, be a morning pit crew for some of my morning racing buddies, and just hang out till 11:30am, when I get dressed. Then when I’m dressed it is more relax time. My main goal is NOT to try to PSHYC myself up, or GET IN THE ZONE. Those tactics have always put way too much pressure on myself and something bad always comes from it. I’m not getting a steady paycheck from racing so I’m out here for the FUN and THRILL of the ride.

And how do you try to prepare for the physical aspect of racing?
I try to eat as HEALTHY as I can. I stretch about 50 times before I race due to so many old Baseball injuries. My joints and muscles at 24 are well ahead of their time. I do work out in my Spare time. We have talked about spare time already I believe, LOL. (That all will change shortly)

Racing GNCC over the past 3 years…what has become your favorite track?
I have never really thought about which track I like the best. I would have to say IRONMAN GNCC and STEELE CREEK GNCC and Loretta Lynn’s GNCC.

Who is it that you look up to in life?
My Grandfather

Tell us what you look forward to the most at any given point of a GNCC weekend…
“TEEEENNNN SECONDS!!!!!!!!!!”

How do you feel the morning of the race? Are there nerves or excitement?
Just another Day; Relaxed and just ready to do what I have to do. I think the ones that take it too seriously are the ones that get themselves worn out mentally and physically before the green flag even flies.

So…what is running through your mind before the start?
“8-PLEASE START, 7-PLEASE START, 6-PLEASE START …”

What is your Best Memory of riding and/or racing?
Every time I go to a race, THE PEOPLE, My FRIENDS, just hanging out with everyone that I talk to each day on the internet or on the phone and getting to shot the breeze with them for another weekend in PERSON. The PEOPLE are what keep me coming back to racing. Those are my best Memories. I create new ones every week.

Are there any bad times you would like to forget in racing?
Haven’t Had any. “Knocking on wood”

Everyone has something that pushes them to race, improve, and get to a higher level. What is the driving force for you Tyler?
I’m not out there to light the world on fire or impress anyone, I’m out there for the love of the sport and to challenge myself, machine, mother nature, and maybe a few buddies. I have too much going on in my life to try to LIVE the sport, I still have to work to pay for this style of hobby and that takes up all my workout, practice and training time. So I guess you could say the driving force behind me is to see how hard I can push myself.

Who would you say is your greatest competition?
MYSELF, I set goals so high for myself that it is hard to achieve them sometimes. So I would have to say that I am my own greatest competition. Oh, and about 20+ others in my class with me.

So, 2007 is underway and although this season is far from over – do you plan on returning in 2008?
Yes - possibly move up to an “A” class. But I will have to do very well in my “B” Class before I do that. I am trying to see what type of schedule I can maintain while still trying to stay in shape and juggle work and life schedules with it. I plan on coming out a little better prepared for next season and in better shape. Don’t we all say that though?

Is there on accomplishment that stands out above the rest?
I would have to say my 5th place finish in Florida ’07 and backed up by a 4th place finish in Georgia “07. Those both made me feel really good that I could do that, and proved to myself that I am in the RIGHT class finally.

Tyler – sounds like you are always helping other and deserve a lot of “Thanks” but is there anyone out there you would like to make mention of?
First off I would like to thank my Grandparents and Parents. My grandparents have always been the financial muscle and LARGEST sponsors behind me and always try to keep me in line with MONEY MANAGMENT. I’m really bad with Money and which direction I send it, LOL. They always help me in a pinch and for that I am VERY THANKFUL. My mother is the one that smacks me back on track when I really get out of line. My mom is who has final say on what I do, she has always told me that “She brought me into this world and she can take me out!” and no matter how old I get she still has final say. Yeah I guess I could be a momma’s boy. When I do something in life I think to myself, “What would MOM think”, and that is something that I live by everyday.

I also have a few off road companies to thank as well for helping me with parts and service for my ATV’s.

Dreyer Honda in Indianapolis, IN., Rissler’s Extreme ATV in Brazil, IN., GT THUNDER (there is a reason they are the 2006 GNCC Sponsors of the year), ReKluse Motor sports, PowerMadd, Fasst Co., Rossier Eng., Hiper Tech., PRO-TECT, ARS-fx, Tireballs, Cardio Stack, Phil Cole ATV Training Program, and all my friends at all racing events.