Ethan Thatcher
Over the last several years, Ethan Thatcher has made a name for himself racing seemingly every series and event in the Pacific Northwest. After winning two Northwest Quad National Championships in 2009 (Pro and Pro Am) as well as another Pro Am Championship in 2010 (no Pro Class was offered) Ethan decided it was time to take his game to the big leagues.
The Quad X series, held predominantly in southern California, is the largest ATV motocross series on the west coast. Regular pros in attendance are Yamaha’s Dustin Nelson, WORCS Champion Beau Baron and AMA pro Jason Dunkelberger. Ethan quickly found himself riding at an entirely different level but was eager to prove he was capable of succeeding among the best.
Prior to 2011, Ethan had raced select Quad X events but to be consistent and attract the attention of serious supporters, Ethan would have to run the whole series and compete at the highest level. Something that would prove difficult considering most rounds require a 20 plus hour road trip on top of working a regular day job.
Coming into 2011 Ethan’s goal was to finish in the top five, quite an accomplishment for a rookie jumping headlong into a field littered with experienced professionals. His expectations were exceeded as he landed himself on the podium at each of the first two rounds. A very impressive feat for a privateer considering both of the riders who finished ahead of him are veteran pro racers with championships under their belts.
Ethan is currently ranked 4th in points behind Yamaha’s Josh Row. With one round of racing left on the season, finishing in the top three overall is within his grasp and would be a milestone accomplishment for the 19 year old rookie from La Pine Oregon.
With our involvement in this industry at various levels, we’re excited to see Ethan’s passion for racing and the success he is experiencing. Racing ATV’s is a long and challenging road with no promise of a future but Ethan is determined to give it everything he has as he continues to pursue this dream.
