 Two racers are at the head
of the pack in the Great Lakes Quad Series, and who's up front
depends on what class is up and which heat it is.
"He's just got his own style of riding, like we
all do, but he seems to block his line and he can steal ours really
quick." #137 Cory Gauthier describes #75
Bill Berger with respect, and that's returned by
Berger. "Gauthier usually is the guy to beat," he said,
"He's usually a good top runner." Gauthier, a 20-year-old from Pulaski, Wisconsin
started racing in 2001 and took first place last year in 16 24 A
and Open A. He credits much of his success to being in shape and
starting the year out extra strong. He races in GNC, too, and
thinks those top racers push him to go extra fast. The two acknowledge a friendly rivalry but the
point gaps show who's clearly in front: each of them. Gauthier has
first place in Production A with 448 points to Berger's second
place with 229. Berger has first in Open A with 369 to Gauthier's
254-point second place. Gauthier has a healthy point lead in the
Production A class, which Berger doesn't run, but he doesn't race
in the Vets class, which the 38-year-old Berger leads clearly. "He's been in it for such a long time. He's a
good veteran rider. Any mistake you make he picks up on," Gauthier
said. "He's still one of the toughest racers around."  Said Berger, "I've got a love for the sport.
As long as I can do it I'll keep doing it but I'm starting to feel
my age a little bit." He's been riding since 1985, which is longer
than many series have been around. That year he took off on a
Tri-Z. "I'm getting pretty old. These guys are in their 20s, low
20s and I'm sitting here at 38."
Working with the machines so long has given him
a strong knowledge base. "I set up all my own stuff. What it comes
down to is you've got to change parts often because it gets
fatigued. You've got to keep the bikes fresh, keep 'em safe." As prepared as he can be and as equipped as his
trailer is, everyone needs to depend on other racers sometimes,
like during the Sept. 10 race at Pine Ridge in northeastern
Wisconsin. "I ended up breaking a heim joint and it took me
out of the production class. The guys in the pits here helped me
out. We got a different spud. I actually borrowed it from Cory
because he had blown out. Everybody here helps each other out. That
one of the things I love about quad racing is that people go out of
their way to help a fellow racer." That atmosphere is one of the things Berger will
miss when he eventually retires. He calls each race "bittersweet,"
because he knows each is closer to his last one. The spud Gauthier gave Berger came off his Open
A machine. The bottom of the engine fell out mid-race and took him
out of that class for the day. "As far as the Open A class goes I've had some
bad luck. Everything that happens is in that class, so I'm not sure
if I should run it anymore or what," he said sarcastically. In the first and second races of the year he had
trouble, too. "Nothing internal was damaged, just the cases
ended up racking somehow and some friends helped me change the
motor. " The mechanics with his team of Janssen
Motorsports of Kaukauna, where he works as parts manager, came
through. "I had the practice bike there and mechanics
helped me swap motors. We had about 35, 40 minutes to do it and we
had it done just in time."
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