Motocross keeps hearts pumping all summer
Coast-to-coast Canadian pro tour comes to Ontario three times this season
If you live in or around Toronto, you’ve almost certainly heard of the big Supercross competition that plays the Rogers Centre almost every winter, and you might even have been to see it.
But did you know there’s a coast-tocoast summer Canadian pro motocross tour, the Rockstar Energy Drink Motocross Nationals, that stops in Ontario three times before its 10-event schedule concludes in mid-August?
Before we get too deep into comparisons, purists will note that though the two different forms of dirt bike racing may look similar to the casual observer, they don’t have as much in common as one might think.
The stadium form of the sport is all about big stunts in short sprints. Outdoor motocross, on the other hand, is one of the greatest tests out there of athleticism, endurance and pure speed on two wheels.
Mark Stallybrass, president of the Canadian Motocross Racing Corp., the entity that oversees the Nationals and several smaller regional series across the country, has been involved in the sport as a racer and administrator for more than 40 years.
He knows first-hand what motocross riders will go through for the glory of victory.
“When you see these guys jump and they’re 30 feet in the air on a 400-pound motorcycle, combining that with racing bar to bar and doing whatever they can to overcome each other, it’s just a lot more intense and (there’s) a lot more action,” Stallybrass explains.
The tour is now entering its 23rd year and began its 10-event season in Kamloops, B.C., several weeks ago. It runs through Ontario three times — just outside Tillsonburg on the weekend of July 12, near Ottawa on July 19 and close to Goderich and the shores of Lake Huron for the finale on Aug. 16.
None of these events take place in urban centres.
The high-speed nature of the sport means the tracks need an expanse of rural fields to accommodate them.
But Stallybrass says the trip out of town is worth it for the spectacle the competition provides.
“You’re in fifth gear a lot of the time, and these guys are just flying,” he says.
“You’ve got your uphills, your downhills, your off-cambers, your jumps, all combined with the endurance of it all and the speeds.
“When you’re racing motocross, it’s like doing pushups for 35 minutes. With your legs, it’s like doing squats for 35 minutes. Add into that you’ve got equipment that you’re carrying around and you’re in 80 to 90-degree heat. The endurance it takes is incredible.”
A typical Nationals weekend will feature multiple amateur and regional races, including a pair of series featuring female riders that run in Eastern and Western Canada, and those lead into a pair of features on the last day, Sunday: MX2 for 250cc bikes and MX1 for 450cc.
The Canadian arms of six different motorcycle manufacturers — Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Husqvarna, and KTM — provide factory support, in part because they see it as an opportunity to reach a younger demographic for two-wheeled fanaticism.
“Ask someone on a street bike, when did you start riding?” Stallybrass says.
“I used to have a dirt bike — that’s the natural progression for motorcyclists. The manufacturers realize this and are jumping on board.”
The average age of pro motocross riders runs from roughly 18 to 25 years of age.
“By the time you’re 25, you’re almost out of it,” Stallybrass says. “People do naturally progress into street bikes.”
Riders to watch in the coming year — and FOX Sports Racing announced just this week that it will televise the Canadian competition — will include Australian Brett Metcalfe, who won the MX1 championship in 2013 but took last year off to compete in the U.S. filling in for injured Supercross champion Ryan Villopoto.
Colton Facciotti, the 2014 MX1 champion, crashed and injured his pelvis during the off-season but was expected to return in time to start the season aboard his Honda.
With all the opportunities to get out and enjoy the action, lovers of racing — or even just of exciting events on sunny summer weekends — might consider giving motocross a try.
“If you’re a motorsport fan and you’ve never been to it,” Stallybrass says, “the first time you go out, I think you’d be amazed.”
The Rockstar Energy Drink Motocross Nationals season began in Kamloops and ends in Walton, Ont., in mid-August.
More information on the series and its events can be found at its website, mxnationals.ca. Stephanie Wallcraft is a frequent contributor to Toronto Star Wheels. For more Toronto Star Wheels stories, go to thestar.com/autos. To reach Wheels Editor Norris McDonald: nmcdonald@thestar.ca