Motorcycle racers are nice people. I don’t mean just sort-of nice, I mean really nice. It’s one of the aspects of racing that I enjoy so much, being around awesome, fun, happy, caring people, and my recent experience at an Alberta Mini Roadracing Association race weekend July 7-8th solidified this statement.

I went to Calgary to coach young motorcycle racer, Peter Lenz. Peter, out of Vancouver, Washington, has been tearing it up at tracks all over North America and I’ve been coaching him this year through the California Superbike School.

This visit to Calgary would mark the first time I would have the opportunity to compare him to the other riders on the track, and see him in a real competitive environment where his strengths and weaknesses would become more evident. I would also get to see what a Mini Roadracing weekend was actually like.

I arrived at the pits on Saturday morning at about 8:00 a.m. and before I had taken three steps through the small, cozy paddock that was set up with pit tents sheltering tiny versions of “regular sized” motorcycles, little tire warmers, little stands, sleepy-eyed parents, tiny leathers, sleepy kids with morning hair, I heard a cheerful voice exclaim, “Misti Hurst, how are you? Are you going to ride with us? You gonna race? We’ve got extra bikes, gear, gloves, boots, whatever you want, whatever you need.”

I wasn’t expecting to know anyone at the races save for the Lenz family. All five of them who had dutifully driven up from Vancouver, Washington in their passenger van, two bikes in the back, three kids piled in, sleeping bags, gear, snacks and other miscellaneous equipment, all for the love of racing. But, suddenly old faces from past club racing events, familiar faces from people I’ve met at industry shows, and even former students were all eager to say hello and to offer up motorcycles so that I may race alongside them.

Brian Ens, fellow roadracer from the WMRC, now races mini bikes because it is “Way more fun than regular racing and it is totally worth the 12 hour drive to come to Calgary from Vancouver, BC, and race the little bikes. It’s an awesome way to spend a weekend.

“Where’s Peter?” I ask as I walk up to the Lenz pit. “Still sleeping.” his dad Michael explains, with a nod of his head towards the van parked on the other side of the pit. Just then there is an announcement on the PA calling all riders to the riders meeting.

As if on cue, the door of the van opens and like a zombie, young Peter, eyes still half closed, drops down onto the pavement from the van, pulls his sweatshirt on, gives a nod in my direction, flattens his hair then ruffs up the front a bit and saunters up towards the front for the riders meeting.

There is a lot of laughter and cheering as they call out different cities in recognition of where people have traveled from; Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Quesnel, Saskatoon and Vancouver, WASHINGTON, they call out (pronouncing every syllable) and Michael hollers and waves. There are kids in small leathers, non racing parents standing with their kids, racing mom’s in leathers next to racing dad’s with their racing kids in-between, everyone is happy.

The five minute horn goes off and Peter half walks, half jogs back to his pit, yanks his leathers on, pulls his boots up, zips the zippers, tosses on his helmet, quips at dad for not having the bike off the stand and ready for him, hurriedly throws a leg over and rips onto the track.

I set up post on one of the towers, carefully and dutifully watch as Peter rides first his Metrakit MiniGP 50 and then his KTM65SX mini road racer and speak to him for a few minutes between each practice session in order to give him a target skill to work on. I monitor his progress and inform him of areas where he is strong and call him in or give him a signal from the side of the track if there is something important I wish to have him work on. After lunch on Saturday he qualifies for each of his race classes.

Before he is even out of his leathers there appears a gaggle of people in the pits and Brian nods towards the track and says to me, “open practice, I got a bike for you to ride if you want to get out there.” I look at Michael Lenz who nods, Peter who grins and Brian tosses me his flashy green and white leathers and rolls his KX85 over for me to ride. I borrow Peter’s helmet, boots, his back protector and gloves, throw a leg over the bike and roll onto the little track for the first time.

The track is fun! A series of S’s leads onto a straightaway, then a fast left, another fast left and a tight right hairpin, a right, left and left again to another short straightaway, a tight left right left and I’m cruising past the stands and giggling to myself as I start to get the hang of this little supermotard. By the third lap I’m dragging my knee on the ground and laughing out loud as little kids fly by me on NSR’s and Pocketbikes. I can see the appeal, the speeds are down but the challenges are still the same, brake later, get on the gas earlier, carry corner speed, I’m grinning and thinking that I could really like this, if only there were more hours in the day and more days in the year.

The following day is race day and starts off much the same way as the day before. More cheers and shouts, more jokes, more coffee and more pushes for me to join in on some of the races, this time, they are pulling out the guilt card. “Well, we are one women short of being able to run the women’s class today (ahem) Misti…so if we could find another women to ride (cough) Misti, then the women would get a chance to race today. Isn’t that right, Misti?”

I nod and say I’ll think about it, give Peter the drill for the morning practice and set up in the tower to watch. He is doing awesome, he’s being a good student and improving his times each lap out. Pretty soon it’s time for the first race, which he wins. I praise him for the things he did well and remind him of a few areas where he could still use some work.

The next race is, in Peter’s words, the “most important.” He qualified fourth so a good start is what he has been visualizing. The flag goes down and the bikes take off but things go bad quickly. Two bikes hit and one goes down in the front, then like dominos more bikes fall down, a total of eight in all. There are bikes and kids crashed out on the track. I know I’m supposed to be a dutiful spectator and stay in the stands but that’s “my boy” out there, I can’t help but to start running down the track towards Peter. When I get there he is white and I ask him if he is ok, hug him and stay with him until his dad arrives, then help other kids and pick up bikes. Everyone is OK but Peter’s arm is hurting and has started to swell so we agree that he should be taken to the hospital.

The day moves forward and the races begin again. I’m encouraged to get out on the track and I agree to race. With me signed up it means that the ladies class is a go and I spend the rest of the day jumping from bike to bike racing in 5 different classes on 5 different bikes; A Metrakit MiniGP 50, KTM65SX mini road racer, Honda NSR50, Kawasaki KX85 and a TTR-125.

The racing is fun, the camaraderie is amazing, the competition fierce but friendly, the people encouraging and extremely caring. During one of the races a little kid crashed, and didn’t get up right away. Before a red or even yellow flag was flown, one of the riders, Charles Nalder pulled off to the side of the track (in the middle of the race) to kneel down and help. I watch in awe as he sits patiently and waits for the medical crew to arrive to check out the youngster who thankfully turned out to be just fine. It’s a display of compassion that you don’t see at all races but that has become evident here at the Alberta Mini Roadracing event.

I had a blast and wouldn’t hesitate to get involved in racing mini-bikes. The association advertise themselves as family oriented and I couldn’t agree more. They took me in, welcomed me, offered help and equipment and made sure Peter was taken care of (turns out he broke his arm and will not be racing for 6 weeks).

The AMRA is a non-profit amateur roadracing organization that provides an introduction to the sport of motorcycle road racing to riders of all ages, gender and abilities in a closed environment with a focus on safety, camaraderie and sportsmanship. Mini road racing is very similar to full size road racing. The racing lines, acceleration and braking are all to scale of full sized road courses but without the top speed and full size racing bikes. It allows you to go out, have a great day of racing without the expense and speeds of full size road racing. It is a great way to get the family involved and a whole lot of fun. www.amra.ca Cheers, Misti

 

Misti Hurst is a motorcycle racer, an instructor and a freelance writer. Visit her website at www.mistihurst.com