Picture This: Beautiful sunrise at 6am, half packed from the night before, and the kids slowly succumbing to our calls to get out of bed. The trailer is full of dirt bikes (Connor’s 50cc & 65cc) and our youngest (2 years old at the time) still in his pajamas. We’re off to Area 51 Motocross in Batavia, New York for our first bout of AMA racing. What a high! This particular race weekend was different from any other because it was our first trek across the border to check out the U.S. circuit – plus it was a qualifier for the infamous Loretta Lynn’s U.S. Championship. So if our son (age 7) placed anywhere in the top 8, he would move on to the regional qualifier and possibly the “Loretta’s” in Tennessee for a week in July. So for us, this was an important step in our family’s motocross ventures to see what the hype was all about. Plus, if he qualified, that would mean a week’s vacation for the family, and gasp, a lot more money out of our pocket…
This story of our trip to the Loretta Lynn North East Area Qualifiers last summer is ingrained in our heads. Connor didn’t race his best that weekend, but the whole experience was an eye-opener, to say the least, because we saw first-hand how this sport is growing like wild fire, especially in the States. There is definitely a huge following of this niche action sport.
Our trip to Batavia was our first time racing in the States, but this year is a new year.
Our eldest, Connor Stevenson, placed 8th in the Canadian Nationals last August on his 50cc (3rd the year before) and held onto his title for the third year in a row as winner of the Indoor Arenacross Series at Chesterman’s in Tilsonburg, Ontario on his 65cc. He’s only a freshman on his 85 (he’s still only 8!) but he’s starting off this outdoor season with a vengeance racing in the CMX and CMRC series. He’s been on a dirt bike since he was 3, and racing since 4. We’re so proud of him, and his little brother, Brock, is raring to follow in his footsteps. Oh boy, what are we in for?
Anyways, this is just my intro. There is SO much more to show and tell. So tune in for more as I blog about our experiences as a motocross family. Sit back and enjoy the ride!
If you have any questions or topics you’d like to see covered on the wonderful world of motocross (from a mom’s perspective), feel free to email me at info@kerrieleebrown.com.
Kerrie Lee