There were more kids in the 50cc class at this weeks Westshore MX race than we have seen all year at the CMRC races. Jeff Evernden is doing a lot of things right to help grow our sport.
Every time I go out to Westshore MX in Victoria I am more impressed than the last time. This time, among other things, it was the number of new riders that came out that impressed me. Although there still was not as many riders as we usually see at a CMRC race, there was a ton of new riders and riders who do not race the CMRC series. This was especially prevalent in the ever important 50cc class; the future of island racing. Looking at the results I count 25 names I do not recognize from the CMRC series, 7 of which are in the 50cc class. If each of these riders came to a CMRC race and rode two classes that would be 50 extra sign-ups in a series that is often getting close to only 100 sign-ups on a given weekend. Just sayin’. We have seen a steady decline in riders, especially in the 50cc class this year. Several events have had half a dozen or less bikes in the 50cc class, which I find disconcerting for the future prospects of island racing. This weekend there were 13 riders in the 50cc class, many of which are brand new to the sport. How is Westshore doing this? They are putting bums on bikes, and making the sport easier to get involved in. Westshore is doing almost everything right. They have regular practices on a well groomed track, they have bike and equipment rentals available for people who want to try the sport without investing half a year’s income to do so, and they are close to a major population. Owner Jeff Evernden always seem to rustle up good prizes, and the track is always improving; it was probably the best groomed track, with the best quality of dirt (trucked in) I have seen all year. Recently Jeff set up a mini track at the local Luxton Fair, took a bunch of his rental bikes down, and had over 200 kids experience the thrill of riding a dirt-bike! Several of those kids were out racing this weekend, and I’m willing to bet many more will follow. Us riders all know how addicting the sport is; any kid who gets the chance to ride a dirt-bike is going to want to do it some more! In fact, as far as I am concerned, Jeff only needs to make one small adjustment to have the perfect riding facility; he needs to get back with the CMRC! There, now that I have opened my yap, I will proceed to place my foot right down my own throat! If Jeff is making a go of it with 75-80 sign-ups, imagine what he could do with 150-200 sign-ups! More importantly though, imagine if you had that many riders how spectacular the racing would be on such a tight little track, and imagine if you could tap the large Victoria population and get 1,000 or more spectators out for a race! Imagine also a portion of that income going toward cash prizes that would draw even more riders to the track! I get excited just thinking about it! Having private races has proven to be great for feeding the bottom end, entry level of the sport; but CMRC caters to more seasoned and serious racers. Without the CMRC there would be no Raymond, or Walton, you couldn’t really have Provincial Championships, let alone a National Series. CMRC is what holds it all together on a Provincial and National level. It’s great to be doing all the things Jeff is doing, but at the end of the day you need a sanctioning body to tie it all into the larger picture. I have heard all the reasons Jeff is not with CMRC this year, and I am hoping he is seeing that what he saw as problems don’t need to be. He lost his CMRC races because he held a CMA race. I was there; that one CMA race drew approximately 6 riders from the mainland. Each of the 4 CMRC races he would have had would draw at least 50 more riders. I’ll do the math for you; an extra 6 riders with CMA vs. an extra 200 with CMRC! As far as I understand Jeff could still have his own series (sanctioned by CMRC) and run it concurrently. I dream of something like this; regular, spectator friendly races, close to an urban population. There is huge potential for Westshore to be THE island track. The combination of being privately operated and being close to a major population give it advantages no other track has. Tied to CMRC the world is its oyster!
Oh, and there was some racing this weekend! Let’s get to it.
50cc
I can’t tell you how thrilled I was to see so many new young riders out this weekend making the 50cc starting line-up look half-way healthy! It’s very depressing to see six kids divided into two age groups in this class at many CMRC races. Jeff Evernden is looking toward the future and building the foundations for a long and healthy existence in Victoria. His track is particularly well suited to the smaller bikes. It is small, with lots of tight corners, and the ground is groomed to a perfect texture almost all the time now. It is an easy track for the little kids to negotiate, and perhaps the only track where little CRF 4-strokes can compete head to head with the faster, but more difficult to maintain KTM 2-strokes. In fact, this weekend the class was won by Cole Farup on his CRF! I don’t know where this kid popped up from, but this is exactly what the island needs; more young kids starting into the sport. With more kids comes more talent, and more sign-ups. With so many tracks hurting financially due to low turn-out it’s very reassuring to see a bunch of new little faces getting into the sport. Lets take a look at a few of them.
Cole Farup looked fantastic battling for the lead on his CRF! What he gave up in horsepower he made up with finesse and consistency, and won the second moto and the overall. I hope all the kids had a great time this weekend and want to do more of it!
Cole Farup holds up the hardware. He also did a great job holding up the CRF's reputation by winning the day!
Jake Trumble (22) opens up a substantial lead on the way to the first corner. He held the lead and won the moto. Note Cole Farup (7) is the furthest rider back, second from the left. He came in second in this moto, but couldn't get by Trumble..
Jake Trumble (22) waits while his factory mechanic starts his bike for him after sliding out on the slick track. Hudson Scheres (424) and Spencer Whitcomb (31) take advantage of his misfortune. Scheres ended up 4th for the day (3/4), and Whitcomb 8th. Jake came back to finish second in the moto and the overall.
Jake Trumble is not new to the sport. He has been showing his potential at the CMRC races through-out the season. He might well have won this weekend if not for one little slide in the mud.
Adam Polichek is another fast-gun who has been tearing up the circuit on his very trick CRF. He finished on the podium with 4/3 results.
I didn't even have to ask Adam Polichek to smile...he was quick to show me his toothy best grin!
Dad keeps telling me to put my leg out in the corners for some reason, but I'm not sure how high or for how long! That guy's clapping...I hope this is high and long enough!
Hudson Scheres fought for the final podium spot and tied Adam Polcihek in points but lost the ever-important second moto duel.
Jake's little brother, Jeff Trumble, finished 5th in the first moto but struggled a little with the slick track in the second moto after the rain came. He finished 6th overall for the day.
Westshore may be the only track where CRF's are relatively competitive against KTM 50's. Chance Waldhans works his bike to its potential.
A new generation of racers! Among the many new faces in Victoria this weekend was the Stone family. Bennet (L) and Finley Stone are new racers in the 50cc class, and father Brian is a not-so-new racer, back from retirement and racing in the Vet class. Brian is a bit of a legend in these parts...more when I get to that class!
Finley Stone working it on his PW. The Stone family is motorcycle monarchy in these parts; it's great to see two young Princes ascending!
65cc
While the 50cc class was stronger than we have been seeing at CMRC races this year, the growth movement has not reached the 65cc class here yet! Only three riders showed up with 65cc bikes. Andrew Bradbrooke was on a tear and walked away from his competitors; in fact he managed to beat one 85cc rider who was having a particularly lackluster day. I don’t want to mention any names, but I will say that when this lackluster rider said to me, “I’m just not feeling it today”, the first thing I though was, ‘that sounds like a good response for the next time he tells me he needs a new tire’! Nash Thompson is another new name to me and he demonstrated some good form and determination in his second place ride. Another newcomer, Emmen Gabitous, rounded out the podium.
Andrew Bradbrooke was on a mission this weekend. As far as I know he took home his first winner's trophy in the 65cc class, and he looked good doing it. You may notice a 'soft spot' in the upper front corner of this photo. When the rain came I got a muddy water splatter on my lense that I didn't notice until the end of the day. Nearly a third of my shots from the day have this soft area, which is that muddy water drop. It gives you the 'wet-all-over' feel the day had!
Nash Thomson rode with great grit and determination...and his jersey flapping in the wind for effect! He looked stylish on his route to second place.
85cc/Supermini
The 85cc class was also a little light on competitors (6) but there was still a couple of pretty good duels. The fastest 85cc rider on the island, Joe Nikirk, was in attendance and Steven Galey kept him in sight for most of the races. Steven continues to impress me, but in the end it was all Nikirk in both 85cc and Supermini. Galey was a bridesmaid all day, while Austin Gatey and Wyatt Scheres had some great battles just behind them; well, about half a track behind them by the end of the race! As I mentioned earlier Andrew Bradbrooke had a great day and beat our own Tanner Meyland in both Supermini motos, despite the fact that he was on a 65cc bike. Tanner ‘wasn’t feeling it’! I’ve already given you some idea how I feel about this explanation. As a parent I try not to push Tanner, but as one who spends a great chunk of my summer going with him to the races and preparing his bike I do expect him to put the effort in. As the saying goes, ‘as long as you tried your best’ there is no shame, but when you just go out for a trail ride…well, then I have a bit of an issue. His mother pays the moto bills and I think she has a bit of an issue with it too. Perhaps even more important than how D.J. and I feel though, is how Tanner feels at the end of it. A day like this one is not one he will want to remember. I like to think that, in the end, the little nudging I do is as much for his sake as it is for all the time and expense his mother and I put into the sport on his behalf. A big part of any sport is learning the truth in the old adage, ‘no pain, no gain’. Tanner gained nothing but a forgettable memory for his lackluster lack of effort this weekend. We, one the other hand, got to hang out with friends and eat the delicious salmon that was prepared and given away at the track this weekend!
No surprises in the 85cc or Supermini class this weekend; Joe Nikirk won it all.
Steven Galey kept within a straight or two of Nikirk, but was unable to make any ground on him. He was a bridesmaid all day.
Wyatt Scheres won the younger 85cc class and finished on the podium in Supermini. Last time we were here Wyatt had one of those 'not feeling it' days, but redeemed himself with a solid effort this weekend. I guess it's a ten year old thing!
Austin Gatey had some great battles with Wyatt Scheres, but came out on the bottom. He finished 3rd in the older 85cc class and 4th in Supermini. Austin has really improved since the beginning of the year.
Max Whitcomb (650) demonstrates what his dad (Bryan) needs to do to Paul Sprentz, using Tanner Meyland (24) as an example. Muscle 'em up a bit! Bobby Hull has said that his first few shots in a hockey game weren't aimed at the net...they were aimed at the goalie's head! He said it gave the goalie something to think about when he took a shot later in the game. Get my point, Bryan? Learn from your children!
The Ageless Classes
There are two top headlines in the Ageless classes this week. First there is the on-going battle for supremacy in the +40 class between Bryan Whitcomb and Paul Sprentz, and then there is the new arrival who has the ability to spoil it for both of them. A fellow named Brian Stone is back on the motocross scene. Let me back up for a moment to set this up. For about five years I worked at Duncan Motorsports. The original owner of Duncan Motorsports (before I worked there) was a man named Doug Stone. Doug had a son named Brian, and a nephew named Gary. Gary was my partner on the parts counter at Duncan, and for five years I heard stories about Brian Stone. Apparently Brian was very, very fast on a motorcycle, and apparently he did a lot of funny and impressive things on one. I heard about him racing scooters around the parking lot, jumping off the loading ramp, winning a lot of races, and just generally being the all-round super-talented nut-job that motorcycle legends are made of. This weekend I finally got to meet the legendary Brian Stone, and guess what? Not only is he very impressive on a motorcycle, he’s also a really nice guy! Despite the fact that Brian isn’t exactly in ‘fighting’ condition anymore (I suspect he has pounded more beers than motos over the last couple of decades!), it’s obvious he has a ton of talent on a motocross bike. He has that smooth, effortless style that the very best riders have. He won the Vet class handily, and raced competitively with some pretty fast kids in the Intermediate/Pro class. Brian didn’t race the +40 class (he may not be eligible yet), and neither Whitcomb nor Sprentz raced the Vet class, so they never actually went head to head. I will go about an inch out on a limb, however, and predict that Whitcomb and Sprentz will be battling for second if they come up against Stone in either the Vet Master or +40 class. Another fantastic rider dragged into the mix via Westshore MX! Great to meet you Brian, welcome back! As for the Whitcomb/Sprentz cage fight, they never actually got close enough to exchange any blows this weekend, but the battle is taking its toll. Sprentz has invested his entire heart and soul into defeating his arch-nemesis. He has been going to ‘hot yoga’ classes, visualizing success while weeping hysterically, and travelling to California to train with Roger Decoster (much to Roger’s surprise, who apparently slammed the door and went back to his own hysterically weeping as soon as he realized it wasn’t Ryan Dungey knocking!). Sprentz also invested in a new motorcycle and, most importantly, some very fast new JT gear that has apparently put him over the top. In fact, reports are that Sprentz’s wife says he has gone WAY over the top. Whitcomb, for his part, appears to be mentally beaten. He could be seen moping around the track, dejected after Sprentz stomped him in both motos. To be fair, Whitcomb took one of the nastiest falls I have seen in a while in the second moto. I know because he came very close to running me over! Maybe the pressure is getting to him. It definitely seems to be getting to Whitcomb’s marriage; apparently his wife had to be forcibly removed from a recent shin-dig when she went crazy and began engaging in unbridled merriment. She may or may not have exclaimed, “my husband may be losing on the track, but he still has his hair, his G.Q. good looks, and a really big….bus!” She also may or may not have threatened to start dancing on tables. In possibly unrelated matters, congrats on your recent marriage James! I have two things to say to Bryan. First, ‘failure lies not in falling down, but rather in not knocking the other guy down first!’ and second, ‘take him out!’ That may actually be just one thing, but it’s the only solution I see at this point; presuming Bryan doesn’t want to take up hot yoga! There were actually a lot of fast old guys in attendance this weekend. Track owner Jeff Evernden’s brother, Wes, was impressive with his third place in the +40 class, although he may have cheated and rode the track at some point before the race. Jeff himself rode a 1976ish CR125 to victory in the Vintage class, and passed a lot of unsuspecting 85cc riders in the process. He looked for all the world like Ronny and I would have looked in those years, riding in his blue-jeans and work boots! Nice touch. Terry Anderson, Rob Galey, Jay James, Gabe Girard and Jay Nowak all did their part in discouraging any thoughts I may ever have of racing in the age classes again. For whatever reason, there seems to be more fast Vets and +40 coming out to race at Westshore than anywhere else. Must be something else Jeff is doing right!
Since the +40 and Vet class raced at the same time, some riders had to choose between the two classes instead of riding both. As a spectator it was a bit confusing because you couldn't know who was racing who. Rob Galey (74) got the holeshot in the +40 class, while Jay James (710) led the Vets through the first turn. James finished the day in 2nd in the Vet class.
Galey (74) managed to hold the lead for about a lap before eventual class winners Brian Stone (26-Vet) and Paul Sprentz (191-+40) made their way by. The cool thing about having the Vets and +40's on the track at the same time is that it made it clear who was fastest of them all; Brian Stone.
Paul Sprentz looked fabulous in his brand new JT gear on his brand new bike. It's looking like we are going to have a brand new Champion in the +40 class for the fall. Yes Bryan, that's a challenge!
Sprentz may have beaten Whitcomb (shown here) in the Port McNeill sand, and the twisty little Victoria track, but my money is still on Whitcomb at Campbell River and Port Alberni. Yes Paul, that's a challenge!
Gabe Girard spent a lot of time dicing with the fastest of the Vets. He finished 2nd in the morning and 4th in the afternoon, for 3rd overall.
I want to thank Troy Lee Designs for making such swanky gear, and any rider who purchases it. It just makes photos look so good! Caution Gabe: Do not attempt to download this photo. A nasty 'Trojan Seehorse' virus will infect your computer. Contact me for prices.
Wes Evernden took the final podium position in the +40 class. I would expect he has ridden the track so much that his bike could probably find its way around the track by itself. Wes looked good.
Bob Hannah showed up to race the Vintage class. He registered under the psuedonym 'Derek Mann', but I could tell it was him by the lightning bolts on his helmet. Bob has put on a little weight but he still might have won except that...
...Marty Smith also showed up, racing under the pseudonym Jeff Evernden, and he has kept himself in better physical condition!
There has been a lot of mud slinging in the Ageless classes this fall. Dwayne Kalk ducks his head to avoid some.
Junior
Like the 50cc class, the Junior class was reasonably well attended, but most importantly there were half a dozen new names on the sign-up sheet! The CMRC regulars dominated the top of the finishing results, but you just know all these new riders will be coming along fast. Not only is Westshore getting more riders out, their riders are also improving rapidly. I suspect this has a lot to do with their regular practices. It can be tough to drag yourself to the track to practice by yourself, especially on a rough, ungroomed track, but if a whole group of riders are getting together to ride a well prepared track it’s a lot more fun! This appears to be what is happening down at Westshore. Ryan Lalonde, Daniel Vanderbasch, and Kevin Scott (before he broke his leg), have all improved dramatically this season, and I suspect it’s because they have regular, enthusiastic practice sessions with other riders several times a week. Just another example of the things Westshore is doing right. My home track usually only grooms right before a race, and as far as I know no other tracks have regular, groomed, organized practices. You pay good money to be a member of any of the tracks (more at Victoria I think), it would be nice if more ‘value-added’ services like this were available elsewhere, but most of the other tracks seem to struggle just to survive. The difference may be a matter of ‘private enterprise’ vs. ‘volunteer non-profit’, or maybe it’s one of those things were the more you give, the more you get back…maybe that’s the lesson Westshore is teaching. Anywho…Brandon Williams won another one! After notching his first overall win last time out in Port McNeill, Brandon kept things going with another overall win this weekend. Williams, Eli Titus, James Cool, and Mac Holmes appeared to be the fastest in the Junior class, with Stephen Weme, Isaiah Haylett, Nathan Donohue, and Chris Mace just a tad of their pace. James Cool just came back to racing after a pretty severe injury near the end of last season, and he has taken his place right near the front of the pack. He was just behind Eli Titus for the holeshot in the first Junior moto, but snuck by early on. They had an intense battle all moto long. Titus dogged Cool throughout the moto, but the pass was never made and Cool pumped his arm in celebration when he got that first win under his belt. Williams came home third in the first moto, but won the second moto and the overall. Eli Titus was again runner-up which left him second for the day. Mac Holmes went down in the first moto, but was very impressive on his 2-stroke finishing 3rd in the second moto. We haven’t seen much of Holmes during the season, but he rides really well and is a great addition to the Jr. class. Cool finished 4th in the second moto for 3rd overall. Stephen Weme finished the day in 4th overall. Weme is another rider on the rise; he seems to be getting faster every weekend. He has always had great style, and now the results are starting to come. It’s my experience that if you have the style, the speed and results always tend to follow; conversely if you are winning with bad form it almost always catches up to you as the classes and competition get stiffer. Nathan Donohue again showed that he is going to be a threat in the Junior class very soon. This is another example of a rider who had good form when he was racing Beginner just a few months ago, and it was easy to see the speed was going to come. Looking at thousands of pictures every week gives me the advantage of comparing ‘snapshots’ of rider’s skills. I knew the first time I looked at my photos that Nathan was going to make his mark this year.
Eli Titus (173) gets a little sideways and bounces his tire off the dirt, but still holds on for the first holeshot of the day. Titus spent a lot of time banging around midpack early in the season, but as his dad explained to me, one day he just said, "Enough! I'm going to get a good start and race with the leaders!' That's exactly what he has done ever since. Motocross is a mental game as well as a physical sport.
The rain finally came in the afternoon, leading to the 'goggles on the arm' race. Brandon Williams won...
...Eli Titus was second. Check out the grimace! Rain drops can really hurt when they are pinging you in the face at speed!
It's great to have James Cool back! Love the new numbers James, hope you had them done at Ride Industries! James won the first moto and finished on the podium for the day.
Isaiah Haylett is slowly growing into his bike and looking better all the time. He finished 5th this weekend which I suspect is his best Jr. finish to date. I predict he will have a growth spurt over the winter and be a contender in the Spring.
Nathan Donohue-Bragg has style to spare, and the speed is coming fast! Here he's coming off a table-top and setting up for the encroaching left-hander at the same time. This is 'fast-guy' style!
Again...Donohue-Bragg back over the rear wheel for traction. You can see a lot studying photos for style and form. I see this guy winning some races in the not-too-distant future.
Westshore produces great racing action all the way through the pack. From a rider point of view it can be tough to pass, but from a spectator point of view that makes for close, exciting action. Here newcomers Ben Boogaars (73) and Ben Riel (14) fight for a top ten finish. Boogaars won the battle, Riel finished 11th overall.
Under 30/Intermediate/Pro
The big news in the fast classes was Dan Nikirk moving up to the Intermediate/Pro class! Even more impressive was the fact that he beat somebody in each moto; thank the Lord for mechanical DNF’s! Ryan Lalonde was both the fastest man on the track this weekend, and one of the people Nikirk beat! Thanks again to the Scott family for their bike loan service, which allowed Lalonde to still win the Under 30 class. Timmy Aiken won the Intermediate/Pro class, but I don’t think he will mind if I say this was helped along by Lalonde’s mechanical difficulties. It was great to see Tim riding again. He hasn’t been racing the CMRC series but he promised me he would be at Port Alberni. There are a lot of nice people in this sport, but Tim is a great guy among great guys! Perhaps attesting again to the improvement regular practice makes, Tim Aiken, Daniel Vanderbasch, and Kyle Morlock are all riding great at the moment. Throw Lalonde, Girard, James, Sprentz, and Brian Stone into the mix and you have some fantastic talent practicing together at the Victoria track. It’s no wonder they’re all improving so rapidly. Brian Stone pretty much had his way in the age classes, but even more telling was how competitive he was against the fast young guys. Stone didn’t look out of place at all as he ran near the front of the pack against the kids; he finished third in the first Intermediate/Pro moto, but had some hiccups in the second moto and ended up 4th overall. Of the 11 riders in the Intermediate/Pro class at Westshore, 7 of them do not race CMRC regularly. If they can be convinced to start coming out they will pretty much double the class size. Again, Westshore is getting the new blood out! The Under 30 class was pretty much divided into Intermediates at the top half of the class, and Juniors in the bottom half. Of the Juniors, another rider I am not familiar with named Keelan Porter, stood out. He didn’t ride in the Junior class, but he beat James Cool and Brandon Williams in the first Under 30 moto; he didn’t finish the second moto. Another guy I’m not familiar with, Seth Millar, looked like a very competitive Intermediate rider with a 4th place moto in the Intermediate/Pro class and a 5th place moto finish in the Under 30 class. We need to get these guys out to the CMRC races!
The start of the second Intermediate/Pro class after the rain started got a little 'squishy'. A lot of tear-offs were sacrificed on the first lap!
Ryan Lalonde is the King of Westshore, and well on his way to being the King of the Island. Bike troubles kept him from sweeping the day, but take my word for it...he was the fastest. Again.
Timmy Aiken won the Intermediate/Pro class and promised to come out to Port Alberni. We miss him at the CMRC races!
Daniel Vanderbasch won a moto in both the Under 30 and the Intermediate/Pro class, but came out second overall in both. If it wasn't for Ryan Lalonde's amazing year, Vanderbasch would get my vote for most improved rider this year.
Kyle Morlok got on the podium in both of the fast classes. I'd say this was the best I've seen Kyle ride all season; he seemed really motivated. He's ahead of Ryan Lalonde here.
You might expect Brian Stone to win the Age classes, but he had no problem running with the fast kids either. Well, I say he had no problem, but if you look at the mouth breathing he is doing here it's apparent he had to work for it! That's eventual Intermediate/Pro winner Tim Aiken chasing him.
Westshore is a notoriously difficult track to pass on...for most people. Brian Stone (26) didn't always get great starts, but he knows how to set up the block pass and execute it perfectly. Here he dives into Jay Nowak's (176) line and takes the position. This photo is in perfect, but extremely narrow focus. Read his name on his back; kinda messes with your eyes a bit.
Of the riders I wasn't familiar with I was especially impressed with Seth Miller in the Intermediate/Pro class...
...and Keelan Porter of the 'red number' guys.
This morning I didn't know who this guy was. Now I know that Jay James is a young 37 years old, works at SG Power, and is just back to racing after recovering from a serious wrist injury. He finished second in the Vet class and 5th in the Intermediate class. Not a bad start on the comeback trail! Thanks for your email Jay, it made my day.
Tim Aiken's win in the Intermediate/Pro class warrants another photo, but if he doesn't show up at Port Alberni I'm taking it down!
I have the utmost appreciation and gratitude for all the people volunteering to run the other tracks on the island, but the privately run Westhore track is doing a lot of things right. They are getting new riders out, and providing services other tracks are unable to. The fact that they have a large population base to draw from gives them an advantage, but it is the little things (like organized weekly practices and bike rentals) that are putting them over the top. I also want to be clear that in my opinion they are doing this ‘in spite’ of not being a CMRC track and not because of it. In fact, the last piece of the puzzle is getting hooked back up with CMRC. Can you imagine how exciting it would be to see 200 sign-ups at a race again! I know most of the tracks actually lose money putting on a CMRC race, and this is perhaps a luxury that Westshore can’t afford, but surely there is a model where 200 sign-ups can make more money than 80! I’m hoping Jeff will post his current stand on things on this blog. I really want to see him back on the CMRC schedule, and I sure hope any obstacles to this happening can be overcome.
I have posted a ‘Paypal’ link for people to order/pay for photo packages. I have a ton of great photos of almost everybody and I really hope to get them out there to you; I would hate to see them die a lonely death on my hard-drive. It is a huge job sorting through and organizing them; a little revenue would sure help inspire me to get it done! I really appreciate the support the community has shown me in regards to both this blog and the photos. I love doing it, and hope to do it for a long time to come!
Awsome blog Jim!
Thanks Gabe! See you at Port Alberni??
Again Jim all I can say is awsome!!
Thanks Jay, The whole Westshore thing has me pretty pumped at the moment. I used to go to the stock car races with my Dad every Saturday night and scream along with a thousand other fans as the action unfolded, then go home and pour over the program all week. I don’t see why Westshore MX can’t grow into something like that, with this blog as that program…
I had to wipe the tears from my eyes I was laughing so hard thanks Jim.
Hee Hee! I’m just the messenger, you’re the comedy act!
Awesome again Jim.Called to perfection.I will work on the weight issue.lol
Great Job Jim .Great Pics & Blogs Well done. Congrats to Westshore MX. See you in Alberni.
Wow! Bob Hannah is reading my blog! I have officially died and gone to heaven!
Thanks Timmy. See you in Port!
great job on the blog jim!
Jim, yet another race day observed and reported so well. just a note Kevin’s leg is fine but Grahams is still broken! Graham is the moto rider in this family, Kevin is so old he can’t even properly ride me.
OMG! Tooo funny! I don’t know if I’ve met you, but I get the impression you might be the fun one at the party! Kevin’s never gonna live this one down! Have to keep you and Christy Whitcomb apart or there could be mayhem! I’m always getting the names swapped around!
Jim, News update, Rosemary had an accident! her leg is broken.
Oh dear! Was this a direct accidental result of your improper riding form? Or was it a deliberate injury inflicted as a result of her going public with your improper riding form? It’s all fun and games until someone breaks a leg! Whatever you do don’t ask Donna about our riding accident and injury! I can only tell you that it was much worse than a broken leg!
New young replacements can be found. Proper form is included. lol lol
Proper form trainer avaible call for details. Lol
Jim ; Yet another update, since both Graham and myself have broken legs, Kevin has had to prepare and serve the meals. Tonight as Kevin was clearing the dishes from the table he tripped on one of the many crutches laying about on the floor. So as it turns out you were correct in your Westshore race report Kevin Scott does indeed have a broken leg!
Jim, all my goofing aside for now, and back to the matter at hand, which is to build island motocross to it’s full potential. It’s a shame that we as adults build playgrounds for our children,then deny them access because of our petty adult politics. Let’s all hope in 2012 we will see our kids race and have fun at all of the five great tracks on the island. Jim, through your pen the light is growing brighter. please keep the ink flowing.
t
That’s the plan Kevin! Thanks! Talk to you in Port.
Whew! I thought the blog had gone sideways for a minute. Funny comments, but Kevin nailed it. I think Tanner and I have been in mx for about 7 seven years now. I always volunteer to work at Nanaimo and was happy to help out in Port McNeil this month. But I have to say the island is way too political now, and costly to the riders in many ways. Not just financially. I sure hope it’s better next year. All the Boards work so hard to put races on and they really don’t need all the infighting. Many thanks to Jeff and his crew. As usual you put on a fantastic day of racing, great prizes, and of course your Mom’s cake!
Jim,
Thanks for the great write-up. I have posted a link on the westshoremx website, sorry about the delay in positng it, I left for Moab the day after the race.
A couple of comments on the sanctioning boby subject. I think one of the key reasons we get so many new riders at our races is that no licen$e is required. The cost of a license is just another obstacle to getting new (and seasoned) riders on the start line. It’s a hard sell, the cost of a race license, to new riders and they are just not into the sport enough to get the benefits. That’s the impact to the riders, then there is the handcuffs the sanctioning body puts on the promoter in an attempt monopolize the market. Again I don’t think in our market the benefits are there for the promoter.
Personally I think given our unique geography (being on a Island) we need our own sanctioning body, a not for profit Vancouver Island body.
Note these are MY comments, I am not speaking on behalf of Jeff.
-Wes
Jim,
Wes, stated some very good points. The old saying, If it ain’t broke don’t fix it!
Well guess what folks , it’s broken! Graham and I have only being on the Island moto scene for about three years, but I have noticed smaller gate counts each year. I would suggest, lose the whole CMRC license deal for the Island series riders,to help curb their cost’s and would hope all of the Island tracks would benefit from increased rider sign up’s.
If we all wish to keep this great sport growing on the Island ,then it’s time to work together and make it happen.