Heels To Wheels With Leticia Cline

Everyone has his or her favourite race. You know the one that always makes it into conversations while you’re hanging at the bar with your buddies, and it’s never the same race as anyone else’s. The reasons why vary as much as the race itself. For me that race is the 2007 Red Bud Motocross. The last race I went to with my Dad and the last time Ricky Carmichael would race that track before his retirement.

My Dad, son Caleb and I headed out early from my parent’s home in Kentucky and drove the six hours north to Buchanan, Michigan stopping to pick up my little nephew Aubrey along the way. It was a boys’ weekend, except I wasn’t a boy but I did guy type things, plus I had to work the races, so they let me tag along. At the time I was “Miss Motocross,” a title that sent me to all twelve events that year to commentate, hand out trophies, interview riders and sign autographs. A busy job but one I was very proud of.

We rolled in town the night before practice and found whatever hotel was available to get some rest. The next morning started as early as the first but this time the excitement was much stronger. This was more apparent in the boys, who woke up before the sun asking when we were going to the track. The look on their faces when we pulled up to the big ol’ dirt mound assured this as being my favourite race, but what took place the next couple of days solidified it.

Unfortunately, I had a hectic schedule and had to leave the family to entertain themselves while I headed to the press box to take notes on practice that I honestly don’t remember anything about now. My mind was between wanting to show my Dad around so he could be proud of me and doing my job so he would have something to be proud about.
As the day was winding down I saw my Dad and the kids in the distance. Nervously, I walked up to them expecting a guilt trip for not hanging out with them all day but instead I was greeted with gratitude for taking them to one of the best weekends we’ve all had together so far. And it only got better.

The next day was the big event! The races. This is when it really set in for the kids. This time I made it a point to include them in whatever I did. If I interviewed Ivan Tedesco then they got to meet him. If I went to commentate from the pits then they went as well, until the 450 main began then I became chopped liver and racing was the only thing they wanted to be around. They sure got their money’s worth too. James Stewart was riding better than ever, making the race more challenging for Carmichael, but it was very exciting to watch.

Moto 1 started and Stewart set the fastest lap of the day by nearly a second and a half on his way to the moto win. However, as the day wore on and the track got rougher, so did Carmichael. Mike Alessi got the holeshot but his lead didn’t last long, Stewart passed and held the lead until lap twelve when he crashed with Carmichael on his tail. Even though there were only two laps left, I’m 100% certain that’s not the way RC wanted to win the moto. I thought that he still deserved to win given what he went through to gain on Stewart. RC didn’t get the best start and had to pass a lot of riders on the first lap just to get to the top 4, which set his position for the rest of the race. It’s unfortunate that Stewart crashed but honestly I was wanting Ricky to win this race more than others. You always want to see someone you admire go out on top and that’s what he did. It was his ninth win at Red Bud and the 149th combined MX and SX win of his career.

Afterwards, I had to run and get interviews from the racers so I took the boys and my Dad with me. The last interview of the day was with RC himself, and fighting the crowd to get to him was exhausting enough. When I finally got to the truck and behind the barricade of fans I asked him if it was okay if my family joined. Not only was he so kind and said yes but he took the two jerseys that he raced Moto 1 and Moto 2 in and signed each of them, one for my nephew and one for my son. You would have thought it was Superman handing over his cape, the boys were so excited they couldn’t say a word. I got emotional but did my best to hide it since I’m not supposed to cry on a motocross track!

The dust started to settle and the sun was beginning to set as we headed back to the car to start the journey home. The boys, still wearing the jerseys, talked non-stop about the race, the people and how they wanted to be Ricky Carmichael when they grow up, but once they got into the car the exhaustion set in and they fell asleep about ten minutes into the ride. It was quiet for a while as we rode into the darkness, however the silence was broken when my Dad looked over at me and said “I’m very proud of you Tish”. Words every child wants to hear from a parent but I had wanted to hear those words more than ever. Spending those three days with my Dad meant more to me than anything I had done in my life up until that point. We were always so busy that we never had time together like this, and to spend it doing something that we both enjoyed and loved was the bonding that we needed. Most people do that when they go fishing with their fathers, not me…I went to the races.

Very little more was said. There wasn’t a need for words anymore. Occasionally we would talk about that races and laugh at the boys who we had to beg to frame their jerseys instead of wearing them every day (even to sleep in). It was and always will be the one race that will forever stand out in my mind and my heart. My Dad passed away early the next year. And it was the last time I would ever go back to that track again. Racing just wasn’t the same after that and it was hard for me to do it without my father either there with me or a phone call away to recap the highlights with. Not only did RC retire that day but I guess I kind of did as well…even though he went out in a better position than I did.