Wednesday’s Yamaha Motor Canada Amateur Profile- Sebastian Sulyok

Little Seby Sulyok is an eight-year-old from Vancouver Island who loves racing and just being a kid. Whether he’s riding his dirt bike, out at the skateboard park or sitting in history class, Seby gives everything 100%. After a tremendous season in 2014, this BC flyer is looking forward the New Year and what it will bring. This week, Sebastian Sulyok is our featured rider in the Yamaha Motor Canada Amateur Profile.

MXP: Hey Seby, can you please give us your full name, age and where you call home?

SS: Sure Chris, my full name is Sebastian Sulyok and I’m eight-years-old, but as you know everybody calls me Seby. My friends could not say my name when I was younger so Seby was the short form and now everybody calls me Seby .We live in Cedar on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. Cedar is in between Nanaimo and Ladysmith on the coast on the east side of the island.

How long have you lived there?

I was born in this house and have lived here for nine years. My dad, mom and big sister have been here forever.

What class do you ride and how long have you been riding?

I ride the 50cc7-9 class and the Open class. I also started racing the 65cc class in the 7-9 and 7-11 age classes. I race the CMRC series here on Vancouver Island and Arenacross on the mainland, and also some USA West Coast races. I’ve been riding for four years and racing for three years. My home track is The Wastelands Motocross Park in Nanaimo, British Columbia.

That’s cool, it’s been a while since I’ve talked to someone who calls The Wastelands their home track. What were some of your 2014 highlights?

My 2014 Racing Season was awesome!!
– 2014 Vancouver Island Moto-X CMRC Spring Series 50cc – 2nd place overall
– 2014 Rockstar Energy Drink Moto-X Nationals at The Wastelands – 50cc 3rd Place
– 2014 Lucas Oil U.S.A Outdoor Moto-X Nationals at Washougal, Washington – 7th Place
– 2014 KTM Jr Supercross Challenge invitee at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada
– 2014 Vancouver Island Moto-X CMRC Fall Series 50cc 7-9 Champion
– 2014 Future West Canadian Arenacross 50cc Open Class Champion

I have had lots of fun this year because I got to travel with my sister, mom and dad. I made a lot of new friends from all over and I got to see fun new cities. This year I was invited to race at the AMA Monster Energy Supercross race with the KTMJRSX Supercross Challenge in Las Vegas, Nevada, which was really exciting and fun! KTM treated us like we were the Pros, it was awesome. The track was super fast and some of the jumps were huge, but it was loads of fun. I felt special inside because I was the only Canadian racing, and in the pits and at the race it felt like people were cheering for me. Kourtney Lloyd was down there too, and she said that she could feel the energy. Getting Mike Alessi’s autographed number plate and Kaven Benoit’s autographed number plate was really cool as well. Actually Benoit’s #24 plate is on my wall and that’s my good luck charm because I run the #24 plate also. Our family trip to California in the summer to race motocross, surf and skateboard was pretty incredible also. I guess you could say that I’ve had a pretty awesome year.

Wow!! That is a pretty good year. I want to ask you about your past racing highlights but I don’t know if we have enough room.

Haha! I think this past year was just pretty special. Here are some of my past highlights:
– 2012 Vancouver Island Moto-X CMRC 50cc 4-6 Spring Series – 2nd overall
– 2013 Vancouver Island Moto -X CMRC 50cc 7-9 Spring Series – 2nd overall
– 2013 Kawasaki Canadian Arenacross 50cc Open Class – 3rd overall

Also getting to hang out with Bobby Kiniry at his trailer after practice to talk about racing was really cool. I used to race Yamaha on my PW50 and Bobby races Yamaha so we kind of connected.

What is your favourite track?

P.I.R!!! Portland International Raceway FOR SURE!!! I love P.I R because of two reasons: I love that track because it has a wicked supercross feel to the track, and the track is really fun and fast!! The night racing is really cool because racing under the lights is really special and fun. I always know my friend Jake Anstett will be racing there because he’s kind of a local there. The people that run the track are really friendly, I like that. My friend Jake Anstett always yell “NANAIMO” at my sister and me when he sees us.
These days the tracks have a lot of cool obstacles. What parts of the track do you like the most?

Now that I am riding my KTM 65cc more than my 50cc, I’m really having lots of fun in the whoops section. My coach kind of taught me what I needed to do, and now on my 65 I love to try to hammer through them. This year the organizers at arenacross had an over/under section that was lots and lots of fun. It was a steep climb but later you had to come back around under the straightaway. It was fun to watch the pros this year battle out of the tunnel.

If you could pick one jump to call your favourite what would it be?

That’s an easy question. At The Wastelands there’s a beautiful table top jump called the Beer Garden Table because the jump is beside the beer garden area. The jump has a steep takeoff, but with the right speed even a 50cc can clear it. You have to be on it but when you take off it feels like you’re floating.

That has always been a pretty fun jump. Before that start of the race do you like things calm or rocking?

Rocking! Before every race my older sister, Jasmine, meets me down by the starting area and plays my favourite songs on her iPhone for me. When I have my sister and my music I really get pumped up and it gets me ready to race. I like Hip Hop, but it’s usually FIDLAR that gets me really pumped and ready. I always like when my sister plays her music for me, it makes me feel great.

Sounds like you have a really nice sister. What are you usually thinking about when the 30 second board goes up?

Ready….Steady…..Go!! I’m usually still thinking about the song I was just listening to. Usually I’m still singing the song I was listening to, and I also want a good jump at the gate.

Would you rather holeshot and win or come from behind and win?

Holeshot and the win, for sure. Get out front and race my race. I do like coming from behind but it’s a lot more work passing. The big races when there are 40 racers it’s better to get the holeshot and lead the race because everybody else wants to be in the lead too, and passing is tough.

It’s definitely important to get the holeshot at The Wastelands as the roost hurts so much. Does everyone at your school know you race dirt bikes?

Yes, I think so. We live in a small town and all my friends and kids I go to school with have been together since we were in pre-school. They wish me good luck when I go to the big races, even the older kids. I think it’s because of my older sister. However, when I’m at the skate park, the older kids say “Good Luck Seby,” or they also say “Bring the hardware back to the Island Seby.”. That always makes me feel great!

What is your favourite subject in school?

History and social studies. I like to hear the stories about the old times. When my teacher, Mr. Tuck, reads us true stories about history and then we talk about the stories, Mr. Tuck says we can always learn from the old stories so we don’t make the same mistakes.

It sounds as though your teacher is a smart guy. History was always one of my favourite subjects too. What things do you enjoy doing other than riding dirt bikes?

Skateboarding! There is a new skateboard park behind the high school that is really close to our house. The parents put up a huge tarp to keep the rain from getting us all wet. My friends and I get to skateboard all the time and I love it. The new Cedar Skate Park is the best skate park on the Island. On our trip to California to race we let my sister surf but we also went to the Santa Cruz Skate Park. That was like the best thing I have ever seen.

Okay Seby, thank you for your time and here is the final question. Who would you like to thank?

Spunky‘s, Alternative Groove, Tony’s Pizza in Tofino, Mike at Goldentyre, Ride Industries, KTM Canada, Richmond Roofing, my coach Jay Cissell, and also my mom, my dad and sister Jasmine.