Motocross Performance Magazine Canadian Motocross news leader
Hello MXP readers, Cale Barnes reporting to you. I caught up with my friend Jamie Baskerville to get some inside detail as he progresses through the sport. Jamie has a lot of passion and has a great support team behind him. Jamie is very mature for his age, and has seen and accomplished a lot already. Read along for more.
Cale Barnes: Hey Jamie how are you? You recently switched to online home schooling. Can you tell us a day in the life of Jamie Baskerville?
JB: I’m doing good, thanks for this interview! As for the day in the life with Jamie Baskerville, I normally get up and do some schoolwork and help around the house. Around noon I normally go train on my woods loop and moto track. Right now it’s 2 – 1 hour motos. Then I’ll go play around doing wheelies and endos until I’m out of gas or have to go to my job at Dairy Queen. I spend the short remainder of the night editing videos and updating social media. Some days I’ll head out to my local track, Moto Park, and do some motos. The home schooling has really helped me focus more on racing, but I still have my education in case racing doesn’t work out.
Jamie is looking good this season in his new FXR gear.
That sounds solid! Your brother, sister, and parents were born in England, then moved to Alberta where you were born and grew up. Now your family has moved to Meaford, Ontario and have been living there the past couple years. How do you like living in Ontario compared to Alberta, and can you compare the moto scene between the two?
Alberta is obviously home to me after living there for most of my life but Ontario is a lot better for me. We were able to purchase 50 acres here in Meaford, which has been extremely beneficial to my progress as a rider. It was always my dream to ride from my garage and now I have that opportunity. I never planned to be a woods racer when we moved out here in 2011, but now I can really see the dots connecting. Now I’m out east and I have a good 75% of the GNCCs in a 10 hour radius. Looking back now, moving out east has shaped me as a rider. Ontario has more tracks, competition and people to ride with than Alberta. So it makes the local scene much better as well.
Talk about the decision you made about two years ago when you ventured south to compete in the GNCC series, the elite US off-road series.
Well, it started with a negative that has sent me on to the most positive part of my career. For my whole life leading up to 2013, racing motocross was the focus of my life. I had very good results right off the get go, which led to pressure really early. After 6 years of racing motocross, the enjoyment wasn’t there anymore. It was just another one of those things in my life. After having a bad Walton in 2012 I knew I needed a change, something to get my drive back again, something to make me love riding my motorcycle again. Two weeks after Walton I was scrolling through the internet and found a local kids enduro and my Mom agreed to take me. Before I knew it I was provincial and national champ on my Super Mini. After having an awesome 2013 Canadian season, a few buddies, my Dad and I headed to the Ironman GNCC to see where I was at with my riding. I was amazed by how big the race was. I had an immediate thought that this is where I wanted to make my career. I ended up getting 2nd place in 85 (12-13) with still a year left to race in that class. We decided to race the whole series for 2014. Since then I have been contending for wins and winning races. I found my passion, that’s for sure. I recently moved up to the 3 hour and it really is starting to hit me that if I want to make it, the time is now.
That’s really cool. From racing motocross since you were young on the Cobra factory team to racing the world Juniors in Europe to BMX racing and now GNCC, you have had a lot of vast two wheel experiences. Has it been hard transitioning through the different disciplines or would you say the variety has helped you?
It has helped me more than anything training-wise. I got my body position and bike control from BMX, which had a drastic effect on how I ride today. Motocross has helped me achieve raw speed and jumping. Mountain biking has helped me with my ability with line choice and how to react to different types of rocks and roots. Lastly, riding my dirt bike in tight ‘trials-like’ terrain has given me the balance and ability to tackle some of the gnarly obstacles in GNCC.
Jamie’s early years in motocross has helped him a lot with riding the sometimes very technique conditions he encounters riding off-road.
You have found success racing off-road, you enjoy the big picture of motocross and now have found yourself in a transitional year where you are not just sticking strictly to one type of racing but you are seeing what you like the most and want to focus your energy on. Tell us about some goals you have in the future.
Off-road is my future I believe but Motocross was my childhood dream, and it’s hard to just put that to the side. I still want people to think of me as a motocross racer who went off-road not as an off-road racer who likes motocross. I have some amazing sponsors and I believe I could have support if I went back to moto but off-road is what I need to put my focus towards. That being said, though, you might see me show up to a few motocross races in the near future.
You just recently signed a sponsorship deal with FXR, Canada’s up and coming MX gear company. That has to be exciting to be working with a company like them?
Being with FXR is an honour. I remember watching Marco Dubé wearing it back when he raced and I thought it was awesome gear. Now being a part of the company is an absolute dream! They specialize in everything from flip flops to snowmobile apparel, and make the most comfortable MX gear I have ever worn. I can’t thank Andy White from FXR enough for this opportunity! I think FXR has a bright future ahead of them! They make gear for everyone with all sizes and a variety of colours to make anyone know that they bought their perfect set of gear and know it will last.
If you could hang out with anyone for a day living or dead, who would it be?
Kate Upton (laughs) Sorry Cale, had to lighten the mood for a second.
At the track it’s a family affair as Jamie’s Mom and Dad are a big part of his racing effort.
Good choice. Well Jamie, thanks for taking the time to get us up to date with you. I know you have some people you would like to thank.
You and MXP for giving me this opportunity. Also, my family for supporting me throughout my career, Andy White, FXR, TAW Performance, Brembo, WRP, Scott, Forma, Nihilo Concepts, Deft Family, Fuel, Atlas Brace, Matrix, Core, FTC, Golden Tyre, DT1, LB graphics and everyone who has helped me get to this point!
