SDL Race Report – The Season Finale

SDL Race Report – The Season Finale

7 September 2013

Just like the shows you watch on TV, everyone looks forward to the season finale!  And with three Alpinestars Bronze Boot winners on hand along with the 2013 Rick Joseph Memorial Award winner, it was sure to be a great show!

For some, it was the “cliff-hanger” episode, with racers vying for the all-important wins in order to accumulate enough points in their class to seize that top spot in Eastern Ontario for the 2013 season. Congratulations to all the winners!

For others, it was “funniest home videos” time. Without the pressure to qualify for Walton or the pressure to capture titles, many racers simply enjoyed the pleasure of friendly rivalries with fellow local racers on the track. Some “jumped for show” adding fancy tail-whips and no footers to their laps. But if the goal was to have fun, Trevor Hough takes the prize. Nothing says fun like taping a large yellow happy face ball to the front of your bike for your last race of the year!!!

For quite a few riders, this race was like a “season premiere”. Building on the confidence and experience acquired during the season, a number of racers pulled up to the gate on bigger bikes, ready to leave the smaller 50 cc, 65 cc, 85 cc, or 125 cc behind and get a taste of the bigger bike class they intend to compete in next year. On the other hand, there were also many new faces at the races who wanted to experience the joy of racing for the first time. Perhaps it was a kind of graduation ceremony for those who attended the MX101 motocross schools at Sand Del Lee this summer!

Speaking of the MX101 schools, this Sand Del Lee race was more of a “wrap-up” episode for a few of the motocross instructors.  A select few intermediate riders enjoyed what was to be the last amateur race of their motocross careers. The fans cheered and wished Tyler Duffy (2013 Rick Joseph Memorial Award), Taylor Arsenault (2011 Alpinestars Bronze Boot) and Dylan Wright (2013 Alpinestars Bronze Boot) much success as they prepare to join the pro ranks for 2014.

In many respects, the race on September 7th had a “cast reunion” feel to it. A number of racers made surprise appearances at the track. It was awesome to see Bradley Dool (2010 Alpinestars Bronze Boot recipient) and Kevin Tyler put on the motocross gear and get back in the saddle. There were also a few people at the track who used to baby their dirt bikes but now arrived at the track as proud fathers with new babies in tow. Whether they came back as a racer, like Adam Powell, or as a spectator like Paul Kelly, it was great to see the “motocross family” come together.

And nothing says “family reunion” like a pot luck dinner. After fueling the bikes all day, it was time to fuel the machines that make a race day such a success. From the MX101 crew who got the track and facilities ready for the race, to the racers who battled one another on the track, to the mechanics who toiled to get the bikes ready, to the flaggers and referees who kept our kids safe on the track, to the pit crew that got the gear and the food ready, to the “bleacher creatures” who cheered everybody on, the Sand Del Lee “feast in the East” was a chance to share good food, good stories of the day, good memories of the past season, and then talk about how good 2014 will be!