Motocross Performance Magazine Canadian Motocross news leader
The old Metrodome when it was still part of the Minneapolis skyline.
Before I begin to tell you the story of the time that JSR and I drove to the Minneapolis SX in January of 1996, I have to warn you that I have no photos of our trip so you’ll just have to use your imagination. Just picture four guys driving 18 hours through a blizzard just for the opportunity to race a few laps at one of the rounds of the 1996 Supercross Series.
The idea to race a late January SX in the USA actually began the week prior when JSR and I were in Leipzig, Germany racing a three-day SX when we both had good main events on the final night of racing. While we were indulging in a post-race German Big-Mac, JSR mentioned that he was thinking of driving to the Minneapolis SX the following weekend and asked if I would like to come. Since I was still a little high on fumes after racing three days inside a small arena, I told JSR that I’d love to go. So, we planned it out and decided that since JSR had to drive through Ontario on his way from Quebec to Minneapolis, he would come a day early and stay at my place, and then begin the long drive the following day.
In those days as long as you pre-entered each SX event then you were allowed to take part in Friday’s practice day. The practice days were so good for all of the riders as it wasn’t just a few quick laps, it was two full sessions that allowed everyone to figure out the track before Saturday’s race day. It was especially good for the privateer riders as in 1996 it was very difficult to find real SX tracks to practice on during the week. With that in mind, JSR and I climbed into his box van at noon on the Thursday with plans to be at the Metrodome by noon on Friday.
As we drove west on the 401 through Chatham and on to Windsor, the area was enjoying a late January thaw; the temperature was a mild at an unseasonable 15c. As everyone in that part of the country knows, when it’s that nice in January, behind that mild weather is usually a fast-moving wedge of very cold Arctic air. Well, that is exactly what we encountered as we reached the city of Chicago and had to turn JSR’s box van northwest towards Minneapolis. Within hours the temperature dropped faster than Jeremy McGrath was racking up main event wins in those days. Soon after that, JSR was quickly developing arm-pump as he gripped the steering wheel in a full-on -10c Wisconsin nighttime blizzard. Eventually, we were forced to pull over and grab a hotel room as the roads were almost undriveable.
We woke up the next morning and continued our trek to the Metrodome under clear skies and frigid temperatures. In just 24 hours the outside temperature had gone from a balmy 15c to a hard-to-breathe -25 when we finally arrived at our destination. Once we parked and signed in, it was time to unload and take our bikes into the stadium. However, before we could do that, we had to find someone with a small propane torch as the padlocks on the back door of JSR’s box van were frozen solid. As we searched around for a torch, we quickly learned that we weren’t the only ones in need of some instant heat. Pretty much everyone in the paddock couldn’t get into their trucks, including the factory teams who, in those days, still travelled mostly in box vans. We finally unfroze our locks, unloaded everything and took it all down to the indoor pit area deep inside the toasty warm Metrodome. Then it was time to get dressed and take part in the generous practice sessions. After practice we grabbed a room at a downtown hotel, ate dinner and watched the 1996 NHL All-Star Game on television, which was when Felix Potvin made one of the best glove-saves I’ve ever seen during that game, then it was time for bed.
The following day was race day in Minneapolis. It was still extremely cold so we didn’t do a lot of walking around outside. Since JSR was riding the 125 East/West class and I was riding the 250 class, we had some free time to help each other out during the day. I had also brought my mechanic with me so we were all taken care of. One of the things that stood out to me that day was during riders meeting it was announced that Minnesota’s favourite rider, Donny Schmit, had passed away the night before from an illness. It was such a sad and sombre moment as so many people at that rider’s meeting had known Donny very well and had been a part of his successful racing career. We all then said a prayer and had a moment of silence before heading out to practice. That is definitely a moment that I will never forget.
Since I don’t have any photos from this race, I had to take a photo from the YouTube video. Sorry for the bad quality. But this is me and my mechanic Rich as we lined up for the LCQ in Minneapolis.
The racing that night was pretty unexciting, for me at least. JSR ended up making the 125 East/West Main event where he finished with a very impressive 17th. I, on the other hand, did not make the 250 Main Event as I finished just outside the Top 5 in the LCQ. Even though I missed the main event, I was still pretty excited to be there and was glad that I had decided to make the drive. Racing SX events in those days were a lot of fun, and even if you didn’t qualify for the main event, you still ended up getting in a lot of riding.
After the racing was finished, we packed up and began our long journey back to Canada. As with most motocross trips, the drive home was definitely not as exciting as the drive there, but considering JSR and I were heading back to Germany two weeks later for another SX, we had a lot to talk about. Every time the Monster Energy Supercross heads back to Minneapolis it always makes me think of going there in 1996. That year it was Round 2 of the series, and of course McGrath ended up winning. That was also the season when he only lost one main event to Jeff Emig in St. Louis. Watching McGrath ride in those days was pretty inspiring to say the least. He was just so much better than anyone else on the track. Due to the amount of racing I did during that winter in 1996, it’s no surprise that I had a great season of racing. Looking back, it’s hard to believe how long ago that race was – time certainly flies by. Our trip to Minneapolis was one of the most memorable I had in those days. Thanks to JSR for driving and thanks to Mother Nature for helping to make it so unforgettable.
