How did you get started in racing?

ck1racerx

ck1racerx

PR Addict
How do people get into MX? This started else where but I thought it would be a good topic... Did you see it on TV? Was it at a fair? A track across town? Or a friend of a buddy? Everyone finds there way to Moto a little different. Maybe hearing everyone's story will help pinpoint where the focus should be to attract new riders.

My Grandfather started holding races on his property in 1975 called Happy Hollow. We ran races from '76 until '88. The track then became a just an open track for practice and stayed that way until my Grandfather died in 2002. (Then it was sold and the guy basically cut all the trees, did not take care of it and it closed) I started riding at age 4 racing at 9 in the Mini Jr. class. I was around "off-road" motorcycling since the day I was born so that how I got started...

Lets hear your story?
 
I grew up with a brother 9 years older than me. He put me on a Honda mini trail 50 when I was 3 years old. I mostly rode around our property untill I was 9 years old. Then we built a track in our pasture field and began riding on that. At age 10 I competed in my first race at Sunset Ramblers in Galion,OH. The funny part is I pulled the holeshot and it scared the crap out of me. I still get reminded of that day every now and then. Traveled around with my brother and his friends racing / riding until I was old enough to drive myself. Only missed a few years from riding from then until now. Now I am having as much fun riding as I ever have traveling and riding with my son. I can't imagine a time when I won't want to ride!
 
I was minding my own business at home as a young lad, with nothing but thoughts of baseballs and footballs in my head.......

Then one day the AMA reps came to my door because it's their responsibility to do everything possible to promote and better motocross no matter how much it costs them. They bought me a bike, paid for all my gear, and paid to send my Dad to school to learn how to be a mechanic. They even sent a nutritionist over to teach us proper nutrition.

Then after countless days and months working with the AMA reps on proper riding technique and practice, I told them that their membership was too expensive for me so I went and raced CRA.
 
My dad took me to High point, got an autograph from "chicken." Was obsessed ever since, and told my dad that day I wanted to race. I want to say I was 3.
 
Do I detect a small amount of sarcasm?
I am not expecting an AMA official to contact me. They NEVER contact anyone.
I do expect them to send a rep to an occasional local race. The hundreds and hundreds of races that I have participated in, in the home state of the organization, and NEVER seeing a single rep tells me they only care about our money. But they are out for the betterment of the motorcyclist community... WTFE.
That is a shame.
 
ck1racerx said:
i am not expecting an ama official to contact me.
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ck1racerx said:
send me a message and i will gladly apply for any position they have open that could help improve off-road motorcycling.
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Uh huh.

BTW you must not know what an AMA rep looks like because I've seen them at almost every "big race" AMA event I've attended and even a few smaller ones I was surprised to see them at. To make it easier for you, they are typically the ones with the AMA shirts on. Some of them even wear AMA hats too!
 
and what were those "big events" that ur referring to? The only big events we had in this state last year was the battle races and I sure as hell did not see one there duh.
If your talking about vintage days then double duh... its all their money. At that event you cant swing a dead cat without hitting 4 AMA people... Im talking dirt country, how about treaty city, or DMC??? you know, AMA "sanctioned" events... nope, never seen one.
Sure, the lobbyist they apparently have in Washington working on motorcycle rights is very important and for that I am grateful. But how about the promoter that sends them $1000 for their mandatory insurance? Have any of them seen any one from the AMA? Well speaking from experience from both my grandfather's land and track along with the two AMA sanctioned tracks that I have build and promoted races at, we never heard a peep from Pickerington...
Please give me ONE example of how they have stepped in and helped a struggling track? I would love to hear it and it would do wonders for the crappy rep they have in my eyes,

I guess the proof is in the pudding. Come spring, I will attend several races and I will for sure be on the look out those wonderful shirts and hats. Now, what do they look like? Oh yeah, its that logo I see each month on the magazine I carry from the mailbox to the trash can.
 
ck1racerx said:
and what were those "big events" that ur referring to? The only big events we had in this state last year was the battle races and I sure as hell did not see one there duh.
If your talking about vintage days then double duh... its all their money. At that event you cant swing a dead cat without hitting 4 AMA people... Im talking dirt country, how about treaty city, or DMC??? you know, AMA "sanctioned" events... nope, never seen one.
Sure, the lobbyist they apparently have in Washington working on motorcycle rights is very important and for that I am grateful. But how about the promoter that sends them $1000 for their mandatory insurance? Have any of them seen any one from the AMA? Well speaking from experience from both my grandfather's land and track along with the two AMA sanctioned tracks that I have build and promoted races at, we never heard a peep from Pickerington...
Please give me ONE example of how they have stepped in and helped a struggling track? I would love to hear it and it would do wonders for the crappy rep they have in my eyes,

I guess the proof is in the pudding. Come spring, I will attend several races and I will for sure be on the look out those wonderful shirts and hats. Now, what do they look like? Oh yeah, its that logo I see each month on the magazine I carry from the mailbox to the trash can.
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Vet 261 goes out of state......a lot......we is referring to those big races. Ohio's big race ended in 2004.
 
ck1racerx said:
and what were those "big events" that ur referring to? The only big events we had in this state last year was the battle races and I sure as hell did not see one there duh.
If your talking about vintage days then double duh... its all their money. At that event you cant swing a dead cat without hitting 4 AMA people... Im talking dirt country, how about treaty city, or DMC??? you know, AMA "sanctioned" events... nope, never seen one.
Sure, the lobbyist they apparently have in Washington working on motorcycle rights is very important and for that I am grateful. But how about the promoter that sends them $1000 for their mandatory insurance? Have any of them seen any one from the AMA? Well speaking from experience from both my grandfather's land and track along with the two AMA sanctioned tracks that I have build and promoted races at, we never heard a peep from Pickerington...
Please give me ONE example of how they have stepped in and helped a struggling track? I would love to hear it and it would do wonders for the crappy rep they have in my eyes,

I guess the proof is in the pudding. Come spring, I will attend several races and I will for sure be on the look out those wonderful shirts and hats. Now, what do they look like? Oh yeah, its that logo I see each month on the magazine I carry from the mailbox to the trash can.
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Alex hunter was at 2 of 3 if not all three events.
 
BriarcliffMx said:
Alex hunter was at 2 of 3 if not all three events.
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Actually Alex and his Boss were both at BC. Alex was also at the OMA banquet. Honestly guys I think the AMA and all us racers are lucky to have Alex in the position he is in. He is a current racer and that makes a HUGE difference in how you look at things.
 
Lake county fair in 1992 was my first race. What happened? Got 28th, beat one person. Hooked for life, been racing for 22 years,2 boys that race, bought a race track and partnered with JO in starting a new organization with the goal to resurrect Mx in Ohio!

Holly crap, all that from a fair race!!
 
Used to be you saw guys in AMA shirts and hats at every SX and MX.....I can find a few photos of myself somewhere in AMA shirts working some SX and MXs. Now, you NEVER see anyone at a SX or MX. Do they really even require AMA membership any more?
 
I worked a paper route in my hometown in West-Good-God-Virginia, and saved enough to by a '69 Penton 6 days. Rode the crap out of it, and continued the paper route and saving, until I befriended a couple other local guys my age in high school and they had newer RM's. So, I sold the Penton and took my money plus what I saved and bought a one year old leftover '78 YZ125. We all bought parts at the same shop in Wheeling and we became friends with a salesman and mechanic who worked there whom both raced, and they told us about races at a place called Rocky Ridge Raceway in Imperial, PA. They had flyers they handed out with all the information on them, so we set a date in the fall of '79 during my senior year, and went. ( My dad had a fit because I quit football to ride dirtbikes!) On the day we went they had "Crazy 10 trophy Day" where all riders through 10th got a trophy. I got 11th in 125C, but I was hooked. And yes it was AMA D5. Had to buy everything that day, but it was worth it. They even had a AMA referee there.
 
By the way, a little off subject but, when I see "PR Senior Member" above my avatar, does that mean I've been a member for a long time, or that I'm a senior?
 
My uncle was a partner in a local Suzuki shop, there was no escaping it. First race was on an lt50 at the Columbus indoors in 1985. I kept the plaque through the years because it had "coors" on it, and I used to think that was cool when I was a kid. Good marketing beer companies. Btw, I would consider that race to be a fair race, I think it was at the fairgrounds. I think it was in the coliseum? Old guys chime in. I'm not even sure where the heck it was. It was rinky dink enough to be a fair regardless.
 
ck1racerx said:
How do people get into MX? This started else where but I thought it would be a good topic... Did you see it on TV? Was it at a fair? A track across town? Or a friend of a buddy? Everyone finds there way to Moto a little different. Maybe hearing everyone's story will help pinpoint where the focus should be to attract new riders.

My Grandfather started holding races on his property in 1975 called Happy Hollow. We ran races from '76 until '88. The track then became a just an open track for practice and stayed that way until my Grandfather died in 2002. (Then it was sold and the guy basically cut all the trees, did not take care of it and it closed) I started riding at age 4 racing at 9 in the Mini Jr. class. I was around "off-road" motorcycling since the day I was born so that how I got started...

Lets hear your story?
Click to expand...

I had no Ideal you had family ties to happy hollow Chris-I always sort of like that track, I think I still have a bumper sticker "I raced Happy Hollow" something like that
 
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