The year was 1999. It was definitely a long time ago for all of us that remember it. That was the last time I headed out to British Columbia to be a part of the BC Arenacross Series. Of course back then the race was in Abbottsford, about 30km from where it is now. That winter I did three rounds of the series and at each race that I attended I had a heated battle with a young kid named Darcy Lange. Although in 1999 Darcy was fairly new to the Canadian National Series, but he was no stranger to racing the BC indoors series; he was fast and aggressive. Even though he was a tad out of control at times, there was something special about his riding, and to his credit, he would end up making a good career out of racing indoors.
Here we are almost 15 years later when I was headed back to BC to see for myself what the newly named Kawasaki Canadian Arenacross Championship was all about. My original plan was to head out to the opening round a few weeks ago, but a last minute trip to Alabama to ride the 2014 YZF250 took precedence so my trip had to wait until this past weekend. It obviously would’ve been nice to catch the opening round, but I figured maybe it might end up being better attending the second weekend as the riders would have a chance to be a little better prepared plus the racing might be better.
Here Maple Ridge Motorsports owner Troy Smith holds my bike before the final Legends main of the weekend. Thank you to Troy and Newf for the bike in Chilliwack.
Just a few days before I was scheduled to leave, I received a call from Ryan Lockhart saying that if I wanted to ride his Maple Ridge Motorsports KXF450 in the Legends class it would be no problem. I don’t know about anyone else, but as soon as I know that I’m going to be racing, even in something as relaxed as the Vet class, my senses sharpen and I begin to prepare a little differently. I mean, obviously I had to pack my gear bag instead of just a carry on, but it’s the mental part. When there’s racing to do, I just feel different.
By the time I landed in Vancouver at 9:30am on Friday morning, I only had two hours to collect my luggage, get the keys to my rental car and make the hour and half drive to Chilliwack. With practice beginning at 1pm I hadn’t left myself with much spare time. Luckily the weather was sunny and the traffic was light on the drive east. I think people who live in the Vancouver area must become numb to the traffic and the lack of freeways. I honestly don’t know how they do it with so many main routes just being normal streets with stop lights. I guess the bright side of it is that when you’re locked in traffic in BC, you can just look out the window at the breathtaking views. At this time of year the peaks of the surrounding mountains have a little snow on them and for an eastern guy, I couldn’t take my eyes off the views as they were spectacular.
As I pulled in the parking lot at the Heritage Park Arena I received a text from Newf saying that his bike was ready to go for my practice and that he was headed back to his Langley townhouse to have a nap. He was tired because at each round of the series Newf and Sean Hamblin have been holding motocross schools from 8am to 11:30. If the first two weekends are any indication, the schools are very popular because each one has been full. Both Newf and Hamblin have a lot of experience and both are very good at explaining not just what kids should be doing, but why they should be doing it. It’s great that these young riders can do a school in the morning and then turn around and apply it a few hours later when they’re racing on the same track.
It felt great to race an arenacross again, and I think I picked the right Scott gear to bring with me to Chilliwack.
Once I got myself signed up and said a few hellos, I turned my attention to the track. My first impression of the Chilliwack track was very good. Not only was it full of fun and safe jumps, but it was laid out over two large buildings and it was very wide for an arenacross track; the dirt was also good. Just by walking it, I knew that riding on it was going to fun to ride and the racing was going to be good.
After walking the track I headed over to the Maple Ridge Motorsports pit area to meet up with team owner Troy Smith. Up until last weekend I’d never had a chance to meet Troy before. He is a great guy that loves racing himself and with his son Devon racing, he gets to spend a lot of time at the track. Anyway, Newf’s bike was ready to go. Even though I wasn’t able to adjust it at all, it was more than I could ask for. I was very excited to race an arenacross for the first time in a long time.
I’m not going to bore anyone with all the details of my races, but to sum up my crack at Legends class supremacy in Chilliwack, I can tell you that it went very well and I ended up winning both nights. I was nervous during each lap as one little mistake could’ve bent up Newf’s bike, which wouldn’t have been too good. I would also be lying if I said that I didn’t have arm pump from the first moment I let out the clutch, but it was so much fun to get out on the track and race some indoor motocross. One of the things that I’d forgotten over the years about racing arenacross is how hard it is on your cardiovascular system. Not only are you racing on a tight track with little time to take a break or take a breath, but you have to deal with the fumes in the building. Even after the first night of racing, when I got back to my hotel room I was coughing like an old smoker. Racing arenacross and being successful at it definitely takes a certain type of fitness; not everyone can do it.
The Maple Ridge Motorsports Team was all smiles after two nights of racing. As you can see the riders in BC really support Movember!
With two nights of racing and watching some incredible battles in almost every class, my time in Chilliwack came to an end. I was very impressed with the speed and intensity in the Pro class. Riders like Brad Nauditt, Ross Johnson, Jeremy Medaglia, Brock Hoyer and even Newf were very fast and put on a good show for the capacity crowd. I can’t express enough how much I enjoyed myself there. Not only did I get to meet great new people like Troy Smith from Maple Ridge Motorsports, but I also able to catch up with long time west coast friends like the Hellam family, Newf, Kyle Beaton, and Sean Hamblin.
The riders out west are very lucky to have a series like the 2014 Kawasaki Canadian Arenacross Series to compete in during the long winter. Over the years it has certainly produced some pretty fast, aggressive riders. I was happy to be a part of it even if it was for just one weekend. Thank you to Maple Ridge Motorsports, Ryan Lockhart, Future West, and of course MXP for making it possible. Good luck to all the riders for the rest of the series!