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Pincher Creek, Alberta

Going off-road

A longtime motoX racer tested his mettle in an exciting enduroX event

By Jarrett King

As an experienced, but not the most talented motorcycle rider, I’ve been lucky enough to have experienced motocross racing on three continents; raced a handful of arenacross events; spectated at national motocross and supercross races and competed in a six-hour ice race. So it was only natural that I would jump at the chance to race in the newly sanctioned Canadian Motorsport Racing Club’s (CMRC) Endurocross Series on June 15 in Pincher Creek, Alberta.

Every bit of my exposure to endurocross through television, DVDs and the Internet wasn’t nearly enough to prepare me for the sight of a real endurocross track. What words can’t convey is how intimidating and technical some of the obstacles really are. Even battle-hardened off-roaders were taking a second look at the rock gardens, log crossings, hill climbs, tire pits and camel humps (rock truck tires stacked in a row with ultra-steep approaches) that lined the track surface. Adding to that, southern Alberta saw record rains in the two weeks prior to the race, which turned some of the hill climb approaches into absolute quagmires. Lucky for us, the track also featured a long, winding grass section that provided enough time to catch your breath before re-entering the obstacle course. The only real comforting thought running through my head before the start of practice was most of the obstacles are so technical that hitting them in anything other than first or second gear was completely out of the question.

The race format features a warm-up qualifier which determines front row and back row starting positions for the main event. Main event lengths range anywhere from 25 minutes for the U16 (under sixteen) class up to 45 minutes (or about eight laps) for the experts.

First up in practice was the inaugural U16 youth class. Riding on a modified layout, the boys (and one brave young girl) challenged the course with reasonable success. As our class entered the track, it was quickly apparent to me what everyone was talking about. Even after weeks of training and riding, it took less than half a lap before the sweat was soaking through my jersey. Racing was bound to be a treat for everyone involved.

The expert qualifiers were the perfect time for an endurocross newbie to scope out just a little bit of technique and maybe even some good lines for the main event. One of the most interesting aspects of this kind of racing is all the different methods that can be used to clear some of the obstacles. The experts demonstrated at least five or six distinctly different ways to jump onto the lay-down tractor tire section and at least as many for the dismount. The finesse they display is truly awe-inspiring to everyone, including those who don’t ride motorcycles. The flip side of this type of racing is that after a full day of bouncing through rock gardens and over tire piles, even the most seasoned of veterans begin to make mistakes that will make a first year novice chuckle under his breath.

Although the racing at off-road events is just as competitive as any motocross race, the atmosphere is decidedly more relaxed. A prime example was on the last lap of the Junior class main event. With less than a lap left in our race, I dropped in off the top of a steep, rocky descent into the approach of a steep, root covered hill climb. The 20-foot approach would normally make this climb fairly tricky but the addition of a small creek running through the track right at the base of the hill made the climb seem almost impossible. After the mandatory three attempts and awkward falls that followed, I decided to park and catch my breath. As I sat and enjoyed the sight of seven or so of my fellow competitors failing just as I had before, I struck up a conversation on the sidelines with Jason Schrage from KTM Motorcycles in Lethbridge. Laughing about the sight in front of us and the ever growing crowd of stuck riders and spectators, Jason suggested a very sneaky line around the outer edge of the creek and sideways up the steep incline. Of course I followed his advice and to the cheers (and laughter) of the crowd, I finally made the climb and gained several positions while doing it! What are the chances that Blair Morgan would point out a quick line through the rhythm section at a regional motocross race? Not nearly as likely as having a Red-Bull-last-man-standing competitor help make you look like “the guy” at your local endurocross.

It only made sense that Schrage went on to hole-shot the expert class main event and completely dominate from wire-to-wire. Not to be shown up, though, the promoter decided to make things interesting for the experts by laying down two full-sized telephone poles on the aforementioned hill that we humble juniors could barely climb. You might think the expert main would get somewhat boring but after more than 30 minutes of full-blown racing, the track started to claim as many victims as it did in the less experienced classes. One expert even managed to get stuck in a mud pit less than 10 turns from the finish line on the last lap. So much for the pros making it look easy!

All in all, the event was a major success. The promoters were a little disappointed in the rider count, but for a first-year event this type of racing shows some very serious potential. The course might have been challenging, but never would any of these obstacles ever be considered dangerous. The format allows for a very relaxed race day and tons of track time no matter what class you ride. With increasing pressure on off-road race series due to land use and insurance issues, promoters can look to everything from small parcels of private land to parking lots as the venue for their next event. Endurocross also gives off-road racers the chance to show off their superhero-like skills in front of mainstream audiences instead of on some distant trail through the woods. Most of all, anyone lucky enough to attend these races as a spectator is guaranteed to have a good time. Next year’s series is going to be bigger and better than the first, so pack up your cowbell, air horn and lawn chairs and treat yourself to the newest form of off-road entertainment: endurocross.

Thanks to the people and companies that made it happen: Riviere’s Construction, Top End Promotions, Over the Bars Club, Corner Grass Race Team, Eldorado RV, Powder Rush Snow Hawk, G&T Turner Farms, KMA, R.T. Racing, Lethbridge KTM and L.A. Neon. Special thanks to Blackfoot Motorsports for babysitting my bike while visiting Calgary and Countryside Motorsports in Grande Prairie.

See the race results at www.cmrcracing.com.

This site is part of the Koocanusa Publication Inc network.

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