In the summer of 1992, Karl Arnemann decided he needed some sort of pastime for his kids, something that they would enjoy, cherish, and carry with them for the rest of their lives—something they could share. He decided on a Yamaha Peewee 50 dirt bike, and the two brothers, Devon and Corey, took to it immediately. Little did he know what would become of these two boys, and later a girl, because of this old bike.
The Arnemann family consists of the parents, Karl and Sheryl Arnemann, and their three children. The eldest is Corey, then Devon and the youngest Megan. From the start, Karl was always into riding with his friends. Gravel piles, ditches, trails—you name it, he’s ridden it. However, he had never ridden in competition so when he got his two sons into riding, he never expected to see them achieve what they have.
As the boys grew older, their persistent dad would always upgrade them when necessary. Through the very supportive Barrhead Motor Sport, he went through a Honda XR80, two CR60’s, two CR80’s, a CR250R, a CRF250F and finally two CRF450F’s, which the boys are still riding today.
The start of something grand
In 2004, Corey took the first step toward realizing his racing potential. He and his cousin went to shops and stores, and with the leading support of Barrhead Motor Sport and Honda they made it to a few select races around Alberta. Unfortunately, due to unforeseen financial issues, the option of racing seemed like it would disappear before it even started. But Corey wasn’t about to give up that easily, and his younger brother had yet to get a chance to show what he could do.
In 2006, at the age of 17, Devon received a Honda CRF250R to start racing with. It took some practice adjusting to a fourstroke bike at first, but after a few rides he had it figured out. To fuel this new fire, the family packed up their fifth wheel once more to take their two sons to the races. Starting with a few local CMRC events, it quickly grew into an obsession. Casual riding days turned into intense practice sessions, shaving milliseconds off their lap times and pushing their physical endurance. Weekends at the lake and other small events were quickly pushed aside in the effort to gain every point possible, fighting for an overall win at the end of the season. The Arnemanns were now part of the racing scene, and they weren’t looking back.
With the years of racing this family now has, memories are something they often talk about. Sheryl has a specific memory she likes to recall.
“I remember one race weekend at Alix raceways, there was an awful storm going on,” she said. “Karl was trying to put up our awning on the trailer . . . when a kid, probably fourteen years old and holding his soaked gear in his arms, walked up and asked if he needed a hand. It just shows the love and support that’s given in each rider’s family, and that it’s not every man for himself out there.”
In 2008, their daughter, Megan, began to take an interest in the sport. Sitting on the sidelines, watching her brothers ride for more than ten years, had finally gotten to her. She wanted to race. Her first bike was a CRF150R Honda, courtesy of Barrhead Motor Sport. Although her first season was slow and required a learning curve, once she upgraded to a CRF250R in 2010, she took first place in the Ladies A class—and also in the men’s class as well.
Passion for the sport
What Devon likes most about the sport is waking up early the morning of the race, and going to check out the track. With the morning chill and moisture in the air, only a handful of other riders are up at this time.
“It’s calm and gives you a chance to collect your thoughts and prepare for the day,” he said. “As soon as that first bike fires up I smile, because I know an intense day of racing has just begun.”
On the other hand, Corey prefers the speed aspect of the sport.
“The adrenalin you get from flying thirty feet in the air,” he said, “looking forward to your landing that’s coming at you fast and the only thing going through your mind is how to get to the ground faster.”
The intensity, speed, and feeling you get from the sport, are what Corey loves most. Every time he rides, he gets the same thrill all over again. “It just never goes away.”
The key hands-on inspiration comes directly from the father, Karl. He proudly dedicates himself to being there for his family.
“He became more obsessed with the sport than the kids (were),” Sheryl said.
After the 2010 racing season, the whole family thought it would be a good idea to give something back to their dad on his birthday, a present that could symbolize how much they appreciated him and all that he has done. So the four of them decided on getting a jacket embroidered, a trophy made just for him and they also put together a photo collage of their racing years.
"I will never forget that day, it almost brought tears to my eyes," Karl said.
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