Dave Lafleur
Contributed
The new motocross season is well under way and the three friends who ride together have been tearing up the tracks.
Mitch Wheeler and Peter Lafleur of Vanderhoof and Ted (TJ) Dillman of Prince George travel the motocross circuit together.
They are only three of a family of many riders who travel throughout B.C. to display and hone their skills as motocross riders. These three and sometimes other friends from Vanderhoof make the trek, camp and set up their pits (maintenance and repair area) together. So far this year they have been to Terrace, Quesnel, Williams Lake, Kamloops and Pemberton. Sometimes they finish on the podium, sometimes they spin out in a corner trying too hard or have contact with another bike and go down, but each time out they are trying to improve their riding skills.
Peter and Mitch ride in the junior class while TJ is in the intermediate. This past weekend they rode in Prince George at the new track off Chief Lake Road near the drag strip and then they venture back to Terrace in three weeks.
If you have never been to see motocross, these three will tell you that you are crazy! There are moments of thrills, breath taking chills, adrenaline pumping jumps, cornering to make you hold your breath and when these bikes leave the starting line with 20 riders side by side heading to a corner that can only fit four or five bikes side by side, well it has been described as the most intense 10 seconds in motorsports.
Until you experience the rush, the roar of the bikes the excitement and the enthusiasm that permeates throughout every riders camp and every foot of spectator area along the side of the track, you are definitely missing something. Don’t let the opportunity to see and cheer these boys and any others you may know who are involved in motocross.