Jonah Brittons is under no illusions. He's aware that becoming a U.S. Supercross champion - which would put him at the very top of his sport - is a wild dream.
At the same time, Brittons is taking all the necessary steps to convert fantasy into reality. The 16-year-old local motocross rider spends more time on the road than at home, either competing in high-calibre events or sharpening his already-impressive skills. And, earlier this month, his dedication paid him back in the form of two major titles.
A couple weekends ago in Deschambault, Que., Brittons rode to CMRC Eastern Canadian amateur championships in the intermediate MX1 and MX3 classes. After three races in each division, he had a higher point average than any other rider, even though most of the guys on the track were older (average range of 18 to 24) and more experienced.
"It felt amazing," Brittons said Tuesday from Walton, Ont., where he was preparing to ride in the Canadian Grand National Championships, which started Wednesday and run through Sunday. "All the hard work that I've been putting in really has been paying off. Honestly, there's no better feeling than to accomplish the goals you've set when you've put in the work."
In some of Brittons' races, he grabbed the lead right off the start and didn't let it go. In others - like his second in the MX1 class - he had to overcome challenges thrown his way and battle relentlessly to finish as high up in the pack as possible.
"In the second MX1 race I got a bad start and I was coming through the pack, catching the leaders, and I was passing for third when I tucked the front end in a corner and went down, and my leg got caught under my bike," Brittons said. "(It was) on the third lap I believe. I managed to get up quickly, and I think I was sitting in 10th and I came back to third place.
"The key is to keep pushing through the entire moto," he added. "You never know what can happen."
For Brittons, the path to becoming a motocross rider started when he was still young enough to be in daycare. One one particular day, his dad, Shane, picked him up and had a pair of dirtbikes in the back of the truck. Father and son went trail riding and son loved it.
Then, one weekend when Brittons was a bit older, he registered for a race at Prince George's Blackwater Motocross Park and was hooked immediately. His first season of racing came when he was 10. And, with his natural talent and desire to improve, he climbed the ranks quickly.
For the past couple years, Brittons - with mom Tracy as his primary chauffeur - has traveled across Canada and into the United States in pursuit of his sport.
"Prince George is where we have our house, but honestly, we live in our truck and our trailer," Brittons said with a chuckle. "We've actually been on the road nine months out of this year. We spent about four months in total in California training with (former pro rider) Ryan Hughes and we went back home briefly, for about a week-and-a-half or two weeks, and we got back on the road and we've been traveling and going to races."
Given the fact he's almost always away from home, Brittons does his schooling online through EBUS Academy. Financially, his parents and grandmother Betty support his racing career and he also has several sponsors who help keep costs manageable. Some of his main supporters are Forest Power Sports and Forbes Industrial Contractors of Prince George, as well as RTR Performance of Kamloops.
At the grand nationals in Walton, Brittons is competing in the intermediate MX1, MX2 and MX3 divisions.
"I'd like to go out there and win - that's the goal with every race," he said.
"But, you never know what can happen out on a track. I could have mechanical issues, I could crash. So, honestly, I'm going to say a goal is definitely for a solid top-three finish overall."
Jess Pettis, another motocross rider from Prince George, is also in Walton for the grand nationals. Pettis, a 19-year-old pro, is coming off a great weekend in Barrie, Ont., one that saw him place third in the MX2 class in the final round of the 2016 Rockstar Energy Drink Motocross Nationals. The result was his best in the 10-round series, which started in early June in Kamloops.
In the final points standings, Pettis was fifth overall.
