There's an epic battle shaping up this weekend among the youngest riders on the Prince George Motocross Association circuit and with $3,000 in prizes up for grabs in the two-day Printwerx Cup B.C. Motocross Association championships at Blackwater Motocross Park nobody's going to be holding back.
The full-throttle action begins Saturday at 9:30 a.m. on the new and improved Blackwater track with about 120 riders expected.
Bragging rights will be claimed this weekend in the Rode Warrior series and two riders in the four-to-six-year-old 50cc class are on a mission to try to catch up to first-place Connor Szatmari of Lac La Hache, who holds the lead over second-place Erik Miller and third-place Mason St. Pierre, both of Prince George.
In the 50cc 7-8-year-old class, Evan Miller of Prince George leads the class over second-place Ty Allan of Fraser Lake, while in the 85cc 12-16 class, Aidan Proctor and Kyler Freitas, both of Prince George, are 1-2 in the standings.
The rider who accumulates the most points this weekend will receive a bike decal package from Printwerx. Cycle North and NR Motors and the BCMA are also providing prizes.
This weekend's race is sanctioned by the B.C. Motocross Association, which is part of the nationwide Canadian Motorsport Racing Corporation (CMRC). Traditionally it's been held in Kamloops, but the local motocross community wanted to host it to show off the track improvements at Blackwater, which include a new concrete start gate and a wider track with better visibility for spectators. The pit area has been doubled in size and riders will race with a new transponder tracking system that utilizes an electronic box mounted the forks of every bike.
"We usually get about 170 entries from about 120 riders," said BCMA president Angela Voldeng. "This time we're expecting more from the Peace region. They don't have a race there this weekend and it's more accessible to them than Kamloops."
"This is kind of our provincial race, but we can't really call it a true provincial because there is another CMRC region in B.C., Vancouver Island,"
Other leaders in the Rode Warrior standings to watch for include: Beginner MX-3 -- Jerry Lee Allen, Fraser Lake; Intermediate MX-2 and MX-3 -- Jackson Nickolet, Quesnel; Junior B -- Brodie Olson, Williams Lake, and Gavyn Miller, Prince George; Junior MX- 2 and MX-3 -- Hayden Wolff, PG.; Ladies -- Sara King, Fort St. James; Pro MX-2 and MX-3 -- Brock Hoyer, Williams Lake, and Jess Pettis, Prince George; Schoolboy -- Wolff; Gabriel Elmore, Telkwa; and Bailey Garrison, Prince George; Super-mini -- Daniel Elmore, Telkwa; and Vet Junior -- Nick Hills, Fort St. John.
Organizers will stage two rounds of motos Saturday and one on Sunday.
At the end of the season, the three top riders with the most Rode Warrior class points will receive a full bike suspension package from RMR Suspensions.
The PGMA series wraps up next weekend in Quesnel. The PGMA event Sept, 20-21 in Kamloops has been cancelled due to a lack of volunteers.
