Local father/son duo race at national motocross championships

August 28, 2019 · 0 Comments

Written By BRIAN LOCKHART

It’s all in the family when it comes to motocross in Shelburne.

Father and son Chris and Ayrton Pomeroy both competed in the Canadian Amateur Motocross Championships from August 13 – 16 in Walton, Ontario. The event, known as the Walton TransCam features top amateur riders from across the country.

Chris, a former pro motocross racer, competed in the Plus 40 A class on his 450 cc Husqvarna

Eleven year-old Ayrton rode his 80 cc Yamaha and competed in two classes – the seven to 11 age group and the Super Mini Class open age group that had riders from ages nine to 16.

Chris started riding motocross at a young age and had a career that took him around the world.

Ayrton followed in his father’s footsteps riding his first motorcycle when he was just four years-old around his grandparent’s farm. He entered his first race the same year at a track near Tillsonburg.

“It’s the Canadian Amateur Motocross championships,” Chris explained. “The track (in Walton) has been around since 1972 and the TransCam itself has been going for 27 years. You qualify in your own region because it’s a national event. You get competitors from every province and some neighbouring states. In each province it is broken down by regions and you have to go through qualifying events in the spring to get into Walton. In my class (40 Plus) there’s usually not enough guys signed up to make a full gate. The gate holds 40 riders so there’s maybe 30 riders in a race.”

In Ayrton’s class, the gate is filled.

In motocross, when the gate drops the race is underway from a standing start with all the riders hitting the stretch and finding their way in the pack going into the first turn.

“I depends where you are on the track,” Chris said, “If you’re in the top few it’s not so stressful but if you’re mid pack you stay in your own bubble. I’ve always said there’s nothing quite intense as a motocross start and everyone jockeys for position. At the same time you’re still having to ride the bike. You’re braking and still trying to ride as fast as you can.”

On the track and during practice, riders are geared up to avoid injury.

“I have knee pads, chest protector, helmet and goggles, boots and a neck brace,” Ayrton explained of what he wears when riding. “I really like the Walton track – it’s one of my favourite tracks. I like the jumps and the dirt.”

In motocross, each rider accumulates points over three races depending on their finish. The final standings are a combination of the three races.

Both riders did well in the competition.

Ayrton finished seventh in two of his races, and sixth in his third race for an over all finish of sixth in the national competition.

Chris and Ayrton want to thank their sponsors Towne Fitness, Paint Werx, and Shelburne Family Chiropractic for helping them achieve their goals on the race track.