麻豆社区

The Mosquito Harescramble motorcycle endurance race takes place tomorrow at the end of Mosquito Road on the Sherwood family ranch.

This is the first race held by the Yukon Cross Country Motorcycle Association (YCCMA) this year.

YCCMA president Mike Beaman says COVID has affected their racing schedule. 鈥淟ast year we were only able to do one race of course, and once the restrictions were sort of lifted a little bit, we were able to do a race near the end of last year. And of course being an outdoor sport, we don鈥檛 have a lot of spectators, so it鈥檚 fairly 鈥� easy to keep everybody鈥� six foot apart, and hope people wear masks, and use all the normal government restrictions.

鈥淲e split it up over two days to reduce the amount of people. But with the restrictions a little less this year, we鈥檙e just going to race in one day.

鈥淲ith the restrictions being even less coming up in August here, it sounds like they鈥檙e going to reduce the restrictions even further, so hopefully we鈥檒l get our regular season in.鈥� says Beaman.

鈥淗opefully we鈥檒l do one in July, one in August, one in September, if all goes well.鈥�

They鈥檙e hoping to start racing by 11 a.m., following a racer鈥檚 meeting at 10 a.m. Beaman says they鈥檒l 鈥渄o the kid鈥檚 races first, then the adult races after. And we鈥檙e going to split it into two groups just to keep things a little more separate and less busy.鈥�

The age range of the riders covers a lot of ground. 鈥淚t鈥檚 anybody that can ride, really.鈥� says Beaman. 鈥�50 CC bikes, so typically, five years old up to 80, or beyond. Or as old as they wanna.鈥�

According to Beaman, the racing groups are based on ability.

鈥淢ainly, yeah. So you go into a class that鈥檚 sort of similar to your ability. So you have a kid鈥檚 course, a course for all the small kids, and lots of supervision by the parents, and then the B loop, 鈥� and we have everything right up to an expert class on the B loop, as well, which is just 鈥�. single track, not huge obstacles that鈥檇 be go-arounds for anything that鈥檚 an obstacle.

鈥淎nd then we have the A-loop, which is much more technical riding, and we have an intermediate and an expert level on the A as well, and you have more difficult terrain of course.

鈥淭he B loop would be for anybody probably above a 50 cc bike, so like a 110, so like the junior B group would be up to the expert B on the B loop鈥� so the kids can progress from the kid鈥檚 track to the B loop, and then if they want to eventually get into the A, depending on what everybody鈥檚 into.

鈥淎nd of course the racing鈥檚 endurance. So it鈥檚 not as high-speed say as motocross or any other kind of racing, so people have to pace themselves, and last their time of the race, and finish.鈥�

Unlike, say, motocross racing, the race is based on laps. Kids races are shorter, but the other races can go anywhere from two to three hours long.

鈥淗owever many laps you can get in in a certain time period.鈥�, says Beaman. 鈥淯sually racers go from one to two hours. The kids would race for about 20 minutes, just to get in a little fun race, where they don鈥檛 get totally wore out.

鈥淥r it could go longer, because say if it鈥檚 a 40 minute lap, you could end up with two hours and forty minutes.

鈥淛ust under the time limit, you鈥檇 be doing another lap. Even up to three hours, it could be, depending on the laps.鈥�

And of course there are prizes, and even free swag for the spectators. 鈥淲e have medals for all the classes. Gold鈥� silver and bronze medals for everybody, and then the kids get a junior racer medal, for signing up and trying it out.

鈥淎nd then we usually have prizes from the sponsors, to throw out to the crowd, promotion for the racers at the end. Usually like dirt bike gear, or goggles and jerseys, pants and gloves to dirt bike boots, to鈥�baseball hats to t-shirts, to anything that鈥檚 kind of promotional stuff from the sponsors.鈥� says Beaman.

Speaking of sponsors, it sounds like the YCCMA has plenty of them.

鈥淥ne of the biggest sponsors of course is Yukon Yamaha, and Yukon Honda.鈥� says Beaman.

鈥淲e have a whole list of sponsors. They donate money to go towards insurance or鈥� people donate time or equipment to help with the Area 55 race area there at 100 Robert Service Way. We have a kids track there and a motocross track and an endurocross track and some single track trails. So that鈥檚 sort of an insured area for the club members to go and safely play.鈥�

As for the big race, Beaman says normal COVID restrictions are in effect. 鈥淲e just have the normal government restrictions with the COVID, and otherwise, it should be pretty straightforward. It鈥檚 all outdoors, so it鈥檚 easy to keep the distance, and stay safe.鈥�