BURSTFor many, a sport like motorcycle racing may seem out of reach due to the costs. A motard club from Greenwood is changing that.
The Route 3 Racing Club, a non-profit founded by directors Angus McNeil and Dale Robins, is a unique motorsport club that offers free motard racing opportunities to anyone interested.
“Motorsports are very expensive and not every child, or not even every adult, has the opportunity to do this. So we bring the opportunity to everyone, no matter their financial status, or whatever. If they want to do it, all they have to do is show up.”
McNeil, who has been racing for over 35 years, said the club offers a range of activities, including rider training sessions, race events, and demo days.
For McNeil and Robins, the club’s mission is quite close to their hearts.
“Our mission is to provide the opportunity of motorcycle riding, training and racing to every interested child, youth, and adult, regardless of any personal or financial barriers. We are ‘racing for change.’ We are eliminating the barriers to accessing this amazing sport.”
The club has riders from all over the country, some from Saskatchewan, Edmonton, Vancouver and more, all ranging from 12-years-old to 60-years-old.
“The fastest guy I’ve ever seen on this track, he’s in his 60s, and we have a couple of 12-year-olds right out of Greenwood here that can pretty much keep up.”
McNeil emphasized how the club can offer youth some direction and passion.
“I’ve been in many clubs, and I ran the club in Calgary for quite a while, and what you see is some child that starts riding when he’s six or eight or 10 years old; they end up coming out of their shell. They get up on the podium, and they speak on the podium because their friends do. Some of them are really good at it, and some of them get better as they go. For youth development, it’s amazing.”
From Sept. 12 to 13, the club is organizing its fifth Annual Motard and Music Festival at 1475 Deadwood St.
On Saturday, McNeil said that they will have practices all day followed by a live performance by the Woody James Band and Max Mann in the evening.
Sunday morning will begin with warm-ups followed by races all day. The festival will end with a karaoke night.
McNeil invited everyone to come out to this free event, which will showcase how motorcycle racing can be family fun.
“Motorcycle racing is not for everybody, but it can be for anybody,” he said.
The club is actively improving its track, beautifying it. McNeil said he wants it to be the first fully paved Motard track in North America.
“We want people to drive by and go, wow, look at that!” said McNeil.
McNeil said that they put in an irrigation system this year, and the team is planting grass, paving, curbing, and putting concrete curbing on the corners. They will paint it orange and white next.
The club has 20 motorcycles in a number of different sizes that it lends out to anyone interested in riding.