When it comes to describing high-adrenaline sports that require skilled interaction with the laws of physics, words often fall short.
The best way to explain what it’s like to watch 3-year-old dirt bikers race on an indoor obstacle course? According to one mom, “There’s a lot of laughing.”
The Moto Mayhem off-road racing series was born in 2014 so co-founder and manager Jason Lesure’s sons could experience off-road Endurocross-style racing without the expense of traveling to Denver or Las Vegas, he said.
On Saturday, Nov. 11, and Sunday, Nov. 12, the event will leave Colorado’s Western Slope for the first time to “invade” Grand County’s Old Spanish Trail Arena, 3641 S. U.S. Highway 191. The arena will be transformed by classic motocross obstacles like rock piles, firewood and giant truck tires, and off-road motorbike enthusiasts of all skill levels and ages are welcome to enter and race in their class.
“This type of racing can make a kid who rides in the woods look like a superstar,” Lesure said. “It’s for all different skill levels – if you’re interested, there’s a class for you.”
The tracks Lesure builds are the stuff of dreams for young bikers and their enthusiastic parents, according to former Grand County events manager KaLeigh Welch.
“The racing isn’t serious – you can see that when the kids race,” Welch said. “It’s not really a competition; everyone just want to see the kids have fun and be safe and respectful.”
The Welches’ son Grayson was two years old and riding on a tiny, lightweight motorbike alongside his dad when they came on a Moto Mayhem event in Rifle, Colorado, two years ago. Lesure put the tyke into the mini-course race with the other little ones, and two years later, the Welches have taken him to several more races in Colorado and he’s building skills on a track through family property.
“It’s so fun, for him and for us. We’ve made a ton of friends with kids my son’s age,” Welch said. “Since we met (the Lesures), we’ve been trying to get them to come to Moab.”
Lesure is thrilled to bring the race to Moab, he said.
“You guys have everything. The weather’s great this time of year, there’s a lot to do,” he said.
And the location is perfect for enthusiasts who have had to travel a long distance east to compete in his races, he said. People come from Las Vegas, Salt Lake City and as far north as Idaho for a chance to get together with friends and test skills at his fun, low-key and accessibly priced races.
The upcoming race will include a class for mountain bikers – a first for Moto Mayhem.
“Being that Moab is a mountain biking mecca, I decided to put it out there for free,” Lesure said. “It’s not going to be as easy as people think. It’s difficult on a dirt bike, so it’s definitely going to be a challenge on a mountain bike.”
If everything goes well, Lesure said, he hopes to offer a winter series with three or four races in Moab.
“Because it’s all indoors, it’s perfect,” he said. “It’s still pretty wild, and it gets people out of the snow.”
The Endurocross style of racing is Lesure’s favorite, he said, because it mimics the challenge of riding on wild trails in the woods rather than groomed courses, without the environmental impact. Building the obstacle courses is half the fun, he said. He designs them himself when he arrives at the arena, he said.
“He’s a pro at turning a flat horse arena into a moto arena,” Welch said. “He uses horse arenas all across the Western Slope, and knows how to put them back together afterward!”
Endurocross-style race open to all ages on Nov. 11-12
What: Moto Mayhem
When: Saturday, Nov. 11, and Sunday, Nov. 12. Gates open at 8 a.m.; event times vary
Where: Old Spanish Trail Arena, 3641 S. U.S. Highway 191
Cost: Grandstand admission is $10 for ages 12 and up; $5 for ages 6 to 11 and free to kids 5 and under
Information: www.montrosemotomayhem.com
More information and registration or grandstand tickets are available at: www.montrosemotomayhem.com.
