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Whistler youth leads motocross fall series

Ten-year-old cheered on by family In less than three seasons, Justin Patjas has acquired 27 different motocross racing trophies and a number of award plaques.
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Ten-year-old cheered on by family

In less than three seasons, Justin Patjas has acquired 27 different motocross racing trophies and a number of award plaques. Although he is quickly running out of shelf space in his bedroom, he thinks he has room to squeeze in a couple more.

This fall, the 10-year-old is currently leading the B.C. Mainland circuit of the Canada Motocross Racing Club fall series with two firsts and one second place finish. At his last race in Kamloops he finished just two bike lengths back of a 15-year-old.

With dozens of other racers turning out to the races in the same competitive category, Justin knows he has to keep winning and placing to stay on top – one missed race or fall could cost him the title.

After winning the indoor Provincial Arenacross series last winter against some tough competition, he knows what he has to do to win races.

"I like to get out front after the first corner," he says.

He’s no slouch on the rest of the track, either. He skims the ‘whoops’ – a series of small, steep bumps that often buck riders off their bikes – and recently started clearing gaps of around 70 feet, with lots of hang time.

When asked how he beats up to 20 other racers to the same corner, he smiles, shrugs and twists his accelerator hand in mid-air – "I pin it."

Justin’s father Brian also does some racing himself, and his mother Dana and sister Brianna have become fans of the sport. Together they travel around the province, to Alberta, and even the U.S. to race in events.

"I got pretty into it," says Dana. "Most mothers are sitting and hiding their faces, but I’m yelling ‘go faster’ and ‘go higher’. I’m more worried about Brian than Justin actually, because he has to work the next day."

His parents attribute Justin’s success this season his experience on the Arenacross circuit and the fact that he races year-round.

"A lot of kids were beating Justin last season, but after a season in Arenacross, he is way beyond them now," says Brian.

Justin currently races in the 85cc class, and often trains with other young racers in Whistler, including Jonah Randell and Kyle McDonald. Although there are only a few kids his age to train with, more kids are getting into it every year.

They train a lot at the Green River Riding Club track in Pemberton, but because it is still a work in progress, they also visit tracks in Tsawwassen and Nanaimo to do more serious training.

"It’s coming along, but we need to do a lot more work on it in the next couple of years," says Brian, who is a member of the riding club and volunteers his time to work on the track.

"It’s moving slowly, one truckload of dirt at a time, but we’re hoping to be able to host events in a year or two."

When the track is completed, Brian hopes more kids will get into the sport and Justin will have more kids to race against.

"It’s really fun for him," says Brian. "He’s met a lot of kids, and has made some good friends going to races. We all look forward to the weekends."

Justin is currently sponsored by Valley Motor Sports and McCoo’s, which supplies him with Spy brand goggles and gear.

Justin hopes to be able to turn pro by the time he is 14, following in the footsteps of Canadian motocross racer Darcy Lange.

Attending events in the U.S., he has gotten the chance to meet his heroes from the sport, and has participated in clinics with some of the top Canadian riders on the national and international circuits. Justin’s technique is advanced for his age, according to Brian, and every time he is placed in a race over his head, he rises to the top in a short period of time.

"He doesn’t say a lot at races, but you can see that he’s watching everything, taking it in," says Dana. "He does his talking on the track."

Justin also rides mountain bikes, although he is frustrated that he is not allowed to do certain things in the downhill park because of his age. The irony is that kids as young as four are allowed to hit table top jumps on the motocross circuit.

Justin has had a few crashes on the circuit, but in three years his most serious injury was a broken wrist. The doctor shaped the cast in such a way that he could still grip the handle bar, and Justin went on to win the Arenacross finals with it on.

"It’s not as dangerous as it looks," says Brian. "You need the proper equipment and lots of practice. There’s always first aid right there. Plus I can stand there and watch him do laps, rather than watch him disappear into the trees and wonder what’s going to happen."

The next test for Justin is another CMRC fall series race in Mission on Sunday. The following weekend is Kamloops, and the finals take place in Mission the next weekend, Oct. 27.

If Justin is nervous, he isn’t showing it.

"If I get behind I can pass people in the corners and lots of places – just don’t slow down. Charge hard and stay with the leader and pass him," he says. "It’s fun."