A Quick Look at the MMRS MX School

By Jeff McConkey

This past Saturday, The Maguires Motocross Racing Series held there annual MX School and Practice weekend to kick-off the 2015 season. The MMRS Club held its first event at the Cochranes Track near Brighton, Ontario.

This was a school for all ages and abilities, and boasted a stacked list of instructors. There was a great turnout this year as 132 riders signed-up for the school. Top national pros, Liam O’Farrell, and young Westen Wrozyna led a group of very skilled and talented instructors this year. They had a little bit of everything, from starts, to cornering, jumping, ruts and so much more. The complete beginners all of the way to the seasoned racers, all walked away with something from the great event.

Honda Canada TLD GDR rider Westen Wrozyna going over a lesson with a group. – McConkey photo

John and Jean Maguire aren’t just the owners of the club, they are motocross enthusiasts. They eat, sleep and breathe moto, and have a true love for the sport. Their love for the sport is very contagious and has branched off to each and every one of their workers and volunteers. From the moment you pull in the gates, you are greeted with non-stop smiles and friendly faces. But that’s not all…

Dawson Tracy ready to demonstrate a rhythm section. – McConkey photo

The MMRS crew have all been properly trained and take safety very seriously. John and Jean also hold a flaggers’ school on this first weekend to ensure that every one of their flaggers is properly trained and up for the important duty. As much as sportsmanship, safety and friendship are present at each and every round, that’s not all!

Two first-time racers tackling the rollers. – McConkey photo

The competition is fierce. MMRS has a full stable of talent that will challenge any race series. Dawson Tracy, Nick Jones and past ‘DMX Total Devotion Award’ winner Jack Wright are just a few of the huge talents in the Intermediate class. Throw in small bike riders Christian Sparks, Ross Thirnbeck, Travis Byrom and mini bike speedster Ben Mistelbacher along with lady racer Kelcey Jones and you have some heavy hitters in each and every class. Not to be forgotten is the MMRS Vet class. In all of my racing, I have never seen such a large class of old boys. They have everything from former national pros all the way down to the complete beginners.

Instructor Dillon Murphy lending a helping hand. – McConkey photo

As a rider, racer and member of the media, I am a huge supporter of this club. Nowhere else can you get yourself a full day of practice at the track you are going to race at the following day. MMRS holds open practice from 9-4 every Saturday before their Sunday races. How great is that? You get plenty of seat time to learn the tracks and tackle new obstacles while out with your specific age or skill group. There is no pressure and it is a huge safety advantage. Growing up racing back in the day, there was nothing worse than trying to learn a track in 3 quick laps and then feeling confident enough to hang it out and go for the win. Not many people can learn a track, get all the jumps down, and find a few of the fast lines in that short of a time. I, myself, really struggled with it and wished the MMRS club had been around way back in the day. Either way, I am very happy to have such a great place to ride!