Out of the Blue | Bailee Bancarz | Brought to You by Schrader’s
Name: Bailee Bancarz
Date of Birth: June 24, 2003
Hometown: Leduc, Alberta
Occupation: Pet Groomer
Race Number: #24
Bike: 2023 KTM 125XC
Race Club: AMSA
Classes: WMX nationals, Ladies A, and Junior
Who/what inspired you to get into the sport of motocross and how long have you been racing/riding?
When I was 4 years old I started riding around at cross country races with my mom and dad. My dad raced cross country and I would do the occasional race too. A few years later I didn’t ride as much, I played ringette and lacrosse instead. Then in 2020 I met some friends and they raced motocross. I thought it looked pretty cool so I thought I would give it a try. I instantly fell in love with motocross and couldn’t get enough of it!
What event do you look forward to most every year, one you don’t ever want to miss?
One event I never want to miss is the WMX Nationals. If there are any nationals in Alberta I will be there! I have never been able to make it to any East nationals but I would really love to one day!
What are your plans for this upcoming season? Any specific events you’re looking forward to?
Now that we are at the end of this season, I am looking forward to some Arenacross this fall. Next season I would really love to race the WMX Triple Crown Nationals. I am hoping to be in my best shape and be injury free. I also always look forward to the BFD spring and fall super series at the Wild Rose MX track in Calgary.
What kind of track/dirt do you feel you excel at most and why?
Like most people, I feel like I excel most on nicely groomed tracks with no ruts because I have lots of traction which allows me to give lots of gas. But I have started to enjoy the deep ruts as I am starting to get better at them. I also like riding the sand tracks because the corners are so fun and I feel like I learn a lot of clutch control in the sand. I tend to do worse on the hard packed dirt because I struggle to find traction.
What was your first fear when you started riding and how did you overcome it?
When I first started motocross I was terrified of jumps. I kept asking my friends how they can time it to make it perfectly on the landings, but I just kept getting no answers. Nobody had a real explanation for me. So after a lot of crashing and a lot of new parts I kinda got the hang of it and realized why nobody could tell me how to time the jumps. A lot of it just came from practice, getting used to the bike, getting to know the different kind of jumps, and getting used to being off the ground. I still need a lot more practice with jumps because now I have learned body position and squeezing the bike and all these different techniques that I need to practice!
What was your first race number and how did you choose it?
My first race was number 24. I started racing motocross in 2020 and I wasn’t sure what to put as my number so I just went with my birthday and it stuck. I am hoping to get a National number next year!
What are your thoughts on the Canadian WMX Triple Crown series?
The Canadian WMX Triple Crown series is so much fun! There is always someone to battle with because there are always so many ladies with so many different levels of experience. It is amazing to see how many girls are involved in this sport and how much support all the ladies give each other. I raced in Kamloops and Drumheller last year and ended up getting 15th. This year I was planing on doing all the west series but unfortunately I broke my hand in Kamloops on the amateur days. I am hoping to train some more and try again next year! I also go to the Triple Crown Arenacross events near me but unfortunately they don’t have a ladies class for Arenacross. It would be so awesome if they did and I think it would be a huge hit!
What do you like to do in the off season?
In the off season I used to play ringette and then I started missing dirt biking too much so I would put some studs on my tires and would play around in the snow. But the last 2 years I have got the opportunity to go to the States and ride, thanks to my boyfriend and his family! In 2021 I got to join my boyfriend, Clayton Schmucki, and his family at Millsaps Training Facility in Georgia. We did some of the Florida inter series and then we went to Texas on our way home to race at Freestone and Spring-a-Ding. In 2022 I also got to join Clayton to travel to California. We rode at tracks all over California and then made our way over to Texas to a training facility called Tapt House.
Who would you like to thank?
I would like to thank Turple Brothers, Leatt, Kimpex, KTM Canada, my mom and dad, and my boyfriend’s family for always taking me along to races, training facilities, and so much more!
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