Billings, Montana – The Big Sky Speedway hosted the third edition of MotoFest over the weekend, which attracted competitors from all across the nation to the Magic City.
As part of an exchange program put up by event organizer Richard Todd, contestants from California and Hawaii traveled to Montana.
The invitation to the tournament was the result of a lot of hard effort for many of those riders.
“I’ve been riding dirt bikes since I was four years old,” Hawaiian participant Branden Frey said Sunday afternoon. “Being from Hawaii, we didn’t have much money like in my family and stuff like that. We worked as hard as we could try and get me here.”
Brevin Wilson, another California rider, reiterated Frey’s gratitude for the invitation and emphasized that competing in far-off tournaments can help riders develop their skills.
“I’m super grateful for this opportunity and I thank Rich for bringing me out here,” Wilson said. “It’s really awesome to get out here and experience new tracks because it can help you get used to all different kinds.”
This event and the journey that 14 cyclists from Billings took to California in January to compete at the national level both take place around the same time. It was the out-of-state riders’ turn to travel over the weekend.
“Last year, he (Todd) didn’t have it fully set up like this,” Wilson said. “He just took the Montana kids to California, and then this year he’s taking all the California kids up to Montana to have some fun races.”
According to Todd, the program’s primary objective from the beginning was to expose participants to other racers from throughout the nation.
“What we’re doing is try to bridge the gap between competitiveness and give kids the opportunity to see that this is something they can do and compete on a national level,” Todd said.
There were 150 athletes registered for the race overall, with three from Hawaii and seven from California. According to Todd, the event has kept expanding, and he hopes that Montana’s motocross scene will follow suit.
“It’s really important because they’re racing against kids that get to train all year long,” Todd said. “So, if they get a chance to see what’s available out there, then they have an opportunity to train all year too.”
Frey views it as a rare opportunity that will enhance his development as a motocross rider.
“It was a really cool experience and it’s really exciting to be out here and to meet this place and see all this stuff,” Frey said. “It’s very emotional to be where I’m from and not having the money we had to come up here. Just knowing that I’m being up here to do this, I appreciate every single minute of it.”
Frey views it as a rare opportunity that will enhance his development as a motocross rider.
“It’s super special because the memories carry on for your whole life,” Wilson said. “You never forget the memories you make at the track.”
