Brookdale youth in national motocross championship

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By Kate Jackman-Atkinson

The Neepawa Banner

It’s Brady McLeod’s first year competing in motocross and this week, the 15-year-old is taking part in the Parts Canada TransCan Canadian Motocross Grand National Championship. McLeod, of Brookdale, will be one of 42 qualified racers competing in the Supermini Class.

The championship is held at the Walton Raceway, in Walton, Ont. Located in southern Ontario, the community is known as “Motocross Town”. In order to qualify, McLeod has been racing in regional qualifiers across the province this season. His mother Cornelia said that once they found that Brady had qualified, they felt he had to go. “It’s a once in a lifetime chance,” she said.

While this is McLeod’s first year racing his Kawasaki KX100, Cornelia said that he has been riding dirt bikes since he was five. He has always wanted to race and they decided to hit the track this year. Brady has travelled to Ontario with his dad Trevor, one of his biggest supporters.

The amateur races run Wednesday, Aug. 12 to Saturday, Aug. 15, with the final Pro Race of the Rockstar Energy Motocross Nationals happening Sunday, Aug. 16. At some point before becoming professionals, most of Canada’s top professional motocross racers, including 2014 Canadian Motocross Champion’s Colton Facciotti and Kaven Benoit, have won the Amateur Championships. The race is so prestigious that for the first time ever in Canadian Motocross the final amateur day of racing, Saturday, Aug. 15, will be streamed live online.