By Adam Frisk Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Haliburton’s Will Brown secured third place overall in the national FIM MiniGP Canada Series this past season, wrapping his second year of motorcycle racing with a podium finish.
Competing in the national circuit for young riders aged 10 to 14, Will finished the season at Shannonville Motorsport Park earlier this month.
“When I tell my friends at school that I race bikes on pavement, they mostly get confused and ask if I mean dirt bikes,” Will said. “I usually have to show them my bike before they actually believe me.”
Three years ago, his father, Ron, took Will and his younger brother for a single day at the Super Sonic Road Race School in Brechin, run by Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame inductee Toni Sharpless. Ron said the kids had plenty of experience on trail bikes, but had never tried a road bike before.
“I just wanted them to experience it for a day,” Ron said. “Within about an hour, they pulled Will out of the main group to give him private instruction. Other parents were coming up asking where we normally race, and I had to tell them we don’t. It was our first day ever on a track.”
In his second full season, the 12-year-old was travelling the circuit with his number 999 Ohvale GP-0 bike. The bikes run on 10-inch wheels and sealed engines, which helps keep the equipment evenly matched, Ron explained.
“It’s really fun going fast around corners and getting your knee down. Some people even get their elbow down,” Will explained. “If you wreck, your race is pretty much over. But mostly you’re just worried about losing your position.”
Ron said the key is learning to control the bike at speed.
“Smooth is fast,” Ron said, a common coaching motto on the circuit. “The very first race Will ever won was in the rain. It wasn’t because he was faster than the other kids out there, it was because he was smoother on the throttle and the brakes.”
“If you’re coming into a corner, it’s not just hard on the brakes and chop off the throttle,” Will added, while demonstrating his process. “It’s kind of like slowly off the throttle and you don’t just grab the brakes.
You want to progress on the brake a little to help slow the bike down so it doesn’t throw you over the bars.”
The final weekend at Shannonville was also part of the track’s 50th anniversary celebration. The event drew a packed crowd, and Canadian Superbike champion Steve Crevier was also there, spending some time chatting with Will.
Those race results gave Will enough points to finish third overall in the national standings.
He was also awarded the Hard Charger trophy for the second consecutive year. The award is given to a rider who “brings it to every race, every lap and makes it entertaining for the fans.”
“I appreciate that Hard Charger trophy as much as third place nationally,” Ron said. “It shows he brings it every race.”
“I really try when I race,” Will added. “I never give up.”
The racing season is now over, and Will’s bike is parked in the trailer. Until spring, he’s swapping his road helmet for his hockey helmet.
“I hope to go all the way to MotoGP,” Will said. “It’s a long shot, but we’re taking it one step at a time.”
