MONROE — One way or another, Kody Clark was born to ride.
Ken Clark, who grew up riding motocross, suggested as much to his wife, Ann, when she was pregnant with Kody. Ann, who had competed in equestrian events since childhood, agreed their son should ride — horses.
Determined, Ken dragged Ann to a motocross track in his bid to prove the sport was safe and sane.
"There was a bad wreck in the first five minutes," Ann recalled. "I told him ‘Over my dead body.’"
Well, mom is still alive, and the Clarks have worked out a compromise of sorts: Kody, now 11, spends a lot of time at horse arenas. Riding motorcycles.
Kody was one of an estimated 250 riders — ranging from peewee’s as young as 4 to professionals — drawn to the horse arena at Evergreen State Fairgrounds on Sunday for the eighth stop on the 12-race Northwest Arenacross Nationals Tour.
Arenacross is a close cousin to motocross, but is staged on smaller, indoor tracks with tighter turns, darned little straightaway and more jumps, bumps and bangs for the buck.
Sunday’s event attracted racers from throughout the Pacific Northwest, British Columbia and California, many of whom spent Saturday night at the fairgrounds in recreational vehicles.
Like many others, the Clarks, who are from Carnation, travel extensively by RV along with friends whose kids race.
"It’s a family affair and just a lot of good people," Ken Clark said.
Kody and his friend Charlie Joe Cortez, 12, of Marysville, ride in their respective age groups in the stock 85 cubic-centimer (cc) class. The pair often race against each other on modified bikes in the supermini class.
For Charlie Joe, who started riding at age 3, family recreation time has come to be centered on his racing events around the Northwest.
"If we did anything else we wouldn’t be able to afford it," his mother Paula said with a laugh.
The Northwest Arenacross Nationals Tour also includes stops in Salem, Ore., Yakima, Puyallup and Pasco. The tour, which runs from November through February, makes four stops in Monroe.
"Snohomish County is a huge hotbed for racing," promoter Lee Collins said. "We’ve been nurturing this series in Monroe for 20 years."
Collins estimated about 35 percent of Sunday’s racers came from Snohomish County.
Collins used his 650H John Deere bulldozer and a front-end loader to displace about 1,300 yards of dirt and configure the track for racing.
The approximately 1,200 feet of twisting, turning track included 13 jumps ranging from 3 to 6 feet high, an aptly named "whoop-de-doo" section of nine tightly grouped 2-foot high jumps and three 6-foot high-banked berms for radius turns.
Following 27 qualifying races, Collins climbed back aboard his bulldozer to groom the track for the mains.
"The whole idea is to make challenging tracks with something for everybody to jump whether they’re a pro or a beginner," Collins said.
Matt Pittsenbarger, 9, of Everett, is already a veteran flat track racer, but this was the first experience in Arenacross for he and his brother Jacob, 6. Matt was clear about what he enjoyed most.
"The jumps because when you land, it bumps you hard," he said.
While the more experienced riders on the bigger bikes wowed the crowd by getting airborne — jumping as high as 20 feet and as long as 65 — to clear multiple jumps, peewees on 50cc bikes often took the moguls one at a time. Ouch
Still, it proved to be worth it.
"The peewee’s all get a trophy," Collins’ wife, Sherry, explained. "It’s too much heartache otherwise. You want it to be a positive experience."
In arenacross riders are grouped into age brackets as they advance from 65cc to 85cc bikes. At 125cc and above, they are classified by skill and racing experience: beginner, junior, intermediate and professional.
Maintaining excellent physical condition is important in motorcycle racing.
"It’s pretty gnarly today," Nathan Powers, 16, of Snohomish said. "I have to get jumping around before I ride. Otherwise my muscles get stiff. A lot of guys play soccer to train because the running really helps. This is just a physically demanding sport."
Maybe soccer helped Nick Schmidt, who was victorious in Sunday’s 125 junior class. Schmidt, 13, of Marysville, has raced since he was 4 and also plays for a select soccer team.
"He just moved up to the big bikes, he likes this Yamaha," his mother, Misty, said of her son who trains under the guidance of Marysville professional racer Jay Whipple.
Colton Facciotti, of Aldergrove, B.C. is a professional, even though he’s just 15 years old. He works out three times a week. "One hour of cardio, one hour of weights. You can have skinny arms, but you have to have good core strength," Facciotti said.
Sunday’s racing may have been technically under cover, but the unheated arena exposed riders and fans to the harsh elements.
Neither group seemed fazed by the bitter cold. Oh, it did force a few unplanned repairs out in the parking lot, which, judging by the collective aroma of several grills, may have been the best tailgate party west of Lambeau Field on Sunday.
"My kick start was frozen this morning," said Patrick Martin, 19, of Sand Rat Racing based in Sedro-Woolley. "I put a heat lamp on it and it took about an hour to thaw out."
Racing team member’s discussed strategy and effected emergency adjustments between races.
"I remember fixin’ ‘em with baling wire," said George Howard, owner of Sand Rat Racing.
Howard laughed as he recalled the course of his 40-year racing career: "I started out on a 5-horse Briggs and Stratton. It was just something my old man threw together … it’s a little more high tech now."
Howard said his riders are required to keep up their grades, help with chores and maintain good attitudes. "They learn discipline and responsibility," he said.
Inside the warm arena office, the Collins’ son Kris, 15, sat in a chair. His left arm was in a sling and taped to his chest. His lower right arm was heavily taped. He had tumbled over the handlebars during a race and apparently broken both of his wrists.
"It’s his first bad wreck," his mother Sherry said, her voice a mix of pride and lament.
Kris slumped only slightly in his chair, it was obvious he intended to be back on the track racing as soon as able.
Meanwhile, engines droned loudly as riders queued up behind the starting line.
Kody Clark had yet another race to run.
Ann Clark stood on a wooden support for a better view and smiled.
"It’s pretty cool, huh? This is all he’s ever wanted to do," Ann said with a laugh. "His first three words were mommy, daddy and bike."
She seemed less than certain of the exact order.
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