By Colleen A.J. Smith

Flat track racing back in the Battlefords

Jun 30, 2016 | 7:00 PM

Flat track is one of the oldest forms of motorcycle racing in the Western world, and one couple wants to make sure Canada doesn’t get left behind in the dust.

Katalyn and Aaron Hesmer are the founders of the Go Flat Track mobile school and the couple has taken to the road in order to educate prospective riders on the motor sport they love most.

The Hesmers have been instructing people on the sport of flat track in Paris, Ontario at their home race track for the last three years. The overwhelming success of their courses in their home province led the Hesmers to the idea of taking their knowledge across Canada to introduce people to the motorsport and its techniques all across the country.

“We are coming across Canada and hitting up every province that we can,“ Katalyn Hesmer said. “We’ve been to Edmonton and Calgary. We’ve gone down to B.C, the Vancouver area and up to Pemberton. We just want to get people interested and to let people know that flat track is a sport that’s going on. Flat track is the oldest form of motorcycle racing. It’s all just flats and laps.”

Katalyn said the sport carries a wide array of styles, including different riding surfaces, such as ‘clay’ and ‘cushion,’ and different lengths of track ranging from an eight-mile to a mile-long raceway, such as the famous ‘indie mile.”

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“Basically our track in Paris is an eighth mile cushion,” Katalyn said. “We have a lot of stateside riders coming up because they want to ride cushion.”

Both the Hesmers grew up in families which loved their motorsports. Katalyn has been on the back of a bike since she was 12 years old, while husband, Aaron has been on a bike since he was five years of age. He had initially been in speedway racing and graduated on to flat track when he was 15. Aaron wants people to get as hooked as he is on the sport, and said he wished for the sport to grow in to a national name.

“We’re really trying to focus on building different areas across the country,” Aaron said. “It’s a great sport with a great heritage. People who try it are really surprised how fun it is. It’s fast, fun and easy. And we’re trying to get the roots of the sport across the country just like it was in the 70s.”

So far North Battleford is the only Saskatchewan stop for Go Fast Track. The Hesmers said the numbers still remain small in the Midwest compared to other parts of the country, but there is also room to grow.

“I think North Battleford has a good chance and Winnipeg has a lot of good reception as well, “Aaron said. “B.C. is going to be really hot in the next few years but I have a feeling that the rest of the country is going to surpass B.C.”

The Hesmers noticed the enthusiasm and the good turnout of the North Battleford session, where more than 10 riders came out to work with some of Ontario’s most professional flat track riders.

“We just want to get people in to flat track,” Aaron said as riders were rallying for first position on the dirt track raceway, “We’re doing our best to break the limits across Canada. It’s really big out east and in Ontario right now, but the numbers can grow out west.”

After seeing the reception of students from across the provinces, the Hesmers plan to continue their mobile lessons. Aaron said the mobile learning space is a unique approach to instruction, but the operation has everything it needs to be effective and provide riders with a good learning experience.

“We’re one of the very few in the country,” Aaron Hesmer said, speaking of the mobile school. “So far we are the only track instruction that incorporates all sizes of bikes, anywhere from 150 CC to 250CC or 450 CC. All of the equipment is also brand new and ready to ride for learners.”

Colleen A.J. Smith is battlefordsNOW’s education, First Nations and arts and culture reporter. She can be reached at: colleen.smith@jpbg.ca or tweet her @ColleenAJSmith. Concerns regarding this story can be addressed to News Director Geoff Smith at 306-446-6397.