Hollister Hills will play host to this weekend’s AMA National
Hare Scrambles off-road race as local riders like Mark Thorson and
his son Clint square off against some of the country’s best racers
on the park’s freshly-soaked and very muddy Upper Ranch
Hollister – See that red No. 6 plate on 15-year old Clint Thorson’s bright-green Kawasaki? That means he knows how to race a motorcycle. Thorson has been riding a dirtbike off and on for six years now and he’s getting closer to the big-time ranks of the sport with each passing season.
Thorson, a Hollister resident, has earned the number-six spot in the A-group for his age and will be competing in this weekend’s first round action of the AMA National Hare Scrambles, held at the Hollister Hills Upper Ranch section along with some of the sport’s stiffest competition.
The young Thorson will be competing in the youth race for 11-15 year olds on a 2-5 mile course.
The course itself will present riders with their biggest challenges this weekend. Fir starters, the singletrack route spans over terrain that isn’t accessable to park riders year round. Plus, it changes every year so riders go into the event not knowing quite what to expect around the next corner.
So, there’s that to contend with. And then there’s the weather. Rain or shine, the race goes on. And, given what Mother Nature has been up to these last few days, the racers on the track at Hollister Hills this weekend are in for a wild ride.
Racing a dirtbike for up to two hours at a time is taxing enough on the body. Riding a dirtbike through the mud for two hours while trying to maintain speed and keep yourself on course will be downright brutal.
No worry though. Thorson has been through worse on his bike. Not long after he started riding, he crashed into a fire hydrant, a mishap that kept him off the bike for a while before he decided to give it another shot. Since then, Thorson has improved quite a bit as a rider and hasn’t had too many more over-the-handlebars adventures.
Now, he’s just this side of fearless when it comes to his riding. And his tenacity as a racer has earned him the sponsorship of companies like Faultline Suspension, LR’s Motor Zone and Hollister Motorsports.
Clint’s father, Mark, will be competing this weekend as well. The two have been riding together on weekends since Clint got his first bike, now they’re going to be racing in the same event with others that share their passion for two-wheeled racing.
And that’s what’s special about this event. It’s not only a dirtbike racer’s dream given the course conditions and level of competition, it’s a fun-filled weekend with family and close friends.
Even when the two aren’t on the course getting caked with mud, they can walk around and shop for new bike accessories, chat with members of Kawasiki’s Team Green, or just get a bite to eat and relax.
“We’ll probabaly be swimming in the mud,” Mark said. “But it’s going to be exciting. People come from all over the country for this race and all of our friends come and see us. The draw for me is the great bond that it gives me and my son. I rode dirtbikes with my dad when I was (Clint’s) age and I hope that he’ll have the same experiences when he’s my age.”
Saturday’s first race starts at 8:30am with the last race of the day beginning at 3:30pm. For Sunday, first race is at 8:30am. The main event, featuring the country’s best pro riders, begins at noon.
