Hollister’s Briar McCorkle wins Top Gun Summercross, eyes
turning pro at 16
Most every weekend for the past five years and every weekday for
at least an hour Briar McCorkle can be found racing around on some
motocross track throughout much of the state.
During the week, he usually rips around on a 1-acre dirt track
that his father Randy made, which is located at the family home in
the hills off Cienega Valley Road in Hollister.
Hollister’s Briar McCorkle wins Top Gun Summercross, eyes turning pro at 16
Most every weekend for the past five years and every weekday for at least an hour Briar McCorkle can be found racing around on some motocross track throughout much of the state.
During the week, he usually rips around on a 1-acre dirt track that his father Randy made, which is located at the family home in the hills off Cienega Valley Road in Hollister.
On weekends, it’s time to test his skills out against other area riders with the same aspirations as him – “to turn pro, win racing series championships and be a factory rider.”
Five years ago that dream seemed, well, like a dream. Today, it seems more and more like a reality for the 15-year-old freshman at San Benito High School.
In June McCorkle captured the AMP GFI Top Gun Summercross Series – a 10 race, 10 weekend series that took place every Saturday at the Los Banos Fairgrounds beginning in June.
McCorkle was so impressive during the stretch that he not only won the 125cc Novice series but he also captured the 250cc Novice division and the Schoolboy class. In all, he won 26 out of a possible 30 races, often going up against 15 different riders per race.
The key to winning races on these types of narrow dirt tracks is having the ability to start quickly, corner tight and accelerate as quickly as possible on the straightest parts of the winding, jump-laden tracks.
“Briar tends to hole shot every race,” said his mother Audra. “He’s usually the first person into the first turn on every race.”
And that’s vital in quick, five-lap races that take place on half-mile and mile-long tracks.
Hitting the hole first means that the rider is able to get through the starting line’s metal gates quicker than anyone else.
“If you enter too soon, the riders will run into the gate and then they have to back up and let it go down before they can get past it again. Now, they are suddenly in last place. And if they leave too late, then they are last that way too.”
With his knack for hitting the hole first, combined with his skills as a rider, McCorkle has more trophies than he can count.
“We really need to do that,” said Audra when asked if she should put a new wing on the family home to house Briar’s awards. “He literally has hundreds of trophies right now.”
And he plans on getting more and more before turning pro. At that point, he’ll be racing for money.
In moto and supercross racing there is now specific qualifying process for turning professional. All a rider has to do is state his desire to race professionally once he or she reaches the age of 16. But, as his mother points out, there’s no point of making the declaration unless it can be backed up with results. And the competition, especially when money is involved, is a lot stiffer.
Since Briar won’t turn 16 until next July, his next plan is to start competing in the Intermediate Class, one notch below the pros within the next month.
But first he’ll compete next weekend in Turlock and then again the following weekend at a track near Tracy before making the move up early in October.
Once he does turn professional, his parents will hopefully start to see some return on their long-standing commitment to helping their eldest son reach his dream.
Currently the venture costs the McCorkles $500 per week, and that’s “if everything goes well,” Audra said, which means he doesn’t have a major accident that could damage the bike or that the motor doesn’t break down.
When it does, Randy, who is a mechanic by trade, fixes the bike, handling everything from the motor to suspension work.
At the Intermediate level, Briar plans on competing in both the 125cc and 250cc classes.
His mom said that he’s ready for the challenge.
Briar isn’t worried about going up against a better class of riders that will typically range in age from 15 to 18.
“They’re a little bit better but not much different,” Briar said. “The speed and technical parts of it all step up a bit.”
He’ll compete at the Intermediate level at least through next July. After he turns 16, the family will assess his accomplishments at the higher level and consider whether or not Briar should make the jump up to professional ranks.
“Right now, he gets a lot of discounts on his parts, clothing and equipment. Several small businesses have also given him cash donations so that he could compete in a race in Vegas last March,” said Audra. “If he turns professional, he’ll compete for money but he’ll also have the capability to step up the sponsorship and get things for free, not just at a discount.”
Briar enjoys winning the most as well as the adrenaline rush that he gets from racing on his 2006 Kawasaki. His mother will get a big rush too when he moves up to the older class.
“Oh yeah, I get nervous watching him,” said Audra, whose 13-year-old son Spencer also competes and recently suffered an arm injury after another competitor’s motorcycle landed on him. “I’ll especially get nervous in the next class. I’m comfortable now in this class because his riding is almost predictable. In the next class, it will get a little faster and a lot more aggressive. That’s when I’ll be nervous all over again.”
