A young New Brunswick motocross rider is gaining a name for himself on the national circuit. 20-year-old Devin Sleigh of Saint John is racing this weekend in a top division against riders from around the world .
Riverglade MX Park in Salisbury is hosting the eighth round of the Rock Star Energy Drink Motocross Nationals this weekend. Some of the best in the world in their sport are here but many in the crowd are rooting for their home province favourite.
Sleigh is leading the Maritime Pro Championship in points, and is trying to get as far as he can as a MX1 rider on the national level.
He says many things make up his passion for the sport.
“Just the feeling when you’re riding the bike,” Sleigh said. “It’s such a family sport. It’s always good to hang out at the track on the weekends and it’s all around a good sport to be around”
A family sport it is for Sleigh. he started riding at the age of four watching his father, Austin Sleigh, race.
“It’s great to see him even get to this level, well beyond what I ever did racing,” Austin said.
There are some who make a good living in this sport full time but one of the attractions of motocross is that it includes all kinds of racers.
“They race because they’re passionate about the sport, they love the sport,” said Marc Travers, Host/Producer of the Motocross Nationals. “They have to go to work on Monday morning, most of them, so they come out here as a hobby, as a passion but they’re racing for pride, they’re racing for money and points and position so it’s important for them as well.”
As for Sleigh, he wants to ride the sport as high as it can take him.
“If it takes me into better things then sure but I’m just having fun with it and just to be the best I can be when I leave, when I’m done the sport,” he said.
Sleigh says he plans to race competitively for at least the next five years
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