By Dominic Abassi

Motocross Nationals descends on Nanaimo

Jun 10, 2016 | 12:40 PM

The best motocross riders in the country descend on Nanaimo this weekend.

The Wastelands is home to stop number two on the Motocross Nationals tour.

Pro races start Sunday at noon, but on Saturday, it’s amateur day, with a chance for anyone with a CMRC license to race in pro conditions.

Host and producer Marc Travers says most of the amateur riders will be familiar with the Wastelands track, but not in this setting.

“You bring the circus, as we call it, the pro national circus, into town, there’s more colour, there’s more people, there’s banners all over the track, there’s the big Rockstar finish line. It gives them a sense of what it’s like to actually ride on the pro track,” said Travers.

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Travers says with 5 to 6 full factory teams and their big rigs, plus fans and riders coming to town, it’s a big shot to the local economy.

“Every single one of those rigs has a team of people inside, then you’re talking about all the privateers and the people that are travelling from the mainland. When we come into town, we come in en masse, and let’s face it, people need to eat, they need to sleep.”

The Nanaimo stop is one of only two in B.C. for the cross-Canada tour. It’s been stopping in the harbour city since 1997.