Williams Lake pro motocross rider Brock Hoyer will be slapping a No. 8 on the front of his Yamaha to kick off next year’s race season.
That’s because the 26-year-old Williams Lake native finished eighth overall at the Monster Energy Motocross Nationals, which wrapped up Sunday at the Walton Raceway in Walton, Ont.
“That was my goal going out when I started the series, to finish top 10 and come home with a single-digit number,” Hoyer said. “It’s pretty sweet to be ranked in the top 10 best in Canada. There are even four or five Americans in our top 10.”
The Monster Energy Motocross Nationals consisted of a series of nine races beginning in June spanning from Western to Eastern Canada.
The series started in the west with races in Nanaimo and Kamloops, followed by events shifting east to Calgary, Edmonton, Courtland, Ont., Richmond, Ont., Deschambault, Que. and Moncton, N.B.
This year’s Monster Energy Motocross Nationals marked the sixth kick at the can for Hoyer who, in past years, had decided to not continue on with the eastern races of the series. It was his best overall result since turning pro.
Hoyer chalked up his result to experience.
“People always think as you get older you start weaning away from the sport,” he said. “When you get older I think the smarter you ride, and have fun.
“This year it’s been just to have fun — the grassroots stuff. I still put pressure on myself and still get nervous but it’s to go have fun and not beat yourself up and make every race count.”
Hoyer said he’s had a phenomenal support system in place this year which helped him afford the cost of travelling east for the series.
“I always believe in surrounding yourself with good people and good things happen,” he said. “I’ve got a lot of these people around me and the positive feedback they give makes it fun and enjoyable to keep going and have the energy to do it.
“Financially I can’t thank Spectra Power Sports and Yamaha Motors Canada enough — those guys have been dream makers for me. But it’s not just one company — they’ve all done a really good job and that’s why I was able to do the eastern series.”
Hoyer’s path through the series was a consistent one. He placed 10th in Nanaimo, seventh in Kamloops, sixth in Calgary, ninth in Edmonton, 14th in Courtland, ninth in Richmond, 12th in Deschambault, 11th in Moncton and 13th in Walton.
He said his performance at nationals could set up some more future sponsorship opportunities come next year.
“Lots of (racing) teams like single-digit number guys,” he said. “They know they can complete a series and be consistent so it could definitely open up some more opportunities.
“A lot of the sponsors in Canada like how you ride but also like how you act. I try to teach kids how to promote themselves as a rider, as a friend — always have good track etiquette, and promote their product in a good and positive way.”