BUCHANAN, Mich. — Mike Witkowski grew up 30 miles away from RedBud. He went to the Independence Day weekend spectacular several times as a kid, hoping one day to be one of the riders buzzing around the 1.25-mile motocross course.
On Saturday, Witkowski lived out that dream.
The North Liberty, Indiana, native competed in the 450cc race at the 51st annual RedBud Pro National MX in Buchanan, Michigan, one of the largest motocross races in the country.
“It’s cool, especially with it being so close to home,” Witkowski said. “It’s definitely surreal and something that, as a kid, I never thought I could come here and qualify for the track race. It’s a cool experience, and just having my team as a support group in all of this is massive toward making this happen.”
Witkowski competes in off-road racing, which is different than the motocross setup at RedBud. In motocross, there are two, 15-minute qualifying sessions to advance to the championship race later in the evening. Meanwhile, off-road races go three hours with no qualifying races.
While motocross is on a more defined course like RedBud, off-road competitions are contested primarily in the forest.
“The biggest thing is speed — you have to make sure you go fast right away,” said Witkowski on the biggest difference for motocross. “In off-road, we race for three hours, so you have some time.”
Witkowski has grown up racing, primarily in off-road competitions. His parents and siblings would travel around the country, watching and competing in races.
It was mostly a hobby for Witkowski until his teenage years when the decision was made to have him be homeschooled, allowing the family to travel to Florida in the winters to train year-round. At age 16, he officially turned pro.
“I was like, ‘I can make a living out of this,’ and one thing came to another,” Witkowski said. “I got a paid ride and an opportunity to ride for some teams, and that led us to now.”
Witkowski is currently in the middle of his best overall off-road season. Competing in the 450cc division on the GNCC (Grand National Cross Country) series, the 26-year-old is eighth in overall national championship standings.
“I moved up to the front row, the premier class of off-road, so it’s tougher,” Witkowski said. “I’m on a 450 now, and in previous years I was 250. It’s a different size bike, so there’s different challenges. It’s been my best season, as a whole.”
The career of an off-road racer typically isn’t long, with most retiring by the age of 35. That’s why Witkowski is trying to maximize the prime of his career right now.
“My main focus is on off-road, and the goal is to be the 450 champion one year,” Witkowski said. “I think next year or the year after, we’ve got a good shot. Our team gives me everything I need to make it happen, so there’s no excuses. This year is a big learning year, and then next year, apply that and keep going and going.”
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