Father's Sacrifices Paying Off For Emerging Bay Area Motocross Star
LIVERMORE (KPIX) -- Before the pandemic hit, Club Moto in Livermore was a regular training spot for Brandon Ray and his father John. Amateur motocross races all over the state were shutdown, but now father and son have refocused their goal of reaching the sport's pinnacle.
In 2016, Ray was a brash 13-year-old. He wore a mullet and wasn't shy about his new-found success on the dirt track.
"People would tell me that my haircut was old school," the kid from Fremont squeaked. Four years later, the mullet is gone and his voice is deeper. The changes are symbolic of his dedication to the craft and his mission in life.
"My goal isn't just to become a pro rider," he said. "Anyone can become a pro rider."
B-Ray, as he's known in local racing circles, wants to be one of the few household names in the sport. "I want to be number one," he said.
His dad John agrees: "That bike is an extension of his body. He looks like a gazelle on those jumps."
John recalls the circles Brandon used to put in their front lawn when he was barely old enough to reach the handlebars on a pee wee bike.
John is a former racer himself, but admittedly not on the same level his son. John has struggled over the years to fund what can be an incredibly expensive sport. He was prepared to sell his Fremont home in order to keep up with the cashflow demand and "give Brandon the best shot that I could."
Between maintaining a fast bike, and traveling around the country to get to races, amateur motocross can be a huge financial burden.
"We penny pinch everything," John said pointing to the lone t-shirt he bought for himself in the last few months.
"A lot of my competitors, their parents have money or they have someone help them out," Brandon added.
Today the Ray's still have their house, and Brandon is still on his bike thanks in part to good fortune and generous individuals within the community. Donations had been the lifeblood of Brandon's career.
But life changed over a year ago when word of B-Ray's abilities made it up to JMC Motorsports in Pasco, Washington. The team extended a contact, wiping away most financial concerns.
"I looked at my dad and started crying," Brandon said of the fateful late night phone call they received. "We've both been working so hard for his moment."
The team guarantees Ray a top-of-the-line bike to match his skill plus the means to travel to various race sites. Prior to JMC, Ray would routinely ride on borrowed bikes.
"You're a billboard. You have to be at all those big races," John said. "I could never get Brandon to the big races -- if I did, I think Brandon would have had a sponsor a long time ago."
And B-Ray is making good on his end of the contract too. Not only is he appearing in all the big races, he's producing impressive results. He caught everyone's attention last August when he finished second place after a fall that sent him to the back of the pack.
As Brandon's motocross career is trending up, John's health continues to trend down. An old leg injury nearly caused an amputation, but even though John's leg was saved, he can barely walk. He relies on Brandon to help change bandages on his feet and do many of the household chores.
Even though he is confined to a mobility cart, John insists on helping with his son's fitness training.
"It's like Rocky almost," Brandon joked. "He'll be behind me, pushing me as I run around."
B-Ray finally has a racing team, but his true teammate has always been dad.
"With the money he's spent on me racing, he could have been on so many vacations, chilling in the Bahamas," Brandon admitted.
John will settle for a Mai Tai in Tennessee later this summer, the site of the Loretta Lynn race, equivalent to the Daytona 500 for amateur motocross riders.
