The California boys should have plenty of respect for Carson City's Aron Harvey after the season he's had.
The 17-year-old Harvey, a senior at Carson High, has realized a great deal of success in motorcross racing ever since he began in the sport three years ago, winning numerous Nevada State titles. Over the past three months, Harvey has also shown he can more than hold his own against the best riders from California - and the West Coast.
Harvey has been competing in two series in California - the AMP GFI series and the CMC series. The CMC series featured factory team sponsored riders and amateur riders with factory contingency sponsorships from Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki and Kawasaki.
During Christmas vacation, Harvey won the main events in the 125cc and 250cc classes in a CMC series race in Brentwood, Calif. When Harvey showed up for the event, California organizers asked him if he was going to race in the junior class, one level below intermediate.
"They told him he was going to have a hard time," said Aron's father, Ron Harvey, about competing in the intermediate class against the best riders from California.
Because of scheduling conflicts, Harvey had to choose between the CMC series and the GFI races. Harvey was well out in front in the CMC series when he opted for the GFI races. "He was absolutely wiping out the riders in the CMC," Harvey's father said.
The GFI series not only includes top riders from California, but top riders from all over the West Coast. Another highlight for Harvey came recently at Hangtown, one of the most prestigious tracks in the nation outside of California, where he won the 250cc main event.
Harvey is leading the GFI series in 250cc for the California State Championship, going into the last event this weekend in Marysville, Calif. In 125cc, Harvey hasn't had as good of luck being hit and taken down in two events he was leading. But he's still in seventh and has a shot at finishing the series in the top three this weekend.
Before this winter, Harvey won five of the six races he competed in to win the Nevada State Championship this past fall at 250cc. He took second at 125cc, losing the title by one point when the last race of the series was canceled due to the weather.
Harvey also continues to pick up sponsors, including worldwide motorcyle equipment company Renthal, Michelin Tires and Hinson Clutches. "They make really expensive clutches that I couldn't afford until now," Harvey's father said. You can't believe the cost of these parts. It's unreal."
There's also Met Tec titanium parts. "Imagine what that costs," Harvey's father said. "It gets a lot more involved than I ever thought. It gets really technical."
Among the local sponsors that Harvey has picked up are Carson City's Atlas Door Company and Sierra Floor Covering.
Harvey's father said the GFI series has been so impressed with Nevada, it will now run a series in the state. "We've shown that we really have some good riders," he said.