By Charles Whisnand
Appeal Sports Editor
Aron Harvey has risen through the ranks to become a professional motocross racer. If he continues to maintain the recent pace he's set, he could very well become a professional champion.
Harvey, a 2005 Carson High School graduate, has moved up the ranks in the Monster Energy Motocross National Series, Canada's top series that features the top Canadian riders and many of the top American riders as well. In the MX2 series, Harvey, 20, has moved up to second place in the overall standings after six events with three events to go.
He's just 12 points out of first place and a big reason why is he has won the last two events in the series in Edmonton and British Columbia. The last three events will be held the first three weekends in August.
Harvey, who races his YZ250F for the Toyota Yamaha BlackfootDirect.com Fox Racing team, now has 226 points, just behind leader Eric Nye, who has 238.
"It's a pretty big deal up here," said Harvey from his Carson City home on Thursday. "It's pretty well known down here, too. People in Canada didn't really know who I was. A lot of people know who I am now. It's pretty good for me."
Harvey got off to a slow start in the Canadian series, but for good reason. During the winter he also raced in four American Motorcycle Association Supercross events in the 125 Lites class. He raced in three events in Anaheim, Calif., and one event in Phoenix. Harvey broke his arm in the fourth event in Anaheim and was sidelined for four months right about up to the time the Canadian series began in late May.
He eventually worked his way into the top five, then the top three in each of the Canadian events until winning the last two races.
"The first couple of races were kind of tough," Harvey said. "I just worked hard. I was getting top fives, top threes. I was just getting better each time. I'm sitting in second and closing in on first so it's going pretty good."
He said he could return to the Canadian series next year and is looking to eventually break into the AMA Supercross Series, the world's top motocross series, full-time.
"They are like the best guys in the world," said Harvey about the racers he went up against in the AMA Supercross series in the winter.
"It's all the best Canadian guys," added Harvey about whom he races against in the Canadian series. "Most of the U.S. guys are down there but some are up here, too."
Harvey's team takes care of all of his expenses, including flying him up to the races in Canada where an 18-wheel semi is waiting with everything he needs. Along with his race motorcycle in Canada, Harvey has been provided two practice motorcycles for when he's at home.
It's a far cry from the days when Harvey and his father, Ron, would do virtually everything themselves.
"That's for sure," said Harvey when asked if he appreciates what he has now compared to when it was "me and my dad going to races and doing it all by ourselves. It's a pretty cool deal. It's my dream, that's for sure."
Along with the nominal purses in Canada " a first place finish receives a prize in the $400 range " Harvey is also paid a salary by his team.
"It's more than a normal job, put it that way," said Harvey about how much he's paid. "It's going good right now. I'm getting paid to race."
While many think it's just all fun racing motocross, Harvey said nothing could be further from the truth. "They don't see the training part of it," he said.
Harvey is also thankful for his many supporters, including his parents, Ron and Debra, his grandfather, Ken Harvey, McCoy's Off Road Center, Michael's Reno Power Sports, Al Posey and Mettec.
He admits, though, that he laments that Carson City no longer has a motocross track, something he said is sorely needed for the youth in the community. He said when he's home he practices "pretty much wherever I can find some dirt."