Avrie Berry has set new bench-mark racing 3 Women MX/AX Championships in 2 continents and winning 2 Championship Titles so far: Triple Crown Women’s Arena Cross and just recently Women’s West MX Nationals in Canada. Not least mention, Avrie is also racing WMX Championship, all in one season- 2019.
First up the win in 4 Round Series Women West MX Nationals at the weekend. What was this Series like to race, as competition was still up there, given Avrie has pushed outside her comfort zone to race Women MX World Championship in Europe for 2nd full season?
#36: ‘Racing the Series was a whole new experience for me. The Canadian races are a lot more laid back than what I am used to but they are a lot of fun’.
‘The West coast series was only 4 Rounds so I wanted to do the East coast Rounds as well but it just wasn’t in the cards this year because I don’t want to skip any MXGP races’.
The Series drew full-gate of Women riders and it was close racing between KTM’s Shelby Turner and Avrie with Final Round coming down to wire. How did Avrie manage with new track venues- as the remarkable rider has just come off back from winning Triple Crown Women’s Arena-Cross- quite different race set-up to outdoors.
#36: ‘The tracks were all new to me so I felt like I had a little disadvantage but the first two Rounds went great for me. Even though the last two Rounds didn’t go how I wanted them to, I had enough points to keep my points lead and win the Overall series so I was happy about that’.
Racing under 2 race-Teams: Manluk Racing based in Canada and KTM Diga Junior Race Team based in Belgium- along with new-found family and friends to support- Avrie has certainly proved off the scale adaptability to race in 2 different time-zones under 2 different Team crews.
And how has #36 actually managed to keep her cool, calm, composure given the whole experience is to gain knowledge for racing on varying track circuits at events.
#36: ‘I have been travelling a lot lately to race the Canadian series. Now that the races are over up north, I’m switching my focus more to the MXGP races. I’m planning on staying in Belgium for a while so I can resume my normal training schedule’.
‘Right now I am visiting home in Washington but I’ll be heading back to Belgium in two weeks. I am still training and riding while I’m in the USA’.
Having achieved 2 National Titles so far this season, Avrie has definitely stepped up to the plate in terms of making most of gap weeks in between WMX Rounds.
Not only has Avrie proved riders have the capabilities to gain extra race-time/revenue and promotional opportunities outside racing single Championship Series, but also shift perception that riders are bound by tradition of racing one Championship at the expense of competing off-shore- (schedule dependent).
#36: ‘This year has definitely been interesting for me. I don’t know of anyone who has done two different series in a year in multiple different countries. I’ve found both positive and negative things with how my year is going so far. It’s all part of the experience, live and learn’.
And what are the gains- as flip-side of full race schedule is amount of time available for other stuff- like relax with family and friends. Plus-side is most certainly, great learning experience racing against competition on tracks venues unknown.
For Avrie: ‘I definitely feel good about winning in Canada but I know that the level in MXGP is much higher so that Series will always be my main focus. Happy to have podiums in Canada but I’m ready to get them in Europe!’
Words: Sharon Cox.
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