Wednesday, April 24, 2024
Tyler Bandy’s front wheel caught the tip of a jump, throwing him from his motocross bike. The bike flipped and landed on top of him.
Tyler was wearing a chest protector, but the force of the impact fractured his sternum.
He still managed to finish the race.
“To be a good motocross competitor you have to be determined, have grit and a passion for the sport,” said Tyler’s wife Judith.
The Bandy family possesses all those ingredients.
Their 5-year-old daughter Emma-Kelly also competes. Two-year-old son Caleb will be riding soon.
Motocross isn’t for the weak. Tyler’s suffered other broken bones, including his arm, collarbone and tip of his fibula. Emma-Kelly hasn’t been without nasty spills.
“Every single time she gets up, even with tears in her eyes, she still gets back on that bike by her own will and takes off to finish a race or finish the practice,” her mother said.
Tyler, 25, has been riding since he was 6. Emma-Kelly has been riding for about two years.
Judith, also 25, races occasionally, but Caleb occupies her time “and I’m usually the one in the pit getting everything ready for everyone. I embrace everything about being a ‘Moto Mom.’ I love getting to be able to be the biggest cheerleader for both my husband and my daughter.
“Our son will soon start riding so I have a lot of years ahead of me. I’m running after our kiddos at the track, cleaning goggles, cleaning up cuts or icing bruises, getting their sandwiches ready and all the fun stuff.”
The Granbury family races and practices in Texas, which has some of the best motocross tracks in the country, Judith said. Several are only a few hours from Granbury.
“We practice at a lot of different tracks,” Judith said. “We mostly head out to River Valley in Boyd and Village Creek in Everman.”
STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
The Bandys and other Granbury racers have qualified for the State Motocross Championship this weekend in Tyler.
In February Tyler and Emma-Kelly raced in the Supercross Future at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
In 2013 Tyler barely missed qualifying for the Loretta Lynn National Amateur Motocross. A heavy thunderstorm halted the competition, and by the time the race resumed the track was a mudslide.
Tyler crashed and so did his chances of going to the national event. He is hoping to make another run for the national race next year.
Motocross takes discipline. The days are long at the track and at home repairing bikes and cleaning after a long weekend of racing and practicing.
In August and September Tyler was working 60 to 80 hours a week and every weekend loaded up bikes to drive to practice or competitions.
“I am so incredibly proud of him. You have to REALLY love it,” Judith said.
FAMILY BONDS
Motocross families share a common bond.
“We have an enormous motocross family, and without them I know we wouldn’t be as successful in the sport,” Judith said. “You can pull up to a track, park next to complete strangers in the morning, but by the end of the day you’ll have a new friend, and you’ll keep up with them and how they’re doing in their races.
“All of our kids are close in age, a lot of my husband‘s competitors are close to his age and if anyone ever needs anything or if we need anything we know we can just ask. That goes for our sponsors as well ... we don’t have many but our local Progressive Powersports is a huge advocate for the sport, and we can always walk in and get what we need. They are awesome people that we trust.”
Classes are based on bike engine size and skill level.
“There is a place on the line for everyone,” Judith said.
Tyler and Judith enjoy motocross for different reasons.
“If you ask my husband the thrill and excitement is the best part of the sport,” Judith said. “If you ask me it’s the time we get to spend together and watching them do something they love.”
STATE QUALIFIERS
Maddy Hidalgo qualified for second in the Women’s 12+ class, and fifth in the Supermini 12-16 class in District 42.
Carlee Crawford won first in the Girls 9-14 class for District 41.
Cali Crawford finished sixth in the Women’s 12+ class in District 41.
Tyler Bandy won first in the 25+ Amateur in District 41.
Emma-Kelly Bandy placed sixth in the 51cc Air Cooled Limited 4-8 class in District 41.
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“You have to have the want to get out on the track, know that anything can happen and still leave it all out on the track.” — Granbury’s Judith Bandy
WHAT IS MOTOCROSS?
Motocross is a form of off-road motorcycle racing held on enclosed off-road circuits. Motocross is one of the most physically demanding sports as riders use almost all muscles and shift weight to balance throughout the ride.
“I embrace everything about being a ‘Moto Mom.’ Our son will soon start riding so I have a lot of years ahead of me. I’m running after our kiddos at the track, cleaning goggles, cleaning up cuts or icing bruises, getting their sandwiches ready and all the fun stuff.”
— Judith Bandy
