For most kids, receiving their first bike is a childhood rite of passage. It was like that for Brandon and Bryan Hedge — except that bike had an engine and that rite of passage was into the family passion: motocross.
Brandon, a junior, and Bryan, a freshman, have raced motocross recreationally for most of their lives and started racing competitively a few years ago.
“It’s just so fun,” Bryan said. “You have that sense of adrenaline and fear. You just go and hope nothing happens.”
This passion can be traced back to the Hedges’ father. Growing up on a military base in Naha, Japan, he would often visit the track and watch motorcycle races. He began riding himself and discovered his natural talent. After moving back to the United States and starting a family, he introduced Brandon and Bryan to motocross. All three now share a love for the sport.
“He just became instantly good I guess,” Brandon said. “After 35 years my dad gets on a bike and he’s still as fast as me, so it’s fun racing with my dad.”
The Hedges decided to race competitively after attending a vintage bike race called Diamond Don’s in Jefferson, Texas along with some of their dad’s friends from his Japan days.
“All of us kind of at the same time decided we were gonna get back into it and all race together,” Brandon said. “We just all went out there and we saw how much fun everyone else was having and were like, ‘Hey, we can do this too.’”
While the brothers don’t often race in the same class, there’s a still a competitive spirit between the two and even with their father. Once, when their father boasted that he’d “bring home the iron” from a race, Bryan ended up taking first place.
“I was really happy,” Bryan said. “They didn’t even get trophies. It was awesome.”
Although Brandon has never been seriously injured while racing motocross, Bryan hurt his knee after he crashed going around a turn and experienced mild amnesia afterward. When he returned to his trailer to change, he briefly forgot what happened.
“I think it was just adrenaline,” Bryan said. “Going off of adrenaline I just forgot everything. It was pretty cool.”
Brandon and Bryan plan to continue racing motocross despite the danger and love the sport because of it.
“It’s just a real big part of my life,” Brandon said. “I love it so much.”
