This story first appeared in the Tri-City News.
Tommy Molnar is a champion motorcycle racer.
But he’s still six years away from getting his driver’s licence.
Molnar, a Grade 4 student at Central Elementary School in Port Coquitlam, recently qualified to compete in the FIM MiniGP, an international road racing series for kids 10-14 that culminates with the top competitors from 22 countries earning their way to the world championship in Spain in November.
Tommy’s destiny to pull on racing leathers and throw a leg over a 160cc Ohvale racing motorcycle was pretty much bred in the bone.
His dad, Tom, raced in his native Hungary for 20 years and ascended to compete in the European championships. His uncle and grandfather were also racers.
Tommy’s grandmother bought him his first pocket motorbike even before he born. At three, he learned to ride it, tottering down a back alley while his father and grandfather ran alongside to catch him if he fell over.
“It was pure joy,” recalled Tom Molnar of that moment.
Not that he particularly wanted his young son to follow in his tracks.
“It comes with a lot of sacrifices,” Tom Molnar said. “It comes with a lot of injury.”
In fact, any further thoughts of motorcycling took a back seat when the family immigrated to Canada during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Three years later, Tommy started dirt biking but quickly expressed his preference to ride around a road track.
His dad got him his first racing bike and he practised in the parking lot of a nearby school before entering his first race at the Greg Moore Raceway in Chilliwack.
Tommy finished third.
“It shocked and surprised me,” Tom Molnar said. “He just figured things out.”
To take measure of Tommy’s commitment, the family set goals for lap times; if he attained them, they’d carry on for another season.
Young Tommy was more than game.
“At the end of the day, he has the mindset of a racer,” said Tom Molnar of his son. “We go to a competition to race, not just ride a motorbike.”
Tommy said he loves the adrenaline rush of attaining speeds up to 120 km/h. But mostly, he said, he enjoys the collegial atmosphere of the track.
“Everybody is nice to each other,” he said. “If one person has a problem, everybody helps out.”
Graduating to the FIM MiniGP series means Tommy will be competing against racers who are up to four years older. They also have more experience and strength to lean the 130-pound bikes through the corners.
To get ready for the races that will take place at tracks in Ontario and Quebec from July through September, Tommy practises in the parking lot at a Richmond shopping mall with several other racers who’ve secured permission to use the area, as well as an overflow car park in South Surrey. Some track time at Mission Raceway is also a possibility, along with regional events at Cariboo Raceway Park in Quesnel and tracks in Alberta.
Physically, Tommy’s dad has designed a workout regimen to build his strength and stamina and he does Tae Kwon Do three times a week.
“It does take a lot of energy,” said Tom Molnar of motorcycle racing’s demands.
Mentally, Tommy said he just tries to focus on the task at hand. There’s no room in his thoughts for fear of crashing.
“If you think about it, it’s going to happen,” he said. “You just have to hold your breath and just do it.”
Tom Molnar’s not quite as dismissive of the sport’s dangers. In fact, he said the easiest way to soothe his qualms for his son’s safety is to get on his own bike and join him on the track.
“Somehow it feels less scary than standing stationary and waiting for something to happen.”
Tommy said he’s looking forward to the challenges of the upcoming season.
“Everything is brand new,” he said. “I feel very happy that I can do this.”
MARIO BARTEL 