Committed to drag racing
Jeff Pitre shows skill and support for waning sport
Emelie Peacock
Northern News Services
Tuesday, July 25, 2017
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Jeff Pitre is not one to brag about his achievements as the reigning Western champion and sole motorcycle drag racer from the Northwest Territories.
Jeff Pitre competes in the Super Gas category at the Motorcycle Drag Racing Association's 2016 season finals. - photo courtesy of Patrick Lambie/Seven62 Media
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The entrepreneur began drag racing motorcycles at age 45, after several years racing Ski-doos around the territory. In a small but dedicated community of motorcycle drag racers, Pitre has done well, winning the Western Championships in the V-Rod Destroyer category three years in a row.
A relatively unknown sport outside of the racing world, motorcycle drag racing involves two motorcycles revving up and racing along a quarter-mile or 402-metre strip. The rider to reach the end of the strip first wins.
Pitre races in two categories, the 883 XL class and the Super Gas class. The 883 XL is a standard drag race, where first to the finish line wins. Each racer rides a Harley Davidson Sportster motorcycle. Pitre's specialty is Super Gas. This category involves racers on B Twin Harley Davidson motorcycles trying to reach the finish line at the quickest time without going under 9.7 seconds. Pitre used to race in the V-Rod Destroyer class, switching over to Super Gas as he saw less and less competition in the other class.
"I always competed all my life," said Pitre, adding he's done track, football and hockey. "I was always a jock. When I got older my body just couldn't take so I started using machines."
Patrick Lambie at the Canadian Motorcycle Drag Racing Association said on the track, Pitre transforms from an easygoing type to a hyper-focused racer.
"The secret to drag racing is being consistent and also it's all about reaction time," said Lambie. "When the tree turns green you've got to be gone, so he's very good at that."
At the Badlands Nationals held in Medicine Hat, Alta. in late June, Pitre won the Super Gas category and came second in the XL 883. He achieved the same results at the Summer Nationals in Rimbey, Alta. on July 8 to 9.
The next races come Aug. 12 and 13 at the Northern Nationals. If he wins at those, as well as the final two September race events, Pitre has a possibility to claim the Western champion title once again.
The motorcycle drag racing world is a small one, made even smaller by a waning oil and gas sector. Lambie said across the board racing is taking a hit because of a slowing economy.
With tough times for the racing world, Pitre has been pitching in to help keep the sport alive. His company Pido Productions has been sponsoring trophies for the past few years. This year he bumped up his support a notch, sponsoring the XL 883 class.
"He really believes, he understands that racing is a tough gig right now," said Lambie. "We're highly dependent on our sponsors."
Lambie said Pitre's commitment, funding his participation in races that are often very expensive due to equipment and travel cost, is impressive.
"He travels down from Yellowknife for all these races," he said. "He's doing it because he loves it," he said.
