Victoria (Tory) Hett will represent Canada at the World Off-Road Racing Championships in Argentina this fall.
In between, the 30-year-old first lady of motorcycle off-road racing will take on the big boys in cross country events all over.
Hett packed her gum boots, rain jacket and umbrella for the 66th annual Piston Run last weekend in Chilliwack. She finished fifth in the men’s division of the Pacific Northwest Motorcyle Association race.
Employed in the marketing department at Kal Tire, Hett got the holeshot and led for some time. She was then joined closely by Kurt Mortenson, Blake Watkinson, Mike Laycraft and Patrick Roulliard in the leading pack.
“On sections like the steep downhills, our voices overcame the engines as we shouted back and forth ‘woo hoo’ to each other and enjoyed the break,” said the 5-foot-7, 170-pound Hett. “I think almost all of us led at one point or another and half way through the last lap, I found myself in a great battle with Blake, who was in first at the time, and Kurt, who was just behind me in third.”
Motenson passed Hett during a stretch of dust road with dangerous water bars. The dust overcame Hett and she failed to see the water bar in time to slow down.
“I exited the water bar with some uncontrolled air time and landed on the edge of a deep ditch full of slash pile material,” she said. “I only barely saved myself from careening into the ditch and kept my momentum going enough to lean backwards toward the road.”
Mortenson took top spot in the expert class, followed by Laycraft and Watkinson.
“Just near the last 20 seconds of trail, I stalled my bike in a corner and was overtaken by Patrick. I chased him down as hard I could until the finiush line where we came in so fast together that we both blew through the check without stopping. The time gap between first place and me wasn’t too far, and I felt like everyone, including myself, put in a sold performance.”
Hett was accompanied by her boyfriend and newbie rider, Tom Hubcaek.
Earlier this season, she was second in the women’s division at the Desert 100 in Odessa, Wash.
Hett was third in the ISDE six-day world enduro championships in September, 2012, in Germany and was the first Canadian woman to finish and be accepted into the 2010 worlds near Mexico City, where she also bagged bronze. She is stoked about the 2014 season.
“Riding under the larger KTM banner with all of the same loyal sponsors I strive to bring home a gold medal for Canada while also succeeding in B.C.’s local home-town races as well.”
She carries sponsorship from: Valley Motosport, KTM, Emperor Racing, PTI Graffix, Gamma Sales, Fly Racing, IRC Tires, Dragon Goggles, Atlas Braces, FMF, FasstCompany Flexx Handlebars, Ryno Power, Shorai Batteries, TM Designs, USWE, Don Weixl Photography, Riders Edge Suspension, and Advanced Pave-tech.
