COMPETITIVE NATURE

For one Thompson Falls man, dirt bike racing is in his blood.

This year, Brandon Wakefield competed in the U.S. Hard Enduro series, a form of extreme racing with courses that Wakefield says are designed for people not to finish. "You get six hours and 90% of people don't finish it," the 32-year-old said of the series, of which he completed eight races across the country from February through August.

Wakefield was up for the challenge, and ended up first in the nation in his age group.

Wakefield said he had no intention of doing the whole series this year, but once he finished the first race, his competitive drive kept him going.

The first race of the 2024 season was the King of Motos in Johnson Valley, California. In 2023, that was Wakefield's first-ever Hard Enduro race, and he didn't finish. "I got my butt kicked in the first year. It was very humbling," he said. "It bugged me. I said I was going to go back next year (in 2024) and I was going to win." That's just what he did, winning the 30-39 age group as he finished the course in 5 hours, 11.58 minutes. "It felt good to go back down and win it."

"I was very focused and hammered my class," Wakefield stated. "All it took was getting kicked in the mouth and getting pissed off. It just goes to show that the best thing that can happen is to put up with adversity. It really shows your character."

From there in 2024, Wakefield didn't finish lower than third place the rest of the season. He was third in Page, Arizona, second at Moab, Utah, second in two races at Norden, California and second in a TKO amateur race. He said the Moab race at Area BFE was arguably the hardest race. The hard enduro courses are relatively short, averaging about 25 miles, he said, and in his career he has finished in anywhere from 2.5 hours to being one of the last finishers at one enduro race in 5 hours, 58 minutes.

Wakefield won the West series and had a 15-point lead going into nationals, which was held in August in Sequatchie, Tennessee. There were hundreds of riders and thousands of spectators. Wakefield finished 42nd of all competitors and first in his class of about 50 competitors. "It's the big show," Wakefield said. "When I had a 15-point lead before that in my class, I knew I had to go. Why leave that on the table?" So he packed up with his family, including fiance Maria, son Teagan and his parents and stepfather, and made the trek east to compete. It was worth the trip, as he was crowned the national champion.

The Hard Enduro courses are brutal. There are obstacles and rock faces to climb with your bike. "There are always people struggling," Wakefield said. He noted that often riders will end up using the buddy system and help each other along the course."I try to stop and assess the situation," he said of tricky terrain. "You have to dissect each part and pick your way through the course."

Wakefield has been riding dirt bikes since he was a little kid. He started riding with his dad Todd, who he now works with at Leufkens Construction. "I enjoy going out and beebopping out in the woods and riding around on the hillsides," he said, adding that when he was younger, he loved the challenge and the competitiveness. His father would race in Canada and Brandon would get to go along. He said he would ride with his friends Richard and Steve Lyons, and his uncle Cole Wakefield, but mostly went with his dad until Brandon purchased his own bike as a teenager. He would race throughout the region, in Kalispell and Niarada, and his competitiveness grew as he got older. "I have been two wheeled for my whole life," he joked. His dad taught him how to maintain bikes as well.

After he graduated from Thompson Falls High School in 2010, Wakefield went to college in Havre at MSU-Northern. He then moved to Alaska, and his passion for dirt bikes continued. He befriended Tupper Becker and the two started an offroad series in Alaska. "There wasn't a ton of it in Alaska but people like dirt bikes so we decided to create a series." Wakefield said he helped clear trails, and his Alaska pals were amazed that he had a chainsaw mount on his bike, as they had been carrying hand saws.

He moved back to Montana, living and working in Kalispell before moving back to Thompson Falls last year. "I'm very excited that my son will get to go to Thompson Falls schools and it's nice to be back home. I was tired of the city. It's nice to be back in small-town Montana," Wakefield expressed.

Now, Wakefield has a 6-year-old son Teagon who is carrying on the family tradition of racing. Teagon won the first series he ever raced, his dad said, in St. Maries, Idaho. Wakefield noted that bikes are a lot different for his son than when he was growing up, as Teagan was riding a small electric bike at age 2. "Kids can learn their balance so soon now. I was probably 5 when I started riding," he said.

He said his wife Maria doesn't ride, but loves going to the races. "She knows I'm a good enough rider that she doesn't worry," he said.

He said his favorite course was the King of Motos in California, which is a three-day event. He mentioned that it was hard to not finish the first year, especially with a 29-hour drive back to Thompson Falls.

"It's not for the weak," Wakefield said of the Hard Enduro races. 'It's the most mentally challenging thing ever to put yourself on a mountainside. Sometimes you think it's impossible to go any farther, but you can. You just have to get your mindset ready, know your machine, know your limitations, and do it." He added that he has always loved riding dirt bikes, but Hard Enduro has turned into an addiction for him. "When you want to quit and your heart is in your throat, you have to train yourself to keep going and have your heart rate elevated for six hours."

Wakefield has three different bikes now. He has one trials bike for training, a Beta 300 2-stroke for the Hard Enduro, and a Beta 350 4-stroke for motocross and "the fast stuff," he said. He noted that he likes to practice all of the different types of riding.

Wakefield says he will be taking a year off from the Hard Enduro series as he prepares for his wedding in 2025. "I'd like to go back and repeat the series," he said. "A big-time goal would be to do one in my 40s and one in my 50s. Winning a national championship has opened doors for me."

The Thompson Falls man said he's most proud that he rode a consistent series, making the podium each race. "I withstood adversity and mechanical issues and had a lot of fun."