"Just the Speed, It's exhilarating
Father and son forge special bond on racing track

Michelle Collins, Journal Staff Writer, Edmonton

After he proposed to his wife, Tom Ostrem left his days of motorcycle racing back in Daytona circa 1986-but he kept his leathers.

Wearing the same faded red, white and blue suit he wore 20 years ago with four black signatures from racers on the back of his jacket, Ostrem proudly had his 17-year-old son Steve in tow on Monday night.

Two months ago, the pair bought a beat-up road race motorcycle at an auction and have been fixing it up in Ostrem's shop at work, prepping it for Steve's first spin on a race track.

"I want him to try because I really liked it," Ostrem said. "Just the speed, it's exhilarating."

Ostrem said Steve took to cycling and dirt biking at an early age and he wanted to get him on the racetrack as soon as he could.

With a worn, black leather suit hanging off his slim frame, Steve cautiously eyed the paved race course before his first ride.

"I'm not nervious; I just don't want to crash," Steve said. "I'm gonna want to go fast, but I know I probably shouldn"t."

For riders such as Ostrem and his son, the Track Attack event provides the space and coaching to push those limits without taking too much risk.

A medical team is always on site and the course is boardered by gravel and hay bales rather than guardrails.

"It's obvious that anyone who races enjoys speed; the track is to give them the outlet where they can enjoy it." said Fred Jolivet, a lead Track Attack instructor.

"If we can get them out here right from the start, we've made them a safer rider."

As a motorcyclist, Jolivet says everyone knows someone who's crashed on the street.

This summer, Edmonton has had two fatal motorcycle crashes, one because of speed. Jolivet said the rate of motorcycle accidents on the road is what motivated him to get riders out to Stratotech Park.

"I see this very much as a public service," Jolivet said.

"For anybody out there on a sport bike, this is the antidote. Once we get them out here, they're hooked."

It certainly was the anitdote for Preston Wills. Before he found Stratotech, Jolivet said Wills was a "street squid."

Up until three years ago, Wills used to speed down Edmonton's main roads and once had three stunting tickets on his record.

"I'm happy that I have this place now, I don't miss being on the street. that's for sure." said Wills, 28. "It's no fun anymore, you can't push as hard as you can here,"

Once he'd crashed on the course, Wills said it made him realize all the curbs, posts and other cars you could hit speeding down the street. He only rides at Stratotech Park now, and volunteers his time to inspect bikes at Stratotech's five annual races.

Located among the green fields and factory lands of Fort Saskatchewan, the privately owned track opened to riders seven years ago when owner Dan Beith spotted the available land, bought it and built what he now affectionately calls his retirement project.

"The original plan was for Kart racing, but the motorcycle community has embraced it in a huge way," Beith said. "The go-kart races that run on the track bring in enough money to pay the bills, but Beith says having the motorcyclists come out has been great.

"All this is really good team building for father and son," Beith said, watching Ostrem demonstrate to his son how to lean on the bike.

After a couple of rides, Steve says he's hooked. "It was good-it wasn't fast enough yet."

With files from Meghan Hurley
mcollins@thejournal.canwest.com

Steve Ostrem, 17. and his father Tom share a passion for motorbikes.

Photos by Shaughn Butts, The Journal