********** CANCELLED **********

By Chuck Corder

Alex Mock would love to be on a superbike this weekend when Five Flags Speedway receives a giant, albeit temporary, face lift.

But wife Andrea prefers he wouldn’t now that the couple recently welcomed daughter Violet Mock.

Plus, Alex Mock will have bigger responsibilities on Saturday as his DRT Racing company brings the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) Supermoto national series to Pensacola’s high banks.

“My goal is to get everything set up and have the right people running everything,� said the 34-year-old Mock, a California native who started DRT Racing with his brother in 2014. “That way, we can continue racing and it keeps the sport alive.�

DRT Racing became the official sponsor of AMA Supermoto earlier this year. To say it has been a whirlwind for Mock would be an understatement.

First, he trimmed the schedule from seven races to five, a decision the riders have expressed their genuine thanks for. Next, he added another division to the series, a Sportsmen class that promotes a more traditional motocross, dirt-bike setup.

It will all culminate in the season finale Saturday at the famed half-mile asphalt oval where champions will be crowned in the Pro Open, Pro Lites, Amateur Nationals and Sportsmen. Pro Lites max out at 250cc while most riders in the Open series run 450cc engines, but they usually modify them.

“It’s fun to watch these guys,� said Mock, who said the age range of riders varies from teenagers to mid-30s with AMA Supermoto’s top riders being under 25. “They’re all very talented kids and I can’t wait to watch them grow in their sport.�

Local moto-enthusiast Rob McClendon has also helped build Saturday’s card by adding a few local classifications.

Heat races are slated for 3 p.m. Saturday with main events scheduled for 6. That’s all contingent on weather, though, as Mock and Five Flags officials keep a close eye on the path of Tropical Storm Nate. Stay updated through the Five Flags page on Facebook. Admission is $10 for everyone.

“I’ve talked with Tim to go over a few things,� Mock said of Five Flags general manager Tim Bryant. “We’ve never been in storm situation before. We ride rain or shine, but not hurricane.�

By trade, Mock is a data center guy. He builds these facilities, known for storing computer systems and their components, for a living.

He grew up, though, in Corona, Calif., the heart of motorcycle racing and home to Monster Beverage, a longtime flagship sponsor for motocross and other extreme sports before they jumped into NASCAR waters recently.

Starting in the late 1970s, Supermoto is a cross-discipline event in which road racers, dirt-trackers and motocrossers compete on a unique track that combines pavement and dirt. The races feature jumps, high speeds and back-it-in sliding.

“A traditional Supermoto course is 70 percent asphalt, 30 percent dirt, sometimes 60-40,� Mock explained. “It’s a combination road racing, flat track and motocross all rolled into one. To be good at it, you’ve gotta be well-versed in all facets. Some road-racer guys are super-fast on asphalt, but they can’t handle the dirt, and vice versa.�

For Five Flags, the course is restricted to the infield, where dirt has already been laid down, and half of the oval — the front straightaway and Turn Nos. 1 and 4.

There have been four previous AMA Supermoto races this season across North American in California, Arizona, Canada and South Dakota, but the trip to the Gulf Coast is an outlier.

Mock estimates anywhere from 50 to 70 riders will descend upon Five Flags, but that number is expected to rise with the contingent McClendon has recruited.

“These guys are full blown racers,� Mock said. “It’s amazing and exciting to see these kids.�