Courtesy of Skip Schulz Four generations of the Marietta family participate in motorsport events. Young racer Jemma, 4, is with her parents, Jimmy and Paige.

In the Copper Country, motorsports is a part of our culture. It starts from a baby’s first steps, and it doesn’t matter what time of the year it is. From off-road vehicles to (motorcycle) dirt bikes to snowmobiles, each is a part of the family.

A major segment of the ORV Market is the side by sides. From the utility (UTV) division to the sport division, the SXS industry continues to grow. From Yamaha, Polaris, BRP, Honda, Kawasaki and Textron’s Arctic Cat to farm equipment, even department stores are all getting into the all-terrain vehicle and SXS business.

One demographic that the SXS industry is seeing an increase in is the four- and five-seater models. This is where the family gets to enjoy the miles and miles of trails we have in the Copper Country. Add on features such as fully enclosed cabs, air conditioning, heat and radio, everyone in the family is comfortable. Creature comforts for these units start with an engine and suspension built for off-road trail riding.

One of the reasons why motorsports is such an important part of the Copper Country culture simply comes down to having an area where outdoor recreation is as common as pasties. This started when railroad corridors turned into multiuse trails. Add in 200-300 inches of snow, and the Copper Country turned into one of the top three places in the entire United States to snowmobile.

Then in the early ’80s and the birth of the 3-wheel ATVs, our area saw another way to get to a hunting camp, or simply another way to have fun. As the ATVs evolved, came the Kawasaki Mule, Polaris Ranger, the John Deere Gator and the UTV market was born.

From snowmobiles to ATVs to UTVs to SXSs, children wanted to ride. While riding any of these at a very young age, these kids wanted to drive their own. After learning how to drive the family snowmobile, ATV or SXS, these kids took motorsports to the next level.

That level was racing! Or should we say racing with their parents, brothers and sisters. Look at the Marietta family, four generations. Neil Sr., Neil Jr., Jimmy and Jimmy’s 4-year-old daughter, Jemma. All four generations are into riding and racing!

Look at the success of the McIntyre’s from Greenland. Pat invested in the Yamaha snowmobile business, which is now in the hands of his son, Kip. Kip is a MASTERS Hall of Fame member, and his son, Wyatt, is quickly becoming one of the top snowmobile Terra-X racers. Kip’s brother, Chad, had M&M Powersports and also was a snowmobile racer.

The list of families in motorsports includes other MASTERS Hall of Fame members. This includes Paul Voelker of Laurium and his son, Steven; Al Turin and his daughter, Brooke. Layne Stank and his son, Jordan; Matt LaCosse and his sons, Carter and Nathan; Mike Kirtland, and his sons, Jacob, Braedyn and Gabe.

Add in a couple father-daughter race families: Dave Dishaw and Addison; Jesse Pokszyk and Kenzie.

Matt “Cowboy” Cook and his son, Benny, race year-round with motorcycle motocross in the summer, snowmobiles in the winter – as does the Dishaws.

Forcia racing is an excellent example of a family affair as they have four generations: Leif, Leif Jr., Chaz and Emmett. The Joliff family has three boys racing year-round: Kory, KJ and Caleb. Dollar Bay’s Brad Barrette and son Bradley race snowmobiles year-round. Another very successful father-son duo is Travis and Kaiden Kaurala of Alston.

Two-time World Champion is Gary Moyle. His son is Dayton, his late brother is Jeff, and his other motorsport enthusiast is Andy. The Moyles are an excellent example as to how motorsports is a family affair. If they are not racing, they are one of the area’s biggest supporters of motorsports!

Another family of racers is the Nordang family of Ontonagon. They have Tom Sr., Tommy Jr. who passed away, Chris and his sons, CJ and Alex. Same with Tim Wood and his sons of Calumet, they all ride and race, as does Boone Mattfolk and his family,

The list could go on and on as to how motorsports truly is a family affair in the Copper Country. Get your family together and discover how much fun an ORV will be for your entire family and LET’s Ride!

This weekend you don’t need an ORV trail sticker as it’s FREE ORV Weekend in Michigan.