5 Minutes with…#991 Brendan McKee

By Billy Rainford

Presented by Yamaha Motor Canada

We stopped in at Club MX in Chesterfield, SC on the way to Detroit from Daytona. Club MX is our partner for our annual Total Devotion Award at the TransCan at Walton Raceway and there are always a bunch of Canadian riders doing their pre-season training at the ever-growing facility.

I shot a few video interviews and then promptly lost all the footage, so I wanted to grab the riders for a quick interview to spotlight them and what their racing plans are for the upcoming season.

First up is Saskatchewan rider #991 Brendan McKee who will move to the Pro class for 2022.

Direct Motocross: Hello, Brendan. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Brendan McKee: Hello. Billy.  I’m from Lloydminster, Saskatchewan, and I’m 18 teen years old. I started racing in 2013 on a KX65. I was 9 years old for my first gate drop and it was in Weyburn, SK. Ever since then I have not stopped racing.

How did your 2021 season go?

My 2021 season was good. I did the full [Canadian Triple Crown] National series. My goal for the Nationals was to be top 20 and the first round was sitting right around 22nd, so then I said let’s get into the teens and grab a national number. I didn’t get into the teens because at Gopher Dunes I crashed and fractured my right ankle. I continued to race after but it was tough. If I jammed it in a rut it definitely made it hard to keep going. I finished the series and said I will be back next year to do it again.

Then I went back to Saskatchewan and there were a few local races left so I was able to go race back home and was able to grab the MX2 and MX3 championship for Intermediate.  So, I would say it was a good year. I learned a lot and will come out swinging as a Pro in 2022.

You’re down at Club MX now. How long have you been there and when will you head home?

Yes, I’m down at Club MX. I’ve been here since February 19th and planning on leaving April 15 to head to Ontario on my way home and will be hit the first round at Gopher Dunes for the AMO series.  

What are some of the things you’ve learned being down there?

Most important would be foot positioning because when entering corners you need to be nice and balanced. If you have a bad lap or have a crash you need to get up, take a breather, and get back into the moto. Lately, we have been working lots on feet on pegs, no rear brake, and no clutch, so then when we add them all in we are nice and smooth. 

We’ve been doing lots of long motos and those are good to start getting ready for race season. Gym work is super-important for us athletes so we have a workout every morning at 7 am, then strength training or cardio every afternoon.     

Do you have any Boo Hag stories?

Not personally but have for sure heard lots. My cabin has a straw broom so maybe that’s why the Boo Hag hasn’t come and visited. Haha. 

What are your racing plans for 2022?

Plans for 2022 are to race some local races before Nationals start then will be doing the full National series.  I would like to maybe race some Triple Crown SX and AX in 2022 but it depends on how my outdoor season is going.

Well, good luck and who would you like to thank?

Lethal Motorsports out of Lloydminster, Designers Choice out of Lloydminster, Larson Ranching Protouch, Machine Ink out of Saskatoon, Truck Zone out of Lloydminster, 3 Guys Truck Wash out of Lloydminster, RG3 Suspension out of Saskatoon, GRIT Athletic Performance out of Lloydminster, Pure Vide Studios out of Lloydminster, Rec Tec out of Lloydminster, FXR Moto, Parts Canada, Ride Engineering, Mika Metals, Moto Seat, Pro Circuit, and my grandparents. Huge thanks to my parents for hauling me around for the pasted 9 years chasing my dreams. Without you guys I would not be who I am today.