The 25-year-old photo is equally amusing and gruesome.
It shows the body of the then 25-year-old Charlie Charlton underneath a pile of motorbikes, his arms helplessly at his side, his head buried by a tire.
He survived the wreck 鈥� matter of fact, he finished the race.
Charlton dominated the track in the 1980s and early 鈥�90s. In 1985, he captured the Canadian amateur title making him the highest ranked amateur racer in the nation.
In 1992 he won the California Golden State Nationals and went on to live in Thailand, where he raced professionally. He represented Thailand in the Pan Pacific Supercross.
But Charlton鈥檚 fearlessness spelled the end of his motocross aspirations. He broke 21 bones over a shortened career and multiple injuries forced him to hang up his racing helmet for good.
鈥淚 was on the verge of doing big things in motocross and just ended up getting hurt,鈥� Charlton said. 鈥淭he femur was a really bad one. I broke my femur and my right tib fib on the bottom. It still bothers me today; I needed three plates and 12 screws (to repair it).鈥�
A quarter of a century later, Charlton is his son鈥檚 transport, pit crew, and biggest fan as a new generation of Charlton flies around dirt tracks across Western Canada.
Charlie鈥檚 13-year-old son Charles Evel Charlton is following his dad鈥檚 tire tracks and is starting to make his own name on the circuit.
The younger Charlton won a Canadian indoor championship at six years of age and since then 鈥渉e鈥檚 had some ups and downs,鈥� his dad said.
鈥淟ast year I was sixth in Canada for 65 cc (10 and 11 year olds),鈥� Charles said.
Charles has a head start on his dad 鈥� where Charlie didn鈥檛 start racing until he was 10, Charles was on the seat of a dirt bike at just four years of age.
The Aldergrove teen began racing at age five.
Charlton never puts any pressure on his son.
鈥淲e sit down in the off-season and we look at all the different schedules,鈥� Charlton said.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a bunch of different promoting bodies, and we decide what races he wants to do. We discuss the high points and low points of each one and when we鈥檙e set on it, we make a calendar and we think about it.鈥�
Then Charlton asks his son a key question: 鈥淎re you committed to this?鈥�
鈥淭hen if we鈥檙e committed to that, we鈥檙e committed to that,鈥� Charlton continued. 鈥淭hen I have to tell all my sponsors, 鈥楾his is what we鈥檙e doing.鈥� He can鈥檛 say, 鈥業 don鈥檛 want to do it this week.鈥� Sometimes he doesn鈥檛 want to (race) because it鈥檚 raining or something like that but that鈥檚 too bad because there鈥檚 a lot of money involved. Like, a lot of money.鈥�
Last year he graduated to the super mini class (11- to- 17-year-olds) which is 112cc maximum.
鈥淚t鈥檚 got a 19-inch front wheel and a 16-inch rear wheel so it鈥檚 just a tad smaller than 125cc, and kids can ride them until they鈥檙e 17 years old,鈥� Charlton said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the premier for the small kids鈥� class before they move up to big bikes.鈥�
Charles finished 12th in Canada in the super mini division.
鈥淗e鈥檚 done lap times at the track as fast as the top five,鈥� Charlton said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot involved, and I do push him. I push him to be the best he can be, forge his own legacy.鈥�
Looking ahead, Charles is confident about the future.
鈥淭here鈥檚 jumps I can do that I never used to do, I would just roll over them,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hen I turn 16, I鈥檇 like to go pro.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檝e got a five-year plan we鈥檙e working on right now,鈥� Charlton said. 鈥淎t the end of the five-year plan is for him to have his pro license. At that time he can decide whether he wants to pursue that as his life goal or move on to something different.鈥�
Charlton said 鈥渆very year he does more than he does the year before.鈥�
It鈥檚 a matter of discipline away from the track. Studies have shown that pro motocross is as taxing on the body as NFL football. And there are studies that have it ranked at the top of the list of the most physically demanding sports in the world.
鈥淚t takes the beating of a boxer with the running of a soccer player,鈥� Charlton said.
With that in mind, Charlton said keeping in shape will in turn help shape his son鈥檚 success.
鈥淗e likes to ride his bike, he loves racing, he loves going to the track,鈥� Charlton said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just the behind-the-scenes work, it鈥檚 tough.鈥�
troy.landreville@blackpress.ca
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