When he was 14 years old, Mark Janiszewski talked his father into taking him to take him to Englishtown Raceway to “practice” on his small KDX motor bike.
“We got there and we were told we couldn’t practice,” Janiszewski said last week during a telephone interview. “I could race, but I couldn’t practice. So I talked my father into letting me race.”
Janiszewski is 29 now and has been a lifelong resident of Secaucus. (He is unrelated to former County Executive Robert Janizewski.) Last week, he recalled how other drivers laughed at him because he was the only one in the race without a power bike.
“When the qualifier was over, we started to head home, but I thought I would look at the results just for the fun of it,” Janiszewski said. “Only the top 20 finishers in the qualifiers were allowed to get into the race.”
To Janiszewski’s surprise, he had managed to sneak under the qualifying mark, coming up 20th on the list. From that point on, Janiszewski was hooked. Earlier this year, he managed to obtain enough racing points from victories on the track to qualify him as a professional motocross racer. And this was despite an injury that had sidelined him for five years from 1994 to 1999.
Janiszewski said a freak injury during practice shattered his heel and required surgery to insert splints and a plate.
He also had to undergo a rigorous program of rehabilitation.
“This happened during a practice, not a race,” he said, “and it’s a million to one that it can ever happen again.”
Prior to that injury, Janiszewski had had only broken a finger.
What it involves
Motocross racing involving using a specially designed motorcycle on a closed course, consisting of a variety of terrains such as uphill, downhill, corners and jumps. Motocross courses are normally laid out over natural terrain. Rocks, ruts, bumps and seemingly impossible inclines. In motocross, riders require a significant amount of endurance, allowing them to suffer through the relentless pounding each track imposes on them. Brut strength is not enough.
This course is run during a specific amount of time, with all riders seeking to perform as well as possible in the shortest time.
Riders earn championship points from their finish position in a series of “motos” or mini-races. Winners of an event are determined on the basis of total points earn in all motos, except qualifying and consolation motos.
Over time, one must acquire enough points to be considered a professional rider. A rider can obtain 10 points toward this total for each win. If he or she obtains 60 points within a two-year stretch, the rider can move from amateur standing into professional.
“I got lucky and won mine within six to eight weeks,” he said last week.
Most of his races are done in District 34 in upstate New York, although he said he has raced in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland as well.
Motocross racing actually originated in Europe after World War II. “Moto” is both French and Spanish for motorcycle, and the cross came from “cross country.” Off-road races began gaining popularity as the continent rebuilt after the ravages of the war.
United States didn’t pick up on the trend until the 1950s. Until then, Americans tended to race motorcycles on flat, oval tracks similar to horse or auto racing. The early races were rough scrambles among a few people who brought the sport from Europe.
During the 1960s, regular races, amateur and professional, began to take place. By 1972, motocross had become as popular here as in Europe, both as an indoor and outdoor entertainment.
As an outdoor rider in the northeast, the racing season funs from April through November.
Janiszewski is an outdoor motocross rider and has won 30 amateur races including two New Jersey Championships.
The more successful Janiszewski becomes, the more sponsors he picks up. This year his sponsors include Havastraw Motor Sports, V.S. Racing, Action Photos, Boysen, Decal Works, and Smith Goggles.
With the help of his personal trainer, Shawn Moss, Janiszewski is looking ahead to taking on some of the best riders in the country.
“I’m looking forward to the challenge,” he said. “I’m also looking forward to racing for money. I’ll do my utmost to be competitive.”