D23 ARMCA Member of the Week (April 26th)

Member of the Week: Michelle Strang

Written by: Jackie Riess

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Michelle Strang is an off-road rider that competes in both hare scrambles and enduros. However, her path to racing is a bit unconventional compared to most. She began riding eight years ago, the year she turned 40, when her husband and son began riding. Not wanting to be left behind, she became a District 23 ARMCA member the following year when she competed in her first race. She claims she never would have imagined herself riding and racing dirt bikes ten years ago, but now she dreams of perfect, sunny days riding and camping with her family. She knows motorcycling is a rare activity they can all enjoy together.

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She continues to be a part of District 23 ARMCA because of the friendship made along the way. She enjoys reconnecting with friends after a long winter and making memories throughout the summer. Inspired by other mothers who race, she finds motivation in their ability to rush back after their race to get their children ready to start theirs. This family-friendly environment is what keeps her coming back. However, it could also just be the maple donut or DQ Blizzard rewards to and from the track in her moto van!

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In 2021, Michelle has two goals: learning to wheelie and finishing all the races she enters. She claims her greatest accomplishment was finishing the Akeley Enduro when her husband didn’t! She wants to continue finishing the enduro races, and believes this will lead her to wins in the Women’s 30+ class. In the future, Michelle strives to continue making family memories on dirt bikes and making new friends along the way. Michelle was once given the advice, “don’t think of it as a race, it’s just a long trail ride, so have fun!” She wants to share this advice with other riders, encouraging a focus on fun, respect, and “[helping] an old lady out when she’s fallen into a ravine.” Riding and racing is about the friendships made summer after summer, not about winning. “In 20 years, you’ll still have the friends you’ve made along the way, but you probably won’t remember winning a specific race.” 

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D23 ARMCA Member of the Week (April 19th)


Member of the Week: Andrew Hook

Written by: Jackie Riess

Everyone’s first ride on a motorcycle is memorable, right? Andrew Hook’s was no different. At four years old, he grabbed a handful of throttle and some accidental air time. Although this scared him for a while, he finally had a PW50 of his own a year later. Andrew’s dad, Peter, was a well known flat tracker both in District 23 ARMCA and nationally, so Andrew inevitably took to the TT track in their back pasture. Soon after, he competed in his first flat track event at the Cambridge Fairgrounds.

Andrew raced his PW50 for a few years and was mid pack amongst the strong group of flat track kids in D23 ARMCA at the time. However, a crash that left his arm stuck in the rear wheel of a competitor’s bike again drove him away from racing competitively. He admits his father never pushed him to race, it was always up to him and his ambitions.

After a few years of recreational riding, Andrew got a YZ 85 for flat track. In comparison to his XR 80, it was fast. Though he never had it fully set up for flat track, he committed to racing the entire District 23 ARMCA series for two full seasons. He finished 3rd in points, but again, life took over and his focus switched to recreational riding. One notable trip for him is his annual trip to the Black Hills to ride off-road. When he was in his early teens this trip helped push his flat track racing career forward in an unexpected way. In the middle of his ride, Andrew helped a fellow rider change a flat tire. This rider was thankful for his help, and surprised Andrew with a CRF250 engine that showed up in the mail a few weeks later. He took this as a sign that he should commit to racing again, but it still wasn’t quite the right time for him.

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After high school, Andrew joined the military and during his bootcamp experience, he realized how lucky and supported he was growing up. This was finally the sign that flipped the switch for him. This is what made him want to work harder than ever and work to attain his professional license. So he went to all the midwestern races he could, and finished 3rd overall in the local pro class. The District 23 ARMCA flat track representative at the time, Bayley Boehlke, saw potential in Andrew, and helped him to obtain his professional license.

Once he got to the pro ranks, he realized it was going to take extreme dedication to get where he wanted to be. He realized he couldn’t be a social butterfly any more, so he put his head down and focused on racing. He made numerous mains in the All Star Series, and in 2017 thought he had his best shot at making a professional main. With two races being at new venues, he believed this was his time to shine. He was so close to winning his heat, but encountered problems that prevented the win and qualification into the main. Though his professional career wasn’t what he fully expected, he realized there was plenty of competition to challenge him here in Minnesota.

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Andrew is now one of three volunteer flat track representatives on the District 23 ARMCA board. He dedicates much of his time to growing the sport and working with promoters to put on a successful series. He believes people should be interested in riding and spectating flat track events because of the inclusive, welcoming environment and variety of bikes being raced. Andrew also notes the importance of the addition of open practices, which gives beginners a safe space to learn and grow as flat track riders. The first round of the 2021 flat track season is this weekend at Cedar Lake Arena. Visit www.armca.org/schedule to find flat track events this summer!