‘It’s Dangerous, but it’s fun’: Milwaukee Youth Motorsport Riders Find Their way to Racing Through Local Program

By Chesnie Wardell

This story was originally published by Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, where you can find other stories reporting on fifteen city neighborhoods in Milwaukee. Visit milwaukeenns.org.

Youth motorsport riders of the Sliders Flat Track Racing Program have spent countless hours in recent months learning how to ride dirt and electric bikes and build motorcycles while gaining personal development.

The Milwaukee youths are preparing for Flat Out Friday, an international motorcycle race that will take place at Fiserv Forum on Feb. 21. The race features over 300 riders of all skill levels.

The Sliders Flat Track Racing Program gives underrepresented youths in Milwaukee free access to electric and dirt bikes, and eventually motorcycles, while introducing them to science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, components.

“Motorsports is not something that people of color typically participate in and sometimes we’re the only people of color there when we race,” said Venisha Simpson, founder of the Sliders Flat Track Racing Program.

Lately, Simpson and co-founder Tiger Mabato have been coaching the riders inside the Boys & Girls Club and on a dirt road in Sheboygan County for Flat Out Friday.

“I love this sport because it’s intergenerational and you’ll find people between 4 to 84 racing on the same track,” Simpson said. “The respect level is low between the young and old in the Black community, so with this event and program we’re absorbing from each other.”

A young engineer on the track

One of the riders in the program is Tiger Mabato’s 11-year-old son Noah.

His interest in motorbikes started when he was 6 and he complained about the condition of a junkyard dirt bike his dad gifted him.

By 7, his dad gave him the opportunity to take the dirt bike apart and rebuild it on his own.

“Engineering and building things is fun to me, but I have to learn to do this on my own without any help,” Noah said.

After rebuilding the dirt bike, he crashed into a tree, leaving him hesitant about the sport and even joining the program.

Noah regained interest after seeing another kid from the program race on a dirt bike.

“I crash often when practicing and racing, but now I know what to do,” Noah said.

Currently, Noah is building a Suzuki RM 85cc dirt bike for his third Flat Out Friday competition.

“This will become my official bike because my last bike was causing me to lose pretty badly,” he said.

He placed ninth last year in the open youth class after falling and crashing his bike, but this year wants to come back stronger.

“It took me a while to get back up last year, but I’m more excited about trying it again,” he said.

According to Tiger Mabato and Simpson, Noah Mabato and Donald Amartey are the only Black youth racers that ride vintage Harley-Davidson bikes in Milwaukee.

“Noah and Donald are making history right now,” Tiger Mabato said.

Adjusting quickly

Justice Osei, 9, is a second-year rider in the Sliders Flat Track Racing Program.

He started without knowing how to ride a regular bike but caught on quickly.

“They taught him that day in just a couple hours how to ride one,” his mom, Malaika Osei, said.

Justice wasn’t drawn into traditional sports or video gaming, but with motorsports found a connection to the people and skills he learned.

“When I’m racing and sometimes make a mistake, I try to lock in and stay focused after it,” he said.

Tiger Mabato is amazed to see kids like Justice latch onto the sport.

“These kids go through so many ups, downs and tears, it’s crazy how quickly they adapted to everything,” Mabato said. “This is a different level of excitement.”

Prioritizing safety

Before getting on a motorbike, every rider and parent is made aware of how dangerous the sport can be.

“The hardest thing is seeing your kid crash and tumble at times, but we prepare them for that, and our biggest thing is safety,” Mabato said.

To ensure safety, the program provides students with motorbikes, helmets, gloves, padding and vests. Parents are responsible for purchasing jeans, long-sleeve shirts and racing boots.

“It’s dangerous, but it’s fun,” Justice said.

Justice broke three toes during a practice from not wearing the proper racing boots.

His mom saw him take a tumble that day on the dirt road

“I took off running once I saw him crying and grabbing his foot,” Malaika Osei said.

Justice didn’t even realize at first that his toes were broken.

“I didn’t even know until a week later,” he said.

After purchasing a new pair of boots, Justice was ready to ride again.

Building other skills

Motorsports is more than just racing and maintenance.

Flat Out Friday co-founder Jeremy Prach wants riders to know the sport is about developing skills that keep you improving.

“I think the thing that hurts the most is your pride when you fall because many think they’re going to do awesome in a race,” Prach said. “But without a skill base, it’ll be hard to do awesome.”

At the Sliders Flat Track Racing Program, Simpson and Tiger Mabato teach the riders confidence, self-regulation, quick problem solving and self-respect.

“These kids are tough and it takes a different type of mentality to race with these bikes,” Mabato said.

Simpson and Mabato also teach the youth riders how to network and maintain relationships with people like Cameron Smith, one of the few professional Black racers in the country.

It takes a community

To ensure the program has everything it needs, places like Cream City Moto, STACYC, Southeast Sales, Proplate and other local organizations pitch in to donate equipment, design graphics, cover fees for events and more.

The program also received grants from the Greater Milwaukee Foundation and Comoto Cares.

“The race community is very supportive and I love that,” Simpson said.

Tiger Mabato encourages parents to get their children involved in things that spark their interest even if it’s scary and wants them to know that the race part of the program is optional.

“There’s no better feeling than seeing your kid go around the track,” he said.

For more information

If you are interested in becoming a part of the program, register and join the waitlist for spring.

To watch, support and cheer the youth riders on at Flat Out Friday, tickets start at $28.