Arenacross star has pilot license, soft spot for Outback

Friday, January 18, 2008

As a professional dirt bike rider, Ohio native Brock Sellards has had his share of crashes. As a pilot, he’s had a few close calls there, too.

“The most scared I’ve ever been was when I first got my plane,” said Sellards, a Sherrodsville native. “I crashed it my first flight. I’d never flown a stick and it was a lot different aircraft. I didn’t know how to fly it or anything.

“I took it up and it was so windy it was like a kite. I’d never flown a light aircraft before and it was blowing me around. I couldn’t even turn left. I hurried up and turned right and brought it back down. I landed so hard I broke the wheel off. I ended up bouncing and landing in a bunch of weeds. I pretty much thought I might die at that point. I didn’t have a clue. I winged it.”

Sellards hopes for softer landings Saturday as the AMA Toyota Arenacross Series visits the Nutter Center at Wright State University. Sellards enters the event in third place in series points, but well within striking distance of teammate Kelly Smith and leader Chad Johnson.

Sellards — who shares the series lead with three victories this season — has a passion for flying, building things and the old Kenworthy’s Motocross Park in Troy.

 

Q Being from Ohio, what is your cheering section going to look like for Saturday?

A: “There’s going to be at least in the 20s of my friends that I hang out with all the time. I’m sure a lot more people will go. But that’s what I know about as of now. … I won at Troy so I have a lot of fans right around that area supporting me. That was one of the biggest races I ever won in my life. … I loved that place. I loved that place.”

 

Q How often do you make it home to Sherrodsville (about 25 miles south of Canton) during the season?A “During the winter hardly at all, maybe two-and-a-half days during Christmas. Having two races in Ohio is helping me out. I actually get to go home for a day and drive to the race.”

A “During the winter hardly at all, maybe two-and-a-half days during Christmas. Having two races in Ohio is helping me out. I actually get to go home for a day and drive to the race.” 

Q When you get back to Ohio is there a particular restaurant or place you try to visit?A “I usually hit Outback or something like that. I like the Victoria filet. They make unbelievable steaks. And I like their cheese fries.”

A “I usually hit Outback or something like that. I like the Victoria filet. They make unbelievable steaks. And I like their cheese fries.” 

Q How did you get started racing dirt bikes?

A “My dad raced, then my brother and me and my sister started racing. I got a dirt bike when I was four years old. My brother raced professionally, but he was injured and did it all on his own. He raced a handful of professional events. … That’s all I ever saw myself doing. I just always figured I’d be a pro racer. I really didn’t see anything else in my future. I always figured I’d be a pro. I just didn’t know good I’d be.”

 

Q What was your favorite Christmas present?

A “I got a Tissot watch that is for flying. It has a touchscreen on it that’s black titanium. It tells you altitude, compass, barometric pressure. It has a chronograph on it, an alarm, it’s a pretty gnarly watch.”

 

Q You have your pilot’s license. What gives you a bigger thrill: racing or flying?A “If there is wind or anything to make flying hard, it’s definitely the most nerve-wracking. But I still get more kick out of winning races than I do flying a plane. I enjoy flying a plane because I relax. Racing, I’m tense. … They call me straight and level. I think you’re risking enough as it is (flying). I’d just rather enjoy it than doing loops and stuff. I went out to California and one of my buddies I met through Danny Smith, took me in his aerobatic plane. He does shows. I didn’t enjoy that very much.”

A “If there is wind or anything to make flying hard, it’s definitely the most nerve-wracking. But I still get more kick out of winning races than I do flying a plane. I enjoy flying a plane because I relax. Racing, I’m tense. … They call me straight and level. I think you’re risking enough as it is (flying). I’d just rather enjoy it than doing loops and stuff. I went out to California and one of my buddies I met through Danny Smith, took me in his aerobatic plane. He does shows. I didn’t enjoy that very much.” 

Q What’s the most nervous you’ve been flying?A “The most nervous I ever got flying was practicing stalls. I got pretty upside down in a stall by myself. I gave it a little too much rudder and I stalled the plane and I came flying up out of the sky going down in a nose dive. I pulled it out but I pulled a lot of Gs doing it. It scared me. But I went and did it right after that again. That was probably the gnarliest thing I’ve experienced.”

A “The most nervous I ever got flying was practicing stalls. I got pretty upside down in a stall by myself. I gave it a little too much rudder and I stalled the plane and I came flying up out of the sky going down in a nose dive. I pulled it out but I pulled a lot of Gs doing it. It scared me. But I went and did it right after that again. That was probably the gnarliest thing I’ve experienced.” 

Q What else do you like to do when not racing?

A “During the summer I built some airplane motors and stuff like that. I like building engines. I like horsepower. … I have a kit car that I’m building. It’s between a Lamborghini and a Ferrari. I bought it from Germany and had it shipped over in a crate. It’s neat. It’s got the flip-up doors and the Lamborghini lights. I’m building another airplane right now and that’s first on my list.”