Highland Falls native making his return to Motocross scene
Long-time News of the Highlands readers: you may read this story and think back to reading similar stories back in 2001 and 2008 … ‘local kid makes good’ type of stories featuring a native of Highland Falls.
While the ‘kid’, Pat Mahan, featured in those old stories is now 46, in a sometimes-life-comes-full-circle sort of moment, Mahan is set to resume the old passion that was featured in those stories … Motocross racing.
Locals know him as a kid who was always riding bikes around town. Young adults in the community know him as one of the premier wedding and event DJs in the Hudson Valley. Podcast listeners know him as a relatively new figure in the podcast world, with his popular ‘Like Attracts Like’ broadcasts, focusing on how to shift your mindset and live in alignment with your passion and purpose.
But there’s a whole group of people, mostly outside this community, who know him as #200 on the big red Honda in pro-am Motocross competitions. Those people are getting to know him well again these days, because 16 years after winning his last Expert Class Championship — at age 30 — he’s back in the game.
This time, he’s more focused, more fit, and accompanied by a woman who has become a partner in just about everything Mahan does, Gina Bonacci. A Rochester native and former wedding planner at the Thayer Hotel, she’s now busy behind the scenes helping manage all aspects of Mahan’s life from racing to business. The two will marry this summer.
Mahan, after five years of “not touching a bike”, will burst back into the racing spotlight in the weeks ahead as he prepares to take part in the AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch in Nashville, Tennessee this summer. To get there, he starts competition this coming weekend, in Budds Creek, Maryland. If he finishes in the top 9, he will be headed to High Point, Pennsylvania for the Regional qualifier at the end of May — the last stop before Loretta’s.
But why, after years of not racing, is the sport important to him again?
“I sold my bike five years ago to take on the podcast,” Mahan said in an interview at the Highland Falls Library this past week. “But recently I realized that I have spent all this time telling people to live their best lives, and to do what makes them happy, and it’s working for them. But I wasn’t fully doing it, I wasn’t taking my own advice.”
While he wasn’t racing, he was still in touch with fellow racers and the local association of racers that he belonged to — he was, in fact, still a card carrying member of the group.
“And I’ve been enjoying it as a spectator,” he said. (You can watch Motocross races on various streaming platforms and via Peacock.)
As he returns to the sport, Mahan goes in knowing that because of his age — “I’m too old for the highest level of competition anymore,” he said — but for the sense of accomplishment. While there is some financial gain to be had (sponsorships, equipment and things like travel stipends), he’s really just in it “because I love it”.
He also says that because he is now 46, his approach to training is different than it was at 18 or even 30.
“I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been in,” he said. “This is inspiring me to be even more fit.”
Bonacci is a help there too, making sure Mahan’s nutrition and sleep component of training are well met. “We’re making safety a priority,” she said, “and that’s a combination of fitness, diet, rest and recovery”.
Mahan trains regularly at the “amazing” OCFMX track in Middletown.
You might ask how the popular DJ is going to travel around the East Coast to races during the height of wedding season? He started planning his event schedule around the demands of the sport, and has “an amazing team” at Digital Musicians Entertainment to help support him on this journey. Motocross season runs from March through October.
The two have also found that together they are enjoying the ‘lifestyle’ that comes with racing.
“It’s kind of like a family,” she said. He adds that while every race features up to 40 riders on the gate, thousands of people compete over the course of a weekend event.
They said last week they were excited for this first weekend of the season.
“Excited, but nervous,” he laughed. “It’s been a minute.”
As the season kicks off, the two say they are grateful to their sponsors for the 2024 season: Maroney’s Motorsports, Valley Moto Shop, Reckless Goggles, Guts Racing, Dunlop Tires, Waxed Racing, and DCIII Suspension.
Want to follow them on their journey? The two have recently started a YouTube channel — @MahansRacing — and are also on Instagram, @the_mahans_racing. And, if you’d like to support their racing efforts for the 2024 season, you can visit patreon.com/MahansRacing for monthly support, or through one time support on Venmo @MahansRacing.
To listen to the Podcast, including previous episodes, find it by searching The Like Attracts Like Podcast on Spotify or ITunes.