Livin’ Large
Wally Levy comes from the consummate motocross family. His father, Walter Levy, promoted races in BC’s lower mainland for 22 years at Little Rock Raceway. Wally has two brothers, Henry and Bob, who both raced before him. His sisters, Betty and Annie, were fixtures at the BC races and lap-scored at Little Rock. From a young age, Wally was destined to live a motorcycle lifestyle.
Wally’s first race was in 1972 when he was 15 years old, and he lost no time working his way into the expert class and BC championship wins in 1976 and 1977. I first met Wally when we worked together for a summer at MotoPark back in 1983.
That era was at the tail end of Wally’s career as a racer; with his wife Cheryl expecting their first child, Wally had set his sights on working in the powersports industry and providing for his new family. But before that, in 1979 I had first seen Wally when he turned up at the Senior national race in Austin, Manitoba driving a Dodge van with two bikes and a head full of confidence. He wheeled into the track just as the support expert class practice started and threw open the doors to his van, unloaded his Kawasakis, signed in on the way to the line, kicked everyone’s ass, took home all the money and moved on to the next event. I thought, “Wow, that’s how the pros do it. “
Motivated by Ontario’s Jay Kimber’s success on works Kawasakis, Levy moved to Team Green in 1978. His best year in the Canadian National Motocross Championship series was in 1979, when he finished third in the support class at the 500cc Motocross Grand Prix held at Mosport Park, and earned the national No. 7 for the season. Wally signed his first factory contract with Manley Kawasaki for the 1980 season as Ross Pederson’s teammate, and continued his racing success, earning the national No. 11 in 1980 and No. 10 in 1981.
In 1982, Levy rode Maicos for Rick Sheren’s R & M Motorsports team alongside Stan Currington, again finishing in the top ten in the Canadian National Motocross Championship. Wally and Cheryl moved to Ontario to live and work at MotoPark for the 1983 and 1984 seasons; Wally taught riding schools and rode Yamahas for the MotoPark team.
Wally’s racing career waned yet he stayed in the powersports industry with stints at Parts Canada and Action Accessories as a sales representative, eventually becoming a dealership owner. He also spent nine years working with the Future West organization and the Arenacross series, a job that evolved into travelling to the UK to announce at indoor races on the other side of the Atlantic. Levy remembers the era with a sense of pride: “I met a lot of big-name international riders such as Jeremy McGrath, Stephan Everts, Larry Ward and Damon Bradshaw. ” As race announcer Wally took over after other announcers were making less-than-flattering comments about riders. “I felt so strongly about making every rider feel like a hero, ” he said. “Riders can hear you when they are riding, so I took over the announcing and made it my mission in life to promote and encourage young riders. “
Not everyone knows this fact but Wally is ever the entertainer. He is an accomplished musician, and credits meeting a number of good friends such as Blackfoot Motosports owner Doug MacRae and Triumph Canada’s Chris Ellis through motorcycles, then cementing the friendships with music.
When asked about the current state of motocross, Levy was less opinionated: “Obviously the Canadian riders are excellent, the camaraderie appears to still be in place; it is good to see riders such as Dylan Delaplace and Kyle Springman traveling together, they will make friendships that will last their lifetime. “
Levy says motocross racing contributed vastly to his many lifelong friendships and lasting memories. “We thought nothing of driving 24 hours to Regina to race, we lived in our vans for months on end. We bonded like brothers in arms from that experience, ” says Wally. Fondly, he remembers the life lessons only racing can teach, and the little pieces of advice he is left with after being taught by the wiser. His friend Bill Fullerton is known is a detail guy; “Everything has its place and things need to be done right, ” is Bill’s Mantra. “To this day every morning when I close up a cereal box I remember Bill saying, ‘Do things right, the box should be closed the right way. ‘
“These days, we relive our moto-history via Facebook and we meet at events to reminisce with old friends, ” continues Levy. “I am still in touch with guys such as Stan Currington, Jay Kimber, Kevin Ferguson, Larry MacKenzie and Jari Heinonen. Every year we meet up at the Kamloops national and sit around the fire with guitars, it is one of the best feelings in the world, ” adds Wally fondly with a hint of emotion in his voice.
Wally Levy is one of the genuine leading players in Canadian motocross who made the sport better for the riders who came in later. These days, Wally spends his time with his family and his passion, a successful vintage motorcycle meet called Vintage in the Valley where thousands of visitors feast their eyes on some of the nicest old motorcycles in existence.
Wally Levy Bio, supplied by Wally
Wally Levy and the Levy Family Motorcycle History
Born April 10 1959
Parents Walter and Afke Levy Immigrants from Germany and Holland 1948
Older brother Henry and Bob and younger sisters Anny and Betty
1968 Henry got his first motorcycle 1965 Suzuki 80cc box frame.
Dad got the same bike and then Bob. (all used)
1969 I got a used 50cc Box frame Suzuki.
1969 Went to our first races at Totem Raceway.
1970 Henry and Bob bought TC90s from Freddie Kemp at Precision Suzuki / Moto Beta on East Hasting in Burnaby. ( with gyt kits)
1970 Henry and Bob started racing at Totem in Aldergrove. (Our home town)
1971 My dad and Dick Shannon opened Stampeder Moto park on Bradner road in Aldergrove
1972 Canadian National at Stampeder (Park closed due to noise)
1972 I started racing and we as brothers competed with Dooner, Larry and Glen Mackenzie
1972 Spent time and raced flat track in Cloverdale.
1973 Dad opened his track at the Aldergrove Dump (Little Rock Raceway)
He also was the CMA referee at other tracks through out the years.
1973 through 1992 Littlerock raceway thrived and held many Canadian National Championship events. Sisters were the sign up and lap scorers.
1975 Bob Levy moves back east to pursue his racing career with Manley’s Kawasaki. (Continued in his bio.)
1975 Brother Henry retires from racing due to injuries as an Expert rider.
1976 Started teaching MX Schools
1976 16 years old riding a Husqvarna won the 250 Expert BC Championship
1976 Started my summer MX camps with Bob Underhill
1977 Moved back east to race
1977 Won the Open Expert BC Championship on a Husqvarna
1978 First season with Canadian Kawasaki
1979 Team Kawasaki. Won 21 Motos in BC MX events 250 Expert
1979 Finished 3rd at Copetown National. Series National #7 Canada
1980 Team Kawasaki and was hired by Burnaby Kawasaki in bike sales National #11
1981 Team Kawasaki #11 Sales Burnaby Kawasaki
1981 married Cheryl Levy. We have 3 kids and 5 grandchildren
1982 Road Maicos for R and M Moto sports national #10
1983 Moved to Moto park Chatsworth Ontario, head Instructor for MX Camps and ran the Yamaha shop at the track. Raced Canadian GP and Unadilla USA GP.
1984 Same as 1983 Retired from competitive racing racing.
1986 Worked for Lemans / Parts Canada as a road rep BC/ Alberta
1986 Continued summer Motorcycle schools with USA Jim Pomeroy
1987 Road rep Motorcycle Accessories
1988 BC Rep for Action Accessories Won MMIC award for best rep in Western Canada 1988 and 1989.
1991 to 1999 Partnered with Fenton from Daytona buying Jack Francks Coquitlam Cycle re branding it International Motorcycles
1992 Started the Lower Mainland Motorcycle Club as my dad was retiring from the MX business. Promoted races that summer at Little Rock before the club took over.
1986 to 2003 Announced at our track and the new indoor series in Cloverdale.
Announced at British Supercross series 1995 to 2003
1998 Opened 2nd location International MC purchasing 3D cycle in Abbotsford.
1999 Due to business struggles left International MC
2000 to 2002 Worked for brother Henry at Levy Show Services
2000 to 2007 Organized all the dirt and transportation and machinery for Vancouver arenacross, Vancouver Supercross and the Monster truck shows in BC Place Stadium.
2003 Hired as GM at Holeshot Racing
2008 Became a partner with Larry Visco and Dan Reynolds and helped build the new location for Holeshot Motosports.
2010 to 2014 Health failed me and had 2 open heart surgeries and a stroke leaving me with no paraphial vision and unable to drive. Was bought out at Holeshot.
2014 Moved to Chilliwack and was hired in sales by Dale Waliss at Big Top Motorsports
2013 to 2019 Dale, Tony Cording and I came up with Vintage in the Valley
Bring the likes of Steve Baker and Wes Cooley to our events and meeting all the local greats from BC and beyond.
2016 to 2020 Sold Motorhomes for O’Connor’s in Chilliwack
2020 Covid stopped VIV and I had the opportunity to be Western Canadian sales rep for Gryphon motorcycle clothing and travel with my wife.
2021 to current. Selling motorcycles for Daytona Motorsports in Vancouver commuting by train from Maple Ridge and growing my dealer network for Gryphon Motorcycle Clothing
Sold these brands Honda, KTM , Suzuki, Yamaha and Kawasaki and all bikes used.
Raced Motocross 1971 to 1984 competively.
Sold bikes and motorcycle accessories 1979 to current 2023
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