The memory of Brett Menzies was riding with everybody who took to the track at the AREC on Saturday for the round named in his honour after his tragic passing last year. 

His memory and love of riding helped everybody as they paused, remembered and raced in his honour,  with his best mate Shane admitting to mixed emotions on the day. 

Shane said he was blown away by the level of support for his family as they again faced the same stretch of dirt that claimed the life of their beloved family member.

“It was pretty tough (to race), it was just something I had to do to try and beat those demons,” he said. 

“I wasn’t sure what to expect in terms of the people being there. A lot of people travelled a long way to be there on the day. 

“And there were a lot of people there I didn’t expect. People we knew from racing and some we didn’t -  they just wanted to show their support.” 

However, in a sign of how much he had begun to move on, Shane’s five-year-old son Jordan also took to the AREC track to compete in his first race, again in memory of his uncle. 

“So that was a pretty big thing for him to do as well and he knew what the day was about on the weekend because he was there when the accident happened  last year,” Shane said. 

There was a time for Shane that he questioned if he ever wanted to ride again. 

Whether he could face the questions that plagued his mind about the perils of a sport that many know all too well. 

However, with petrol running through his veins in equal parts to oxygen, there was no way he could not get back on the bike. 

 “Probably the first week after it happened I wondered if I could ride again, I took photos of my bike and I was going to sell it,” Shane said.  

“But then I guess I faced up to it and realised it was something that he wouldn’t want, I knew he’d want me to stick it out. 

“I talked to people about what I should do at the time. I spoke to Dad, who’s been doing it pretty tough and he didn’t come up yesterday because he didn’t think he would be able to handle it as much as he would have liked to have. 

“Just yesterday morning I was pretty nervous before heading out there. Not nervous to race but more of the significance of the day, it was just one of those things I wanted it to hurry up and for it to be over as much as I also wanted to enjoy it which it ended up being, I think everybody ended up enjoying themselves.”

While the purity of getting on the bike and racing did offer Shane some solitude  on Saturday he did admit to feel apprehensive as he approached the fateful jump that claimed his brother’s life. 

“It does come into my mind, but it did sometimes yesterday. But you’ve got to beat it because if you don’t beat demons like that then you’ll end up beating you up,” he said.  

“Getting back on the same track did help a little last year, there was a few race meetings washed out between when the accident happened and when I was able to race again.

“I wanted to get back on there (the track) as soon as I could to try and bury that a bit, but it was stretched out a months longer than I would have liked. 

“It gets easier each time out but it still goes through my mind.”

Every rider had the chance to carry their own little piece of Brett with them as his name and racing number, 23, adorned almost every machine to hit the track in what was an amazing show of support for the family.