Racing for a good cause

When Bryar Lawrence took over responsibility of organizing ice races in 2023, three years after the passing of his good friend and previous commissioner Brandon White, he knew he would be taking up the mantle of someone who had been a big part of racing in the community, up to the day he tragically died of cancer at the age of 45 in 2020.

“He was an inspirational guy. He always fought hard and did late nights on getting the track prepped. And, you know, a couple of times I was out there all night, getting it ready, and I just thought about how hard he worked for everybody else for this to happen. That gave me a little bit of inspiration to keep going,” said Lawrence.

“It’s just touching to know that I get to carry on this tradition.”

As the Kahnawake Ice Racing commissioner, he has organized this Saturday’s second annual Brandon White Memorial Ice Races along with White’s sister Iotsitsanien Goodleaf.

“Because ice racing was such a huge deal for my brother, I wanted to keep his legacy alive and have it be known that even though he had cancer, he still was out there working hard, getting the races together,” said Goodleaf.

The first memorial race day held last year raised more than $19,000 for Tetewatatia’takehnhahs, the community cancer support organization that does the Purple Ribbon Walk.

White was a strong advocate for the organization, being involved in many of their events even prior to his own diagnosis and showcasing their cause on his race car on multiple occasions.

This year, with more time to plan and having already had many successful weekends of ice racing, they are hoping for a big turnout and even more money raised for the cause he was so passionate about.

“We’re getting bigger crowds every week, more people are hearing about it, and we’re trying to get it out there for people that are from out of town as well,” said Lawrence.

Part of that is the addition of more races to the day’s events, including dirt bike racing, side-by-side racing, and all-women’s races.

Although NASCAR was what he was mainly known for, dirt bikes were always White’s passion, explained his sister, so much so that he was at one time first in Canada in B class racing and he organized races, including a memorial race for Jim Morris, a dirt bike enthusiast from Kahnawake who passed in 2016.

“I said ‘we should do that for him, too,’” said Goodleaf.

The dirt bike races have had a lot of interest so far, so much so that the sound of bikes practicing could be heard in the community for much of Wednesday afternoon as racers practiced for Saturday.

The side-by-sides, meanwhile, will race on a specially designed course instead of the oval used in other races, Lawrence explained.

The weather should hold up to allow for ice racing to go on uninterrupted, with temperatures staying below freezing Friday and Saturday.

There will be lots on offer for spectators to go with the show on the ice, including many food trucks, a half-and-half raising money for Tetewatatia’takehnhahs, and access to the inside of the Kahnawake Marina to watch the races in a more climate-controlled environment.

Registration will begin on Saturday at 8:30 a.m. and racing will begin around 11:30 a.m. There is a $10 entry fee for spectators and a $100 registration fee for racers.

White kept wanting to race and organize days even when he became very sick. It was his hobby, what brought him joy in life, and Goodleaf is hoping that joy can be found for Saturday’s race day in his honour.

“My brother believed strongly in this community and helping others, and this race reflects who he was, and it’s my way of honouring that while giving back,” said Goodleaf.

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