MOB is the title sponsor of Motocross Racer Broc Staab #622.
Most people would never guess it, but motocross is among the most physically demanding sports in the world. Pro and amateur motocrossers have to wrestle a 200-pound bike for two or three 30-minute races a day, throwing it around tight turns and jumps up to 100 feet.
“Your body is constantly moving, adapting to the track and the other racers,” says Broc Staab, motocross racer from Riverside, Calif. “I definitely enjoy the competition. Where else can you line up with some of the same kids for a few years and develop lasting relationships around one of the most exciting sports in the world?”
Staab started riding when he was two years old and competing regularly by the time he turned 14. He moved up quickly in the ranks, eventually becoming a top-five finisher in many races he entered along the way.
Masters of Barricades (MOB) became his title sponsor in 2020, learning about Staab’s passion for motocross after making a small donation to his football team. When Staab decided to make a move to motocross full time, MOB came along for the ride.
“Masters of Barricades has a long history of supporting our community, especially youth sports,” says Jeff Pritchett, CMO of MOB. “And while we’re not doing much right now, post-pandemic, we do what we can to keep these dreams alive. Broc is this amazing young man with a clear vision for the future and a heck of a lot of guts, way more than most people.”
Pritchett is referring to one of the most unfortunate aspects of motocross. About a year ago, one of Staab’s racing weekends in Utah ended with a crash over the bars. His injuries were severe enough to be rushed to a local hospital for X-rays of his wrist. When the prognosis looked good, his doctors told him to take a few weeks off and rest.
“Unfortunately, this wasn’t the end of the story,” said Staab. “As soon as I returned to racing, I started to feel a strange popping sensation in my shoulder. We didn’t think much about it at first. But then every time I hit a bump, it would affect my handling and sometimes end in a bobble — sort of like when you’re forced to put your bike down.”
After the last race, Broc and his family sought out specialists. What Broc was feeling — a locking, clicking, or "catching" feeling in the shoulder — was consistent with a torn shoulder labrum and the only solution was surgery.
“The prospect of surgery didn’t scare me,” says Broc. “Crashes are an unfortunate part of the sport, and I’ve had injuries and surgeries before. One crash shattered my spleen, so tightening my labrum didn’t sound so bad.”
Admittedly, Broc was more concerned about the recovery time. His long-term goal had always been to move from amateur to professional motocross racer at the age of 19, immediately after competing in the 2021 Amateur National Championship at Loretta Lynn’s in Hurricane Mills, Tenn. The labrum tear made achieving this goal impossible.
“It was a hard break to miss all the qualifiers and regional races, but there is nothing that could be done,” said Broc. “So I’ve re-evaluated my personal goal to become a professional motocross racer by 2023, shortly after earning my spot at Loretta Lynn’s in 2022.”
Although Broc recently finished rehabilitation, he has already spent time at the gym and eased back into riding. While he doesn’t have any big races on the books yet, he has been out to the track to see how everything feels.
“There is some limited range of motion, but I’m confident that will come back over time,” he said. “Of course, I also have an advantage in that I’ve been homeschooled since the eighth grade, which means more gym and track time.”
Broc is hoping to compete in the Arizona Open in December and Sunset Ridge next June if all goes well. Both races are highly visible and will help Broc earn the pro points he needs to make a move.
“Right now, I’m mostly working with training buddies. We ride together every day,” says Broc. “This is a great time to work on sprint laps while getting a feel for how everything else works. I’m anxious to get back out on the track, but I’m not looking for anything high risk, low reward.”
There are other considerations Broc has to make as well. While he intends to be a pro motocross racer for as long as possible, he knows every sport has an end date. He takes school very seriously. He is especially interested in entering a creative field, tapping his artistic talent to design his own line of streetwear.
“It’s always good to have other interests aside from the sport you love,” he said. “I enjoy mountain biking, motorcycling, deep-sea fishing and, more recently, golf. Golf is perfect for me right now. It’s helping to loosen up my shoulder, and it’s something I can do with my dad.”
Broc says it’s important to spend time with family, mainly because they’ve been very supportive all along: his mom shuffling him to tracks, his dad acting as chief mechanic, and his brother who initially inspired him to enter motocross. Likewise, Broc is equally enthusiastic about his sponsors, including Tri-City Cycle out of Colorado, Seven MX, PanicRev MX, Pro Circuit Product, ERA Moto, Ekolu Suspension, Matrix Concepts, and, of course, Masters of Barricades.
“One thing I am most excited about is the possibility of competing at a Supercross Futures AMA National Championship in Las Vegas,” said Broc. “That would be a great opportunity to represent MOB at a local AMA race. Few things would be better than that.”
One never knows. With the experience Masters of Barricades brings to any sporting event, especially racing events as large as the Mint 400 in Nevada and UTV World Championship in Arizona, MOB could one day become the traffic control and pedestrian management company of choice for motocross in and around Nevada.
In the meantime, keep up with Broc Staab’s comeback by following his motocross profile or Instagram. On race days, look for number 622 and the always recognizable Masters of Barricades logo. MOB News will be following him on Facebook and Twitter too.
