HEATHER TOWERS
What’s your name?
My name is Heather Towers.
Where are you from?
I am from Venetia, PA (a suburb of Pittsburgh.)
Who is(are) your rider(s)?
I am the moto mom of Gavin Towers #15 on Kawasaki.
How long have you been a moto mom?
I have been a moto mom for eleven years.
Were you into motorcycles before becoming a moto mom?
Motocross was something that was new to our family. My husband Kevin and I competed at the World level in barefoot waterskiing. We hoped to have another “footer” on our hands but he had other ideas.
Describe a typical race weekend for you.
For me, a typical race weekend consists of cooking for my family. I try and make sure Gavin has the proper nutrition to help him perform to the best of his ability. We love sharing meals and spending time with our extended motocross family.
What’s your family’s favorite meal at the track?
I have to say we eat very well at the track. My son’s favorite meal would have to be breakfast. He likes to have his eggs ready for him before he goes out to practice. As far as other meals, I try to schedule them based on what time he will be racing the next day.
Do you have any pre-race rituals or superstitions while spectating?
When Gavin gets on the gate, I get very nervous. I keep hoping for the day that it gets easier but it never does. I have a set of prayers that I say to myself over and over again until he takes off. I never watch the holeshot. When Gavin was little and I used to watch and photograph his starts things would happen. He would fall or a kick-starter might fall off, so Gavin asked me to stop watching his starts. I tried one time to see if the superstition held true; I watched him start at Mini O’s and he ended up crashing off the start with Matt LeBlanc. Needless to stay, that was the last start I watched.
Most nerve-wracking moment watching your kid(s) race/ride?
There have been several nerve-wracking moments in watching your child ride. There are two that stick out in my mind; one was at Area 51 where Gavin overshot a downhill jump and landed flat on his bike and then fell over and had to be rushed to the hospital and the other was watching his final race at Daytona Speedway 2019 - the poor gentleman beside me had a full-time job keeping me calm.
Favorite part about being at the track?
Despite all the nail-biting, my favorite part about being at the track is spending time with my family. Gavin and Kevin travel a lot together and Sydney (his sister) and I are often at home. When we get to the track I love to watch Gavin in his element and be surrounded by his friends. The moto community is a wonderful place to raise a family.
Least favorite part about traveling to the races?
I think my least favorite part of going to the track is all the setup and clean up that goes into the camping. For anyone who has ever been to Camp Towers - they will understand - Kevin doesn’t do anything easy, but it makes it a nice environment for all of our friends to gather.
Craziest travel story?
As far as crazy travel stories. Most of the craziness happens with just Kevin and Gavin. However, we have had our fair share of blowouts. In one trip from Loretta’s, we had three blowouts. Kevin and I were getting so good at changing tires on the side of the road that we functioned like a real pit crew and could be back on the road in less than ten minutes.
The most important lesson motocross teaches at a young age.
Motocross can teach a child responsibility at a very young age. It teaches competition, dedication and hard work. It also teaches independence. Oftentimes, these kids are at a training facility without their parents and have to learn to take care of themselves.
What’s your secret to getting all the dirt stains out of riding gear?
I taught Gavin to do laundry at a very young age. He is the one who washes his own gear. In his earlier days when I washed them I often would use Fels-Naptha (bar soap) that would work really well on his stains.
Proudest moment of your career as a moto mom thus far?
As the mother of Gavin Towers, I have had many proud moments. I feel very blessed to have a son who is professional, kind and competitive all in one. There are two special moments that stick out in my brain...the first was when he took second in the 2013 KTM JR supercross challenge in Dallas, TX. They interviewed him on the jumbotron and he spoke very articulately. I was so proud. When he came back to the stands the whole section went wild and a gentleman behind us even commented on how well-spoken he was. The second proud moment was when he did the internet interview for Dunlop this year at Daytona. I enjoyed watching him commentate on the race and riders.
What’s your favorite track?
I am not sure I have a favorite track. If I had to pick some, it would probably be Pleasure Valley Raceway in Seward, PA (Jeff Cernic’s track) and Briarcliff MX in Nashport, OH. I chose those because they are two of Gavin’s favorites.
Who is your favorite pro racer?
Just like the tracks - I really don’t have one favorite pro rider. I really enjoy watching the interviews they do and getting to know them. One rider I can personally say I think is great is Malcolm Stewart. We met him back in 2011 at Mini O’s. He came over to the group of children at our camp and probably spent an hour with them. I thought it was wonderful to see him interact with them. My son and Malcolm had the chance to talk after The Monster Cup race in Vegas and again he was very supportive and down to Earth. I also have enjoyed Ken Roczen. I have watched his determination to get back into shape after his last injury.
What is your favorite genre of music?
My favorite music genre is probably the ‘70s.
What is your favorite movie/tv show?
I have several favorite movies - Practical Magic, The Proposal.
What is in your red solo cup?
My red solo cup usually contains red wine.
Any advice for the moto moms of the future?
The advice I could give new moto mom’s is to treasure every moment. They seem to grow up so fast but when they get off those bikes they are still your little baby. Also, learn the power of prayer. That is what gets me through.
