Motor Action Media delves deep into the story behind motocross and watercross’ most loved pit pastor and the history behind Team Faith.
You could hear a pin drop, no engines were cranking, no one was stirring. Not even the rowdiest racer interrupted as one man takes the microphone.
“Speak to our hearts right now, teach us what you’d have us learn, show us the way you’d have us go, change us from the inside out, and ultimately Lord, just bring us closer to you. In Jesus name, Amen.”
As he finishes the prayer, the racers look to Brian O’Rourke with open minds and hearts, waiting to hear the message he is about to give.
Team Faith is one of the most well-known motor sports teams in the country. Known for competing in IJSBA Pro Watercross Jet Ski racing, AMA Arenacross dirt bike racing and other motocross events, their dedication to God has affected the lives of thousands of racers and action sports lovers across the country. With every prayer they give before an event commences, with every meal they bless in the pit area, they bring the race family closer together and closer to God.
O’Rourke and a team of talented action sports athletes have made it their mission to “infiltrate professional racing circuits” to bring athletes closer to God. Each summer, O’Rourke sets out with his team to tackle the IJSBA Pro Watercross National Tour by racing every event on the tour and working as a tool for God at these events. Once the Jet Ski season ends, O’Rourke has little time to regroup before setting out again with his team for the AMA Arenacross National Tour.
Team Faith consists of a powerful group of speakers who are friendly and have great understanding and passion for Christianity. At each race, a member is there with either a powerful message, a humbling prayer, or simply an open ear. Their daily devotionals bring handfuls of racers out early in the mornings, eager to listen.
Often, O’Rourke will tell you that he did not always walk along a righteous path. In his testimony, he tells racers that before finding God he was a DJ at a strip club and experimented with drugs,
“Of all the things I tried in my life, I had never tried Jesus. One day I thought I should give it a try.”
Not long after “giving Jesus a try”, O’Rourke quit his job at the strip club. His incredible journey to founding Team Faith soon followed.
A mission from God changed O’Rourke’s entire life and you wouldn’t believe how it happened. In 1994, Brian O’Rourke felt a calling to watercross. It wasn’t the need for speed that sparked his interest; but a Hot Summer Nights Jet Ski racing broadcast.
As O’Rourke watched the racing broadcast, one of the biggest racers at that time was pictured; he lounged on a massage table under a huge sponsor tent – living the dream.
“I just saw how well he was doing and I really admired that.” O’Rourke recalled. “But every time he opened his mouth he seemed boisterous. At that moment I felt that God called me to teach him to talk about Jesus instead of himself so he would be positive role model.”
From that point forward O’Rourke’s set his mission to reach out to this racer. He started by sending hand-written letters and a homemade video explaining how this champion could do great things in the name of God. He also purchased his first personal watercraft, a Yamaha WaveBlaster, and started racing in the Sport class both regionally and nationally. As he had begun giving prayers at these races, his efforts to reach out to this racer had not succeeded yet.
That same year he read an article about legendary women’s stand up Jet Ski racer, Christy Carlson. In the article she was quoted saying that “her favorite memory from the season was starting a new bible study with other racers”. After seeing this O’Rourke thought he could reach his boisterous champion through her. So he wrote a letter to Carlson explaining how he wanted to reach out to this one racer.
O’Rourke’s mission to reach out to this racer would not be complete until 1995. That year he travelled to Lake Havasu for the IJSBA World Finals. While he was there, he was asked to pray for the safety of the racers before the competition commenced. He recalls some of the most legendary racers of all time in the grandstands while he delivered his prayer,
“I saw Chris Macclugage and Christy Carlson and Victor Sheldon up in the stands and I just locked up.” O’Rourke recalled. “It was really awkward as the racers slowly shuffled off the grandstands.”
Afterward, O’Rourke sat down, feeling discouraged about what had happened. While sitting there, he was approached by the boisterous racer he had been trying to reach. O’Rourke vividly remembers telling the racer about his whole adventure. The racer was surprised by O’Rourke’s enthusiasm and told O’Rourke that because of Christy Carlson, he had recently found God. O’Rourke felt he had completed his mission when he baptized the racer during the World Finals.
For the years to follow, O’Rourke lived out of his van, travelling to watercross and arenacross events, sharing his story and spreading the gospel. Today Team Faith has a huge race trailer that is always open to everyone at the races; their vision has attracted sponsors like Fly Racing, Factory KTM, JetLift, FMF, Renegade Racing Fuels and many others who are eager to support their mission. Aside from founder, Brian O’Rourke, Team Faith has many talented riders, including motocross racer and mechanic Chuck Lemaster, motocross racer and freestyle motocross competitor, Kevin Johnson, motocross racer Gavin Gracyk, motocross racer Cheyenne Harmon and motocross and watercross racer, Kelly Smith.
After seeing Kelly Smith give glory to God for his success as a racer, O’Rourke new it was a no brainer to ask Smith to be a part of the team. In 2010, Kelly Smith became part of the Team Faith movement.
“As a part of Team Faith, I get to do chapel services and build relationships with riders specifically. I get the opportunity to be used as a disciple in the light.” Smith explained. “You know how it is [as a racer], you’re gone at the races every Sunday, it’s a group of people who don’t get to go to church.”
Unlike O’Rourke, Smith rooted his action sports background when he began racing amateur motocross at age 14. When he turned 18, he advanced to the professional level. He has been on the line with world-famous riders like Travis Pastrana and James Stewart (to name a few), at many AMA Supercross races. He has competed in most of the United States tours and has also raced in Italy, France, Germany, New Zealand, Austria and Finland. In 2013, he received an invitation to compete at the X-Games – a very prestigious honor.
Before 2013, Smith had not raced personal watercraft, but had ridden personal watercraft in his free time. At the start of the 2013 Jet Ski season, Kelly jumped on a Yamaha Waveblaster and became tough competition for talented racers like National Champion Glen Jung. Smith had no problem transitioning from dirt to water for his debut.“Between my bike and the Wave Blaster, racing is racing,” Smith said. “the body positioning through the turns is almost the same between the Wave Blaster and the bike.”
In his first year racing personal watercraft, Smith won the Sport Spec National Championship, placed 4th in Sport Spec at the World Finals, and placed among the Top Ten at the World Finals in Sport Open.
Despite Smith’s success, with each race he finishes, he can be seen coming across the finish line with his fist to the sky; giving God the glory of Smith’s own victories. The same can be said for the rest of the team, whose goals of glorifying God come before their desire to win. Each member of the team spends weeks away from home hoping to help the racers that don’t get the chance to go to church on Sundays.
Team Faith has been present at every Pro Watercross National Tour stop, along with the World Finals, and made it to each of the AMA Arenacross tour stops as well. Their devotionals and prayers silence even the craziest racers and they give the glory to God with every victory, setting an example for everyone, and influencing the athletes who influence the entire industry – hoping to reach out to anyone who can help spread the Word of God.
“Thanks be to GOD! He gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”