Tessman calls time on career after 20-years of racing

2014 1:8 Buggy World Champion Ty Tessman has called time on an impressive career that puts him up there among the greats of offroad racing.  The Canadian announced the decision to retire from the sport after 20-years of racing as he is set to become a father in 2024.  Never an easy decision for any sports professional who has dedicate their live to achieving success, the decision by Xray to drop him at the end of 2023 after a 7-year partnership would certainly have played a factor in his departure from the sport.  A driver who only represented two manufacturers during his extensive career, Tessman paid tribute to Hot Bodies for giving him the opportunity to turn professional in the sport with his father Gord and mother Leann a pivotal part of the ‘Team Tessman’ journey, the highlight of which was his World title win in Italy 10-years ago.  Having witnessed and reported on many of Ty greatest wins over the years, Red RC would like to thank the Tessmans for the memories (late cold nights at the Dirt Nitro Challenge pitting in the Pro-Line tent particular stand outs!!) of some epic race battles and wish Ty all the best in his new family life.  Who knows maybe the story will repeat itself in years to come.

Now that 2023 has come to a close, I would like to take this opportunity to reflect on a great year filled with great people. I also want to take this opportunity to announce a big change in my life, as I’m officially retiring from racing.

This decision has not come easily.  My racing career has been such a blessing and I’ve enjoyed every bit of it.  I’ve been racing for 20 years and in that time I’ve had the opportunity to visit so many wonderful countries and meet so many amazing people along the way.  Many who have become like family to me.  Thank you to everyone who has made my career such an amazing adventure!  To all of the true friends I’ve made in RC, you know who you are.  You all made it much more enjoyable.

Even though the decision has been difficult, I’m confident it’s the right choice.  My wife and I are expecting a baby in just a few months, I want to dedicate my time to being a husband and a father and focus on my family.  We’re excited to move on to the next adventure!
I would like to say a special thank you to Tatsuro Watanabe and Yuko Watanabe for giving me a huge head start in my career.  They gave me an amazing sponsorship with Hot Bodies racing back when I first started, way before I had made any kind of name for myself.  I definitely wouldn’t have been able to race as much and excel as fast as I did without his support and I’m proud of all our accomplishments together.

I’d also like to thank all of my other sponsors who have supported me throughout my career.  From the companies who gave me amazing opportunities early on when I was just starting out, to the ones who helped me grow and develop later in my career, I appreciate everything that’s been given to me.

I also appreciate all the individuals and companies that have reached out to me with opportunities since my departure post earlier.

I would also like to say a huge thank you to my parents for all of the sacrifices they’ve made along the way.  They gave up every vacation day they had to haul me across the world and give me every opportunity they could.  I’m thankful for the long hours they spent driving through the night, surviving weeks on fast food, spending hours booking hotels and arranging flights.  Not to mention the endless hours spent at the track, both at races and at home practicing.  I would not be where I am today without their hard work, and I’ll always be thankful for everything they’ve done.

Thank you to my sister as well for her help and sacrifices. She was dragged around to most of the races early on in my career and I’m grateful to her for giving up a lot of her time so that both my parents could come racing with me. A lot of people may not know this, but she designed and has handled my website from the beginning which also boosted my career.

Thank you to my wonderful wife for supporting me, taking care of everything at home and putting up with my absence while I’ve been away racing in the past few years.

Most of all, I’m thankful for the talent that my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ has given me to be a witness for Him in all that I’ve done.  My greatest hope is that I’ve represented Him well throughout the years, despite my faults and shortcomings throughout the ups and downs of life.  If I’ve been able to impact even one person throughout my career, I’ll consider it all worthwhile.

Ty Tessman

Source: Ty Tessman [Facebook]