BULL FIGHTS AND DIRT BIKE RACING

This last weekend was very eventful!  Saturday morning we got up early and went to Hollister to practice for the race on Sunday.  They had made a few changes to the track and it was really fun to ride.  I did pretty well all day on Saturday and my Dad got my bike suspension working really good.

Saturday after practice we had plans to meet up with my Grandparents and my Great Grandpa to go to a fundraiser to fight autism and cancer that was put on by the Carlos Vieira Foundation.  The event was a Portuguese Bloodless Bullfight Festival and I was excited to take my family and watch the show.  My Great Grandfather is 94 and hasn’t spoken Portuguese since my Great Grandmother died several years ago.  He was so excited to hear everyone speaking Portuguese and even started speaking it himself.  He was so funny and he loved the show.  (Mom, Hailey, Dad, Grandma, Me, Great Grandpa, Uncle Johnny, and Grandpa)

The people and the horses chased the bulls around and got them tired and then different teams tried to jump on the bull and tackle it down.  It is a really fun event and everyone had so much fun.

My sister Hailey works with special needs kids and although she loved the show, it meant even more to her that the event was for such an amazing cause.

Carlos, The Carlos Vieira Foundation and 51 Fifty Energy Drink always put together these awesome events to give back in huge ways and it is amazing how much they do for children with Autism and Cancer.  Thank you so much for all the fun Carlos…… YOU ROCK!

This is a picture of Me, My Dad, My Grandpa, and My Great Grandpa……we are an awesome group of guys!

After the show we went back to Hollister to sleep so we can race the next day.  Sunday morning I was ready to go and practice went well in the morning.

In my first race I didn’t have the best start but in the first few turns I moved into second place and was moving in on first place.  I was getting closer to the leader and was getting ready to pass for the lead when my bike slid out on a berm and it kicked back and threw me into the front of the next jump.  My arm got jammed into the ground and I could tell it was not good.  I went to the doctor to see if it was broken, and they said it wasn’t.  woo hoo!  Just a little purple and really sore.

No worries…..Nothing broken……I will be back really soon……

 

I do have to thank all my friends at the track that were very concerned about my crash and helped us get all our stuff packed up so we could get to the doctors.  You are all amazing and it is really cool to have so many awesome people who care about me.

Another funny thing……  On Saturday I also lost 2 teeth.  I lost one tooth in the morning and I lost another one in the afternoon.  So Crazy.

YOUNG MOTOCROSSER CATCHES AIR AND FAME……..ARTICLE

A couple weeks ago my local newspaper called me

They asked me some questions to write an article about me in the newspaper.

When I left for Tennessee to race at Nationals my local newspaper wrote an article about me.

Our local paper is a free newspaper that is delivered weekly to every home in our town,and the towns around me.  

Staff writer Kyle Szymanski wrote the article below:

YOUNG MOTOCROSSER CATCHES AIR AND FAME

When Discovery Bay resident Hunter Cross fractured his tibia and fibula after falling off his dirt bike at age 7, his parents bought him a go-kart in anticipation of him switching sports.  But it didn’t take long for the youngster to leave the car in the dust.  “He came out in his cast, and said, ‘What’s that? I ride dirt bikes,’” said Kari Cross, Hunter’s mother.

Cross got back on his bike, and today, he’s soared to new heights as one of the top motocrossers in the area.

Now 10, Cross will travel to Loretta Lynn’s Ranch in Tennessee next week to compete in the American Motorcyclist Association’s Red Bull Amateur National Motocross Championships. After beating out more than 20,000 hopefuls from across America to earn one of the 1,446 qualifying positions, he’ll compete in the event that once saw top professionals James Stewart, Ricky Carmichael, Travis Pastrana and Jeremy McGrath turn its corners and fly off its jumps.  “The Amateur Nationals at Loretta Lynn’s is the event every motocross racer in the country wants to compete in,” said Tim Cotter, director of the event. “A win at the Amateur Nationals gives a rider instant national notoriety and can serve as a springboard to a lucrative professional motocross career.”

It’s little wonder why Cross’ stock is steadily rising in the sport. If he’s not in class at Discovery Bay Elementary, he’s usually at the Club Moto Motocross Park in Livermore or competing in such places as Los Angeles or Washington. He’s currently sponsored by the makers of the 51 Fifty Energy Drink, Moto Efx, Cyclegear, Motovision, Driven Animosity and others.

“I love it,” Cross said. “It’s one of the only things I enjoy in life.”  Riding fast and exploding off jumps provides Cross with a thrill that’s second to none, but he’s not immune to the danger of the sport. Aside from breaking his tibia and fibula, he’s also broken his arm three times, including a break he suffered in June. The ever-present risk of crashing, combined with the sheer excitement of the sport, forces his mother, father and sister to watch his races with bated breath. Their eyes, however, are fixated on a star that’s more concerned about his performance.  “I sometimes get nervous and get butterflies, but then I get on the bike and nothing is really on my mind because I am in the zone,” Cross said.

Against a pool of competitors, many of whom are home-schooled and coached by professionals, Cross has an uncanny ability to handle the bike and identify mechanical issues, Kari said. His parents, who ride dirt bikes but do not compete, are also his coaches and mechanics.  “I don’t really know what makes him so good,” she said. “He’s got good knowledge of the bike and coordination. He’s able to tell his dad when things aren’t going right with the bike, which not a lot of kids can do.”

The championships in Tennessee figure to test his skill and stamina in conditions he’s not used to racing in. He’ll race against some of the best racers in the world and just a short time after his cast is removed. While some competitors might back away from the challenge, Cross is moving full speed ahead in hopes it’ll elevate him in a sport he wants to be a part of forever.  “The first time on the track, I loved it,” he said. “I love going fast and hitting the jumps.”

THIS LAST WEEK THE PAPERS HAD ANOTHER ARTICLE IN THEM

YOUNG MOTOCROSSER THIRD AT NATIONAL EVENT

Hunter Cross, 10, of Discovery Bay finished third overall at the recent American Motorcycle Association’s Amateur Motocross Nationals at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch in Tennessee. 

Discovery Bay’s Hunter Cross battled through pouring rain, wasps and a whole lot of mud to finish third overall in the 65 stock-age class at the American Motorcycle Association’s Amateur Motocross Nationals at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch in Tennessee.

Recovering from a broken arm, the 10-year-old finished fourth in his opening race, but a broken chain, a wasp stinging him while he rode and equipment issues played a role in his next three races. Through adversity, however, he positioned himself to finish fifth in his fifth race, which secured him an overall third-place finish. Torrid conditions on the track impeded his progress nearly the entire event, but he still enjoyed the experience.

“Like all the other riders from California, we never ride when there is even a chance of rain, so I was excited to race in the mud and see what it was like,” Cross said on his blog. “I couldn’t believe how hard it was to ride in the mud.”  For more information about Cross, go to http://www.cross71.com

PRACTICE AND PAIN

Last week I got back from Tennessee and I was excited to get back to practicing for the next big race.  I went to Club Moto in Livermore on Wednesday for practice.  I was riding really good, my Dad said I was looking like my old self again like before I hurt my arm.  I was having fun racing around the track and I was feeling good.  I was even wearing new socks from my Aunt Cheryl….

In my last practice session I was jumping the table top along the street and as I was coming up to the jump there was another bike (a larger bike) in front of me on the right side of the track.  As I was coming up to the jump I saw the bike in front of me started moving from the right side of the track to the left.  As I went off the jump I tried to slow down and I tried to move as far as I could to the left.  In the air I still tried to lean to the left so I wouldn’t hit the other dirt bike, but when I did that it was pushing me off the track.  When I landed on the side of the jump I flew to the bottom of the jump and crashed really hard.

It was such a hard crash that I broke my neck brace, hurt my back and my foot really bad.  It took me a while to get up because although I was hurt I also had the wind knocked out of me.  The next day I was so sore I had a hard time walking but after a few days I was able to walk fine.

Over the weekend I went to practice and as soon as I got on my bike and started going over braking bumps I felt it really bad in my back.  I couldn’t ride the way I wanted to without being in a ton of pain so my parents decided I should wait a little longer before I get on my bike.  It has been a week now since the crash and I still have a little pain but I am hoping to get back on my bike now and start riding.

Fingers crossed that no one crosses the track in front of me again!

NATIONALS IN TENNESSEE (part 2 of 2) The Road To Loretta’s

On the 36 hour drive to Tennessee for the AMA Amateur Motocross Nationals at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch my parents and I did a little site seeing.

We drove 24 hours from Northern California, to Oklahoma City.  We stopped at Cadillac Ranch off Route 66, which is an art sculpture.  There is several cars coming out of the ground and people stop to spray paint the cars and become part of the art.  I wrote “71MX” on one of the cars and I also wrote “TENN BOUND CROSS71”.

After we painted the cars we continued to Oklahoma City.  My Grandparents who left California several days before my parents and I met us in Oklahoma City and we all went to the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial site.  It was such a cool place and I learned a lot about the event and how it affected so many people.

We spent the night in Oklahoma and the next day we went the rest of the way to Tennessee.   My Dad and I wrestled in the pool and of course I won!

On the way from Oklahoma to Tennessee we stopped at the Memphis Zoo for a few hours.  It was so awesome.  The place was huge they had panda bears, I got to feed a giraffe, I got to ride a camel, I feed sting rays and sharks, we watched a seal show, and they have this really cool night exhibit with nocturnal animals…..we did a lot in a couple of hours.

I was so excited to finally get to Loretta’s.  The next day we walked the track, signed into the event, and saw a lot of our friends and sponsors.  I took my report card to sign up for the Loretta Lynn’s Honor Roll and get my A+ stickers again this year.

The next day was practice and the weather was perfect, not to hot.  Practice went well and then we went back to clean the bikes and get ready for the next day when racing starts.

The earlier post (part 1 of 2) gives the play by play (and pictures) of how each race went throughout the week.

The awards ceremony at the end of the week is really cool!  They give trophies to the top 10 riders in each class and the top three riders in each class get really cool sword trophies.

I was so excited that I finished in the top three so I was able to bring home the famous Loretta Lynn Championship Swords.

It was really cool that my Grandma and Grandpa drove all the way to Tennessee to watch me race.  My Dad keeps my bikes running and is always working on them.  My Mom did lots of driving and helped me with my gear each day.

After awards is was time for us to head back to California.  We had to drive straight home without stopping because my Dad had to go to work late Sunday night.  It was a lot of driving so we watched movies, I played xbox, and I slept…..sorry I couldn’t help drive Mom and Dad.  🙂

Now back home and back to practice and more racing!

2013 MOTOCROSS NATIONALS IN TENNESSEE (part 1 of 2)

Last week was the AMA Amateur Motocross Nationals at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch in Tennessee.

This was my first race back after my broken arm.  I was for sure out of shape compared to the kids that have been riding and racing every week.  Half way through each race I could feel how out of shape I was, and I started making mistakes that I don’t think I would normally make.  I tried really hard to push through, but it was even more difficult with the track conditions.  Every day the track was completely different.

RACE 1 (65 Stock-Age) – In my first race I didn’t have the best start but I was able to fight to the front.  I went down and lost several spots and was able to finish in 4th place.

race 2 (65 Open) – The next day I was in staging and it started to rain and thunder and lightning.  It did not rain like it does at home this was buckets and buckets of rain.  The road we parked on was flooded to our knees in some spots and the track announced that we needed to stay by our pits because we might have to evacuate.  It only rained for about 45 minutes but it did a lot of damage.  We had to wait for about five hours for them to take some of the mud off the top of the track.  Finally it was time to race but the track was totally a mess.  I started off so go and I was second out of the gate.  I got about half way around the track and my bike just stopped and I was thrown over the handle bars.  I quickly got up and started my bike to get back in the race but my bike wouldn’t go.  I tried and tried but I had gotten a rock stuck in my chain and my chain was broken.  I didn’t finish the race.

race 3 (65 Stock-Age) – Although it didn’t rain anymore, the track the next day was almost more muddy than the day before.  I guess the water truck got stuck in the mud so instead of watering the track we rode on the day before the tractors moved the wet mud back on top of the track.  I had a really bad start in this race and was in 27th place in the beginning.  I rode all the way up to 1st.  With two laps left I made a mistake and went down which moved me back to 10th place.  I got up and was only able to get to 6th place before the checkered flag.  As soon as the race was over I quickly took off my shirt because I was being stung by a wasp while I was riding.  I had 3 stings on my chest and stomach…it hurt so bad!

race 4 (65 Open) – Because my chain broke in the last 65 Open race I had the last gate pick.  I basically had to start in the line that no other rider wanted. lol  I was in 25th on the first lap and moved to 10th place when my front tire slide out and I went down.  Some strange thing happened to my helmet and my visor was stuck bent down covering my eyes.  Because I couldn’t see I had to go a little slower and I lost several spots before the end of the race.

race 5 (65 Stock-Age) – The track was finally getting better and it was turning into a dry and rough track.  I didn’t have the best start again but I battled up to 5th place.  My Dad was giving me signals that let me know if I finished in 5th I would be in the 3rd place overall position in this class.  Even if I passed more bikes I couldn’t change my overall position so I backed off and rode smart to make sure I didn’t make any mistakes and I was able to finish up the class with an overall 3rd place finish.

race 6 (65 Open) – I was in staging to start the last race and it again, out of nowhere, started to rain with thunder and lightning.  The track was turning into a really big muddy mess again but because they were getting ready to go live on NBC, they couldn’t do much to the track.  A lot of kids in my class that didn’t do good in the first two races decided not to even race in the last race.  Like all the other riders from California, we never ride when there is even a chance of rain so I was excited to race in the mud and see what it was like.  I couldn’t believe how hard it was to ride in the mud…. everyone was falling and it turned into a last man standing competition.  When I fell my bike was so stuck in the mud that a worker had to help me pull it out of the mud.  I used tons of tear offs and still couldn’t see through all the mud that was flying around.  I did really bad, I think I need more practice riding in the mud.  If any of you watched the race on NBC, I was the class that raced right in front of the one the aired on TV so that was the exact same track I rode on.

Earlier this year my goal was to win at Nationals.  Then I broke my arm and I wasn’t going to be able to go to Nationals at all.  I got my arm better and was able to go at the last minute so I was very happy to be able to go to Tennessee and pull out a top 3 finish.  I am ready to get back to practice and start working on next year.

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More information coming soon about the Loretta Lynn Amateur Nationals, awards and sights along the way.