LAS VEGAS – MONSTER ENERGY CUP

Last week was the big event!  I did my first ever supercross race on TV at MEC in Las Vegas.  The week before the race I had several sponsors that helped me get myself and my bike ready for the race.  I am very thankful for all the support I get throughout the year!!!!   I was able to get a private ride day at the Yamaha track to help get prepared which was awesome.  The guys from Bills Pipes came out and worked on my bike.  The Grindstone Compound gave me lots of tips in tricks that I would need for the race in Vegas

When we got to Vegas we had a day to relax, do virtual reality games, get a henna tattoo and have a little fun.

 

My Dad had my bike looking awesome and when we got to the track all my sponsors gave me all my gear and I was looking pretty good!

In the morning I had a track walk.  We walk the track and figure out what the strategy will be for practice and the race.

We had two qualifying sessions that we were practicing while trying to qualify for a gate position for the race.

My bike and I were under the 51 Fifty Energy Drink tent and after practice we signed autographs for people.

I filmed a video for Wienerschnitzel.

I got advice and help from several people helping me throughout the day.

 

When it got dark the lights come on in the stadium and the place was packed with people cheering very loud.  We waited for the camera because the race was aired live and then it was time to race.

In my first race I didn’t get the best start but was able to stay on two wheels and finish in 10th place.  In the second race I got a better start and finished in 7th place for a 7th place overall.

The whole event was so much fun!  I learned a lot and can’t wait until next year!

 

FLY AMATEUR NATIONAL RACE

This last week was the Fly Amateur National Race in Sacramento.  The race was great timing for me because I have never before raced a Supermini and I am getting ready for Monster Cup so it was a good time for me to get some extra practice.The race was really fun and I did a lot of testing on my bike.  I struggled a little with the suspension and we made changes after each race and continued to get it better each time.

I wanted to race an extra class so I signed up in schoolboy but I rode my Supermini and they combined my class with Vet 30 plus A and Vet Master 50 plus.  It was awesome because I got to line up next to Arik Swan with was so funny to see me on a little bike and him so tall.

In each race I was pretty consistent on my starts and got several hole shots.

Because we were close to my home, a lot of my family came out to visit and to watch me ride.  Thank you to my sister Hailey, my cousin Darrian and her boyfriend, and my Aunt Cheryl.

Also, I have to thank Cari Schehr from Grindstone Compound for all the support and help.

We also had fun off the track.  In the Karaoke contest I sang the new song I wrote and recorded that is coming out soon and gave everyone a preview.

I also took a picture with a lot of my friends that are all supported by Honda, Kawasaki, KTM of Modesto

I finished out the event with two 2nd place finishes in Supermini and 5th place in the Schoolboy class.

I can’t wait to get back on the track for more!

MAMMOTH MOUNTAIN RACE

My first big race back from my accident was this week.  The race at Mammoth Mountain is like a mini Loretta Lynn race, everyone goes to this race…. and this year was the 50th anniversary so it was bigger and better than ever.  We had to drive all the way around this year because roads were still closed from all the snow that we got this year.  We stopped for some fun in the water and snow on the way to and from Mammoth…. it was really cold!

The next day was Father’s Day and my Dad spent the whole day working on my bikes and getting everything ready for the race…. He is the best!

I tested my bike on the road a few times just to make sure we got the jetting the best we could.  The elevation is so high on the mountain we have to change all of our settings from what we run at home.

Practice day went well.  Worked on getting my flow down on the track and fine tuning the motor.  I couldn’t wait to get on the line and race!

I was really lucky to have Josh Boykin with Boykin Suspension spend a few days with my family and I and make sure my bike was ready for each race.  Josh worked with Dom and I before each moto and my bike never felt better.  I really appreciate all your help and hard work Josh!

I had a lot of my sponsors at the event to support me… Thank you Yamaha, 2X Promotions, Fly Gear, Scott Goggles, and so many others that I didn’t get pictures with like Leatt, Dunlop, Mylucasoil, Americoresmx, Addictionindustries, Mika, etc.

The first day of racing I was in the top 3 in every race.  It was really cool to be on the line with so many awesome racers and be able to battle up front with them.  The track was awesome, and I was really happy with my results because I feel like I am still getting back up to speed.  I finished day 1 with Heat race 1st and 2nd and main event 2nd and 3rd place finishes.

Day 2 the track got a little more rough and my lap times got a little faster.  I didn’t have better results but had even better battles than the day before.  Finished the Heat races with two 2nd place finishes.  I finished one main event with a 3rd and the second main event I got the hole shot and was out front but crashed really hard.  I crushed my pipe all the way in and my throttle was totally broken.  I was able to battle back from 26th to 8th place.

After my races my family and I did a video testimonial for Leatt.  They wanted to have myself and my Mom and Dad talk about my accident when I broke my back and how because of the neck brace and chest protector I was able to get back on my bike and ride this race.  I’m not too sure how the video is going to turn out.  I did my part and told them what happened on my bike.  Then when my Mom and Dad told their part, both my parents cried which made all the film crew and Leatt reps cry, which made me cry.  I didn’t realize my parents were so upset about everything.  And my parents said that it was really hard to talk about because they have never told the full story out loud before…. and it has only been two months.  I guess I will have to update you all and let you know how that turns out. lol

I also did a video shoot for Yamaha up in the trees.  I always like to talk about how much I love my bike!

I also want to thank the Vacarello family for letting us share a cabin with you.  Always fun hanging out with friends.

Now it’s time to get ready for Loretta’s!

 

LORETTA LYNN REGIONAL IN WASHINGTON

I got cleared from the doctor two weeks ago after breaking my back in March.  I was able to practice at my local track a handful of times but time is running out to qualify for Nationals in Tennessee.   This weekend was the first round of qualifying at Washougal MX in Washington.  I was feeling good on my bike and ready to get back to racing and asked my parents if I could go.  My Mom thought it would be good to go and get a gate and a practice in on a large track…. I was going to race!

I had my bike looking good.

I was looking good.

I had my WIENERSCHNITZEL DAWG, my 51 FIFTY ENERGY DRINK, and it was time to race!

I had some really good starts and I rode hard even though the track got a little sketchy from time to time.  I finished out the weekend with TWO TICKETS TO LORETTA LYNN’S NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE!

I was happy to get my tickets to Nationals at the first round.  My parents couldn’t believe that after just a couple of practices I was able to take so many wins over the weekend, but I knew I could do it.  Now I can take some time to practice and get more and more comfortable on the bike.

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!

RACING, TEXAS, AND HOSPITAL VISITS

I had a race in Texas so we left on Thursday and headed to Los Angeles to race the Loretta Lynn qualifier on our way.  We had practice on Friday and raced Saturday.  The race was at 333MX and the track was very different from what I am used to racing.  I was able to finish out the day with two 1st place trophies.

As soon as the race was over my family got into the van and drove 24 hours to Texas.  My parents took turns driving and I slept most of the way.  We were all very happy when we got to Texas and arrived at the Freestone track.

We had a day to get settled, sign in and walk the track.  I also did a photo shoot and video for Leatt.  (I will have a separate post about Leatt later and how wearing a neck and back brace saved me again)

We got a really good nights sleep and I was ready for practice on Tuesday.  My bike was looking awesome with the new graphics, Fly hooked me up with new gear, and I was ready to go.

My first practice was great.  I was getting used to the track and put down some great laps.  In my second practice things did not go as well.  On the second lap my bike didn’t seem like it was running very well.  I thought it would clear out and I kept riding.  When I was going through the rollers my bike bogged and I didn’t clear the jump.  I went head first into the face of the jump and my bike hit me in my back.  I immediately knew that I was pretty hurt, but I wasn’t sure what was wrong.

After going to the hospital, getting advice from some great friends and some new friends, I got transported to a Children’s Hospital.

I was strapped down and they did a lot of tests.  I had and MRI, CT Scan, and X-rays.

The doctors found I had a fractured T1, T2, T3 and T4 vertebrae, a broken T5 vertebrae and pulled ligaments in my neck….. along with a lot of cuts and bruises.  The doctors said I was very lucky that my break did not move any farther at all.  I am so lucky that I was wearing my safety gear.

After a couple of days they finally let me sit up but I still couldn’t get out of bed or walk.  The doctors did more and more tests to make figure out what they needed to do to make sure my back and neck were stable.  Donnie from Yamaha drove for hours just to come and check on me which was very awesome!

The next day I finally got to get out of bed and move around a little.  I was able to go sit in the team room and play video games.

The doctors finally released me to head back to California.  My parents took turns driving but we had to make a few stops along the way for me to rest a little.  I really want to thank everyone for all the get well wishes.  So many people reached out to myself and my parents and it meant a lot to all of us.

Now I am in a back brace and I have to meet with my doctors in California so I can figure out what is next for me.

CONSISTANT FINISHES THREE WEEKS IN A ROW

Two weeks ago I raced a Loretta Lynn qualifier at DT1.  It had rained a lot right before that so the track was a little muddy for practice and got really rough throughout the races.

I had a few really good starts and some good battles out front  I was able to finish up the day with a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.

The next weekend I raced a Road To Mammoth race at Oatfield.  Again the track got really rough as the day went on.

I battled back and forth with my friends and for the third week in a row I finished with an overall 1st, 2nd and 3rd place finish.

Both weekends I had a lot of fun racing and pushed myself to get back up to speed after being off my bike for so long.  Getting my starts back and my speed consistent has been tough but I am working hard to get better everyday.

I am happy to be back at the track!

 

ROAD TO MAMMOTH RACE AT LACR

It has been raining a lot at home which is good because we need water, but it is really bad for a motocross racer.  I was excited to race this weekend and not only did we get more rain but I also got really sick.  I wasn’t able to go to school on Thursday and Friday, and on Saturday I still felt a little sick.  Because we got a lot of rain the practice on Saturday was cancelled and everyone was going to show up on Sunday and race.  I was feeling better Saturday evening and I really wanted to race so we drove to LACR.  Sunday I wasn’t 100% but I was feeling a lot better.  It was fun to hang out with my friends and get back on my bike.

A couple quick laps of practice and then it was time to start racing.

My starts were much better this weekend and I was able to get a few holeshots.

The track got really rough towards the end of the day.  My dad made changes to my bike before each moto and I was feeling very comfortable.

I had a few good battles with my friends on the track.

I finished with a 1st in Mini Sr 1,  2nd in Mini Sr 2 and 3rd in Supermini 1

I can’t wait for the next race, hope I am feeling better!

 

BEAR HUNTING IN MAMMOTH

This last weekend we left to go to the 2x Promotion race in Mammoth Mountain.  When we got to Mammoth the first thing we have to do is figure out the jetting on my bike because the altitude is so high the bikes run completely different.  Since I had won the King Of The West Championship, I had new graphics for my bike with red backgrounds on my number plates. My bike looked really sick!

After working on the bikes, we tried to get used to the altitude.  We went for a walk and even had a friendly game of “who can throw the pinecone the farthest”  I got close, but I think a few of the other players may have cheated a little – Todd.

When I got to the track, I found out that I had my picture in the event program.

Then it was time to start practice.  Look at that bike…..RED, white, and BLUE!

Practice went well.  My Dad worked on fine tuning the jetting and the guys from Thousand Oaks Yamaha even helped get my bike running perfect.

The Mammoth race is a little different than any other race because there is so many racers in each class.

• We have two divisions and the finish of the division races determines your gate pick for the main event.
• If you don’t transfer from the division race they have an LCQ race to give you a second chance to get into the main.
• The main event is the finish for the day.
• We repeat the entire race day, the same way, the second day to get day two finishes.
• Then they give an overall finish for both days combined.

Day 1 I got 2nd and 1st in 85 9-12 and 4th and 4th in Mini Sr 1.  At the awards ceremony that night not only did I get the famous “BIG BEAR”

I also got my custom Americore SMX scooter for winning the King Of The West….  See there are two #71 scooters because I was able to get both championships.

Day 2 I got 1st in both my heat races but had bad luck in both of my main event races.  In one race my bike was not handling well enough to let me get through the corners as fast as I wanted to and I was only able to pull out a 3rd place finish.  In the other race I had my bike handling better and I was heading to the front and and the bike in front of me went down and my bike got stuck in his bike.  I was able to race back from last place to 12th place.  I finished with an overall 2nd and 6th place.

Off the track we had a lot of fun at the Americore SMX and Lucas Oil Bowling Tournament.

All my friends from the track bowled but we should all stick to racing dirt bikes because we didn’t do very well.

It was really cool to have a lot of my sponsors at the track to support me and cheer me on for each race.

And they were on the podium with me after the race to congratulate me.

All my friends and sponsors also showed me a lot of support on social media.  Here are just a few of the posts……

Thank you to all my sponsors who have supported me and continue to help me do what I love.  Now its time to get ready for Loretta Lynn’s.

LORETTA LYNN REGIONAL RACE IN WASHINGTON

This last weekend was the first round of regional races to earn a spot in the Loretta Lynn National Race.

My family and I drove to Washougal Washington and I practiced on Saturday and raced one class on Sunday and raced the second class on Monday.  Because they expected some rain on Saturday and Sunday they did not prep the track like normal.  We did not get any rain but the track got really slick throughout the day.

Sunday I raced Mini Sr 1, I had some great battles with some of the older riders.  I was able to finish up the day with the 4th place spot and earn my first ticket to the Loretta Lynn Ranch for Nationals.

On Mondays race the track was totally different.  They did not expect any rain and they did a full prep on the track.  Because I don’t ever ride in Washington, the morning of the race I had only three laps of practice to get used to the different track.  On the first lap I could tell that something was wrong with my bike and I wasn’t able to jump anything.  I stayed on the track to look at lines but could not practice at my normal speed.

My Dad was able to fix my breaks and the rotor and everything was ready for the first race of the day.  Since I didn’t get much riding in my practice my Dad and I walked around the track and talked about lines.  Because it was Memorial Day, I made sure to wear my Red, White and Blue gear.

In the first race I got a good start and heading towards the back of the track I was making a pass for the lead.  I railed the outside and hit a kicker that put me on the ground.  By the time I got back up I was in 14th place with a lot of work to do in the next four laps.  I was on a charge and was able to back it back into third place and missed the pass for second place by .006 seconds.  I was lucky I was able to come back close enough to have a chance for my second ticket, and I knew what I had to do to get it.

The second race of the day I had a good start and on the first two laps the front guy and I stretched out a lead and we all stayed consistent to get to the checkered flag.  Considering how my day started I was happy to get out of Washington with a second place finish 85 9-12 and another ticket to Loretta Lynn’s.

With my two tickets it is now time to practice for Nationals!  See you all in Tennessee!

WINNING 2 NATIONAL TITLES THIS WEEKEND….

This weekend was the last Road to Mammoth race at Lake Elsinore.  Going into the last round of the race each of my classes had 3 or 4 racers that were in the points chase for the King of The West Championship.  Because the last round is a double points race, it came down to whoever won each race would win the Championship Title.

In the first round of races I got a 1st, 1st, and 3rd and knew that I had to win all the second round races to get the titles.  In my first race (Mini Sr 1) I battled through every turn.  I started out in second and passed for the lead.  I held the lead for three laps but I made a mistake and got passed.  I held pressure on the leader and set up three really great passes but got pushed out each time and was not able to make the pass stick.  I was very frustrated I wasn’t able to get around the leader and I finished in second place.

 

I was mad at the finish of the race but I had to get right back out on the starting line for my next race (85 9-12) and I was determined to get out front and stay out front.  I was able to win the race and take home the King Of The West Championship.

Right after I was on the podium I had to hurry back to the starting line for my next race (Mini Sr 2).  I knew what I had to do to finish first in points and I rode consistent for 5 laps and was able to get a second Championship.

I was so excited to bring home the two wins and have a chance to stand on the podium twice and thank all my sponsors that have helped me over the years.

I can’t wait to run the red #1 plate at Mammoth this year!

Now it is back to practice so I can go win more titles for my sponsors!

Mammoth Race at Oatfield

This last weekend was the Mammoth race at Oatfield.  I went to practice on Saturday to see how I felt on my bike and get a little practice in since my injury.  I was very excited that my arm felt pretty good and I knew I was going to be able to race on Sunday.

I was so happy to be back on the bike and I was excited to race.  The turn out at the event was crazy.  I had 34 racers in my class and I was ready for some good battles.  See me, I have the blue fender…..lets go Yamaha!

There was full classes in every race and the track got really rough.  The front racers in my class were putting down some really fast laps.  I had consistent starts all day and a couple of hole shots.  Getting good starts set me up to battle up front each race.

I finished out the race winning a couple and coming in second in a couple of races.  I got overall 1st – 2nd – 2nd place finishes.

ROAD TRIP TO TEXAS…

This past week was a lot of traveling, and lot of racing.  We left last week and drove to Kern County for the SW Loretta Lynn qualifier race.  It was a fun weekend with some friends and one of my sponsors 51 Fifty Energy came out to support the race.  Skye came out to give away free products and prizes.

I was able to talk with he announcer about the track, my racing, and let everyone know they could come and see Skye from 51 Fifty.

2X Promotion was putting on the race and they had another great event.  2X Promotions offered all the racers a FREE extra race to run for fun.  Everyone was very excited to be able to race an additional class and they even gave out trophies.

I was able to win all my races on Saturday.  On Sunday I won my morning races and in the afternoon my race bike that I was getting ready for Texas stopped running.  My Dad had to work on it and he tried everything to figure out the problem and get the bike ready for the next race.  We stayed at the track late and finally got the bike running.  We got in the van for our 24 hour road trip to Texas.

We had to drive all night to get to Freestone Raceway in time to do the track walk on Monday afternoon.  My parents took turns driving and I slept through the night and when we got to Texas I was ready to go.

We had thought we were ready for the race but had several problems throughout the week.  During the timed practice sessions on Tuesday my bike stopped running again.  After working on the bike more, we took the bike to Yamaha to work on it and see if they could find why it wasn’t working.

Again it looked like the bike was working fine and again it stopped working.  That was the problem….sometimes it worked and then sometimes it didn’t.  Because it was so inconsistent we parked the bike and decided to ride our practice bike.  It was very disappointing because I was not able to use my race motor and we had the race bike all set the way I liked it.  Half way through my first race my clutch went out on my bike.  My Dad put in a new clutch for my second race and again the clutch stopped working.  The bike went to Yamaha and they found that the new part we put in the bike was bad and fixed it.

The next race my clutch was working and I was late off the start.  I was racing to the front and when I was making the past for second place I crashed.  I went down really hard and destroyed my bike and my body was pretty bruised up.

This was how my week kept going….  I had bike problems in the beginning of the week, mistakes by me in the later races and not able to use my race motor.  Throughout the week I had so much support and help from the entire Yamaha team!

I didn’t have the results I expected but I did share an energy drink with my friend Wes Kain.

My family and I enjoyed the FAMOUS Big Al’s track side Texas burgers.

I got my new Leatt neck brace and chest protector.  They are great!  More about them later…..

With my new Leatt chest protector I wear it under my jersey and everyone can now see my Fly Gear and all my sponsors.

I also did a photo shoot with Yamaha.

Then it was time for the 24 hour drive back home.  Now its time to get myself and my bike ready for the next big race!

LACR ROAD TO MAMMOTH QUALIFIER

This last weekend was the second round of the 2X Promotion, Road To Mammoth race at LACR.

We got to the track early on Saturday morning and the line was crazy long. I couldn’t believe how many people showed up for the second round of the qualifier race.  Several classes had two divisions because they had so many riders.  I had 34 people in my age group class.

Practice was great on Saturday and Sunday I was ready to race.  The gates were full….the track is a really fast track with big up and down hills.  It got rough and slippery throughout the day.

My starts were pretty good and I was able to consistently start in the front and I had some great battles throughout the day.  I finished up the day with overall 2nd, 3rd and 4th place finishes.

I had a great weekend hanging out with my parents, my friends at the track and racing.

MY WEEKEND OFF……

This past weekend was a rare weekend that I didn’t have a race that I had to be at.  It was my only weekend off for almost two months……and guess what I did?

I went dirt bike riding and racing of course!  Did you guess right?  We went to Kern County raceway on Saturday to practice on the new dirt bike track that I had never been to before.  But, after I was done riding we had to drive our van onto the oval track and watch some of the cars racing and practicing.

The track was really fun and I had a good day of riding but it was very cold out all day.

On Sunday I was going to go to another track to practice but at the last minute I decided to show up at Oatfield and race.  The day was great practice….the track got rough and my friends and I raced had all day.  Check out this picture of all the green bikes and my one Yamaha right in the middle

And guess who got the hole shot in that race?……ME!

I ended the day with an overall 1st and 2nd place finish.  It was a great weekend of riding and racing.

FIRST STEP TO THE LORETTA LYNN NATIONAL RACE

This weekend was the first step to qualify for the Loretta Lynn National.  The NorthWest and MidWest area qualifier at MMX in Marysville.

For the qualifier I raced in 3 classes…. My Dad worked on my bike and got it handling the way I wanted it so I felt comfortable on the track.  They had so many entries that many of the classes had to run heat races and last chance qualifiers to see who would be able to race in the main event.  The track got really rough and slick and I was very happy to keep my bike on two wheels and be able to battle with some really great riders and finish the weekend qualified in all three of my classes.

In my 85 9-12 class we had 35 racers and I was able to finish with an overall 2nd place finish.

In my Mini Sr 1 Class and my Mini Sr 2 Class I was able to finish with 2 overall 5th place finishes.

My buddy Gary was announcing the races all weekend and I was able to go up in the announcers tower to talk with him and show some love to all of my sponsors.

Some of my hardware!

AND……. WHO WANTS TO GO SHOPPING?

I just got my bLUcRU debit card in the mail!

GLEN HELEN MAMMOTH QUALIFIER RACE

This last weekend was the first round of the Road to Mammoth qualifier races at Glen Helen Raceway.  The weekend was not easy from start to finish…..

Our van needed a new drive shaft and it didn’t come in until Friday.  My Dad worked all night and when he got home from work he put in the drive shaft and then we left for LA.  When my Dad drove the van, the drive shaft was not in balance had to be changed back to the old part.  My Dad and I jacked the van back up to change the drive shaft again.

One of the bolts on the drive shaft was stripped out and my Dad had to chisel it off.  A piece of the bolt shattered apart and hit my Dad in the face and he got a couple of war wounds.

 

We put the old drive shaft back into the van and then we got on the road to drive to LA…. a little late but we were finally on our way.

When we got to the track Saturday morning the wind was sooooooo bad it was like a sand storm, and it was like that the whole weekend.

I know its hard to tell in this picture but there is 8 bikes on the track racing and you can’t see them because the wind is so bad.  The whole weekend everyone had to wear goggles to watch the races and when I was on the track racing sometimes it was hard to see anything in front of me.

I raced in 3 classes this weekend….Although the weather was bad, I still had 36 bikes on the line with me in my class.

85 9-12   – I finished 3rd and 2nd with an overall 2nd place

Mini Sr 1 12-13  – I finished 2nd and 3rd with an overall  2nd place

Mini Sr 2 9-14   – I finished 3rd and 5th with an overall  5th place

One of the things Glen Helen is famous for is the huge up hill.  The wind was blowing to the left and my Mom told me to make sure I stay to the right going up the hill so the wind doesn’t blow me off the edge.  During the race I knew it was faster to stay on the left and she caught a couple of pictures of me off the edge of the hill.  (I know it is hard to tell in the picture but this hill is really high up)

The wind was crazy but the racing was really fun.  I did fall in one moto and never got the out front start that I wanted but I was able to battle through and get several podium finishes.

 

 

HOLLISTER AMP/GFI RACE

This weekend was the second round of the Amp/Gfi fall series in Hollister.  I went to practice on Saturday and the track was so much fun I had to go back on Sunday to race.  I was dressed in my new Fly Gear that was just shipped to me.

My new gear even has patches on my butt that says Yamaha.  lol

Saturday afternoon, after practice, we went to my Uncles house for a dinner party.  I had fun playing with my cousin and hanging out with the family.

Sunday we got up bright and early and drove back to Hollister for the race.  The track got really rough and I was the last moto of the day.  I had some good starts that helped me to stay out front and I finished the day with 1st in my age group class and 2nd in the open class.

We had some good battles and my 51 Fifty Energy drinks helped me to keep my Thousand Oaks Yamaha out front.  It was a fun day of racing!

LORETTA LYNN NATIONALS RACE

Thanks to the help from my Grandpa and my Uncle Mike, my parents got our new moto van all ready for our trip to Tennessee.

The trip was so long….I played on the computer, watched movies, and slept until we finally arrived.

The blue crew, Yamaha family were all honored on the banner and we all got special Loretta Lynn shirts and got together for a team dinner and photo

In the Yamaha tent they have a banner and guess who’s picture was on it…….ME!!!

Acerbis had new plastics shipped to us on the road and before we got to the track Dad had my new graphics on and my bikes looked so awesome.  When we got to the track we got our A+ Loretta Lynn sticker for being in school and on the honor roll and put them on my bike.

Just before we got to Loretta’s my Mom took me on what she called “an adventure” at the hotel and I got poison oak.  It started on my arms, went down to my hands, on my legs, back and feet.  Everyday I raced and got hot and sweaty I got more and more spots.  It was so itchy and bad……no fun!

It was time to gear up and get on the track…. We had two 15 minute practice sessions, then I had a total of 6 races (3 races in 85 9-11 stock and 3 races in 85 9-11 mod)

The weather was SO HOT.  The humidity was the worst it has ever been there for the first few days of racing.  Just standing outside everyone’s clothes were wet.  The first day of racing did not go well and I had bad starts and went down a few times trying to race back to the front.  When I finished my second race of the day they had a garden hose under the top 10 tent and when we came off the track we got to cool down with water.

With my first race was really bad, I had a bad start and fell three times and finished in 27th place.  After that all five of my other races I finished under the top 10 tent and one race I finished third and made it onto the podium.  My buddy Wes Kain was announcing….. (Remember last year when Wes interviewed my race win at the Cal Classic race and I stood on the bike stand because my Dad had to get my bike ready for my next race- read here  Cal Classic 04.15.14 ) When I came up to talk to him he grabbed a gas can and told me to stand on it so we can see eye to eye because that was our thing.  He is so funny!

Racing was awesome.  I had six 20 minute motos (3 moto format for each class) and I was able to finish up the week with a 9th place and a 3rd place

I had a lot of my sponsors at the track supporting me.

YAMAHA and THOUSAND OAKS POWERSPORTS- 2X PROMOTIONS – FLY GEAR

FMF – 51 FIFTY ENERGY DRINK – PR2 SUSPENSION

VON ZIPPER GOGGLES – WAVERLY KFC – EVANS

I even had Malcom Stewart under the tent with me.

…and of course my Mom and Dad!

Awards ceremony was awesome and instead of getting top three swords, we got top three shields…..I used my shield from this year and my sword from last year and I am ready for battle!

Then 2,000 miles back home and back to practice for the next race!

 

TWO TICKETS TO PARADISE….NATIONALS!

This last weekend was the last stop to qualify for Nationals at Loretta Lynn’s.  The race was at Hangtown in Sacramento and only the top 4 kids in each class will get a ticket to nationals.  During practice I didn’t feel comfortable on my mod bike and I wanted to race the open class on my practice bike.  The guys at Thousand Oaks Yamaha did a new top end and clutch on my bike to get it freshened up and ready for the race.

It was cool to have Thousand Oaks, and all my Yamaha teammates at the track and get to cheer them on throughout the weekend.  When it was time for my race, I was ready to go……..

I raced the stock class to get practice starts but because I was already qualified in that class I pulled off the track to give the other kids a chance to qualify.  I the first stock race I had a great start but got pushed out and fell in the second turn.  I was able to get back up and race from 24th to 5th.  The second race I had another great start and lead the first three laps of the race.  Then it was time for the mod race……

My mod race was the last race of the day and by the time I got on the line for my first race the track was already really rough.  In the first mod race I did not get off the line well and was in the back of the pack.  I quickly tried to move up to get myself into a qualifying position.  I was able to work my way into second place.  The second race the track was really dry and rough, I got a better start and was in a solid third place.  I finished the race with an overall 1st place finish and qualified for my second class at Loretta Lynn’s.

There are so many people who support me and my racing every day and at the track.  I can’t thank everyone enough for all the help and support.  I really appreciate it and I am excited to go to Nationals and race hard!

Nationals only allows racers to compete in 2 classes.  Even if you are able to qualify for more classes, you have to pick only two classes to race at the event.  I officially now have my two tickets to my classes and I am excited to go to Tennessee.

LORETTA LYNN REGIONAL RACE AT WASHOUGAL

Because I was hurt a few months back I wasn’t able to qualify to race in the Los Angeles Loretta Regional race.  So, this last weekend my parents and I drove to Washougal Washington to try to qualify for Loretta Lynn’s.

We parked right next to the track and we watched all the different classes riding on the track on practice day.

It had rained in Washington during the week and the weather was in the 90’s on Friday, Saturday and Sunday so the track was very hard and slippery throughout the weekend.  They kept putting water on top of it because of the heat and people were having a hard time getting through the track and especially on the whoops.

On Saturday I raced 85 7-11 Limited which is a stock 85 class.  There were 26 bikes in that class and to qualify I had to get in the top 4 for the day.  In both my races on Saturday I had really bad starts.  See…

I had to work my way through a lot of racers to try to get up to the front.  While I was passing people the front racers were stretching out and I was doing my best to work through as fast as possible.  I was able to finish both races in 3rd place which gave me a 2nd place overall finish.  This is a picture of me in the top 5 tent after the race.

On Sunday I raced 85 7-11 Mod.  After the bad starts I had on Saturday, I was ready on Sunday to get great starts and be up front battling for the lead.  I came off the line in the first race and had a great start I was in 3rd place going up the hill and then my bike jumped into neutral and I almost went over the bars.  I put it back into gear and kept racing around the turn in 4th gear and then the bike went into neutral again.  I wasn’t able to jump any of the jumps or go too fast because the bike would keep going into neutral and I didn’t know if the bike was going to go forward or stop.  I finished the race but with each lap I would get passed by riders that were clearing the jumps.  Something had broken in my transmission and my hope to finish in the top 4 was over in that class.

I was super upset that I wasn’t able to qualify in the mod class and very excited that I was able to get a ticket in the stock class and will be able to race at Loretta Lynn’s.

When I got home from Washington it was like Christmas……I had deliveries from Von Zipper Goggles, DVS Shoes, Lucas Oil, and 51 Fifty Energy Drink.  Thanks for all the great swag, I have the best sponsors!!!!!

See you next weekend at the races!

MOTHERS DAY RACE AT HOLLISTER

This last weekend was Mother’s Day and I race a Loretta Lynn Area Qualifier in Hollister.  My family took the trailer to Hollister on Friday night and we spent the weekend camping.

Saturday we had stock racing and I was very excited to get on the track.  My Dad helped me make sure everything was set for the gate drop.

The racing on Saturday went well.  They combined my 85 stock class with the supermini and women classes and we all raced in 1 gate.  Although I was only racing my class of 85 stock riders I had fun racing with the supermini bikes also.  I had two really good starts and I was able to finish with a 1-1 for the day, even crossing the finish line before the supermini class.

Racing was finished early on Saturday and we went across the park and watched the jeeps ride over the courses.  It was cool to watch them try to figure out how to get from the start to the finish.

Sunday was Mother’s Day.  I have to thank my Mom for spending her day at the track watching me race.

Sunday I raced 85 Mod.  In the first race I didn’t get a good start and I rode really out of control.  I finished 2nd in my class and 3rd overall against my class and the Supermini bikes.  After the race my Dad worked on my suspension and made some big changes to help me in the second race.  The track was very rough for the second race and my bike handled way better.  I got a better start but still had to work my way to the front.  I was able to get by the last Supermini bike and was catching the leader.  I went for three passes but wasn’t able to make it stick and finished in a very close second.

I have to thank my Mom and my sister Hailey for spending the weekend camping and watching me race.

My Dad and Gary for working on my bikes all weekend.

…..and I have to thank my sponsors for all the support!!!!!

Thousand Oaks Yamaha,  51Fifty Energy Drink, 2X Promotions, Fly Racing, Von Zipper Goggles, Lucas Oil, RSTB, Mika Metals, FMF, Americore SMX, DVS Shoes, Acerbis, bLU cRU

 

TWO WEEKS OF RACING

We have officially started race season….two weeks ago was the first Mammoth Qualifier at Glen Helen.

I had not raced for four months and I was very excited to get back on the line.  Practice went well and I was excited to start racing.  The first couple of races I was definitely out of practice on my starts.   Because I didn’t have the best starts I had to race really hard to get back to the front of the racing pack.

Because I didn’t have the best starts, I raced really hard to pass a lot of kids and try to get to the front of the pack.

85 9-11

2nd and 3rd with a 3rd place overall finish

85 Mini Sr 2 (9-14)

11th and 8th with an 8th place overall finish

This last weekend we had the first round of Loretta Lynn Qualifying races at MMX.  The Loretta Lynn qualifiers are a little different because you race stock classes on Saturday and Mod classes on Sunday.

85 Stock

2nd and 3rd with a 3rd place overall finish

It was Valentines Day and I was LOVING racing

 85 Mod

3rd and 3rd with an overall 3rd place finish

I crashed hard in my race but was able to get back up and fight to 3rd

 We had a lot of fun on and off the track.  We stayed at a hotel down the street, played in the pool, went to a restaurant to watch Supercross, and played in the dirt.

I have to thank my “crew” that supported me all weekend and help me every week.

SEE YOU NEXT WEEK AT THE RACES!

 

RACING MY 65 IN THE 85 CLASS

This last weekend I raced at Hangtown in Sacramento.  They had a REP Racing club race and I raced my 65cc bike in the 85cc classes.  I raced 85 Intermediate and 85 Open both on my 65.  When I was on the line I felt really small next to all the big bikes.

In 85 Open, I was racing my 65 against 85 Mod bikes, Big Wheels and Super Mini’s.  In the first race there were 25 bikes on the line.  They were all 85cc bikes and Super Mini’s and me on my 65.  The start of the first race was a little rough, in the start of the race I was squished in the middle and I went down going into the first turn.  I was able to get up and get going but everyone was onto the second hill.  I was able to catch up and race up to 5th place before the end of the race.  In the second 85 open race I got a better start and was in 3rd place and was able to race to 2nd and finish the race just behind the leader.  It was so fun to race my 65 in 85 open and finish the day with an overall 2nd place finish.

In 85 Intermediate I also raced my 65 but I had a little bike trouble.  I was in 3rd place and on the second lap my foot peg broke off the bike.  I had to race the last 3 laps with only one foot peg.  It was really hard to jump and only be able to put my weight on one leg.

I finished out the day with a 2nd place finish in 85 Open and a 3rd place finish in 85 Intermediate.  I also raced 65 Open and finished that race in 1st place.

VURB CLASSIC RACE

This last weekend I raced at Oatfield in Turlock at the Vurb Classic.  The Vurb Classic race is a large two day race that brings the best riders together to compete for bragging rights different than most local races.

The morning of the first race day, during our four lap practice, my 65 mod motor blew up.  I switched to my stock bike for the races and I knew I would have to work really hard to keep up with the fast racer that were in my class.  My starts were awesome the entire weekend which helped me to be able to battle for the top positions in every race.  The first round of motos in the morning I had to ride really hard to stay in front because the track wasn’t very rough and the mod motors the other kids had were really fast.  I was excited to be able to battle back and forth and stay in first and second place spots in each race.

I raced my 85 the first day but my motor wasn’t running well.  My Dad and his friend Gary and Brian switched my motor for the second race so I can finish out the day.  Even with the motor problems I had I was able to pull out an overall 5th place finish for the day.  Thank you Gary and Brian for everything.

Even with the motor problems I was able to pull out a 5th place overall finish for the day on my 85.

After practice Sam from 51 Fifty Energy Drink came out to watch me ride and take some pictures of me on and off the track.  Sam even brought some more energy drinks for people at the race….as you can guess I was extra popular.  I will share the pictures with you soon.

All 8 of my 65 races we amazing.  Each race was really great battles with passes back and forth from first to second on almost each lap.  The track got really rough throughout the day and we were racing really hard every lap for the top spot.  I finished up the weekend with 2 overall 1st place wins and 2 overall 2nd place wins for the weekend.

I did have one race that the gate dropped really fast and because I was distracted on the line I wasn’t ready and I ended up leaving the gate last.  Even in that race I was able to battle through all the riders and almost made a pass for first place on the last lap but was not able to make it stick and finished in second place.  On the last race of the day they announced a $25.00 hole shot award which I won.

After the race I was helping my Dad load up and the people from Vurb Moto asked me to stay around after all the races were finished.  They gave out some awards and I won one.  I received the PERFORMANCE AWARD for the weekend.  They gave one of these awards out to a kid that stood out for the weekend with outstanding performances and sportsmanship.  It was really cool to be noticed and given this award.  I have to thank everyone at Vurb for choosing me for this awesome award.

Vurb Moto also interviewed me after I received my award.

For the weekend I got 2 – 1st place trophies, 2 – 2nd place trophies, 1 – 5th place trophy, and the Performance Award

The Performance Award is really cool.  It is made of metal with cut outs and really cool designs….you have to be careful though because I cut my finger on it on the way home.

Fun weekend of racing, can’t wait for the next event!

RACE VIDEO FROM 2014 LORETTA LYNN NATIONALS

I found a video on YouTube of one of my races last week at Nationals at Loretta Lynn’s ranch.  In this short video you can get an idea of what the track looks like at Nationals.

In this three minute video you will see:

• Short ten second ad
• The start of the race with 42 bikes battling around the first turn.
• Me in 3rd place (I am wearing red gear and my bike number is 71).
• The ten commandments (that is what the whoop section is called) I am on the right side passing into 2nd place.
• The next shot is of me in 1st place.
• I stay in 1st place but it will show lapped riders in front of me that I catch up to and pass.
• On the last lap (2:28) you will see me fall and when I got back up I was in 3rd place.

I lead all the first 8 laps of the race but I fell on the last lap and finished in 3rd place.  Overall it was a great ride, really disappointed I lost the win but really glad I was able to finish the race on the podium.  Hope you enjoy the video!

3rd Place Finish at 2014 Loretta Lynn Nationals Race

MAMMOTH MOUNTAIN RACE

This last week was the 2X Promotions, Mammoth Amateur Motocross Race.    In the summer of 1968 a world class track was built up in the mountains at 8,000 feet.  This historic race is the oldest continuous running motocross event in the USA.  All of the top riders have raced the Mammoth Mountain event including Carmichael, McGrath, Windham, Stewart, etc.

The challenge of racing at Mammoth is the altitude because it is not only hard to breath, but the bikes have to have different gas and/or jetting to make them run like they do at home.  After we drove the 6 hours to our hotel my Dad got our bikes out and tried to figure out the correct formula to get my bikes to run at 8,000 feet.  We took over the hotel parking lot to work on dirt bikes.

The other strange thing about the race at Mammoth is that space is very limited.  Most years not all riders can fit in the pit area and some have to park outside the facility and shuttle their bikes into the race.  Because it is so important to have our tools and spare parts in a pit area at the track riders get up at 5am and earlier to get in line to enter the facility.  While we waited in line I tried to get more sleep.

When we got inside the facility and started to unload our bikes we saw a bear just above our pit area.  He was just walking around like he didn’t even care that we were there.  (Side note:  Several of our friends had there car’s broken into by bears at their hotels and the bears took food out of the cars….one was at our hotel.  So Crazy)

The first day was practice day and we really needed it.  My Dad worked all day to get the jetting right on my bike.  It is so hard because sometimes the bottom end was right but not the top or the other way around.  After a full day of practicing we finally had the bike good on both the top and bottom….It didn’t have the same power it does back at home, but at least it was running and I was ready for race day.

Because so many kids qualified for the event the racing is ran more like a supercross event than an outdoor event.  We had two heat races, an LCQ for the kids in the back of the two heat races, and then 1 main event for your finish result.  Mammoth runs all the races two times and then does an overall finish.

The track is so much fun!  It is a very high speed track with huge hills and it twists and turns through the trees.  My parents don’t like to watch me ride on it because most of the track is in the trees and it is very hard to see most of it.  (This is a picture taken by MYLUCASOIL when I was racing on my 85 bike)

Day 1.  I won my first 65 age heat race and I was able to get on the podium and thank all my sponsors and finished 3rd in the main event. (That is Dano Legere from Von Zipper and DVS doing interviews on the podium)  In the 65 open class I finished 2nd in my heat race and 4th min the main event.  In the 85 age race I finished 5th in both my heat race and in the main event.

Day 2.  I had a problem in my 65 age race.  I was in third trying to push to get to the leader and I hit a kicker that flipped me to the ground.  Once I got myself and my bike up and going I had dropped back to the back and finished the race in 25th.  In my 65 open race I finished the heat race in 2nd and the main in 4th.  In 85 age I finished the heat race in 4th and the main in 5th.

OVERALL: I finished 4th in the 65 open class and 4th in the 85 age class.  I missed out on an overall finish for the 65 age class because of the huge crash I had on the second day.  I finished out the weekend with 7 Bears and 1 Medal for winning a moto.

During the awards ceremony the announcer kept telling the winners they should kiss the trophy girl.  He said it over and over again throughout the entire awards ceremony but no one would do it.  Can you guess what happened when he called my name?

YEP!  I gave her a kiss on her check and told her to call me.  The place went crazy and everyone was laughing.  The announcer said he was going to give me $10 for being the only one that would give her a kiss but he didn’t. lol

Had a lot of fun racing at Mammoth!  

Now it is time to get ready to race in Tennessee at the Loretta Lynn Nationals.

 

HANGTOWN LORETTA QUALIFIER RACE

This weekend I raced at the Regional Loretta Lynn Qualifier at Hangtown.

Friday was practice and the first round on my 65 went very well, but I had a bad crash on my 85.  When I came down the back hill I went around a lapped rider and hit a kicker and went over the handlebars onto my head.  Although it took me the rest of the day to recover from the crash, I regrouped and was ready to ride on Saturday.

It was so hot this last weekend.  In Sacramento it was about 110 degrees.  Saturday I raced both 65 stock and 85 stock and I had to finish in the top 4 overall to win a ticket to the Loretta Lynn Amateur Nationals.  In the 65 Stock race I was able to finish with a 1st place overall finish and in the 85 stock race I finished in 2nd place overall.  I had two tickets to Loretta’s…..WooHoo.

Sunday I raced the 65 mod race and I had a little more of a struggle.  In the first race I had a great start and was out front but I went down in the third turn.  I got my bike up and started kicking it but I was having a hard time getting the bike started.  By the time I got my bike started everyone went by me and I was very far back in 30th spot.  I knew that I had to get a fourth place overall finish and that every spot might count.  I raced the five laps as fast as I could and I was able to race from the 30th spot back up to 6th place.  The second race I knew I had to finish up front to get the overall fourth and I was able to get a 2nd place finish which gave me a 3rd place overall and another ticket to Loretta’s.

I always have the best people supporting me and this weekend was not different.

2X Promotions, Americore SMX Scooter, Myron and Ryan

Terry Bostard MX

51 Fifty Energy Drink has supported me every step of the way

Gary spent the weekend working on my bikes for me

My sister Hailey came to watch me ride

 and……. Fly Gear, Lucas Oil, Pax Motors, Nost, Mika Metals, Dragon, FMF, Honda KTM, Braap Shop, Cycle Gear

Thanks to my awesome family who will be taking me to Tennessee!

COMP EDGE RACE

I had injured my arm at Oatfield a few weeks ago so I have been not able to ride so my arm could get better.  On Wednesday of last week I was feeling good and by Thursday I felt all better.

This last weekend we drove to LA for the Loretta qualifier race at Comp Edge.   Most of the riders had been there the week before the race practicing but I wasn’t able to do that so I knew I was going to have to pick up all the changes to the track on the practice day before the race.  I thought I would have a full day of practice, but I found out that each class only got 2 ten minute practice session on the track.  In the morning sessions, practice did not go well for me…..first my bike wouldn’t run because we had a jetting problem and then my chain broke.  It was frustrating that I didn’t get to ride on the track.  My Dad fixed my bikes and by the time the afternoon practice session came around my bikes were ready to go.  I knew I didn’t have much time to practice on the track and I went out riding really hard but the track was super rough.  I hit a kicker over a jump and crashed really hard breaking my throttle and giving me two black eyes, a bump on my head, and a bruise on my elbow.  It was a rough practice day because I only had about 2 laps around the track and tomorrow was race day.

This is the bump on my head and my black eyes

…and look what happened to my elbow

Race day I re-grouped and was ready to race.

65 Stock – In the first race I was a little off on the start and the track was very hard to pass on because there was really only one fast line around the track.  I finished the first race in 4th place.  In the second race I was charging to the front around the first few turns and I didn’t know that one of the riders in front of me crashed on the back side of a jump.  With no yellow flag out, I hit the jump and ended up landing right on the other kids bike and crashed.  By the time I got my bike up and started charging again I was pretty far back.  I ran down the bikes in front of me and was only .5 seconds from passing them but the race was shortened by a lap and I just missed the pass.  I ended up with a 6th place overall finish.

65 Open – In the first race I got pushed out in the start and was only able to battle up to sixth place.  In the second race I spun the tire on the start but I was still able to race down the start and by the first turn I was up to 4th.  A few times I tried to make the pass to third, but the track was super rough and it was really hard to go outside the main line to make a pass.  I finished the race in fourth….normally a 6-4 would give you a 4th or a 5th place overall finish.  Because the other kids I raced against all did good in one moto and bad in the other moto, all the top riders got completely shuffled around and I ended up with a 6th place overall finish.

It was a crazy weekend of not the best luck.  My Dad worked on my bikes a lot and by the end of the weekend he had my bikes totally dialed in.  I had figured out the track and was riding hard, but I didn’t have the results that showed that.  Lets hope for some luck at the next race.

2 WEEKS OF RACING

In the last two weeks I have went to two races that were both ran by 2X Promotions.  The first race was a Loretta Lynn Area Qualifier and the second race was a Mammoth Qualifier. The race two weeks ago (The Loretta Lynn Area Qualifier) was at Porterville.  I had never been to Porterville before and I was excited to race on a new track.  Practice day was great and I was able to learn the track and find some good lines.  Just after practice it started to rain, and rain, and rain.  Normally when it rains here we cancel races, but because this was a qualifier for Loretta Lynn it had to be ran the next day.  In the morning the track was completely soaked the starting line was under a huge puddle of water. After several hours of working on the track racing started to begin just after lunch.  The track was still very muddy and many big bikes were getting stuck in the middle of the track and not able to complete the race.  They decided to have all little bikes race on a back supercross type track that didn’t get as wet.  It was really crazy because we all lined up side by side and had a flag start instead of a gate start. The track was really tight and we were able to go fast and have some great racing.  It was totally different and really fun.  I was able to pull out the overall win in my 65 class.

This last week the Mammoth qualifier was at Hangtown and it was an awesome event.  A ton of people showed up and all the classes had big gates and really good racing. The track got really rough and it was super rocky.  The start was really important because if you had to pass someone you would get hit with huge rocks and it really hurt.  I had a couple bad starts and because of it I had huge bruises on both of my arms.  It was hard to pass on the track but much easier when I was able to get out front.

In my 65 class I was able to race for two overall 1st place finishes.

In the 65 race I got a 3rd place finish and a 4th place finish which gave me a 4th overall.

(love my new Fly Racing gear)

Lucas Oil was at the event and gave out products to all the winners.  They have been at all the 2X racing events and my Dad loves not only the oil but all the products they have. Now it is time to get ready for the next race.

CALIFORNIA CLASSIC AMATEUR NATIONAL RACE

This last week I raced at the California Classic Amateur National race at Glen Helen raceway.

The event was ran by 2X Promotions and was a lot of fun.

This event was run different than most races because it was a 3 race format.  instead of racing each class only two times, it was the best out of three races.   Glen Helen is famous for the “Talladega” first turn and the “Mt. St. Helen” hill.  (Picture of me on the starting line looking up the Talladega turn – picture thanks to MyLucasOil.com)

When the races started I found that my mod bike was not running the way other bikes were on the track.  I decided to run my stock motor in all classes because that motor pulled more where I needed it to.  Because I had already raced the first race on the mod bike, I had to continue the other races in that class on that bike frame.  After each race my Dad had to switch the motor and suspension from my stock frame to my mod frame so I could race the correct bike frame in the correct class.  First my Dad had 6 races between my classes to make the switch and then after that race he only had 4 races to make the switch back.  My Dad worked so hard each day switching my bike back and forth so I could race.

My Dad had some help a few times he had to make the switch.  Ryan Cuhna let my Dad use his work area to make the switch, Pax engines and Nost suspension also gave my Dad a hand with the switch.

On the second day I finished first in my race and I got to put my bike on the podium and get interviewed.  Because my Dad only had 4 races to make the switch he had to take my bike to get started and Wes Kain (the announcer that interviewed me) put me on the bike stand for the interview.

…..and my Dad was back working on my bike again.

I was able to finish every race on both my 65 and my 85 classes in the top 5.  I was under the tent after every race.  My 85 races were totally fun also….  my old bike didn’t get the best starts but on a hard passing track I was able to make moves, ride hard and finish consistently for 3rd.

The last day of racing I was in first or second going into each of my 65 races.  Whoever finished each race in front would take the overall.  Although I rode as well as I could, I just missed the overall finishes I needed.   My bike was not running well and because we had to switch motors so quickly we didn’t have any time to actually work on the bike to see what was wrong.  When the races were over my Dad found that my power valvue was broken which meant that I was really down on power.  With the huge hills that they have at Glen Helen, I am thinking I am lucky I was able to finish each race where I did.

I ended up overall            2nd – 3rd – 3rd – 4th place finishes.

Jimmy from Fly Racing has been at each of the national races I have been at and have watched and cheered me on at every race.  Thank you for helping me look FLY and for the continued supports.

Lucas Oil was there supporting all of us riders.   If you are not already using their products, you have to get some!  My Dad says it is awesome.  Go to http://www.mylucasoil.com

2X promotions did an awesome job at the event!  I loved the medals we got for each win, they were so awesome and the trophies were also different.  Always cool adding different trophies to the collection.

Thank you to all of my sponsors, friends and family that cheered me on from home and support me consistently.  And of course the 51 Fifty Energy Drinks were flowing…..

 

60 HOURS OF DRIVING and12 RACES in 2 WEEKS

Two weeks ago I left for a road trip that included a race weekend in Los Angeles and then off to Texas for two different Amateur National races. 7 HOURS TO ANZA MX TRACK My parents and I drove to The Ranch MX track in Anza, Los Angeles two weeks ago.  We spend the weekend in LA and I raced a South Area Loretta qualifier race.  This race is one of four steps needed to qualify to race at the Loretta Lynn Nationals.  There wasn’t as many people there than I thought would be and the weather was really windy but I was able to qualify with four 1st place wins and was qualified to move on to the next step.

65 Stock 1st place – 65 Mod 1st place – 85 Stock 1st place – 85 Mod 1st place

My Dad worked with my Mom during the weekend and showed her how to change air filters, oil, pack the gates at the starts etc. because after the race Mom and I were heading to Texas to race. When the race was over my Dad got my bikes ready for Texas and we packed up our truck and our friends trailer.

 

My Dad left for home to go to work and Mom and I went with some friends to Texas.  We drove all night and had a little delay with a flat tire.  We were able to get the tire fixed and arrived at the track Monday night.

22 HOURS TO OAK HILL RACEWAY INTERNATIONAL MOTOCROSS FINAL The track had really deep sand and was different from sand tracks I have been on before.  It got rough but it didn’t get rutts like I am used to.  The turns were really wide and flat but deep and rough.  I slide out in my first practice and couldn’t get my bike started so didn’t get to ride the track.  My other two practices went well and I was able to get the layout and the jumps pretty well. The next day we started racing and my Mom was my mechanic for the day.  My Dad taught my Mom how to pack my gate for me, but we didn’t know that Oak Hill doesn’t have a dirt start.  I raced two races with my Mom that day and I finished both races in the top five.

Later that night we drove an hour away to pick up my Dad from the airport.  Although my Mom did good with me and my bikes, I was excited my Dad was there and he would be able to help me with the track and my bikes. Throughout the week I struggled on different parts of the track and I had some problems with my bikes.  My 65 Mod bike was not running well and was actually slower than my stock bike and my 85 bike suspension would not work on the track at all.  I struggled to move to the front in my 85 classes and my 65 mod and open classes but I worked really hard and finished on the podium in my stock class and in the top 10 in all classes.  The weather was also very crazy….First it was really hot, then freezing cold, the wind was so strong at times, and then the rain came

65 10-11 Limited 4-3 finishes, 2nd overall                        65 10-11 Mod 5-8 finishes, 6th overall

7-11 Open 18-6 finishes, 10th overall                              85 7-11 Limited 7-5 finishes, 5th overall

2 HOURS TO FREESTONE SPRING CHAMPIONSHIP.  Freestone raceway was a completely different track and the race was ran totally different than any other race I had ever been in.  The first difference was qualifying practice.  During practice our laps were timed and gate picks for race day depended on how well you qualified.  It was a little difficult for people like me that have never been to the track before to go on the track and race as fast as you could without knowing anything about the jumps and condition.  During my practice I not only set fast time of all 65 bikes, but when I was trying to avoid another rider I crashed and got run over.

To start each race they had a real 30 second board girl, they didn’t just us the gate guy like at most of my races.

The rhythm section of the track was also a different than I was used to.  They call it the Texas Twelve Pack and it is a set of whoops with a turn half way through.

During the week I rode really hard and had great lap times but I was unable to get the starts I needed.   We got my 85 suspension better at this track, but was unable to get my Mod bike running so I ran my stock bike in every class.  The back of the track had a section called the Freeway and it made it tough for me.  I would lose ground in that section and make up time on other parts of the track.  In the picture below you can see how deep some of the rutts were.

In the morning the track was wet and muddy and in the afternoon it was super dry, rough and deep.  On the last day of racing it started to lightly rain later in the day so the track was rough but also tacky and wet.  I got a chance to race on several different track conditions throughout the week.

At the track we did have a little drama…..  A few months ago my Dad ordered me a new Stock SXS pipe for my 65.  When we got the pipe in we called our dealer because although the pipe was stamped KTM SXS and was exactly like the other pipe it was plated.  The dealer said that it was the only replacement pipe available.  When we got to the race we asked an AMA official to look at the pipe and asked if it was legal.  The AMA official told us that it was in fact legal.  During my first stock race a different AMA official told me that the pipe was illegal and that I would be disqualified from the race.  After several conversation and confirmation from the first official that he did in fact tell us we could use the pipe…… The pipe is the same as the original pipe and although it has the exact same performance as the original pipe, it is platted and not allowed in the stock class.  The head AMA official had to disqualify us from the race but would not hold it against me because we did ask an official and was told it was OK.  I was allowed to race in the second race but would not be scored for that class for that event.

 

65 10-11 Stock   DQ                                               65 10-11 Mod 4-4 finishes, 4th overall

7-11 Open 2-5 finishes, 4th overall                           85 9-11 Limited 12-6 finishes, 8th overall

After two weeks in Texas I had so much fun learning new tracks and meeting new people.  Now that I have moved up into the older class and I am a young rider in my classes it is awesome to get to ride with older kids and push myself to get faster.  I did come home with 11 trophies for my two weeks of racing.

29 HOURS HOME   I have to thank Mike and Argyll MX for letting us borrow his trailer.  We needed small trailer to use to get our bikes to LA and back and Mike allowed us to use his trailer and keep it for the two weeks we were gone. I have to thank Ryan and Americore Mechanical for the help and support to get to the race.  Without you I wouldn’t have been able to have the chance to even go to Texas. Thank you to Myron and 2x Promotions not only did you watch my races, cheer me on, you went out of your way to help with so many different things and it is really appreciated. Thank you to Carlos and 51 Fifty Energy Drinks for the support you give me every day, allowing me to #livethemadness. Thank you to Tony and Americore SMX Scooters.  You watched and supported all of my races, let us wash our bikes, and helped us get our bikes home safely.  It is always cool to hang out with you at the races. Thank you to Nost Suspension.  While I was in Texas racing my 85cc bike suspension was out of control and Pete re-built the suspension and got my bike handling on the really rough tracks. Factory KTM and Factory Yamaha teams both helped me out.  My Yamaha wouldn’t shift at Oak Hill and the factory Yamaha team rebuilt it and had it all ready to go at Freestone.  We found that one of my KTM’s had a cracked frame and the factory team ordered a new frame and the next day they switched my entire bike over to the new frame…..my bike looks so sad in this picture.   Jimmy and FLY Racing Gear has been very supportive, including during my time in Texas.  Jimmy watched my races, cheered me on and even worked with me and gave me some pointers. The Gonsalves family helped and shared the experience with us throughout our crazy adventure.   My friends and family that cheered me on from home and continued to check in and support me:  My Sisters Elyssa and Hailey, Grandma and Grandpa, Terry Bostard, Vaccarello Family, Cisneros Family, Palmer Family, Ornellas Family, Wetzel Family, Gary,  Hogge Family ……I know I am missing a ton of people, thank you to you all!

MAMMOTH QUALIFIER AT COMPETITIVE EDGE

Last weekend I went to LA to race the Mammoth qualifier at competitive edge.  The weather was really nice and I was excited to race.

The first round of racing was a little rough for me, but thankfully I was able to turn it around for the second round.

FIRST ROUND:  In the 65 Age class I didn’t get the best start off the line but I was able to quickly move through the pack and as I was passing for the lead I crashed pretty hard.  I was able to get up and going but could only finish in 3rd place.  The next race was the 85 Age class.  All day the starting gates were delayed and several riders throughout the day would get stuck in certain gates.  As I started my 85 race my gate didn’t drop and I got stuck.  I was really far back by the time they got my gate to drop and I was able to fight back to 3rd place.  In my last race of the first round I had the 65 Open class.  Everything started off great and I was pretty far out front when my tire clipped over a jump and I crashed really hard.  My bike was stuck on me and the pipe burned my arm.  After someone came and helped me get the bike off me the handlebar was stuck in my neck brace.  I was finally able to get up and going again and got back to 4th place.

SECOND ROUND:  The second round of racing I was ready to put some solid races back together.  I finished all three races in 1st place!

My finishes for the day was:  65 Age Third and First for an overall 1st.  85 Age Third and First for an overall 2nd.  65 Open Fourth and First for an overall 2nd.

I want to thank the 2X Promotion team for their help and support throughout the weekend!

OATFIELD AMP GFI RACE

A week ago I raced at the AMP GFI race at Oatfield.  This week they some really fast 85 racers show up and I decided to race one 65 class and two 85 classes.

I had my new FLY helmet which is really awesome.  Thank you to everyone at FLY Racing for supporting me!

In the first 65 race I was going into the second turn and my seat flew off of my bike.  I had to ride the entire race standing up because every time I sat down the bar hurt my legs and my butt.  It was really hard to ride the track and go fast without a seat but I was still able to finish in first place.  The second race of my 65 class my seat stayed on and I finished in first place with an overall 1st place finish.

In the 85 class I moved from Novice to Intermediate and I raced some really fast people.  In the first 85 intermediate race I got a really bad start out of the gate but I was able to chase down the leaders and I finished in first place.  It was really cool to win my first intermediate race.  In the second race I finished in second with an overall 2nd place finish.

In the 85 open class in the first race I was in third place and I fell on the last lap.  By the time I got my bike up and going again I finished the race in seventh place.  I won the second open race which gave me an overall 4th place finish.

Our friend Gary down the street came out to watch me ride.  It was really nice of him to come and watch and support me and he even cleaned the bikes every time I got off the track.  Thank you for the help and support!

I rode hard all day and had a lot of fun…..and on the way home I was really tired!

RACING FOR MY BIRTHDAY

This last weekend was my birthday.  My parents asked me what I wanted to do for my birthday and I said

“I want to go riding!”

There was a race at Oatfield this weekend.  Saturday was my actual birthday so during the day I rode all day at Oatfield practice.  After practice I went out to lunch with my friends and family to my favorite place…… KFC. When lunch was done we met all my friends from the race track at laser tag.  It was so much fun, we all ran around like crazy people.  It was so awesome to spend my birthday with everyone.

Saturday night we watched Supercross on TV and then got some rest for the race the next day.

Sunday was race day.  The races were good but my race bike had some problems and I had to ride my practice bike.  I had to override the bike to get as much speed as I could and I had a couple of falls that affected my overall finishes for the day.  I ended up the day with a 2nd place 65 Intermediate finish, a 2nd place 65 open finish and a 1st place 85 Novice finish.

Such an awesome weekend of riding and hanging out with my friends…..

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

RACING IN LOS ANGELES

Last weekend my family and I drove to LA to race the Gold Cup Series in Los Angeles at Perris MX.  I had not been to Perris in several months and I was very excited to get on the track and have a chance to race a lot of kids.

On our way out of town on Friday afternoon I stopped by Boss Cycle Sports to have them look at one of my rear shocks.  They were so awesome, they dropped everything they were doing to work on my shock while I waited so everything would be perfect for the race.  It was so cool of them to take the time to help me…. Thank you very much Boss Cycle Sports 209-526-2453

Saturday was practice and I used the day to get familiar with the track and find the fastest way around the track so I would be ready for the race on Sunday.  Practice went good, I had a couple small falls but the day was very fun.  I want to thank 51 Fifty Energy Drink for all the support they give me throughout the year.  When you want to #livethemadness, make sure you go to their website at http://www.51fiftyenergydrink.com to find a store near you!

After practice on Saturday I got a new Americore SMX Dirt Scooter as an early birthday present.  It is so sick!!!!!  It is blue with blue grips and it looks totally awesome.  Since I got it on Saturday I haven’t been off of it much, they are so fun.  If you don’t have one yet you have to contact SMX Dirt Scooters and get one, so fun.  You can call them at 209-632-5679 and follow them on Facebook: Americore SMX Dirt Scooter.  Thank you Ryan and Tony….. you guys rock!

I also got my new 85 seat cover from Knobby Shop this weekend.  Dennis at the Knobby Shop has some awesome seat covers and he makes them in different colors.  If you don’t already have one of these custom covers you have to contact him at 831-818-5910 for more information.

Saturday night I went to dinner with some of my friends and then it was back to the hotel to relax and watch Supercross on TV.

Sunday was race day and there was a lot of bikes there, I was excited to start the day.  I was racing three classes (which means six races), 65 age, 65 open and 85 age.  Throughout the day racing was really good.  My starts in the first couple of races were a little off, but as they day went on they kept getting better.

Throughout the day there was a lot of good racing and I had some good battles.  In my second 85 race I fell over in the second turn and by the time I got my bike up and got it running again I was really far behind.  I was on a mission to get past as many bikes as I could…. I was able to chase down 11 riders and get past them for a 4th place finish.  It was so much fun to catch and pass that many bikes.  I also had a fall in my 65 race but was still able to finish the race in 2nd place.  I finished out the day with an overall 1st place in 65 age, 2nd place in 65 open and 4th place in 85 age.  I had a lot of fun for the weekend and then it was back on the road to home.

SOME RECENT HAPPENINGS:

This past year I have had several injuries at really bad times.  Missed Mammoth, went into Loretta’s injured and went into Dodge injured.  With all my injuries I was still able to say I had a very successful racing year and I am very thankful to everyone that has helped me and supported me!

3rd Place 65 Age at Loretta Lynn Nationals in Tennessee

2nd Place 65 Stock at Dodge Nationals and 2nd Place 65 Mod at Dodge Nationals

10 – 1st Place finishes, 5 – 2nd Place finishes and 4 3rd Place finishes throughout the 2013 race season

Some recent happenings:

As you know for the last year I have been wearing Fly Racing Gear.  I recently got a package from Fly Racing and my new gear looks so sick.  I love bright colors and this gear is perfect.  I know what you are thinking……I look So FLY!       Thank you Fly Racing for supporting me.

Red and Black          – and –           Blue and White

Terry Bostard with the Bostard MX School has been helping me get my groove back from my injuries.  Terry has worked with me to get me back into shape and keep me smooth on the track.  For more information or to contact Terry call 707-372-9270 or email him at bostardmxschool@gmail.com

I have been doing a lot of practicing.  I was able to practice with some of the Supercross pros and after practice I took a picture with my fellow 51 Fifty Energy Drink teammate Jake Canada.  For more information go to http://www.51fiftyenergydrink.com

During one of my practices I had fun jumping over my Dad.

I got back on my 85 again.  My Dad got the suspension fixed and the bike handles a lot better than it did last time I rode it.  It has been really fun to get back on that bike and have a chance to ride both the 65 and 85.

Time for another successful year of motocross!

2013 DODGE NATIONAL RACE

Last week was the 2013 Dodge Nationals in Sacramento California.  I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to race because the doctor was still working on my arm injury from the crash I had at Hollister.  A few days before the Nationals the doctor told me I was all better and I could race.  I was so excited to be able to race at the Nationals but I knew that I was going to be a little out of practice.  I was able to have two practice days before Dodge and I worked really hard to get back into my rhythm.

Usually the event is a week long event, but this year it was a little different.  Tuesday was move in day and the day you set up your trailers and find a pit spot.

Wednesday was a full practice day but because they had so many classes, I only was able to ride the track for two 15 minute sessions.  Just enough time to try the bikes to make sure everything was running right and the suspension was set up good.

I raced three classes (65 age stock, 65 age mod, and 65 open), each race is a three moto format which meant I had a total of 9 races for the week.  Wednesday I had three races, and I had two races each day on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  Although I didn’t ride bad, I did improve my riding each time I was on the track.  I could feel that I was getting more comfortable each day and my stamina was also improving.

The first day I had three races and I got all third place finishes.  The second day I raced two times and I got 2nd place finishes.  The third day I had another two races, I got 2nd place finishes and actually got a 1st place finish but they scored the race incorrectly and I was given a second.  on the last day I had my final two races and in the last 65 open race I got into a crash in the second turn and broke my pipe.  I was over a half a lap behind and I was able to catch back up to 10th place.  

I finished with overall:      2nd – 65 Age Stock,        2nd – 65 Age Mod,         4th – 65 Open

At night after the races they had activities and events for everyone.  One night they had the fashion show and I walked in it for both the Braap Shop and for Americore SMX Scooters.

For Braap Shop Yamaha I wore a zip up jacket that looks like I am wearing goggles.  I even got my name and number put onto the back of the jacket.  The Braap Shop sales bikes, all the gear you need to ride and they also have some very sick clothes.  As I walked down the runway I was rocking it for sure…..call me.

For Americore SMX Scooters I wore the SMX shirt and hat.  I walked to the end of the runway and I jumped off and passed out stickers to everyone.  SMX Scooters have big tires that make it easy to ride the scooters in dirt and rocks.  The scooters are fun to ride and easy to jump and do tricks on.

It was a fun week at Dodge and I am so happy to be back on my bike and racing!

Two 2nd place finishes and one 4th place finish for the week!

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

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.

VURB CLASSIC RACE

This last weekend was the Vurb Classic at Oatfield MX Track.  We took our trailer because we knew it was going to be really hot and I wanted to be able to stay cool throughout the day.  During practice my Dad  worked on my bikes and the suspension and tried to get everything dialed in for me.  The Vurb Classic is different from most races I do.  This event had two separate race days and two different events.  Saturday I raced two complete races (4 motos) and on Sunday I raced another two complete races (4 motos).    So I raced a total of 8 motos for the weekend.

On Saturday I raced two races with kids in my age group and I raced two races with all the kids including the older class.  I was trying to work on my gate timing and my starts throughout the weekend.  In my two age group classes on Saturday I was able to finish both races in first place for an overall 1st place finish in the class.  In the two open classes I finished both races in third place for a 3rd place finish overall.

Saturday night I rode my SMX dirt scooter on the pump track and raced my bike with my friends.  Sunday morning I woke up with two parts of my body hurt…..(You probably remember my older post when I got bite by a spider on my eyelid and my eye was swollen shut, well I am pretty sure I am allergic to spider bites.)  I got bite by another spider on my arm.  It was really swollen, hard, red, super hot, and it hurt really bad.

My hands have a lot of calluses on them but I had a new blister on my finger that had popped.  It hurt soooo bad!  Just to hold on to the bike really hurt but I tried not to think about it while I was riding.

Sunday was time for a second day of racing.  Our generator stopped working in our trailer so we also had no A/C and it was about 100 degrees.  😦  I was able to again race for another two first place finishes in both of my age group classes for an overall 1st place finish.  I had a couple falls in Sunday’s open class races but I was still able to pull off fourth and sixth place finishes with a lot of really fast riders, with an overall 5th place finish.

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Vurb Moto did a small recap of some of the races and they mentioned my name in one of the sections.  They put up a picture of me coming in for a pass for the lead in one of my races on Saturday:

Jett Reynolds (above) is the pick of the really small bike riders as he goes up against Ryder DiFrancesco and Hunter Yoder in both the Pee Wee and 51cc Stock 7-8 classes. However he had nothing for Hunter Cross in the slightly bigger 65cc 7-9 class as the #71 took both wins.

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I am still getting back into the swing of things after being off with my broken arm, and it was fun to have 8 races in two days.   I have to thank my Mom and Dad and my sister Hailey for all the help and support all weekend!

SPECIAL THANKS TO ALL THE PEOPLE THAT SUPPORT ME INCLUDING:  51 FIFTY, MOTO EFX, CYCLEGEAR, AMERICORESMX, FMF, DT1, MIKA, FLY, BRAAP SHOP, POWERBAND, NIHILO, MOTOVISION, NOTOIL, RSMX, BOSS, MACH1, DRAGON, DRIVEN ANIMOSITY, LUFO’S, INTERO, GRANDMA AND GRANDPA

LORETTA LYNN REGIONAL QUALIFIER

This last weekend was the Loretta Lynn regional qualifier race in LA at The Ranch in Anza.  The riders that get the top 5 finishes overall for the day will earn a spot at the National Loretta Lynn Race.  Kids come from all around the world to race the regional qualifiers to try to make it into the National race.  This weekend I raced against kids in my class from Hawaii, Japan, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, etc.

The first day of racing was all the stock classes.  I was able to finish both of my races in first place and I was able to get a 1st place spot into the 2013 Loretta Lynn National Race.

For winning in the race I got a qualifying ticket to Loretta’s and for winning the 1st place spot I got a first place plaque and a championship bottle of apple cider.

Day two at the race was the Open Mod Class.  In this class I would race against kids a few years older than me and all the bikes have really fast motors.  In both races I got really bad starts off the line but I was able to fight to get close to the front.

I finished the first race in 6th place and the second race I was able to finish in 5th place.  With the way all of the other kids finished the races, I finished the day with an overall 6th place finish.  The top five in each class win a spot to Loretta’s, so in my second class I missed it by one spot.  😦

Even though I didn’t make it in both classes, I was able to get the 1st place spot in my class….

Can’t wait to go to Nationals again this year!

 

LORETTA LYNN AREA QUALIFIER RACE NUMBER 2

This last weekend I raced in LA for the second Loretta Lynn area qualifier.

During the week my Mom had work and my sister Hailey was not feeling well so I didn’t get to go to the Friday practice at Comp Edge.  Friday night we drove to LA and on Saturday morning it was time to race.  On Saturday morning we got to the track and I got ready to race in the 7-9 stock class and it was super windy and cold.  Even though I didn’t get to practice the day before, I was excited to race and feeling very good.  My first start was not very well, I did a huge wheelie off the start but was able to save it and only lose a few spots.  It took me a little to get through traffic and I was able to win the race.  The second race I started much better and was also able to come in first for a 1st place overall finish.

After the race we went back to the hotel with some friends and we ate pizza and watch supercross.  After supercross I got to go in the hot tub and pool with my friends.  My Mom thought I was crazy because it was super cold outside, but the water wasn’t too bad.  After the pool it was time for bed because we had to turn our clocks back and loose an hour of sleep.

Sunday morning It was time to race the 7-11 mod class.  I still didn’t have a mod bike and had to race with my stock bike, but I was excited to see if I could battle with the older kids.  In the first race I got a bad start and had to battle through traffic.  By the time I was able to make my way to the fourth place spot, the top three riders were out just a little.  I was pushing to try to catch them and I slid out in a turn.  I was able to get back up pretty fast and didn’t lose any spots but I lost a little ground on the leaders.  By the end of the race I was catching the third place spot but I wasn’t able to get close enough to make a pass.  I finished the first race in 4th place.

In the second race I came out of the gate well but again got pushed between a couple of bikes.  I was able to make my way to third place and worked to get around him.  I finally got around the third and second place rider and tried to catch up to the leader.  I was riding well, but I let the leader get out too far in the beginning of the race and I wasn’t able to get close enough to catch him in the end.  I was able to finish the race in second place and finished the race with an overall 2nd place finish for the day.

HOLLISTER LORETTA LYNN AREA QUALIFIER

This weekend my family went to Hollister to race the Northwest Area Qualifier.  A lot of people came out for the race and we watches a lot of good races all weekend.   The track got really rough and very rutted, but it was really fun.  My classes had some good gates and I had fun playing with my friends off the track and racing them on the track.

My parents and my sister Hailey always give me a pep-talk right before the race starts.

My first day of racing was the 65cc 7-9 Stock class.   In the first race I got out of the gate a little slow but I was able to stay up and keep the lead for a 1st place win in the first race.  In the second race I got a better start and I got out to the front.  I was out in the lead and I hit a rutt and flew across the track and I hit a tree.  I was a little shaken after the crash, but I was able to get up and get back going.  I was in eighth place and I was able to battle back to 3rd place.  I finished the class with an overall 1st place finish.

The second day I raced 65cc 7-11 Mod class.  In both races there was a lot of really good battles.  I finished the first race in 2nd and the second race in 3rd with a 3rd place overall finish.

The plaques for the race were the coolest ever!  THEY HAVE A PICTURE OF ME ON THEM…. The picture on the plaque is from the start of the 65cc race from last year Loretta’s race when I got the hole shot.  It was prett