by Aaron Hansel
Bench Racing Ammo: Starting Early
Wednesday, August 8, 2012 | 10:10 AM
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PrintIt seems easy. If you want to build a powerhouse team in the future, just go visit the Red Bull AMA Amateur Nationals at Loretta Lynn Ranch and sign this year's 50cc stars to a lifetime contract. Boom--instant titles at the pro level starting about ten years from now. Right?
Interestingly enough, however, many of the sport’s top pro riders were not overwhelming success stories in the earliest stages of their racing careers. In other words, if you are a parent hoping to raise the next great motocross champion and ride the gravy train of racing riches, there’s no need to abandon your grand scheme just because junior didn’t lap the field in his first race on a PW50. And if you're a sponsor, you need to dig deeper than just a glance at the 50cc results. Need proof? Have a look at how some of today’s biggest racing stars did in their 50 Class days at the AMA Amateur National Championship at Loretta Lynn Ranch.
Trey Canard
18th 51cc Stock (4-6) 1996
10th 51cc (4-6) AMA 1 Stock 1997
28th 51cc (7-8) AMA Class 2 1998
Mike Alessi
8th 51cc Stock (4-6) 1994
1st 51cc (4-6) AMA 1 Stock 1995
42nd 51cc Stock (7-8) 1996
Davi Millsaps
31st 51cc Stock (4-6) 1994
10th 51cc (7-8) AMA 2 Stock 1995
1st 51cc Stock (7-8) 1996
1st 51cc (7-8) AMA 2 Stock 1997
James Stewart
20th 51cc Stock (4-8) 1991
2nd 51cc Stock (4-8) 1992
1st 51cc Stock (7-8) 1993
James Stewart was one of only a select few current pros to win a 50cc title at Loretta's.
Fran Kuhn photo
Wil Hahn
41st 51cc (7-8) AMA Class 2 1998
Eli Tomac
29th 51cc (4-6) AMA Class 1 1999
23rd 51cc (7-8) AMA Class 2 2000
9th 51cc (7-8) AMA Class 2 2001
Broc Tickle
23rd 51cc (7-8) AMA Class 2 1998
Cole Seely
42nd 51cc (4-6) AMA 1 Stock 1997
14th 51cc (7-8) AMA Class 2 1998
Blake Baggett
3rd 51cc (4-6) AMA Class 1 1999
7th 51cc (7-8) AMA Class 2 2000
2nd 51cc (7-8) AMA Class 2 2001
As you can see, most of the riders listed above did not take home championships in the 50 ranks, and none of them were dominant in all of their 50 Class races. Yes, Millsaps, Alessi and Stewart got some Ws, but even that didn't guarantee their success. Other 50cc Class titles during the era the above riders raced in belong to names like Shawn Rife, Cameron Smith, Brandon Large, John Maleske, David Whitcraft, Chris Considine and Trevor Reis. You might recognize a few of those names, but, by and large, they haven’t continued down the path to motocross stardom.
Taking it even further, guys like Ryan Dungey, Ryan Villopoto, Kevin Windham, Justin Barcia, Jake Weimer, Blake Wharton, Andrew Short, Ivan Tedesco and Ricky Carmichael didn’t even enter any 50 Class races at Loretta Lynn’s.
Since your four-year-old probably can't read yet, you'll have to pass some words of advice on to them. Don't give up on your dreams just because you're not dominating all the other four-year-olds. Some of the top riders in the world didn't give up, and look where they are now!
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When the lights go off on supercross and racing hits the daylight with the launch of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, everyone gets to start over. Page 110.
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Great point! That also goes for the other classes as well. Did Jeremy McGrath ever win at Loretta's?
I hear James is out for 338.
@ Expeditionary Citizen,, You are correct...
Beadboy, Im pretty sure MC won a title in one of the C classes (250 i think)..not sure of the year though
MC did not start riding Motorcycles until age 15 prior to that it was BMX.
The Bob Hanna story is even better He worked to buy his race bike then went into motocross cold turkey. But he rode the desert areas practicing. So the late bloomers do arrive because special talents cannot be farmed with excessive exposure, you are born with that.
Mc won a title at Ponca.
Mc 1987 LL 125C winner
@ EXP Citizen yes Stewart said he is out for 338, " They want me to wait a little longer maybe dilla, I be back sometime this summer" Not word for word from his twitter but gets the point across.
If Stewart isn't racing, then that means someone must have told him NO to MXdN
Stewart is not racing.... Wait.................. Checking.................... Checking.............
Nope....... Dont care.
You see the same thing in kid's hockey. Some dads think their kid being king of the 4-year-olds means they are destined for the NHL. They develop at such different rates at that age, it really doesn't mean anything.
I've seen kids winning 50 classes, paddling, and using very bad form. The 65s are usually a rough transition for them.
Glad to hear Stewart will be where he belongs Saturday.
maybe his hands still hurt......
In any sport you take a talented kid who's competed since he was 5 and introduce him to the sport at 15 and he'll be at the same level in 6 months. There are many professional athletes that took up a sport during their senior year of high school or even waited until college. Broc Glover started racing at 13 and I'm sure other pros have similar backgrounds.
Alot of kids are bigger, faster, and stronger when they're young just because they mature at an earlier age. I think we all had friends that were full grown and shaving at 12 who dominated middle school sports but were mediocre in high school because everyone else passed them up.
for some reason i have to believe that the 2011 and 2012 4-6 51cc stock champion RYDER DIFRANCESCO will change all of that. The kid is fast very fast and seems to be a very smooth and talented racer. He has been pretty dominant in the 4-6yr 0ld class ever since last years loretta lynns race .if i remember right he backed up last years title by killing the competition at the mini o's actually and i may be wrong here but i think hes won every moto except for maybe 2 in the nationals hes raced and is usually turning laps that are way faster than his competition. I cant wait to see him on the king cobra next year . maybe he will step up to the 65 class also then we will have a better idea of how fast he really is . One more thing maybe someone can answer this isnt he the same kid that was always with Sherri Cruse when she was racing in the WMX. If hes not he sure does look like him and they both are from Bakersfield
When I saw the title I though John Dowd would have to be mentioned, didn't he start riding in his late teens? As much hope as it gives you I think at 27 I am past the point of finding out I am as talented at something.
@cobramoto
He's fast now no doubt. Alot can happen over the next 12 to 15 years. He may decide he likes another sport better. There's probably a kid we've never heard of riding in his backyard right now who's faster. There are kids his age who haven't even ridden a dirt bike yet who may be faster three years from now. My son is 8, has been riding for 7 months, and can keep up with the locals. I certainly don't have any delusions of grandeur. You have to keep it in perspective.