Rider Updates
Jul 17 2009
Though he’s only 14 years old and has been riding a motorcycle for merely three years, Hubert’s Alex Burch is in contention to win a national championship. Burch qualified to race in the largest amateur motocross race in the world, the 28th annual Air Nautiques/AMA Amateur National Motocross Championships. The event will take place Aug. 1-8 at a track on Loretta Lynn’s ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tenn.
Over 20,000 riders from across the country strived to earn a berth in the nationals, but Burch was one of only 1,386 hopefuls to make it. “The Amateur Nationals at Loretta Lynn’s is the event every motocross racer in the country wants to compete in,” said event director Tim Cotter. “A win in this race can serve as a springboard to a lucrative professional motocross career.” Burch, who will be a freshman at Swansboro High School in the fall, is ready for a big showing at the nationals. “I’m really excited and I’m really looking forward to it,” he said. “I’d love to win it, but my goal is a top 10 finish. I’ll be riding against some of the best racers in the country, so between now and then I’m going to practice, practice, practice.” Burch competes in the C Stock Class and will ride a Honda 250F in the nationals. He was a fan at last year’s national champi-onship race and is familiar with the track. “I watched the nationals last year and have a good idea what the track is like,” he said. “There aren’t a lot of elevation changes and not too much sand. It’s not a wide open track, there are a lot of tight turns, which makes it hard to pass. It’s going to be a long, hot race so I’ll have to pace myself.&rdq
Jul 17 2009
The 14-year old student at Swansboro High School recently qualified for the 28th annual Air Nautiques/AMA Amateur National Motocross Championships in Hurricane Mills, Tenn.
Burch has won many races over the past three years and competes just about every weekend. He qualified for the nationals, which will take place from Aug. 1-8 at the Loretta Lynn’s Ranch and Campground, by excelling in several area and regional qualifiers.
Burch, the son of Kevin and Lynnell Burch, will be one of 1,386 riders competiting in the event. Over 20,000 were qualifying.
Among those previously racing at Loretta Lynn’s are teenagers Justin Barcia, P.J. Larsen, Darryn Durhman and Blake Wharton, each of whom were awarded professional contracts after the race.
“The Amateur Nationals at Loretta Lynn’s is the event every motocross racers in the country wants to compete in,” said event director Tim Cotter in a press release. “A win at the Amateur Nationals can serve as a springboard to a lucrative professional motocross career.”
For more information on Burch, visit his Web site at alexburchmx.com.
Apr 22 2009
From the Tideland Newspaper, Swansboro NC 4/22/09
Alex Burch has come a long way in less than three years of motocross racing. The 14-year old Hubert resident recently won the state championship in the C Stock Class on April 5 in Reidsville. And that’s just one of the many honors the eighth grader at Swansboro Middle School has earned.
Burch, who rides a Suzuki RM 125, placed first in a national qualifying race on March 7 in Elizabeth City. Burch competed against 61 other riders, many of whom were riding larger, 250 cc bikes.
But the youngster doesn’t want to limit his success to tracks in North Carolina. If Burch finishes in the top eight at an upcoming regional competition, he’ll advance to the nationals in Tennessee.
The nationals are held on a motocross track owned by country music legend Loretta Lynn.
Burch said he began riding a couple of years ago, primarily just to have a good time with his family.
“I started riding as a hobby, and my mom, dad and I all got bikes,” he explained. “I just had a trail bike but my mom had a racing bike, and once I got on hers I just loved it.”
But once he started racing, Burch changed his outlook toward riding. However, he explained that even while racing for big stakes, it’s important that he has fun.
“I like the challenge of racing and being around my friends. I always race my best and give it 110 percent, but I never let that keep me from having fun, that’s the most important thing.”
When he’s on the track, Burch doesn’t race like a youngster, adopting the phi-losophy of a seasoned veteran.
Apr 21 2009
From the Jacksonville Daily News, Jacksonville NC, April 19, 2009
http://www.jdnews.com/sports/burch_63726___article.html/champ_hobby.html
What started as a family hobby has become a showcase for Alex Burch's natural ability.
The 14-year-old eighth-grader at Swansboro Middle School has emerged as a top motocross bike rider in just two years in the sport, winning the North Carolina MX Lites 125 C class state championship in Reidsville to help give him momentum as he attempts to qualify for the national championships in Hurricane Mills, Tenn.
"I was surprised I won, but I felt really good about it," Burch said. "I was probably one of the youngest riders."
The state event featured competitors ages 14-19, with many having been involved in the sport since they started elementary school. Imagine how they must have felt when Burch won despite not picking up the sport until 2006.
It was July of that year that the Burch family of Hubert purchased dirt bikes to begin what they thought would just be a "casual hobby" as stated on Alex's Web site alexburchmx.com.
"We all got bikes for fun," he said. "I had a trail bike and I started riding."
There are many reasons why he continues to ride.
"I like being with my friends (who also ride), and we just have a good time," Burch said.
"I want to be serious about the sport, and of course I enjoy winning. But no matter what, I just want to enjoy the sport."
It didn't take long for Alex' parents, Kevin and Lynnell, to realize their son had a talent on two wheels.
"We saw how good he was," Lynnell said.
Alex proved that as he won his first l