Personal History
Desert racing is a genuine passion of mine! there is something so satisfying about flying across the desert wide open, not knowing what's next.
I Grew up in Las Vegas, NV riding the desert by my house after school with my dad and during the summers my dad would drop me off with 5 gallons of gas and a lunch bag so I could spend the entire day practicing when I was just 13. In 2006 I got in to a bad accident and we quit racing. In 2012 I was getting the itch so I bought a yz250 2-stroke and started riding again. After 4 months of riding I decided it was time to race so I signed up 250 Expert, got the holeshot and finished 5th overall in what was technically my first ‘big bike’ race, considering I had not raced in 6 years since I was on superminis.
Riding Goals
Race 2015 AMA National Hare & Hound Series, win the 250A class and move on to the newly introduced 250 pro class.
Race WORCS series and win the 250A class and potentially race pro lites and win that class.
Race MRANN series and win 250A series as Well as win an overall
Competitive Highlights
2013 MRANN 250 Expert/A Class Champion
2013 MRANN 3rd Overall for the series
In February of 2013 I raced in what was technically my first 'big bike' race since I had not raced since I was 14 years old on mini bikes. I showed up at the race nervous as a cat because I had been training hard for the last two months but had no idea how fast the competition was going to be. I signed up expert because I raced expert class on mini's- the people at signups were hesitant to let me race expert since I had no race history with them. I ended up getting the holeshot on the entire expert class and riding second overall for the first 50 miles until the desert fox, Dennis Bellingheri caught me. I finished 5th overall on my 2005 yz250 2-stroke that day after 95 miles of the most brutal, whooped out racing I had ever experienced. When I got to the finish line there were people applauding for me, journalists from the local newspaper who wanted to know who I was, and a man with a microphone and a loud speaker who wanted to ask me quesstions. I felt like a celebrity for almost 2 minutes lol. Despite the fact that I got 2nd 250A that day behind whom would later be the 2013 NHHA champ, Levi Hutchings, I still felt like I won because I had proven to myself that I had the speed and ability to win not only in the 250 class but eventually win an overall. That memory is such a highlight for me because it was my debut and my homecoming to racing all in one and it gave me the feeling that it was what I was supposed to be doing, training and racing motorcycles.
After winning the 250A title in MRANN for the 2013 season, I decided to sell my bike and focus on graduating college. After taking nearly a year off, I bought a new yz250, got it all set up and was ready to race within weeks of buying it. I showed up at the MRANN race in Winnemucca, Nov. 15, 2014 where it was 14 degrees at breakfast before the race. It was 25 degrees when the flag dropped and I got a dismal start. After working my way through the pack I finished 1st 250 and 4th overall. Everyone forgot who 1x was since I had not been there the entire season but they quickly remembered I was a contender for the overall any day I show up.
Just one week after my 2014 race victory I entered another 100 mile race in Northern Nevada. I got a great start and was riding good for about 30 miles until series points leader, Drew Chattin caught me in a tight waterfall section. I knew the importance of riding smart in order to win so I put my head down and rode like the championship was on the line- fast, smooth and smart for the next 15 minutes without ever looking back. I rode so hard for so long that when I finally got the chance to look over my shoulder on a switchback, he was nowhere to be found. I ended up getting 5th overall and 1st 250A that day and beating the series leader, Drew Chattin by 4 minutes. Chattin was praised for his season long victory and when asked about battling with me on the course he was quoted in the local newspaper saying "He's a beast" when referring to trying to catch me.