Personal History
My name is Ryan Stephens and I am 8 years old. I just finished 2nd grade with all Advanced and Proficients (meaning "at or above grade level"; equivalent to A's and B's). My favorite subjects at school are math and science, and I am also really good at reading chapter books. I have been riding dirt bikes since I was 2 years old. I started on a PW50 with training wheels, and I haven't stopped riding since! I have also been playing recreational soccer since I was 3 years old. I am an only child, and I am really lucky because I have a very supportive mom and dad, and grandma. My mom and dad both take me to the track to practice and they are all there to cheer me on at my races!
I just started racing in January 2014, and I have really enjoyed the experience. I have been able to ride at many different tracks around the Southern California area to improve my riding and racing capabilities. I received a 5th place finish overall for the Moto X Kidz Spring race series and a 10th place finish overall for the TransWorld Spring race series. I am now competing in the Summer race series for both Moto X Kidz and TransWorld.
Riding Goals
I ride dirt bikes simply because it's fun! I race dirt bikes because I want to be the best rider and I want to race in Supercross when I grow up. My dad has always helped me to become a better rider, and recently I have begun training with Kelly Yancey, a motocross instructor. My goal for the two Summer series I am currently racing in, is to improve my finishes in every moto I race and in my overall finish for the series. My long term goals over the next year are to begin racing in Mammoth qualifiers and hopefully be competitive enough to make it to race in Mammoth next summer. I also hope to begin training on a 65cc in 2015 to prepare for my future in motocross racing.
Competitive Highlights
In my first attempt at racing in a series, I received a 5th place series finish with Moto X Kidz in the Starter class and a 10th place series finish with TransWorld in the PeeWee Beginner class. I am half way through the Summer Series with Moto X Kidz and I moved up a class to the 7-9 Beginner and I am also racing in the Open class. I am currently first in points for the Beginner class and third in points in the Open class. In the first race of the Summer season with TransWorld I had a pretty good crash, but came back to come within .001 second of setting the fastest lap in my class.
I have also always been very competitive in soccer, moving up to the next age bracket early. My coaches usually play me in the middle of the field because they know I will always be where my team needs me, whether it's to make a goal or protect ours. In my last season, my coach chose me to receive the award for best sportsmanship because I "always give 110%, no matter what". I plan to take my first season off soccer this fall in almost 5 years of playing. I want to spend more time focusing on improving on my dirt bike and becoming a better racer. I plan to bring my competitiveness from the field to the track!