Uriah G. Williamson is trying to make his dream come true. The 6 year-old dirt bike racer is trying to qualify for the largest amateur motocross race in the world, the 29th annual Air Nautiques/AMA Amateur National Motocross Championships at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch. Uriah is competing with over 20,000 hopefuls from across America to earn one of just 1,386 qualifying positions. Uriah has already qualified for the North East and the South East Regional Qualifiers in the 50cc Shaft and 4-6 year old 50cc Two Stroke Classes.
“The Amateur Nationals at Loretta Lynn’s is the event every motocross racer in the country wants to compete in,” says Event Director Tim Cotter. “A win at the Amateur Nationals can serve as a springboard to a lucrative professional motocross career.”
Most of America’s top professional motocrossers, including James Stewart, Ricky Carmichael, Travis Pastrana and Jeremy McGrath have won AMA Amateur National Championships at Loretta Lynn’s. The race is so prestigious that last year teenaged stars such as New York’s Justin Barcia, South Carolina’s PJ Larsen, Pennsylvania’s Darryn Durhman and Texas’ Blake Wharton were awarded pro contracts after the race.
Uriah, who attends Sand Ridge Elementary School, has been riding since he was 4 years old and has competed over 40 races in the last 2 years producing consistent results with 20 wins and only out of the top three 8 times. Uriah competes nearly every weekend at local races in Jacksonville NC and was the Southern MX Series Champion in the 4-6 50cc Shaft Class in 2009.
Uriah is sponsored by Ethical Business Connections, Wells Fargo, Envy Yards, and Texas Roadhouse.
Uriah will make the long journey to the Southeast Regional Qualifier at Aonia Pass MX in Washington, GA along with his mom and dad. The race runs June 11-12-13, 2010. If Uriah qualifies he will be going to Amateur Nationals at Loretta Lynn’s the first week of August.
Uriah is just one of the over 20,000 who will spend the next four months qualifying for the event. The top finishers in area and regional qualifiers earn a birth into the national championship race at Loretta Lynn’s. Racers may enter a wide variety of classes, from minicycle classes for children as young as four, all the way up to a Senior division for riders over 50. There are also classes for women, and classes for both stock and modified bikes.
The track is built on a section of Loretta Lynn’s Ranch and Campground in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee. The course contains a variety of jumps, corners and other obstacles designed to test the skills and stamina of the racers.
Most riders attend the event with the help of their families. In fact, many groups consider the event their family’s summer vacation. Besides races, the ranch provides family-friendly facilities including a game room, swimming pools, arts and crafts activities, and a fashion and talent show.
