Motocross racer shoots for top

Most people remember that magical time when they received their first bicycle. Whether it was under the tree on Christmas morning or a special birthday gift, it is a moment that sticks with us.

But that is not a memory 11-year-old Haydn Humphrey of Priest River has. After all, he was only 2 at the time. And his was not an ordinary bike – it was a motorcycle with training wheels.

“I started racing when I was 3,” said Haydn.

His parents Val and Rick Humphrey immediately saw the passion in their young son and did what they could to make Haydn’s dream come true.

“He always liked dirt bikes,” said Val, who admits she was nervous when Haydn first began to race but has relaxed over time. “We went to the (motocross) track one weekend and have been back every weekend since.”

Rick owns an excavation business which allows him to have a flexible schedule. Being in his line of business has also proven to be helpful.

“We have the equipment to move the dirt to make the track,” said Val of the track Rick built on a piece of property the family owns in Priest River.

Haydn’s passion has translated into success, demonstrated by the hundreds of trophies he has won over the years.

He practices at least three times a week – sometimes at his own track in Priest River and other times in Newport or Airway Heights. Each weekend he is at the track either competing or practicing. During the winter months, the family drives either to Lewiston or the Tri-Cities, where the tracks are open year-round.

Every March the Humphreys pack up their motor home and take off to Texas, where Haydn competes in nationals. In October, they drive to another national competition in Sacramento, Calif. Haydn has placed as high as second in Sacramento and fifth in Texas.

But the competition he will attend this week currently has his attention.

Out of more than 20,000 hopefuls, Haydn was one of 1,386 to earn a qualifying spot in the largest amateur motocross race in the world. The 29th annual AMA Amateur National Motocross Championships will take place starting Monday in Tennessee on a ranch owned by entertainer Loretta Lynn.

“The amateur nationals is the event every motocross racer in the country wants to compete in,” said event director Tim Cotter. “A win at the amateur nationals gives a rider instant national notoriety and can serve as a springboard to a lucrative professional motocross career.”

To qualify, Haydn had to finish in the top 12 at the qualifier race and then in the top four for the Northwest Region, which includes California, Oregon, Idaho and Washington.

There are 42 contestants entered in Haydn’s age group in Tennessee.

He will compete in three races in both the stock class and mod class.

This will be his third year at the Amateur National Motocross Championship. This year he said his goal is to finish in the top five.

“The first year I finished 14th, and the second year I crashed and got 23rd,” said Haydn, who counts one broken arm among his injuries in eight years of racing.

With the high cost of the sport and the travel expenses, Haydn is fortunate to have sponsors, including John Mitchell of DNG Designs in Coeur d’Alene, who does all the graphics for Haydn’s bike, tunes it up and transports it to the bigger races; trainer J. Whipple MX School from Western Washington; Medicine Man Pharmacy in Coeur d’Alene; and Fly Racing based in Boise.

So what is it about this sport that intrigues Haydn?

“I like going fast and jumping,” said Haydn, who jumps as far as 90 feet.

Haydn, who also plays basketball and enjoys playing football at recess, said his friends in Priest River are very supportive and interested in his competitions.

“They always ask me how I did (after the weekend competitions),” said Haydn.

As he Haydn continues to pursue his dream of becoming a professional motocross racer, the family knows he will eventually have to be home-schooled to accommodate his schedule. But so far balancing his passion for competition and academics has not been an issue. Haydn made the honor roll last year and credits his mom for helping him through the homework.