Blata Cup kids on the grid. Brad Boucher (7), Henry Morse (10), Reuben Casarez (22), Gabriel Hernandez III (29), Kenny Anderson (18), Katelynn Long (75), Andrew Zabzdyr (3)
At last month’s AMA Pro Superbike races in Fontana, California, the familiar shriek of motorcycle engines and the smell of race gas was in the air. Fearless riders donned armor and leather, strapped on their helmets, and climbed onto… their pocketbikes.
That’s right, some of this weekend’s best racing was to be found at a small track set up on vendor row, as Youth Road Racing USA and SCMiniGP riders put on a show for spectators. Billed as the “Future Stars of AMA,” these young riders were invited by AMA Pro Racing to put on an exhibition of their riding skills. Throughout the weekend, boys and girls aged 5 to 14 showed that they knew how to bang bars just like the pros.
Gabriel Hernandez III takes the
flag for a victory lap.
On track this weekend were four groups of riders: the Blata Cup racers, who ride the entry-level, four-horsepower Blata pocketbikes; the Razor Cup kids, who are beginning riders; the Semi-Pro Junior racers, on their seven-horsepower Blata pocket bikes; and the midsized bikes, in which the two-stroke Honda NSR 50 is a popular choice of ride.
By starting on the little bikes, these kids learn to race in small increments, under the watchful guidance of trained instructors who reinforce safety and fun, while moms, dads and siblings cheer them on.
