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Ninth-grader races to ATV championship title
Dylan, a 14-year-old freshman at Manchester High School, only began racing all-terrain vehicles two years ago, but his decision to race, backed by hard work and commitment, has already paid off. He was recently crowned the ATV Supermini Class 2010 Virginia State Champion and the 2010 District 13 Champion, which includes racers in North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland. “To be the Supermini champion, I had to finish first and work hard,” he said. “I eat, breathe and sleep racing, with a little school work in between.” The title came after a full year of races – 42 since January 2010 – and a lot of accumulated points. At each race the first few finishers earn points, such as 30 points for first place, 25 points for second place and so on. At the end of the year, the racer with the most points in each class is awarded the championship title. Dylan races in two classes. The first is Supermini (for boys ages 8-15), in which he’s consistently a race winner and this year’s champion. The other class is Youth Production, for faster ATVs and boys ages 13-15. Although Dylan’s had more success in Supermini, he finished second in the race for the 2010 Virginia State Youth Production Championship title. Races are typically four laps around a 1.5- to 2-mile track, and usually finish in less than eight minutes, but each track is different, Dylan said. And he certainly gets to quite a few tracks. He began racing competitively at the beginning of 2009 and has traveled to races almost every weekend since then. In 2009 he competed in more than 35 races, and in 2010, he made it to 42 races – each on a different weekend. “It’s an every weekend kind of thing,” said Dylan’s mother, Janice Butler. Dylan travels to almost every race with his family, including mom, dad and grandmother. They help him prepare for the race during the week, too. Mom gets his uniforms ready and makes sure his bags are packed. Dad helps him on the tracks and in the garage, keeping his ATVs in race-ready condition. “We work on the ATVs every week to get ready,” said Dylan’s father, Dave Butler. “This is a full-time thing.” Dylan’s rise to success may have been quick, but it was certainly hard-earned. Since he started racing, he adjusted his diet and worked to be in his best physical condition. “All his foods are low calorie,” Dave said. “Now there’s a bunch of health foods around the house. I haven’t seen him drink a soda since mid-2009.” Racing has infused itself into almost every aspect of Dylan’s life. Dylan works hard each week on practice tracks, either in his backyard or at a track in Dinwiddie. When he’s not on his four-wheeler or in his garage, he likes to play racing-related video games on his Xbox. His passion has rubbed off on the family, too. His dad recently began racing in the 40- plus division. Dave and his friends used to race their dirt bikes near Pocahontas State Park when he was younger. Once Dylan started racing, his dad started, too. “[Dylan] just has natural ability,” Janice said. “You can’t be scared. He has to take a risk on some of the jumps, but it comes natural to him.” But, he does work on those jumps in practice. Long jumps can be as far as 90 feet to 110 feet, Dylan said. It’s a risky sport, but it’s the only one he’s really loved. “He tried football, soccer, basketball, lacrosse – all those,” his mom said. “This is the only one he loves and stuck with.” And, he has full family support. “I think it’s awesome,” Janice said of his 2010 championship titles. “It’s such a big accomplishment for him. He’s a good, clean rider, and I’m just very proud.” His grandmother, Jean Bates, agreed: “I’m so proud of him. He’s come a very long way in two-and-a-half years. He’s a good sport; whether he wins or loses, he’s always congratulating. To me, sportsmanship is most important, in any sport he does.” |
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