Starting from the bottom pack was not something Ravenna junior Jacob McPherson expected when he competed in two races at the 43rd Annual Monster Amateur Monster Energy National Motocross Championship. However, McPherson just kept riding and rose to fourth place in the 250C Division race and third in the 250C Junior Unlimited race in early August at the Loretta Lynn Ranch in Hurricane Mills, TN.
“It pushed me out of my comfort zone a lot because I did not get very good starts and I had to come through the pack,” McPherson told The Weekly Villager on Aug. 21.
In the 250C Division race, McPherson got off to a slow start and had to fight his way from the bottom. He said he relied on his experience in woods racing by picking off competitors while turning the corners of the track.
“It was probably the corners and nothing else,” he noted. “The track was rough and I am used to racing rough track so I was better at it than anybody else.”
McPherson said his perseverance being rewarded with a fourth-place finish in the first race helped boost his confidence for his final race. Although he got off to another poor start in the 250C Junior Unlimited race, he applied the same strategy from his 250C race to earn third place.
He said that his key to advancing to the front of the pack was not wasting any time to make his move and just picked off the competition one-by-one.
McPherson acknowledged that racing on an actual motocross track was a new experience for him, having primarily competed in woods racing but all he needed was a few practice laps on the track before the race started to get comfortable.
He said that the best part of the experience was racing with his friends, whom he had competed with at several motocross races prior. He added that it was a nice challenge having been pushed out of his comfort zone and still excelling.
In addition to having to prepare mentally to race on unfamiliar terrain, McPherson said he also prepared physically by working out away from his bike.
After a successful experience at the AMA Monster Energy National Motocross Championship, McPherson said he is already seeking a second consecutive berth at the event next summer.
“I’d like to try and go back next year,” he said. “It is going to be tougher because I have to move up a class but hopefully I can make it. I will be in the “B” class next year.”
McPherson said that the biggest adjustment he will need to make when competing in the “B” class next season will be that the competitors in those races will be competing at a faster speed.
As he continues his studies this year, McPherson will continue competing in woods racing throughout the rest of this year before he is required to compete in the same qualifiers next year for the AMA Monster Energy National Motocross Championship.
Now that McPherson knows what to expect when competing at the AMA Monster Energy National Motocross Championship, he said he is excited to continue riding and compete in more races to gain more experience.
