Alex Hotchkiss can now count himself among the best of the best at his age in the nation at motocross racing.
Hotchkiss, 17, a senior at Brandon High School, competed in the Loretta Lynn’s Amateur Motocross Championships Aug. 3 in Hurricane Mills, Tenn. He competed in two different classes, 125 B Stock and 250 Open B Stock, which are based on the size of the bikes used in each race.
He finished fourth in his age group in the 125 B Stock Division and 14th in the 250 Open B Stock Division. Hotchkiss said both divisions had 42 competitors.
Hotchkiss? mom, Abby, said Alex competed in a total of nine different races, and was the state champion among racers in the 125B division.
The race was the highlight of Hotchkiss? motocross career, which began seven years ago. He said it was the best finish he ever had during the five years he has competed at the national meet, and the most memorable race he has competed in during his career.
In order to get ready to compete, Hotchkiss said he practices ‘as much as he can, depending on the season,? which is typically three to four days per week. He said he practices mostly at his house, but tries to find other tracks in the area to hone his skills.
Hotchkiss gets plenty of chances to put what he has learned to good use, as he competes in races ‘pretty much every weekend.?
When asked why motocross racing appeals to him, he said ‘it’s just a lot of fun, and it keeps me out of trouble.?
Hotchkiss said he plans to go to college after graduating from Brandon, but is not sure where at this point. However, he does plan on continuing in the sport in some form, perhaps even at the professional level.
‘That’s the plan,? he said. ‘I’m going to try and go pro for a year, and see how that ends up. If I do well, I’ll stick with it.?
Hotchkiss is the second of three sons of Todd and Abby Hotchkiss of Ortonville. He has one older brother, Ryan, 20, and one younger brother, Adam, 14.