A Black Mountain resident is aiming to place in the top five at the Rockstar Energy Drink Motocross Nationals.

Casey Keast, 18, got into dirt biking when he was 11.

This will be his second time competing in the MX2 category (250 cc) during the national competition, which starts this weekend in Kamloops at the Whispering Pines Raceway.

According to the motocross website, 害羞草研究所渢he MX2 class is the breeding ground for up-and-coming talent and throughout its history has been mostly dominated by young Canadian racers.害羞草研究所�

Keast feels confident about the races, after placing ninth overall last year.

害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 know what the expectations are this year. You always figure out your realistic expectations after the first race,害羞草研究所� he said.

Keast will be racing against 40 other motocross riders, starting on what he calls 害羞草研究所渉is home turf害羞草研究所� race track, which he has grown up racing on.

The Rutland Senior Secondary graduate hopes to make it to the podium in this competition, racing full-time after graduation last year.

His love of dirt biking and the realization that he was good at the sport came to him at 11. By 15, Keast was starting to think about becoming a professional racer.

So far, one of his favourite things about competing is the places he害羞草研究所檚 had a chance to visit.

害羞草研究所淲hat I like about it the most is the traveling and the places I get to see害羞草研究所� all the cool places that people normally don害羞草研究所檛 get out to go see,害羞草研究所� he said, adding he害羞草研究所檚 enjoyed visiting places tourists wouldn害羞草研究所檛 normally visit.

Keast travels to California in the winter to train because there aren害羞草研究所檛 as many opportunities in the Okanagan for a professional racer. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 almost a second home to me,害羞草研究所� he said, adding Kelowna and California have a similar feeling due to climate.

Sitting on the bike, revving his engine and waiting for the start, Keast doesn害羞草研究所檛 think about the race as it害羞草研究所檚 happening.

害羞草研究所淢ost sports you don害羞草研究所檛 really have time to think about what you害羞草研究所檙e doing, you just go as hard as you can,害羞草研究所� he said, loving the adrenaline rush.

害羞草研究所淎fter the first two laps in a race you don害羞草研究所檛 even remember anything, it害羞草研究所檚 just like pure adrenaline. You just go. My favourite thing about it is just riding as hard as you can and your body is completely dead after.害羞草研究所�

In his spare time, he plays basketball and snowboards at Big White in the winter. 害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 one of the harder things about the sport. I don害羞草研究所檛 get to hang out with friends (as much),害羞草研究所� he said.

His mom got him into the sport professionally.

害羞草研究所淢y mom was the one that wanted me to start racing. She inspired me to get out there. She must have just known that I害羞草研究所檇 like it a lot.害羞草研究所�

Keast害羞草研究所檚 father loved dirt biking as a kid but couldn害羞草研究所檛 do it professionally due to financial circumstances.

It makes Keast grateful for the opportunity.

害羞草研究所淎nytime I害羞草研究所檓 in California riding and I have a bad day, I think about my parents and what they do for me and how fortunate I am to be able to ride just this day, let alone staying down there for a month.害羞草研究所�

The nationals, celebrating its 25th anniversary, starts June 2 and 3 and will stretch across Canada, from Kamloops to Ontario.

carli.berry@kelownacapnews.com
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