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07/01/2005
Moto to the max
By JIM BUCHBERGER , Sports Editor
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HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE - Young Daniel Rocke has made his motocross racing dream come true.
The 13-year old Lawrenceburg resident recently earned a qualifying spot for the largest amateur dirt bike race in the world - the 23rd annual AMA/ Air Nautiques Amateur National Motocross Championship, scheduled for Aug. 2-7 at country music star Loretta Lynn’s Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tenn.
Rocke, a Sunman-Dearborn Middle School eighth-grader this fall who lives with mom and stepdad Sue and Jack Arduin at HVL, took on over 17,000 hopefuls from across America to earn one of just 1,400 nationals qualifying positions.
“Every motocross racer in the country wants to compete in the Amateur Nationals,” said event director Tim Cotter. “A win there can serve as the springboard to what could be a lucrative professional motocross career.”
Many of America’s top professional motocrossers - including Jeremy McGrath, Ricky Carmichael, Travis Pastrana and James Stewart - boosted their careers with AMA Amateur national championships.
A victory at nationals became even more coveted after last year’s event, when two teenagers - Georgia’s David Millsaps and Broc Hepler of Pennsylvania - were awarded six-figure pro contracts after winning titles.
An avid motorcycle rider since the age of 4, Rocke competes with a Greenwood, Ind.-based team sponsored by Flatout Suzuki of Indianapolis, Scott Goggles, Decal Works, Twin Air, Renthal, Thor, Bridgestone Tires, Excell Rims, SIMX, D-Track and Sixth Pinned Films.
He has rewarded his backers by winning a whopping 120 race titles over the past five years, competing nearly every weekend all over the Midwest.
Daniel’s dad Sean Rocke, a Greenwood resident, and the Arduins will work together to pack up the Rocket Racing Team trailer in time for the big trip to Tennessee in August.
The young rider is one of 17,000 dirt bike racers who spent the lst four months making it through qualifying rounds for the Amateur Nationals. Top finishers in area and regional qualifiers vie for berths in the championships.
Racers may enter a wide variety of classes, from minicycles for children as young as age 4, all the way up to senior division, for riders over 40. There also are competitive classes for women, as well as classes for both stock and modified motorcycles.
This year’s Amateur National Motocross Championships will be contested on a track built on a section of Loretta Lynn’s Ranch and Campground. The challenging course contains a variety of jumps, corners and other obstacles designed to test the skills and stamina of riders.
Most amateur-level nationals contenders attend the event with the help of their families. In fact, many groups consider the event their family’s summer vacation. Besides racing, the ranch provides family-friendly facilities, including a game room, swimming pools, arts and crafts activities and even a fashion and talent show.
Despite being pretty well supported through discounted parts and supplies from all his major sponsors, Daniel Rocke is still in search of a title sponsors to help offset the substantial $20,000 to $25,000 required for this year’s racing season budget.
If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a Rocket Racing Team sponsor, visit the web site at www.danielrocke.com. Although the site is still under construction, it contains the young rider’s impressive resumé and contact information.
©The Dearborn County Register 2006
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