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, 91裸聊视频渢he MX2 class is the breeding ground for up-and-coming talent and throughout its history has been mostly dominated by young Canadian racers.91裸聊视频�

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

91裸聊视频淚 don91裸聊视频檛 know what the expectations are this year. You always figure out your realistic expectations after the first race,91裸聊视频� he said.

Keast will be racing against 40 other motocross riders, starting on what he calls 91裸聊视频渉is home turf91裸聊视频� 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 he91裸聊视频檚 had a chance to visit.

91裸聊视频淲hat I like about it the most is the traveling and the places I get to see91裸聊视频� all the cool places that people normally don91裸聊视频檛 get out to go see,91裸聊视频� he said, adding he91裸聊视频檚 enjoyed visiting places tourists wouldn91裸聊视频檛 normally visit.

Keast travels to California in the winter to train because there aren91裸聊视频檛 as many opportunities in the Okanagan for a professional racer. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 almost a second home to me,91裸聊视频� 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 doesn91裸聊视频檛 think about the race as it91裸聊视频檚 happening.

91裸聊视频淢ost sports you don91裸聊视频檛 really have time to think about what you91裸聊视频檙e doing, you just go as hard as you can,91裸聊视频� he said, loving the adrenaline rush.

91裸聊视频淎fter the first two laps in a race you don91裸聊视频檛 even remember anything, it91裸聊视频檚 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.91裸聊视频�

In his spare time, he plays basketball and snowboards at Big White in the winter. 91裸聊视频淭hat91裸聊视频檚 one of the harder things about the sport. I don91裸聊视频檛 get to hang out with friends (as much),91裸聊视频� he said.

His mom got him into the sport professionally.

91裸聊视频淢y mom was the one that wanted me to start racing. She inspired me to get out there. She must have just known that I91裸聊视频檇 like it a lot.91裸聊视频�

Keast91裸聊视频檚 father loved dirt biking as a kid but couldn91裸聊视频檛 do it professionally due to financial circumstances.

It makes Keast grateful for the opportunity.

91裸聊视频淎nytime I91裸聊视频檓 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.91裸聊视频�

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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