Earhart Hones Motocross Skills at Muddy Creek Event

By Allen Gregory
Sports Writer / Bristol Herald Courier
Published: June 1, 2008

BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn. – Muddy Creek Raceway has long served as a launching pad for rising motocross stars.

Tanner Earhart is eager to take the next jump.

The 10-year-old Avoca Elementary honor student added to his resume in Sunday’s Mega Series event at Muddy Creek Raceway.

“I like the competition and the speed,” Earhart said. “We travel a lot, and this is one of my favorite places to race.”

Blountville’s Earhart is the latest in a long line of motocross prodigies from the Mountain Empire.

That list includes current and former pros such as Mike Brown (Gray), Hans Neel (Bristol), Chad Lough (Tazewell, Va.) and Zach Osborne of Abingdon.

The 18-year old Osborne, who has a coveted factory ride with Yamaha of Troy, actually serves as a tutor to Earhart.

“The success Zach has had on a national level inspires me,” Earhart said. “I ride with Zach and talk to him a lot. He helps me with basic things like turns and cornering.”

Osborne is currently sidelined from the national outdoor motocross circuit due to a broken wrist suffered in the season-opening AMA motocross event last week at Glen Helen Raceway Park in San Bernardino, Ca.

With his mentor watching Sunday, Earhart capped a productive weekend at Muddy Creek with four first place finishes and a runnerup.

“I ride two to three times per week and race somewhere about every weekend. That work pays off,” Earhart said. “Knock on wood, I’ve only had one major injury.”

A broken hand handicapped Earhart’s chances at the famed Loretta Lynn Amateur National Motocross last season. Earhart finished 26th in his class after entering the event ranked 17th.

Motocross, especially at the amateur level, is very much a family sport. Nearly 500 riders from throughout the country competed at Muddy Creek this weekend.

Terry Earhart, father of Tanner, knows the story of sweat.

“If you want to be good at this sport, you have to make a sacrifice,” Earhart said. “Tanner started riding at age five on local tracks. He won a championship that first year, and he’s been working his way up ever since with 11 championships.”

Tanner’s father admitted that success does come with a price.

“Tanner doesn’t get to do some things that normal kids do, like attend birthday parties, play sports or hang out with friends on the weekends,” Earhart said. “Motocross is what
Tanner really wants to do in life, and Muddy Creek is an awesome grassroots track to get your fundamentals down.”

And the younger Earhart, who works with a personal trainer, seems to be enjoying the fast ride.

“I’ve seen a lot of the country and made a lot of friends,” Earhart said. “My goal is to make it to back to the Loretta Lynn’s this year in two classes and finish in the top 10. And I want to turn pro someday.”

Christopher Boothe, a nine-year-old racer from Marion, shares that same goal. In fact, Boothe and Earhart waged some spirited battles in the junior classes Sunday.

“I started riding at age four and racing at seven,” Boothe said. “My favorite part of the sport are the jumps.”

Boothe still has the scars from a fractured thumb suffered in an event earlier this year. Peyton King (Bluff City) is also among the local standouts in the junior classes.

With longtime Mega Series king Kevin Walker out due to a shoulder injury, Sunday’s 125 and 250 classes were dominated by Ricky Renner (Mulberry, Fla.) and Auston Albers of Commerce. Ga.

The path to stardom will feature many more stops this summer for Earhart and company.

“We were in Pennsylvania, we’ll be in Kentucky next weekend and then it’s on to Reidsville, N.C.,” Terry Earhart said.

“It’s a busy schedule, but Tanner keeps straight A’s in school, which is very important. Motocross is a great family sport and we all enjoy it.”

Sunday’s busy schedule at Muddy Creek included 20 races in various divisions, including girls. Ted Shortridge, an extremely popular 67-year-old resident of Bluff City, competed in the 50-plus category.

A Southeast Amateur regional event will be held at Muddy Creek on June 13-15.

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