Gold Bar boy to race in nationals at Loretta Lynn ranch

Gold Bar's Cobey Carper, 11, just made his dream come true. The young dirt bike racer has qualified for the largest amateur motocross race in the world, the

33rd Rocky Mountain ATV/MC AMA Amateur National Motocross Championships-á at Loretta Lynn's Ranch.

Carper took on over 20,000 hopefuls from across America to earn one of just 1,446 qualifying positions.

"The Amateur Nationals at Loretta Lynn's is the event every motocross racer in the country wants to compete in,GÇ¥ said Event Director Tim Cotter. "A win at the Amateur Nationals gives a rider instant national notoriety and can serve as a springboard to a lucrative professional motocross career.GÇ¥

Most of America's top professional motocrossers, including James Stewart, Ricky Carmichael, Travis Pastrana and Jeremy McGrath, have won AMA Amateur National Championships at Loretta Lynn's.

The race has gotten national coverage from NBC the last two years, and this year the racing will be streamed LIVE online all week long on RacerTV.com. -á

Carper has been riding since he was 5. With the help of professional sponsors such as Mackenzie Castings, Napa of Monroe, EMXP, Vertex, and Protaper, as well his Mom, Dad, Grandma and Grandpa, all of whom help pay his way to the races, Carper has had the opportunity to pursue his dreams.

He has won hundreds-áof-áraces in the last six years and rides nearly every week at EMXP Evergreen Motocross Park at the Evergreen Speedway.

Carper will make the long journey to Tennessee along with his Dad, Mom, brother and friends Henry and Tony. The race runs July 27 - August 2.

The track on which he will race is built on a section of Loretta Lynn's Ranch and Campground in Hurricane Mills, Tenn. The course contains a variety of jumps, corners and other obstacles designed to test the skills and stamina of the racers.