Drake Boatman, 8, of Algonac qualifies for national amateur motocross championship

At 8 years old, some kids are still learning how to ride a bicycle.

But Drake Boatman is not some kid. He's an amateur motocross racer. And he's quite talented for his age.

The Algonac boy recently qualified for the 2022 AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship. Drake is one of 42 riders in his class (51cc, ages 7-8) from across the country that'll compete at Loretta Lynn Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee, in August.

"I'm most excited about racing and having fun with my friends," Drake said.

He's been riding dirt bikes since he was 3 years old. That's when his parents got him a small Honda CRF50F.

"He rode it and rode it and had a blast," said Colleen Boatman, Drake's mother. "I grew up showing horses, so I tried to get him into horseback riding. He'd ride here and there but one day he looked at me and he goes, 'I don't want this horse. I'm just going to stick to my dirt bike.' "

There was no changing his mind. Drake had developed a passion for the sport. As he became more comfortable, his parents brought him to the track at Baja Acres in Millington when he was 5. The experience was overwhelming. 

"It scared him," Colleen Boatman said. "So we backed off for a year."

The family returned when Drake was 6. And this time was different. 

"He loved it," Colleen Boatman said. "From there on out, he thought it was the coolest thing ever."

"I like the jumps and learning techniques — stuff like that," Drake said. "And testing bikes, being able to work on some new bikes and comparing them to old bikes."

He currently trains at MCR Suspension & Performance in Metamora. The motorcycle shop and training center is run by former professional motocross racer Matt Crown.

"He works hard and he tries hard," Crown said. "It's a rough sport. That's the easiest way to put it. People don't realize how physically and mentally demanding the sport is."

Motocross also requires a significant time commitment. In addition to working with Crown every week, Drake frequently travels with his family to race throughout the country. 

"We didn't know what we were getting ourselves into," Colleen Boatman said. "It's a lot of travel. It's a lot of training. There are a lot of sacrifices. But it's definitely worth it."

One of those sacrifices was a three-week trip to Georgia in February. Colleen took Drake to participate in one of Crown's annual "boot camps."

"I was able to work virtually," Colleen Boatman said. "My husband stayed here in Michigan to work and I drove us down. (Drake) is homeschooled so we get homework in on the computer because we just travel so much. Since February, we've been to eight different states."

Ohio was the most recent one for the Mid-East Youth Regional Championship on June 12. That's where Drake punched his ticket to nationals with a sixth-place finish.

"It downpoured," Colleen Boatman said. "The mud was taller than his foot pegs and it was the worst thing I've ever watched in my life. But he crossed that finish line — that bike barely wanted to move — and he made it."

"For him to make it the amateur nationals, there are 30,000 people that try to qualify for this event," Crown said. "And only 1,300 make it. So he's one of the elite when it comes to just making it there."

Crown has only worked with Drake for one year. But he's already seen the 8-year-old's willingness to learn. Now that desire is translating to success.

"He's doing good for a short amount of time (in the sport)," Crown said. "He's just a super nice little kid."

Contact Brenden Welper at bwelper@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @BrendenWelper.