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Kacey Curtis (middle), a 12-year-old Motocross racer from Thornburg, was 16-0. |
BY KURT NICOLL
Perfect season? Been there, done that.
While the New England Patriots continue to pursue their quest to join the 1972 Miami Dolphins as the only unbeaten teams in NFL history, Kacey Curtis was making her own run at a season of total perfection.
Sixteen times the 12-year-old racer from Thornburg competed in Middle Atlantic Motocross Association-sanctioned races and each time she won.
In successfully defending her mini-women open division crown, Curtis became the first racer to sweep all 16 events for a perfect score of 1,600.
The seventh-grader at Thornburg Middle School also did quite well in the 80A 7-11 (boys) class, posting 12 top-three finishes, including a series-high seven victories, to easily win the points title with 1,402 points.
"Kasey is pretty remarkable," team mechanic Larry Emory admitted. "She has more heart and determination than any racer I've known.
"It's disastrous for her to finish second. She's out to win every time she races."
The area in general did well in the MAMA series, which includes tracks in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Virginia. Courtney Powell of Woodford finished fifth in the mini-women open class with 413 points.
In the mini-women support (Ability 2 level) class, Amber Russnak of Spotsylvania placed first with 1,349 points, Tammy Lynn Posey of Stafford was fourth with 1,092 and Powell was eighth with 806.
Last week in Gainesville, Fla., Curtis suffered a sprained wrist after suffering a crash while competing in the supercross portion (on a smaller racing track) of the AMA Winter National Olympics, then came back two days later to post first-place finishes in both of her motocross races to top a field of 23 racers en route to the girls 9-13 crown.
"I was a little upset," Curtis said about her spill. "The girl in front bobbled and I hesitated."
In four years of competition, Curtis has sustained two serious injuries, a broken wrist and thumb.
Driving a Yamaha 85 cc, Curtis may choose to pilot a larger bike next year when she moves into the higher boys' age bracket (12-15) and becomes eligible to compete in the women's division for the first time.
If that occurs, Curtis would compete in her two races against the women on Saturday and the remaining four rides on Sunday.
An admirer of pro motocross racer Tarah Gieger of Puerto Rico, Curtis ultimately plans to turn pro after she turns 16.
Her continued success is by no means an accident. A strong support group, a vigorous training regiment and her mind-set to finish first every time have produced solid results.
Emory, the manager of Indian Head (Md.) Ford, maintains four different bikes that Curtis uses and indicated the need for a major overhaul after three or four races.
Two other businesses have helped out--Bumpsticks handles the bikes' suspension needs, and Fredericksburg Motor Sports provides parts.
Besides regular practice rides on her bike, the former club gymnast will jog between two and three miles every other day. Her practice runs often include teenagers Tyler and Megan Emory, who reside in King George County with their father, Larry.
One of the summer highlights came when the pro nationals were held at Budds Creeks, Md., on June 15-17. Besides seeing her idol Gieger, Curtis competed in Friday's amateur races (which didn't affect the MAMA standings) and placed first in both divisions.
While the sport of women's motocross has grown in recent years, some of Curtis' classmates (especially the boys) at Thornburg Middle appear skeptical that the petite 5-foot-1 racer can be fairing so well.
"I wish they would believe me, but it doesn't really matter," she concluded.
Kurt Nicoll: 540/374-5441