Blake Wharton is an example of teenage riders in AMA Supercross and Motocross "Lites" competition who are able to develop their skills, and their common sense, as the stars of the future. At the same time, this gives the American Motorcyclists Association another product to promote. Wharton, 17, has taken two big recent steps. The high schooler from the aptly-named Texas Town of Pilot Point won a heat in New Orleans, and then his first overall crown in St. Louis, on the 2009 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Lites tour.

The young fellows in the Supercross and Motocross Lites races learn that they must combine daring with strategy. Blake Wharton says "getting some holeshots and some podiums" are among his top goals for future races, but to take the lead on the first turn and/or to finish in the top three also requires a rider to avoid falls. This is why Blake Wharton adds, with a veteran's wisdom, "Staying off the ground would be great."

Once a youthful rider captures his first race, a barrier is broken. "I know that winning these races is tough," says Wharton, "but I did it (in St. Louis), and I know that I can do it again. You cannot win them all, so doing the best that you can is always the right way to approach it." Blake Wharton also seems to know that a sense of humor can go a long ways. A reporter asked after the St. Louis victory whether the significance had really "hit" him yet. Wharton laughed and answered, "It hit me, but I have good reflexes, so I dodged it!"

Wharton gets razzed about his dark mane of curly-frizzy hair, so he makes the most of things. "There were a couple sections on the track that were tricky," he explained in St. Louis, "and my hair created the proper aerodynamics to keep me flowing in the right direction. People don't understand the physics behind it! You've got to get Bill Nye the Science Guy on it, and he'll show you guys what it's doing. There's a plus to it, for sure. It's true."

SOURCES:
http://www.amasupercross.com/ViewPost.aspx?postId=219
http://www.speedtv.com/programs/ama-supercross-lites/
http://www.amasupercross.com/
http://www.racerxonline.com/article/monday-conversation-ii-blake-wharton-stlouis-sx.aspx