Keith Tucker of Fuquay-Varina just made his dream come true. The 13-year-old dirt bike racer has qualified for the largest amateur motocross race in the world, the 28th annual Air Nautiques/AMA Amateur National Motocross Championships at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch. Keith took on over 20,000 hopefuls from across America to earn one of just 1386 qualifying positions.

“The Amateur Nationals at Loretta Lynn’s is the event every motocross racer in the country wants to compete in,” says Event Director Tim Cotter. “A win at the Amateur Nationals can serve as a springboard to a lucrative professional motocross career.”

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 is so prestigious that last year teenaged stars such as New York’s Justin Barcia, South Carolina’s PJ Larsen, Pennsylvania’s Darryn Durhman and Texas’ Blake Wharton were awarded pro contracts after the race. Keith, who attends St. Mary Magdalene Catholic School, has been riding since he was 8 years old. Sponsors such as Peters Auto Mall.com, Triangle Cycles, Answer Racing, Liquid Performance and ProAction of NC help pay his way to the races.

He has won numerous races in the last 4 years, and competes nearly every weekend. Keith will make the long journey to Tennessee along with his family. The race runs Aug. 1-8. Keith is just one of the over 20,000 who spent the last four months qualifying for the event. The top finishers in area and regional qualifiers earn a birth into the national championship race at Loretta Lynn’s.

Racers may enter a wide variety of classes, from minicycle classes for children as young as four, all the way up to a Senior division for riders over 50. There are also classes for women, and classes for both stock and modified bikes. The track is built on a section of Loretta Lynn’s Ranch and Campground in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee.

The course contains a variety of jumps, corners and other obstacles designed to test the skills and stamina of the racers. Most riders attend the event with the help of their families. In fact, many groups consider the event their family’s summer vacation. Besides races, the ranch provides family-friendly facilities including a game room, swimming pools, arts and crafts activities, and a fashion and talent show.