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Young Joshua Cartwright roaring down motocross trails to victories SPORTS By Lizabeth Cartwright, Editor's note: Joshua Cartwright can often be
found seated on a motorcycle or piano bench. Or in the air. He has the
racing highlight photos to prove it.
Playing piano is one of the many extracurricular activities, including
scouts, baseball, basketball and soccer, in which Cartwright is a regular
participant. But, it's racing -- motocross racing -- that he loves.
And this year in racing has
included many highlights for Cartwright, 9, the always busy student at St.
Francis of Assisi in Cordova.
His mother, Lizabeth Cartwright, recently shared some of her son's
accomplishments, this year and past:
Winning the Arenacross races in The Pyramid in January was very special
since it was in our hometown.
Josh has ridden in arenas many times, but winning in front of 42,000
people in the Texas stadium was a very special night. Josh has won lots of
races and accomplished more than we ever dreamed he could on a motorcycle.
Being in the top 10 at national races was something our family had dreamed
about since we first started racing.
Watching those dreams come true has been a very special time for our
family. At 9 years old, Josh has raced in over 500 races and has competed
in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana,
Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio,
Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.
In the Mid-South area Joshua rarely loses races in the 50cc classes.
In 2004, we concentrated mainly on national level races to make sure he
faced the very best competition the country had to offer.
The year 2005 brings even more challenges. In 2004, we concentrated on
the 50cc class. In 2005, Joshua moves up to the bigger and faster 65cc
class. This year, Joshua will be riding Suzuki motorcycles. In January we
will be racing the indoor Clear Channel Arenacross series that will take
us to Texas, Oklahoma, and Colorado. His current sponsors include Suzuki
Of Paris, Oneal (racing gear), Liquid Performance, and RaceSignsMX.
Joshua has loved motorcycles since he was a little boy. It is clearly
his favorite thing to do. We always give him the opportunity to choose to
do other things, but he always chooses racing.
While he races almost every weekend, he is a very busy boy during the
week with other activities. His other hobbies include baseball,
basketball, soccer, scouts and piano. He loves playing video games,
movies, Sponge Bob, and all the things 9-year-old boys do. He's currently
in the third grade at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School.
He started riding a bicycle (no training wheels) just before his third
birthday.
He began riding a motorcycle when he was 3 years old and started racing
at 4.
In 2002, he qualified for the most prestigious amateur national event
in the country, the Loretta Lynn National Motocross Championships.
Last year was Joshua's best racing year yet. Joshua exceeded our goals
and had a dream come true year in racing.
We had three goals for 2004:
(1) to qualify for the Clear Channel Arenacross Finals in Las Vegas
(2) to qualify for the Loretta Lynn's National Motocross Championships
in Tennessee
(3) Make the top 10 at a national event.
He won the Mid-South Region in the Clear Channel Arenacross series and
qualified for the finals in Las Vegas.
For the second time he qualified for the most prestigious amateur
national event in the country, the Loretta Lynn National Motocross
Championships.
Not only did he make the top 10 at the first national event of the
year, but he had seven top 10 finishes at national events against the
country's best racers.
He won the KTM Challenge in Dallas Stadium in front of about 42,000
people.
In his last race on a 50cc motorcycle, he won a national championship
at the Amateur Open Of Motocross in Phoenix. Copyright 2005, commercialappeal.com - Memphis, TN. All Rights Reserved. |
