Mason Campbell, a third-grader at Oglethorpe County Elementary School, began racing motocross two years ago and hasn’t let off the gas since.
“He progressed a lot in just a year’s time,” said Brian Campbell, Mason’s father. “He went from not hitting the smallest jumps on the track to overshooting the biggest jumps on the track and understanding when to overshoot something versus when not to.”
Despite competing against teenagers at Durhamtown Off Road Park in Union Point, which hosts monthly motocross races from September to May, Mason has excelled in his all-terrain vehicle (ATV) class. He finished the 2023-24 year second overall. He also took first and second place in the youth pitbike and small wheel classes.
He’s in second place this season in his ATV class, just one spot behind a racer six years older.
“The most fun is probably the whoop section,” Mason said of the section that typically consists of an even set of bumps.
While Mason’s progression has been impressive, success wasn’t always guaranteed.
After initially struggling to win races with his Suzuki LT80, the family decided to rebuild a DRR-65CC shifter, a choice that has paid off.
“We don’t have the money to hire mechanics and buy brand new machines and all that stuff,” Brian said. “So everything that we do is built by my hands. His whole machine, every part on this machine was bought, used or broken. And everything was refurbished, painted and rebuilt.”
Brian, who is from Long Island, New York, has always been passionate about motocross but had limited opportunities to compete. Now, as a father, he’s been able to channel this passion through the rebuilding process.
“Probably one of the coolest things was when everything started to work the way it was supposed to, and he did three laps faster than I’ve ever seen before,” Brian said. “And when he pulled over, he jumped off his machine and gave me a really big hug, and was like, ‘Thanks, Dad’… And that was awesome because I've never built anything like this.”
With the support from his parents, Mason has taken his game to the next level, earning the opportunity to train with Joel Hetrick and Zack Decker, two ATV Motocross National Championship Series champions, in Florida during winter break.
The practices were four hours long and involved bigger jumps and faster turns, making for an intense experience for the entire family.
Sarah Campbell, Mason’s mother, said Hetrick and Decker were impressed and saw potential in her son.
“It’s worth it to see him out there and enjoying (it), and he is such a different kid,” Sarah said. “He still is kind of shy, but his personality has come out. It’s given him a lot of confidence.”
Mason is set to compete in several national races this year, including the Black Ankle Series in North Carolina and Fannin County MX later this spring.
After the national series concludes in August, the Cambell family will look to replace their current machine with a JB Mod.
“We’re having to change his machine because he’s advancing so much and hitting the bigger jumps and going to bigger tracks,” Sarah said. “This machine is only going to last so long. I’m hoping it’ll get us through May. Once we get the other one, we’ll get graphics, so we can put logos or names on it.”
He will also participate in the Oglethorpe County Recreation Department’s spring soccer season after making the 8u all-star team last season, but ATVs are where his heart belongs.
“He wants to be an ATV pro rider now,” Sarah said.