Dylan Bradford is the Youth Overall ATV Champion for 2007, taking over from the very high standard left by previous champion Walker Fowler. When the year began, Dylan had some bad luck and wasn't even on the championship radar, but once he got it going he was hard to stop, taking five wins to top a very talented group, including Josh Merrit, Kyle Riley, Seth Mumford and Jerry Welch. Dylan also won the Youth ATV Rider of the Year Award for his efforts. Such success makes this interview well overdue, so we called him to learn more about this nice young man.

 

Words by Weigandt,
photos by Kenny Hill, www.ATVRiders.com

 

So Dylan, was winning a realistic goal this year?

 

I thought so. I tried to do the same things I did last year, just be consistent and try to get top fives every race.

 

Yeah so you were thinking points and championship the whole time, instead of just trying to win every race?

 

Yeah. But I was just racing my class every week, I really wasn’t looking at the overall points until the last four or five races, and then I was thinking about getting the number 1.

 

Did it feel good?

 

Oh yeah it did!

Dylan Bradford

 

A big change this year came when you switched to the Cobra, right?

 

Yeah. It was a whole lot better than the Honda 90 I was racing last year.

 

Once you started winning on that machine, though, did it add some pressure knowing you came to the races expecting to win?

 

A little, but it was fun. I liked coming to the races a lot more when I knew I had a chance to win them!

 

How did you get started in this racing thing?

 

I started in 2000. I raced CRA and the Buckeye State Series, and I won that last year.

 

How did you get started in GNCC?

 

It was Jesi and Jody Stracham, they told me I should go. They live really close to me.

 

Man, it seems like everyone is friends with everyone in these Youth ATV ranks.

 

Oh yeah. Everyone is pretty close.

 

You have an outside sponsor with Fiber Wise Pasta. How did you land that?

 

We got that from Sponsorhouse.com. We went through and found that company on there, and I thought it would be great to have an outside company like that, with food, helping us out. Now we get a great discount on Fiber Wise.

 

So you have no shortage of fiber in your diet.

 

No!

 

What’s the plan for next year? Youth Production, which we’re now calling Schoolboy?

 

I think so, if we can get a quad.

 

What are you looking for?

 

Either a Honda 300EX or a Yamaha Raptor 250.

 

Can you even go riding at this time of year?

 

Yeah, just need to wear warmer clothes!

 

So when you get a new quad you can practice at home and be ready for Florida?

 

Yeah. I want to be ready way, way before Florida.

 

Hey what grade are you in?

 

I’m a freshman.

 

Do people know you’re the National Champion?

 

Yeah they do, my teachers are always asking me about it and asking how I did. It’s pretty cool.

 

Finally, what’s that story with Monopoly?

 

Oh, it was me, my dad and my aunt Gina. My grades were slipping a bit and I wasn’t going to be allowed to go to the GNCCs. So we were all playing Monopoly a lot, and they said if I could win I could go to the races. So we played and I beat them all!

 

Nice! And how are the grades?

 

Oh they’re much better. I want to race so I have to keep them up. They’re good now.

 

So it’s not just Monopoly?

 

No, my grades are good.

 

Okay any sponsors you want to thank?

 

Racer Productions, Mom and Dad, Grandparents, Cobra, Fiber Wise, Pro Grip, 661, RK Chain, Berek Boots, Pro Clean, ARC Rocky Mountain ATV, Fast Flexx bars, Power Madd, Try County Pallett, Darr Farms, Hogan Transportation, Tittle Brothers Racing, ITP, Klotz, ATV Riders.com and Raceday Pix. Also I’d like to thank my competitors, it was a fun year.

 

Pretty good year, wasn’t it?

 

Oh yeah. I was glad to get Youth Rider of the Year at the banquet. I was hoping to maybe get it, but there were some other riders that did well this year, so it was a surprise.

 

Well congratulations. We’ll see you next year.

 

Thanks!