"Man, I can't be shown up by my own mother!" That's what XC2 rider Jake Korn said when his mom started riding dirtbikes. Korn said when his mom started riding, it was time to step up his game. So, Korn grew up as a NETRA rider, like his father before him, but the New Hampshire 21-year-old switched to GNCCs in 2008 and ran the 4-Stroke A lites class until he switched to XC2 this year. Now, he's just on the cusp of getting on the podium. That's all he needs, that and a little more notoriety. We dialed Korn to see just who he is.

So Jake, don't take this the wrong way but who the heck are you? Well, I'm from New Hampshire and our local series is NETRA and I started riding when I was probably 10. And then until 2007 I just raced NETRA. And I won overall in 2006 and 2007 and I won a couple mini championships. I figured for 2008 I would try GNCC, and my first year for GNCC, I rode the 4-Stroke A Lites. Buttrick was riding in my class and I was kind of second fiddle to him because he was doing really well in my class. I ended up 19^th overall last year so I decided to move up to XC2 in my sophomore year.

How did you hear about GNCC?  I had heard about GNCC because Nate Kanney, he kind of raced NETRA, he's from NY so I always followed him. And then GNCC is the premiere series and I didn't want to race locally so I decided to give it a shot. I just kept trying my hardest. I just needed to get up to the next level with the other guys.

Did you podium in 2008?- I won the Florida round and that was the first round of the year since it was my first GNCC. I'm a decent sand rider. After that I stayed on the podium in that class for the rest of the year. I also won my class at Snowshoe. I ended up second overall, too. Snowshoe was my last race in that class. I rode the last two rounds, Unadilla, St. Clairsville and the Ironman Indiana in XC2. I ended up 5^th, 4^th and 6^th in those XC2 races. I had a lot of fun doing those last three rounds riding with those guys.

What else facilitated the transition to XC2-Riding that 4-stroke A-Lites class, I thought riding with the XC2 guys would help me move up quickly. I was ready for the challenge. But I'm not just in it for the championship. I just want to be faster at the end of the day.

GNCC is very family oriented, is your family into you racing? My family has been helping me since I started. They still go to the races. That's the only way we would get home in the morning to work on Monday!

Where do you work? My dad owns a landscape company. I work for him. All week long. I come back from the races and we come home Monday morning and then I go to work. Monday's are a drag.

So your family helps out a lot? My dad and I switch driving. My mom does all the cooking and makes sure I'm all ready. She tells me how it is. My dad works on my bike. He's my mechanic. My family is my racing program. There's no one else. It's just family.

So your dad was into racing? My dad quit racing when he was my age. He used to race the NETRA series. He was a double AA regional guy. My mom rides and races dirt bikes so me and her ride together. She actually got me into racing because my dad got her a bike. I had ridden before but I didn't like it that much. But when I saw her get into it I thought, "Man, I can't be shown up by my own mother!" So my dad started taking both of us out quite frequently so not long after that, I started riding competitively.

So, your family runs your program, you're a privateer so that's got to get rough. What keeps you going? I want to finish the year out. I want to be the top privateer. I want to be faster. It's fun too. There's nothing more fun than having a good battle with someone and having a good course. A lot of the guys from my region have never really made it out. I want to make it as far as I could. It's getting really hard though. If I don't get any bigger help though in 2010 I don't know. It's a lot of time and money out of our own pocket. I don't want to make my parents have to do that. They need their time together.

I'm really looking forward to summer break. We're really busy in the landscape business in the spring. Then I can really only get out once or twice a week. I'm looking forward because I'll be able to train more on the weekends and get the program ready and get the bike in shape for the last four races.

So if you get bigger sponsors what are your long-term goals? I'd like to be successful in the XC2 class and hopefully get some support and make racing a career of some sort. Make something good out of it. I want to keep trying to improve on my results.

How old are you? I just turned 21 in April. I'm an older guy. I'm not like the Kailub Russells and Cory Buttricks of the world.

Ok. So even though there is an age difference there, is there still a sense of camaraderie? Well no one really knows me so I'm kind of like the odd one out. Corey is really nice and I've talked to him and Jason Thomas seems nice. I don't know too many people, I just try to keep myself. In my regional I'm well known there because I've done it for seven years. But In GNCC's I don't really know anyone.

So how are you going to get more visible? I don't know! I guess one of the easiest ways is to get on the podium more! I've been putting in consistent results but that doesn't seem to be kicking it. I need to get amazing results. Maybe beat some of those factory guys.

Well thanks for talking Jake. Anyone you want to thank? - Clinton Angwin , Mason Racing, Bryan Sleck from Dunlop Tires, Zak from Factory Connection, Sidi Boots, Arai helmets, Hellion Designs, Enduro Engineering, E-Line, Torco Racing Oils, Brooks Hamilton from KTM, Powersport Graphics, Clarke Gas Tanks, KTM Power Parts, KTM Power Wear.