by: Jared Bolton
Tuesday, June 11, 2013 | 9:35 AM
Cody Ruckle has shown himself to be one of the top riders in the Youth ranks of GNCC Racing. After logging the Youth Overall championship in 2012, Cody had high hopes for repeat in 2013. However, a broken collarbone at round 3 took him out of contention but Cody is back on the bike and looking to continue his success. We caught up with Cody to talk about his 2013 season and more.
GNCCRacing.com: How's everything going today?
Cody Ruckle: Great! Just got done running. I've been riding as much as I can this week in the rocks, getting ready for the next few races.
Sounds like a lot of fun! So, to get things rolling, tell everyone a little about yourself.
Well, I'm from Morgantown, WV, I'm 13 years old, I'm going into the 8th grade at Westweood Middle School. I like to hunt, fish and of course race dirt bikes.
How did you get started racing?
My dad raced GNCC in the late 80's early 90's. My parents bought me my first dirt bike, a CRF50, for my 6th birthday. The next spring I started doing local races, and my dad bought me a KTM 50. I did my first GNCC on a KTM 65 in the 7-9 class at Mountain Ridge. That was the time when Zack Nolan and those other fast guys were scaring the crap out of me when they would lap me (laughs). Now that I'm up front, I try to take it easy on the little guys.
What has been the biggest accomplishment of your career?
There are many good things that have happened to me. Winning the 85 7-11 class, being chosen for the Obermeyer Yamaha/Raines Riding University/OffroadViking.com team, and winning the Youth Overall National Championship in 2012 are some of my favorites that come to mind.
So are you ready for another weekend of racing?
Definitely! I’m always ready to go racing.
How do you feel about The Mountaineer Run course?
I love the Mountaineer run. It's only about 30 minutes from my house. It’s really rocky and the kind of track I like.
Do you feel like you have somewhat of a "home field advantage"?
I raced local races there when I was on a 50. I don't know if you can count that as an advantage or not though.
What are your hopes for the race?
I want to get a 1st in my class and 1st overall. I was so close in Millfield.
How has the rest of your 2013 season been going?
The first part of the 2013 season wasn't very good. Broke a clutch lever in Florida, fried my back brakes in Georgia and broke my collarbone in North Carolina. After that I had to sit out 3 races, so it’s been kind of a rough season.
What do you hope to accomplish through the rest of the season?
I want to get a couple of overalls and then I will probably switch to 200-B after the break since I can't defend my title.
What about in the future? What would you like to accomplish in the coming years?
My future plans are to keep riding hard, get faster and go professional someday, and win the #1 on the big bikes like Paul [Whibley]. I already have the support of my parents.
What is it going to take for you to accomplish that?
It will take a lot of hard work, dedication and luck from me.
Alright, before we wrap this up, who would you like to thank?
I’d like to thank God for watching over me and keeping me safe. My mom, dad and sisters for their love and support. Ryan Inmon for training with me and taking me all over the place to ride. Bill Dailey, Jason Raines he's a great guy and is so helpful. He also gives the greatest pep talks. All of my sponsors Obermeyer Yamaha, Raines Riding University, OffroadViking.com, Fly Racing, GE, Yamaha, Yamalube, GYTR, Yamaha Generators, Kenda Tire, FMF, Sunstar Chain and Sprockets, EKS Brand Goggles, Factory Connection, HBD Motografx, Flat Tire Defenders, Enduro Engineering, Rekluse, IMS, GPR Stabilizers, TM Designworks, Gaerne Boots, Pro Taper, Accelerade, Wiseco, Zip Ty Racing, CV4