GNCCRacing.com: First off, how long have you been racing?

Haedyn Mickelson: This is my second year racing in the GNCC series and my fourteenth year racing ATV motocross.

How did you get started with ATV motocross?

It all started off because my mom and dad used to ride trails on their ATVs a lot. We [my siblings and I] weren’t old enough to actually drive on the trails. The only place we were really allowed to ride our little ATVs was at the track, so that was where we went. And that’s how I got started racing.

Are your parents still supportive of or involved in your racing?

Oh yeah! My dad used to be the team manager for a team I was on, in fact. He and my mom still come to almost every race, and they support me 100%. At the track I have an actual mechanic, but my dad also still helps me quite a bit with my practice machines at home.

So you started out locally, then worked your way up through the ranks at the nationals?

Yep, I ran local races for about three years, did a couple nationals, and then began running the national series.

Are you a full-time racer, or do you still have a day job somewhere?

During the season I race full-time. And then for a couple months during the off-season I work. I hold two part-time jobs. I drive trucks, making deliveries and stuff. Then I also help a friend of mine out - his company comes in and cleans up after natural disasters. Last year after Hurricane Sandy I was down in Florida working for a whole year.

What made you decide to start competing in woods racing in addition to racing moto?

Well, Jason Watt, one of my friends that I used to race moto with, switched to the GNCC stuff. He actually races UTVs now. Anyway, he invited me to do the ten-hour Heartland Challenge with him, and that was my first race in the woods. I really enjoyed it, so I came back the next year, but competed on a 4x4 ATV.

Even though you compete on a 4x4 in off-road racing instead of a sport quad, do you still feel like some skills carry over from one side to the other?

Yeah, definitely! You still have to be able to control the machine and do all of that. There are little differences between the two types of racing but a lot of does transfer over.

That makes sense - it seems like you have adapted to off-road racing really well. I know this is only your second year, but do you have a favorite round yet?

My favorite one is probably Camp Coker. With that deep loamy sand, the trails really berm up in the corners. You can stay on the gas and really go fast. It’s a little more open too, which I really like. And it even has a motocross track section which I really enjoy.