by: Rachel Gutish
Tuesday, April 21, 2020 | 4:05 PM
Nick Dearing, Charlie Stewart and Tyler Cox are currently the top three riders in the ATV YXC1 class. One of them will almost certainly be the 2020 YXC1 champion and win the Youth Overall title. The YXC1 class is very competitive – both Dearing (points leader) and Cox (third place) have won overalls this season, and after three races they are only separated by four points. Since we have some downtime from GNCC Racing, I thought it would be a good time to get to know some of the potential future stars of our sport.
GNCCRacing.com: Hey guys, why don’t you start this off by telling us a little bit about yourselves?
Nick Dearing (ND): I’m fourteen years old and am in the eighth grade at McGuffey Middle School. I’m from West Alexander, PA. I play football, help my dad on our farm and I like to work on my ATVs and our farm equipment.
Charlie Stewart (CS): I’m fourteen years old, from Brooks, GA. I like building bicycle jumps and fishing in my spare time
Tyler Cox(TC): I’m fourteen years old and finishing up the eighth grade. I’m from Valley Grove, WV, which is located in the northern panhandle of the state. If I’m not riding, I’m either working on our farm putting up hay and helping my dad or socializing with my friends on Xbox.
How did you get started riding and racing GNCCs?
ND: I’ve bee riding since I was four, and I started racing at our local fair races when I was six or seven. We heard about GNCC and went to watch Powerline Park. We thought that was a cool kind of racing, so we gave our local NECXC series a try. I raced locally for awhile then finally talked my dad into letting me race my first national, at Mountaineer Run. I made the podium and after that we were hooked and have been racing ever since.
CS: My brother and I had Polaris 90s when we were small, then eventually got Raptor 125s. About that time, we saw a poster at our local motorsports shop for the Cannonball GNCC. We spectated at Cannonball then we went to the next round, which was Steele Creek, and raced the youth race. We had a blast and at that moment we knew we were hooked! We went to the rest of the rounds in the series that year and we haven’t missed one yet!
TC: I have always had a love for riding. From powerwheels when I was two to getting my first quad (a Polaris Scrambler 50) when I was four. I only rode around my farm and competed at the local fairs until my parents decided to let me try my first cross country race at a NECXC when I was ten. My first GNCC was also in 2017 at the Mountaineer Run, on my DRR 90. I’ll never forget that race – I was fourth in class, 27th overall, and had a blast! We did Powerline Park that year as well. Then in 2018 we only made it to seven races, but I won four of them. Since then I have continued to improve and I am still hoping for an outstanding 2020 season.
How long have the three of you been racing against each other?
ND: I raced against Charlie at my first GNCC three years ago. Tyler and I have been riding together since we were little – we live pretty close to each other and still ride together on a weekly basis.
CS: I’ve been racing Tyler since the start of 2019, and racing against Nick for about two and a half years now.
TC: These guys are great competition and we have had lots of close races and good battles. This is only the second year I have raced against Charlie, but Nick and I grew up together, so we have ridden together a lot. We started racing at the same time on both the local and national level.
Tell us about your best race so far this season.
ND: Florida was my best race, I won the youth overall there. I had a good start, pulled a great lead and never looked back! This was my first race in the sand, but I can say I definitely loved it and can’t wait to see it again.
CS: GA was my best race so far this year. I got a decent start and battled with Tyler for a while. Then I had to stop and change my gloves. That set me back and Nick caught up to me, but I pushed through and got a second-place finish.
TC: I really enjoyed Big Buck. I got the holeshot, battled back and forth with Nick, and came out on top.
What was your worst race this season?
ND: Georgia. I didn’t have a good start. I caught back up to Tyler and Charlie, but then made a mistake that cost me several minutes. I still finished third, but I could have done better.
CS: Well, since I haven’t been in the center of the box yet this season, I’d say all of them (laughs). I’ll be pushing hard for a win once we start riding again though!
TC: Wild Boar was my worst race this year. I damaged the front spindle on the third turn. I pulled off to get it fixed because I was having trouble steering and it cost me about seven minutes. We couldn’t do much to fix it trackside so I went back into the race anyway and finished in eighth place.
What machine do you race and how do you like it?
ND: I ride a Yamaha 150 hybrid, and I love it! It’s set up perfectly for me!
CS: I run a Pierce Performance built 150r hybrid. I love the feel of it, since I’m bigger and can throw it around more.
TC: I race a 150 hybrid and love the BNR motorsports quads.
Who makes up your pit crew at the races?
ND: My dad, mom and Rich Hetrick.
CS: I usually never stop during the race, but my mom, dad, brother and the Lindsey family are all helpful whether it comes to goggles, lines or a pit board.
TC: My mom and dad are always there for me and I can also always count on BNR.
Do you go to a regular school or are you homeschooled?
ND: I attend a regular school, but right now we work online from home because of Covid-19
CS: I go to a regular school
TC: I attend regular school and enjoy seeing my friends each day.
What do you do for training?
ND: I try to ride every day for at least an hour. When our school was still open, I used our lifting room three days a week, but right now I’m using our home equipment.
CS: I don’t really like training in the gym so I try to ride as much as I possibly can. Usually at least a couple days a week.
TC: Mostly I just ride, whether it’s by myself, with my family or with my friends. I ride basically every day, weather permitting. I really enjoyed training with the pros at the 2019 GNCC University and I hope to attend in 2020 too. If I’m not riding, my favorite way to exercise is bicycling.
Do you just race GNCCs or do you do a local series also?
ND: Yes, I still race the NECXC series. I raced one AWRCS last year and I would like to try a couple other locals this year.
CS: I also do a series called Mideast Racing.
TC: I race the NECXC (New East Coast Cross Country) series as well.
Which GNCC track is your favorite and why?
ND: Snowshoe, because it’s technical, fast and very rough.
CS: Camp Coker, because it’s rough and fast.
TC: Ironman is my favorite GNCC track because that is where I won my first ever overall (from the second row)!
Which pro rider do you look up to the most?
ND: Adam McGill. He’s a cool guy, he always comes to the line to wish me luck, comes and watches the youth podiums and talks to me after the races. I feel like we have a very similar riding style.
CS: Hunter Hart is my favorite pro rider. My brother and I ride with him and he’s really nice.
TC: Josh Merritt. I got to know him a little during the GNCC University. He always comes to the starting line to wish me luck and show his support. He’s a BNR rider like me too. I really admire him and hope to train with him in the future.
What are your long-term goals? Do you want to be a pro racer?
ND: Yes, I hope to become a pro racer someday.
CS: Yes, my long-term goal is to eventually become a pro.
TC: I definitely want to continue to work my way up, and I hope to have more professional training opportunities – I want to keep improving my skills and supporting my sponsors. Racing is my life. Someday I hope to be a Yamaha Factory Team racer.
If you don’t become a pro, what do you think you’ll do for a living?
ND: If I don’t become a pro, I would still like to be a part of the racing community, whether it’s as a vendor, mechanic or team owner.
CS: If I don’t make it as a pro rider, I will probably end up working for our family’s tire business.
TC: I haven’t really thought about it that much. But I would probably start my own business and support other racers through it. My younger brothers race too, and I hope to be a part of their racing program.
Why do you think you have what it takes to win the YXC1 title this year?
ND: Because of my hard, dedication and determination, I believe I have the potential to achieve my goal if I give it my all.
CS: I think I have what it takes to win the title because I worked really hard and was able to win it last year. My goal this year is to defend that title.
TC: It’s my passion and my heart it in it. I am dedicated to giving it my all and putting in the work necessary to become a champion. I’m confident and full of perseverance.
Who would you like to thank?
ND: God for keeping me safe, my parents for supporting me and letting me chase my dreams, Hetrick racing, Kenda Tire, G&D Erectors, B&B Energy Services, MPLX, Rath Racing, Fasst Company, Hinson Clutch Components, O”Neal, ODI Grips, Motowoz, Fourwerx, Edge Graphics, my sister, my grandparents, my Aunt Dea, Uncle Joe and Dash and the rest of my family that comes to watch me
CS: I would like to thank my whole family, Stewart Boys Racing, Action Off-Road, Action Tire, Pierce Performance, Derisi Racing, Fly Racing, Leatt, Garnae, Scott goggles, GBC Tires, Tirespine, Rath Racing, Hinson Clutches, Goldspeed, SSI Graphics, Custom Axis Shocks, Honda East Toledo and Waynesburg Yamaha.
TC: I would like to thank my family, especially my mom and dad, for getting me into racing and making it all happen. I also truly appreciate the support of my sponsors. With Fly Racing, BRM Off-Road Graphics, Leatt, Fourwerx, Rath Racing and TSR Powder Coatings I am always looking my best and protected. I also want to recognize Tire Spine, ODI Grips, Fasst company, Hinson Clutch Components, Glann Innovations, Precision Racing Products. Go Pro, Goldspeed Products, ATV-Fourplay, ELKA Suspensioon, and GBC tires for designing and producing great products. I also wouldn’t be where I am today without the expertise of Ryan Smith and BNR Motorsports, Thank you all so much for believing in me!