Opstad student is motocross ace

Published 10:11 pm Thursday, October 2, 2008

<P Seven-year-old Dylan Naud of North Bend is in many ways a typical student. However, the Opstad

Elementary School first-grader has one particularly unique hobby: he races

motorcycles.

Better yet, young Dylan consistently wins the events he

participates in, known as “motocross.”

According to parents Brian and Barbra Naud, Dylan entered his

first event in Kent in October 1998 and managed to place third out of nine

racers. Apparently, he enjoyed it because over the following year, he raced

in multiple events at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds in Monroe, the

Tacoma Dome, Pasco, and Salem, Ore.

Earlier this year Dylan upgraded to an Italian LEM LX2 Super

motorcycle. During the 26th annual Dealer’s Challenge the weekend of July

17-18, he took first place in all three events. His success resulted in his Pee Wee

4-6 team finishing the contest in ninth place, out of 23 teams competing.

This month he raced in the Seattle International Raceway Friday

Night Holeshot series, competing in both the 4-6 and Gran Prix events. He

finished with a third place in the 4-6 race and second place in the latter event.

Afterwards, Dylan’s parents rewarded him with a new 1999 King Cobra

50-cc motocross cycle. According to his mother, the King Cobra is “the

best on the market for 50-cc racing.”

Racing is expensive, even at this young age, and fortunately the

Nauds have received the support of several local companies, including

Weber Construction of Snoqualmie, Innovation Sports of Irvine, Calif., and

North Bend Retriever Kennel, The Welding Shop, Somerset Auto Glass,

Cycle Path, and Texaco, all of North Bend.

Next on the schedule for the young racer is the Washington Series,

which commenced last weekend. If experience, determination, dedication

and prior performance are any indication, Dylan should be adding to his

substantial trophy collection in no time at all.