Why Dirt Biking?

Motocross and cross country racing isn't talked about too often at Fergus High School, but it should be. Two names that should come to mind when talking about dirt biking in FHS is Kole Dengel and Keaton Potter. Before meeting with them I was very unfamiliar with the topic, but after the interview I am surprised that I can now admit that I know a significant amount more than I knew before.

Kole Dengel, a senior here at Fergus, has been involved with motocross since he was three years old and has done very well racing ever since. Although he was only able to go to two races this last summer, he still took home a third place trophy from Great Falls, which was also the first race on his new bike, a 2017 KTM 250 SXF Four-4 Stroke. When asked the difference between cross country racing and motocross racing, Kole said that cross country racing is a bunch of hills about as wide as a dirt bike track, and is a single track. However, he then said that motocross racing has different obstacles, and all the jumps are handmade, rather than cross country where all the hills and jumps are natural. Considering Kole has been participating in motocross for quite some time, he has faced many challenges, but one of the biggest challenges Kole said he faces are simply just trying to make it to all of them. He went on to say that in the end it becomes very expensive considering you have to pay for travelling, gas, bike repairs, and equipment. On another note, when Kole was asked what his favorite part about the sport was he said, “For me, there's no adrenaline rush like it. At the races there are so many people that have the same interests as you, and it's just really fun.” Finally, some advice Kole had for anyone who might want to try motocross or cross country racing was to simply get in lots of practice and don't be afraid to try it.

Keaton Potter, a freshman here at Fergus High School does cross country racing and has been riding since he was five years old. He started when his dad bought his older brother a dirt bike, and as he continued to watch his brother, he decided he wanted to be like his brother and race as well. Keaton has been racing with a Yamaha YZ250 two-2 stroke bike, which he said he has won a lot of trophies and money with. One of the biggest challenges he has faced is getting a really good start and then wrecking some time during the race. Some advice he would give to anyone who might want to start racing is again, a lot of practice and just have fun with it.

Kole and Keaton are both very good at what they do and could give a lot of good advice and information to anyone who is looking to learn more about the sport. When it comes to motocross and cross country racing, they both represent our school well.