Motocross mindset unifies local families

For five years, he has experienced those feelings.

There’s not much else in life that can fill that void.

“One thing that makes it really fun is the fear,” Waddington said. “I mean that kind of sounds weird, but it is the fear and the adrenaline rush that makes it so exciting. You forget about everything that is going on. You have to focus so hard on just this one thing for like 10 minutes at a time and then it is back to normal life. I can’t imagine not riding. It is just, I do it so much and I love the sport, I couldn’t be me without racing.”

There have been a few times during his five-year career that Waddington endured a broken femur (leg), ulna radius (arm) and a broken nose, but that doesn’t stop a determined rider, who has goals of racing and winning as a local professional.

“It’s not if you get hurt, it is when. Injuries are always part of this sport,” Waddington said. “When I do get injured, the only thing going through my mind is when can I get back on the bike. I just want to ride. It kills me to go a few months without riding a bike.”

During the 2017 season, Waddington, 12, participated on several tracks across the Pacific Northwest, traveling to Washington venues like Spokane, Grays Harbor, and Washougal, as well as Oregon facilities in Albany, Sandy and Portland.

With his 2017 KTM 85cc bike by his side, Waddington claimed first place in the 85cc Open and third in the 85cc Junior in Classic 7 Series competition in Washougal MX Park.

In the six-race Black Widow Series at Horn Rapids MX Park in Tri-Cities, Waddington picked up runner-up honors in the Supermini and 85cc 9-11 events.

Waddington has his toughest races in the Northwest MX Series, a 12-race slate, where his best outcome came against 65 other riders for eighth place in the Supermini, and he placed ninth out of 50 riders in the 85cc Junior race.

“I can always do better, but I feel so accomplished with what I’ve been able to do,” Waddington added. “To see how far I’ve come since I started racing is a great feeling.”

On the practice track, Waddington can be seen flying across the dirt in sessions with his friends, Ryder Barrier, 10, and Cooper Barrier, 9, two motocross newbies, who have been riding since they were two years old but racing competitively for nearly three years.

Their mother, Jorgi Barrier, is happy to have Waddington around to help motivate her kids and get them up to the highest level in the racing circuit.

“During practice on our track at the house, he would be flying behind them on their butt, to make them push themselves harder,” Jorgi said. “Dillon is a fearless little guy out there, so he has been huge in making Ryder and Cooper the riders that they are today. He has helped them really progress, made them want it more and be hungry for it. I appreciate him for that. He’s like one of my boys.”

As the youngest participant, Cooper has achieved a lot in a short span, with a fourth-place finish in his 65cc Junior race during Thursday Night Motocross action in Portland, and he added a sixth-place outcome at Washougal MX Park in the 65cc Junior race.

Cooper wants to continue riding to the point of turning professional, an undertaking that takes several hours of riding every day to accomplish.

He has won in the past and wants to have that feeling again.

“I want to win first place more. It’s my goal to be a champion though,” Cooper said. “I think I have what it takes to do it. I think I can do it because I practice a lot and I go faster and faster trying to do it.”

For Ryder, 10, his best days are certainly ahead, as he gains more experience.

Of his many races through the season, Ryder captured third place on the Washougal MX Park track last season in the 85cc Beginner’s race for a solid finish.

While only two-plus seasons into his competitive career, what brings Ryder back to the track is his desire to win.

He wants the podium and he will stop at nothing to achieve winner’s status.

When he doesn’t win, he pushes himself and tells himself that he will get it next time.

Sometimes there is disappointment, but Ryder realizes that he must keep working on his craft to do it.

“After every race, I look at how good those guys are on the track and I think to myself that I can be one of them some day,” Ryder said. “If I want to be a professional, it will take a lot of practice. I feel like I am almost there. I just have to practice harder and harder each time.”

In this short span of time, Ryder has gained the knowledge, learned some tricks of the trade and what it takes to have success.

He has a strong family circle he can rely for additional help and moral support.

“It feels good to have my dad, mom and brother there, because you are expressing yourself,” Ryder said. “When you are out on the track, you forget about the tough times, you just race. I love being with them on a dirt bike. It feels really good. I am just happy my parents and my brother are there with me too.”

A veteran of the motocross circuit, Bill Barrier, 31, feels blessed to have a major sponsor in Fun Country Motorsports, out of The Dalles, at a moment’s notice to aid in the upkeep of his bikes.

Riding a KTM 125 and 450, Bill picked up two wins, once in Portland at Thursday Night Motocross and he toppled the field at Washougal MX Park, both races coming in the 30-year old and up classification.

“This season was probably the best. I had a lot of success,” Bill said. “I had the chance to share this with family and friends and had a great season. Fun Country Powersports keeps me in the races, providing me with anything I need. With a good bike, I have been able to progress and this past year was great, so I can’t complain.”

In 2017, Bill competed in Washougal, Sandy, Portland International Raceway and Pendleton, to name a few, as a way to gain experience on different surfaces.

“I just want to compete in as many races as possible and have success,” Bill said. “It is always a work in progress. Nobody gets good overnight, so I put in the work to make myself better.”

A big reason Bill is able to stay on the track and win is due to his four-year relationship with Fun Country Powersports and owners, Mike and Lisa Erland.

“It really is a blessing to have them. Fun Country Powersports has really stepped it up and have help us so much. I couldn’t do it without them,” Bill said. “They do as much as they can. A lot of times, it is parts and this year is the first year that they have been able to help me out, personally, and given me a bike to ride. They give us a truck to drive and give a lot to us. It is an expensive sport and they have given me an ability to race and compete.”