DUAL THREAT:
BRAXTON BALDOCK
Braxton Baldock etched his name in the annals of amateur motocross history with a fairly dominant win in the PW class at Loretta Lynn’s last year, combining two moto wins and a podium finish to seize the overall crown. The rider out of Kentucky ended the 2019 season in November at Mini Os with a couple of top ten overall finishes in both supercross and motocross, finalizing the year in fairly solid form. Baldock took some time away from the gate at the beginning of the season although he continued to train during the quarantine, doing the majority of his riding at Monster Mountain as well as Duff’s property in their home state of Kentucky. Baldock has shown the same potential at the beginning of the season that he displayed at the Loretta Lynn Amateur National Motocross Championship last year, earning a podium result in one of his first races back at Silver Dollar. He has his sights set on a top ten this year at Loretta’s as he continues his campaign in the (4-6) Special Limited class, consistently building his confidence and speed in preparation for the big dance in August. We reached out to Braxton to recount his title last year in the PW class at Loretta’s, talk about his time during the lockdown, and his plans for the remainder of the season.
What did you do for the few months that there was absolutely no racing happening?
I spent one week at Monster Mountain training with Tyler and then had to go back home and quarantine for two weeks for traveling out of state. So that was a boring two weeks off the bike. I’ve spent a lot of time at the Duff’s back home in Kentucky and it’s always a fun time riding with them. I’ve made a few weekend trips to Moto X and SSR.
Did you take some time off riding when racing was postponed?
About two weeks but I tried to ride at least two to three days a week after my two-week break. At first, I spent a lot of time at home and didn’t ride much.
What other hobbies do you have outside of motocross?
Football and spending time with my cousins.
We saw on your Instagram that you play football, what position do you play?
QB since kindergarten.
Do you have a favorite NFL team?
I’m not sure, maybe the Bengals but I don’t watch a lot of football, I just like to play.
Tell us about your week at Loretta’s last year, taking the number one plate in the PW class.
It was so much fun. Loretta’s is my favorite track. I was way out front in practice and that gave me a lot of confidence for the race. In moto one, I led the first two laps even after crashing, then I crashed again and it took me a while to get my bike started causing me to get sixteen seconds behind Axel (Ward), then his bike messed up the last lap and I ended up winning. In the second moto, I had a good battle with Cooper (Jennings) and ended up with the moto win. The third moto was scary. I got stuck in a rut and didn’t think I was ever gonna get my bike out. I had to get off my bike and pick it up out of the rut which wasn’t easy. I made it back to 3rd, giving me the overall win.
What was your week of racing like at Gatorback Cycle Park?
I had a lot of fun racing with my friends! That was my first race on my Cobra Sr.
What races have you been able to do in the 2020 season so far and how did they go?
My first race was at Silver Dollar and I got 2nd and maybe 5th in another class. I raced Silver Dollar again and the competition was stacked with fast kids. I got 6th and 7th that weekend. I also raced Lincoln Trail. I did really good in practice but couldn’t keep it on two wheels in the race.
What’re your goals and plans heading into Loretta’s this season?
My goal is to qualify for Loretta’s and get a top ten. It’s going to be hard but I believe I can do it.
Do you know what classes you’ll be racing moving into 2021?
50 Sr. (7-8) and 65 (7-9).