MOVIN' FORWARD:
TRAVIS SCHNEIDER
Travis Schneider began to make a serious imprint on the 51cc (7-8) and Open classes towards the end of the 2019 season, starting with an exceptional performance at the Baja Brawl with a 3rd place overall in the 51cc (7-8) Limited class. The New Yorker put it in the top ten in both of his classes on the SX track at Mini Os and made strong improvements before the MX races, putting himself in 4th and 5th place overall in the 51cc (7-8) Limited class and the 51cc (4-8) Limited class, respectively. Schneider did his best to stay on pace throughout the winter in New York, riding whenever possible, and he came into the Daytona RCSX ready to mix it up with some of the fastest kids in the country. He ended up finishing the 51cc (7-8) Limited Main Event in 4th position and was eager to continue making improvements throughout the rest of the spring, but racing came to an unfortunate halt due to the coronavirus pandemic. Nonetheless, Schneider was able to maintain some consistent seat time throughout the lockdown and returned to racing at Baja Acres this past weekend for the Mid-East Youth Regional, impressing in the 51cc (7-8) Limited class with a total of three moto wins on his way to the overall. We caught up with Travis to talk about how he spent his time during the quarantine, moving up to the 65cc classes, and how his weekend went at the Baja Regional.
What did you do during the few months that there was no racing happening?
I practiced at local private tracks and was busy with online school!
Did you take some time away from riding when racing was initially canceled and postponed?
I did not ride as much as I would have liked but I did not take any time off.
What was your riding situation like the last couple of months during the quarantine?
I practiced as much as I could. Most tracks in New York were closed because of COVID, so I did not have a gate drop since Daytona.
What do you like to do for fun and entertainment outside of moto?
I love to ride scooters and bicycles. I really love to play basketball and fishing has always been something I’ve liked to do.
How did your week of racing go at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch last year?
I thought my week went great besides some bad starts and some crashes. Overall I was happy with my week at Loretta’s.
What was it like moving up to the 65cc (7-9) class and spending more time on the faster bike?
I love to ride my 65, it is really fast! The class is super competitive. I think that practicing on my 65 makes me a stronger rider on my 50.
How did your weekend of racing go at the Baja Brawl last September?
Great! I had a podium finish. Baja is one of my favorite tracks, that is why we chose to do the Loretta’s Regional there this weekend.
Talk us through the week of racing at Mini Os from your perspective.
Mini O’s is a great event. I like that you can race SX and MX there. It is super competitive. I was happy with my consistent results and can’t wait to get back there for 2020.
How did your weekend go at the Daytona RCSX to kick off the 2020 season?
I ended up 4th overall. It wasn’t my best weekend. I crashed in both motos over the same jump. Being from New York sometimes makes it hard to train for early season races. Daytona is such a fun race though!
What do you think about the Super Regional format for Loretta’s this year and what’re your plans for those?
COVID made things very hard so I am just thankful that there are going to be Regionals. I raced the Mideast Regional at Baja this weekend and I’m planning on racing the Northeast Youth Regional. I love Baja. I had a really good practice day. My laps were fast and consistent all day. The sand and the ruts are so fun. Corners are one of my strong points and I got good starts every moto on the 50. I won all three 50 motos! I was super pumped and proud of myself for winning my ticket to Loretta’s at one of my favorite tracks!
Do you have any goals and expectations set for yourself going to Loretta Lynn’s this year?
My goals for Lorettas this year is a podium finish on my 50 and to make it to Loretta’s on the 65!
Have you thought about what you’ll do after Loretta’s heading into 2021?
For the 2021 season, I plan to race 65 (7-9) and 65 (7-9) Limited on my Cobra 65.