ROAD TO THE RANCH: CASEY COCHRAN
Casey Cochran has had his fair share of success at the AMA Loretta Lynn Amateur National Motocross Championship since the early days of his racing career. In 2013, he showed up at the Ranch in the 51cc (4-6) Limited class and went 2-2-1 for 1st place overall ahead of riders such as Haiden Deegan and his current Suzuki teammate, JuJu Beaumer. Cochran kept the momentum rolling in 2015 in the 51cc (7-8) Limited class, yet again piecing together 2-2-1 moto finishes in order to give him the number one plate and the top spot on the podium. Another couple of years went by as he began to transition to the RM Army and off of the Cobra, but not before winning the title in the 65cc (10-11) Limited class with the magical combination of 2-2-1 moto scores. Since joining the Suzuki Amateur Racing program, Cochran has maintained solid results in Hurricane Mills as he’s landed on the overall podium the last two seasons consecutively, continuing to stack up hardware from the Ranch. The Team Dunlop Elite rider started out the 2020 season with a bang as he bagged two championships at Daytona back in March and he’s going to be looking to bring that same intensity to Loretta Lynn’s in a few weeks time. Cochran put himself in the top three in both Mini Sr. classes at the Muddy Creek Southeast Youth Regional and he’ll be aiming for the top spot when the gate drops at the beginning of August.
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How’d the Regionals go for you?
The Regionals were tough. I had a wreck in practice and busted up my face pretty good. I also broke my suspension in a moto but I still managed to collect three tickets, so I was stoked for sure!
What’s a typical day of training been like for you getting ready for Loretta’s?
Training has been tough and hot here in Florida! We have been running a lot of long motos in the heat trying to get prepared for the Ranch.
Do you have a pre-race routine?
My pre-race routine is always the same. I do a little fist pump with my mom before I leave the pits and on the gate, my dad always pumps me up before the gate drops and tells me he loves me!
How do you recover after a twenty-minute moto in the brutal heat and humidity?
I recover from a long, hot moto by finding myself a good blowing fan and a nice big sports bottle of my Arma drink. It’s quite refreshing!
Is there one specific year at Loretta’s that has been the most memorable for you?
My most memorable year at Loretta’s was 2017. That was the first year that I really understood how much it meant to win that race! I worked super hard and it was awesome for my hard work to pay off!
What do you think is the key to success at the Ranch?
I think the key to success at the Ranch is getting a good start, being consistent every lap, and having a little bit of luck!