Brent Thomas finds calling in motocross

BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn.—Brent Thomas was haunted by a siren call as a youth.

“It sounded like bees in the distance,” Thomas said. “I wanted to see what it was all about.”

That intoxicating sound emanated from Muddy Creek Raceway, a scenic motocross track in Blountville that has earned national fame as a proving ground for amateur and professional riders of all ages.

Thomas, 21, lived just five minutes from Muddy Creek. He got a close-up view of rising stars such as James Stewart and Ezra Lusk.

“So many good racers have competed at Muddy Creek,” Thomas said. “I began working as a flagman for some of the events, and it was just a great environment.”

As a 255-pound eighth grader, Thomas didn’t fit the stereotype of a lean and tireless motocross racer.

“I started riding when I was 13, and that’s when I began to lose weight,” Thomas said. “I didn’t want to go into high school as a fat kid.”

At first, Thomas rode his bike solely for enjoyment. That fun soon turned into a passion as the siren call became louder.

Thomas lost weight through wise eating habits and built up his strength through physical labor.

In a scene straight of a Disney movie, Thomas even personally constructed his own quarter-acre practice track with a borrowed Caterpillar tractor.  It’s called racing fever.

“It took me about two full days on the weekend to build the track,” Thomas said. “I rode out there every day for a while.”

After winning several races in the entry-level D class in 2006, Thomas increased his speed and refined his technique. Thomas also gleaned some motocross basics from his older neighbor, Scott Greene.

“I didn’t play really any school sports, so the races were tough on me physically at first,” said Thomas, a graduate of Sullivan Central High School. “It was definitely fun, though.”

Thomas had one big advantage of other riders. He was fearless.

The years of weight loss and workouts paid dividends this season. Thomas, now 6-foot-2 and 180 pounds, earned a pair of season championships along with two runnerup finishes in the 450C and 250 C classes in the United State Mega Series and Carolina Ultra Series..

From Feb. 28 until Oct. 18, Thomas and his family followed a 16-race odyssey that covered tracks in six states.
With his family and friends cheering him on, Thomas sealed his championship run in the season-ending Suzuki Top Showdown at Muddy Creek.

“I had never really traveled to other states for races until this year, but I got off on a good note with the first race and just kept going,” Thomas said.

Thomas and his father often left home at 2 a.m. on Sunday mornings bound for tracks in Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.

Entering the Top Gun Showdown, Thomas held just a 32-point lead in the 450C class over Jarod Scalf of Norton, Va. 

“Jarod made me work for it,” Thomas said.. “It was pretty surreal to clinch on my home track with my parents and girlfriend there. It was like a huge weight lifted off my shoulders.”

While Thomas has reached one of his objectives, he doesn’t plan to stop now. He will advance to the more competitive B class next season, and then hopes to turn pro in 2011.

Considering his unlikely entry into the demanding sport, even Thomas has been surprised by his rapid rise.

“It’s been an amazing year,” Thomas said. “I’ve just tried to race fast and loose, and stay consistent. It’s been a fun ride so far.”

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