Josh Richie’s Thoughts on the Popularity of Motocross Racing in Southern California

One of Josh Richie’s favorite hobbies is motocross racing, a popular extreme sport in southern California, where people ride on motorcycles made for greater maneuverability with special suspension and frame construction. While motocross racing has been around just as long as motorcycles have been, the initial sport was not so much about the race to the finish line.

Motocross racing got its start in England, where it initially consisted of bikers on motorcycles competing in balancing and obstacle maneuvering competitions over rugged and hilling terrain. Once these competitions became more about the race, they were called scrambles. As the sport became more popular internationally, it was called motocross racing. It became incredibly popular in the United States, where motorcycle enthusiasts such as Josh Richie were able to find the perfect match of high-adrenaline sports with competition.

With such close access to a popular motocross track in Perris, California, the Starwest Motocross Park, Josh Richie spent much of his childhood and teenage years watching and participating in the races. Richie was not the only one that flocked to the nearby motocross track. Many southern California residents into motorcycles and racing over rugged terrain discovered their passion for motocross racing and competitions.

The competitions at the Starwest Motocross Park not only attracted local Californians to the races but brought in people from all over the country. Josh Richie enjoyed competing with so many different groups of people. Although the ideal California climate likely appealed to many of the competitors, southern California readily comes to mind when discussing motocross racing due to the sport’s popularity in the state and the number of racetracks to compete at.

Josh Richie certainly proved himself in motocross racing when he competed in the 2004 and 2005 championships, bringing home titles in the 125 cc and 250 cc races.