Brien Arnold exemplifies determination and perseverance in racing!

BRIEN ARNOLD IS OFF TO THE RACES!

Drexel, 2013

Colorado, 2019

Regardless of age, accomplishments come from determination, perseverance and hard work. Take Adrian High School freshman Brien Arnold, for example. From the young age of eight, Brien has been highly involved in the sport of racing. Racing takes a whole lot more than driving a bike, and Brien has gone above and beyond!

It all began on the 4th of July. He said, "I had my first race when I was eight years old when Drexel still had races on July 4th." Wendy Arnold, Brien's Mom, added, "One race and he was hooked! We searched for any race, anywhere, any weekend from that point on. We even ended up doing indoor arenacross, traveling clear to Texas because he loved it so much. He loved every second of it and we have always loved the family feel of racing." Since his early days in racing, Brien competes in more advanced, difficult races now. Wendy said, "We raced three different series his first year and he never stopped wanting to go. We did indoor arenacross two years (big jumps inside during the winter) but his passion has always been hare scrambles." What is hare scrambles? "This is racing for two hours through trees, creeks, hills, rocks, pretty much someone’s brushy pasture," Wendy said. She went on to add, "Their trails are usually six to eight miles long and you make as many laps as you can during that time. You are scored through a transponder." These races are calculated by speed, not age, once you get past juniors.

Just this month, Brien was honored to race in Colorado. He said, "I returned from riding in Colorado for eight days with our race series promoter. It was a huge honor because they don’t ever let someone my age go. It takes so much strength and endurance to be able to handle the altitude, steep mountains, pushing your bike up the mountain if you crash, etc. It was a chance of a lifetime and I have been invited back next year." Wow! Talk about dedication! After his Colorado racing experience, Brien chose to move up to A class, which is the class just below the pros.

When asked about his most memorable race, Brien talked about a completely different type of riding where you race one lap, six times, and your times determine how you place. He said, "Going to Oklahoma in April 2019, I raced against a whole new group of people. I won the B class." His greatest accomplishments in racing include: Junior Championship, age 12; B Intermediate Championship, age 13; B Class Winner and 4th Overall of all rides in hare scramble series so far, age 14. As a newcomer to the A class just this month, Brien finished in 2nd place out of 130+ riders, just 24 seconds behind first!

As Brien enters high school in 2019 - 2020, he has considered his future racing plans. He said, "We plan on racing two national enduros yet this year. One is five hours away and the other is four hours away." Both races will include the best of the best riders from all across the United States. Next year Brien and his family plan to try a few Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) races in Florida, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Indiana, etc. Brien's ultimate goal is to be in pro by age 16.

Brien credits the Cycle Zone Nation Race Team in Topeka, KS as one of his biggest supporters. He also acknowledges his Mom and Dad, Wendy and Dave, as well. Wendy and Dave are proud parents and supporters. They see his daily hard work and share in his love for racing. "He works out every day. Riding his bicycle for up to 10 miles, lifting weights at home every day, and riding his dirtbike for hours, making new trails around our house to keep things interesting. Brien's passion is amazing and we just try to do everything we can to support him. If he wanted to quit tomorrow, we wouldn’t flinch. Never once have we pushed him because we see all to often people push their kids and the kids get burned out. This isn’t our thing, it’s his."

Everything Brien has done up to this point and beyond is impressive! It will be a blast following him with future races! Best of luck, Brien!