If you don't know much about Motocross, you might not have heard about the National Amateur Championships that have taken place at Loretta Lynn's Ranch every summer for the past 28 years. But for those of you who know Motocross, you know how huge this event is. It's like the Olympics for Amateur MX riders.

Every spring, thousands of racers from across the country begin the process of regional qualifiers, striving for a top 10 finish in the initial qualifiers, and then a top 5 finish in the final qualifier that will grant them entrance into the prestigious Loretta Lynn Championships. The qualifiers are typically packed with the region's top riders who attempt to qualify in a number of different classes with the goal of making it into at least one class, but preferably the two classes that are allowed for the 3-moto format of the Championships.

In my second year of racing (and second year attempting to qualify), I made it into two of the three classes I raced in the qualifiers, and additionally qualified as an alternate for a third class. So we began our preparations for the 2,250 mile journey from Sacramento, California to Hurricane Mills, TN.

We do things a little different than the average motocrosser. Or at least what appears to us to be the "average" motocrosser nowadays. At most of the events we attend - even the local races - we get up extra early on race day only to pull up in our Toyota Tacoma truck (which is loaded to the max with 1 bike, all my MX gear, folding chairs, tent cover and picnic supplies), and search through the plethora of RV's and toy haulers for a decent spot to set up camp for the day.

There are pros and cons to doing it our way - the obvious con is driving at the wee hours of the morning before a race, or having to use port-a-potties and hand sanitizers all day long. The pro, on the other hand, we notice when we quickly pack up and head down the highway at a comfortable speed, passing and waving at all the heavily loaded RV's and toy haulers (typically packed with 2+ bikes, MX and camping gear). Not to mention the savings on gas and absence of extra RV costs. There's something to be said for simplicity.

However, since we don't own an RV or toy hauler, we had to consider how to make this cross country trip that ends in a place called "Hurricane Mills" - a campground located an hour outside of Nashville without much else near by. Fortunately, some friends who live close by were driving their rig and had spare room to haul my bike and gear. So we had the benefit of flying into Nashville, renting an RV and camping right there on-site at Loretta's Ranch.

Now, coming from a crossover athlete's standpoint, this is what sets motocross apart from the rest of the athletic world. In my football days, the team flew to away games, stayed in fairly nice hotels, reviewed strategy over meals, watched film, had a small preparation practice on the game field and got a good night's sleep. Come game day our gear was cleaned and prepped and we were ready to play without much effort in the "getting there" process.

But for motocross, the "getting there" process is half the battle. And since a huge segment of the motocross population has seen fit to buy huge motor homes and toy hauling rigs, utility ATV's, pit bikes, two (or more) racing bikes per rider, and home school their kids so they can add travel days with ease, the ante's been seriously upped for the "average" motocross athlete to get a sporting chance at success. In addition to the "getting there" costs, most people add at a minimum a few thousand dollars in bike modifications to an already brand new bike.

As much as I love this sport, I often wonder how it can grow when the financial standard is so high. And the rules and requirements to win at the national level are foggy at best. Most stock classes don't seem to be "stock" at all - but more accurately how fast can you make your bike go while still looking "stock". The entry fees, along with gate fees, hook up fees and transponder fees would drain most responsible citizens' bank accounts. Responsible being a family with life insurance, health insurance, contributes 10-15% of their income toward retirement, pays the mortgage on time and stashes a little away in an emergency savings. The costs are magnified further when the amateur national schedule contains 6-8 races, consuming at least 8 weeks, not including drive time. That's 8 weeks of vacation per year at minimum. Nevertheless, most folks are simply thinking about the next race and rarely give much thought to the cost until it hits them.

I guess my point is that money shouldn't be a determining factor for success in athletics. Success in athletics should be dependent upon one's talent, work ethic, dedication and desire. But in motocross finances can play a large part in success.

Despite the challenges and road blocks, I, like many others, still choose to line up every weekend and twist the throttle.

This has never been a particularly cost effective sport. So with increased gas prices and the current economic climate, one might expect to see only a select few die-hards making the trek to an event like this, plus those fortunate to live in a closer radius of proximity to Hurricane Mills, Tennessee.

Not so. We rolled in on Sunday morning (the day before Monday's practice day) into what appeared to be an endless sea of motor homes, parked back to back, side to side, like a huge transportable city assembled and dissembled in less than two weeks. Riders came from almost every state and even a few different countries. Someone told us there were about 1,000 less RV's this year than last, which baffled us as to how another 1,000 RV's could fit into such a setup.

I felt like a kid in a candy shop. Every vendor associated with motor sports was there. And they each had their own attractions - from rock climbing to movies to nightly concerts, fashion and talent shows - adding even more excitement to the week.

But on to the main reason for the event... motocross.

We walked the track twice on Sunday, sweating bullets in the 95 degree heat and 85% humidity, plotting strategy, riding style and bike logistics. This track was one of the best I've seen, technically challenging with lots of sand that would disappear by race day and the threat of surprise thunder storms to make it even more rough and rutted.

Monday I started my week off with two 20-minute practices. I figured my experience playing college football at places like Oklahoma, Baylor and Louisiana State University would prepare me for the heat and humidity. But I must say, by the time I put on my gear and helmet I was "pleasantly" surprised to feel the heat and humidity rise another 10%! Monday's practice was HOT. Some didn't hesitate to pull right off the track. But I decided to stay out there and "get 'er done" - since I needed as much track time as I could get. Practice went great. My lap times were competitive and once I acclimated to the heat, I was able to get comfortable on the track.

Tuesday, on the other hand, was crazy! It started off with clear blue skies and 90 degree weather. Then during my first moto out came the clouds and in a period of 2 minutes we were racing under thunder storms. I had to take off my goggles to see. Needless to say, I finished the race and felt OK about how I rode. At least I could use it to build on. I was scheduled for another race that day, but the rain came down so hard it flooded a portion of the track, so quite a few motos had to be postponed while they re-routed the track.

My rain delayed moto started at 7:30am Wednesday morning and the track was still muddy. Extremely muddy. Again, my goggles were of no use and I finished the race without them. But it was a step up from the day before and I was still happy with how I rode.

My second set of motos ran on Thursday without rain. I was able to find a flow and I ran my fastest lap time so far. I finished both races in respectable positions. At this point I was really looking forward to my last two motos the next day.

Friday was the big day. I finally felt comfortable with the weather and track conditions. I was excited to see what I could do. On the first lap I ran my fastest lap time of the week, improving by over 13 seconds. That's almost unheard of. The track maintenance crew watered the track before my moto, however and I hi a slick spot going around a corner jump. It threw me about 10 feet in the air and off the track. I ended up screwing myself up real good. My entire body hurt but I refused to stay off the track. An incomplete race (or DNF) can destroy your overall results, so I got back on the track and gutted it out.

After the race I went to the onsite medical facility where they took some X-rays of my wrists and shoulder. I was impressed by the fact that at any other event, you'd have to go off site, wait your turn and pay a sum just to be seen by a doctor, let alone get an X-ray. But here, the friendly volunteers from Florida's Jacksonville Orthopedic Services provided their medical expertise free of charge (apparently the owner is an avid MX rider and fan himself). It was comforting to have peace of mind that nothing was broken... great! But I still had a race just two hours away.

I did not plan on racing after that fall, but I decided to do so because, again, I did not want a DNF. So I showed up at my 6:00pm race and gutted t out. My wife would write crazy messages on the pit board like, "Don't Quit!", "Almost There!" and "Keep Going!" I kept waiting to read one that said "Last Lap!" - but she never wrote that one.

Anyway, finished the week 33rd out of 42 riders in my first class. Come to find out, that class consisted of a lot of pro riders, which felt good to know I could hold my own with them. In my other class I finished 34 out of 44. It was respectable and something to build on.

I plan on qualifying next year, returning to Loretta's and winning! But my goal is to compete in the Canadian Pro Nationals, which would make me the first athlete to reach the professional level in both football and motocross.

I figure if I'm gonna write it, I might as well live it... Don't Stop the Swagger!