Ups and downs don’t only happen on a motocross track – oh no! Life throws at you some gnarly triple jumps, huge ruts and many intimidating sets of whoop-te-do’s. In the race to the finish line of success, often times it is hard to figure out whether you can overcome the obstacles. Such was the early part of 2011 for athlete Zach Bishop Burnett.
Let me first remind you that Zach has always had a true passion for the sport, and with that passion a drive for success. When you plan to win, and you expect to win, it can be hard when you don’t. But do not think for a moment that Zach is a quitter – instead remember that Zach is a “kid”. Given the fact that Zach is a youngster, his career in racing is driven primarily with the support of his family, a group of people that have exerted a ton of effort and time into putting Zach in a position to do well. When things were good, they were really good. And when things went bad – well, bad is just bad.
When last we broadcast, Zach had just competed at the Spring Classic, where things were less than great (see previous post – “Busy is good right? It is if you are a MX athlete”). From there, the team moved on to the GNC National at Oak Hill. It was there that things went “south”. This wasn’t a failure on Zach’s part, mind you, but instead just a boiling point of the family dynamic and considerable exhaustion on the part of the people involved. There were some really low points at that time. What it came down to was this – does Zach want to and does he have the potential to make motocross his career? All other things aside, the answer was still a resounding “YES”.
So, the team packed up and headed to a place where they could get some help – the home and facility of Onario Izzy. This “boot camp” environment has made a world of difference. Oh, there have been some “hiccups” along the way – including mom Tabatha ditching the motor home and trailer to avoid a collision, and long weeks being cooped up in a motor home with dogs, teenagers and motorcycle parts. It’s not a picnic – but it IS working.
Results speak for themselves – Zach has already qualified for and has his choice of THREE classes at Loretta Lynn’s (granted he can only choose two). Last weekend, he not only went 1-1-1 in the Supermini 2 class at the North Central Regional, but he also qualified for the Schoolboy 2 class (Zach is also qualified for Supermini 1). For a full list of Zach’s results in his quest for Loretta’s, toggle over “Racing Results” and then choose “2011 Loretta Lynn’s Qualifying”.
What’s next on the horizon? Continued training, full focus and dedication to the preparation for national championships and above all else, FUN! That’s right, when you love a sport as much as Zach loves motocross, you can BET he is going to have fun. Stay tuned for more updates as Zach takes his fresh approach, his renewed energy and his unwavering focus to the next level.
