SPANISH SPRINGS - In MRANN, a rider that races with a blue plate has achieved something special - being ranked among the top 20 experts in points.

Last season Zakk Audenried, a 17-year-old Spanish Springs High School senior, achieved this goal and will carry the number 9 plate on his bike this year.

Although he's been riding for most of his life, Audenried came to the sport later than most of his racing peers.

"My dad has always ridden and when I was around 4 years old, he got me a little PW50," he said. "I started riding out in the back yard, then he took us up in the hills once in a while but I really wasn't that into it."

Once he moved up to a KX60 bike, he began to do more riding in the hills and at the Moon Rocks area, not too far from his home. However, riding was something he did rather than his passion.

His first race was the result of an accident. It came when he was around 8 or 9 years old and his younger brother Nick was about 6.

"I really wasn't into the whole riding and racing thing for a long time, then my brother wanted to start racing," he said. "So we went out to Fernley to do a motocross race but in his first lap of practice he crashed, got run over by everyone and that ended his day."

Since the entry fee had been paid Audenried was asked if he wanted to race in his brother's place. He agreed and was introduced into the world of motocross racing.

"So I went ahead and rode for him," he said. "I wasn't really expecting to anything as I was just going out there with them. I didn't do very well at all but it was pretty cool and I think I did one more then that was it for me for a while."

In middle school Audenried competed in basketball, wrestling, cross-country and track. And all during this time he continued to ride with his father and friends.

Then, when he was in the eighth grade, he heard about the MRANN desert series. So he and his father decided to race in an event at Hungry Valley, a race that fell on his 14th birthday.

There he experienced the multi-class start where the experts take off first followed by the amateurs and the novice riders, which included Audenried and his father. For him it was an entirely new experience seeing two lines leave in a cloud of dust before his group was sent off.

"I didn't really expect it to be like that as I wasn't really prepared for it since I'd never seen desert racing," he said. "It was really exciting seeing them take off that fast and having the whole dead-engine start and everything. It was way cool, I didn't do very well but my dad helped me up some of the hills and stuff."

Now hooked, Audenried wanted more. And he soon found out it's not as easy as it looks because it took until the start of the 2008 season to really get the hang of it.

"I was still a novice but I got bumped up to amateur that year and was seventh in my class," he said. "Then something just clicked and I starting putting good races together."

He only raced four times as an amateur before being moved into the expert class.

Desert racing requires a lot of mental toughness and motivation. Once a rider heads on the course he or she is pretty much on his or her own and sometimes very alone on the trail.

Not only do they have to negotiate different terrain, sometimes at high speed, but they need to stay on the course, which is marked by either pink ribbons or by arrows showing corners and paper pie plates with red dots for dangerous sections and rocks.

"You pass the ribbons on your right and if they're on your left that's when you can tell you're going backwards," he said.

And each rider also has to face the demands of self-motivation.

"You definitely have to get into a rhythm," he said. "Off the start I'm kind of all over the place until I finally get into a good rhythm. And then when you're out on your own, for me at least, I'm always pushing myself a little bit more to go faster and faster."

He added that eventually he'd slow down a bit because he usually hits something.

"But I'm always pushing myself throughout the race. I try to get into a zone and not worry about anyone else and just ride my own race," he said.

Terrain is another challenge, especially when there are a lot of rocks or whoops, kind of like a washboard on steroids. And a course with a lot of whoops doesn't usually get too many kind comments from exhausted riders that have to race over them.

Audenried is an exception to this.

"I love whoops, that's like my favorite thing," he said. "It seems if you attack them, stay on the gas real hard you're going to go a lot straighter and smoother. A long of people get way back on the bike but I just try to stay centered or even on the front a little bit."

Despite starting so late, he seems to have mastered a very steep learning curve.

"I raced my first amateur races in 2009 and then right after the summer break my first race back was as an expert," he said.

In MRANN a rider scoring a certain amount of points in a class is moved up to the next fastest one until they reach the experts.

"I actually ended up 10th overall then third overall in the next race," he said. "I got a couple of good races right there and stayed around 10th overall," he said.

His performance earned him the Number 9 plate he'll carry this year and the Most Improved Rider award.

Like any riders there are some very appreciated supporters and sponsors helping him. Topping the list are his mother and father, Bob and Debbie Audenried.

Sponsors include FMF, IMS, plastic manufacture Acerbis, Factory Connection and RMS (Reno Motor Sports).

Looking toward this season, Audenried spent the winter training as much as he could. In addition to riding his motorcycle he also mountain bikes and uses a training machine in the family garage.

"It seems like the first three, four and sometimes five guys they're like at another level of speed. And just down from that is where I am right now," he said. "But I'm trying to get over that level which I'm pretty sure I could do it."

Moving this next level takes good, hard training on a consistent level.

"It's being on the bike and knowing what it's going to do and just being able to go right off the start," he said. "I think a good goal for me is top five."

This season is also a time where this young racer is looking toward his future in both plans and hopes. It all starts in June when he graduates from high school.

"I'm already signed up to go to TMCC," he said. "I'm not really sure what I want to do after that yet as I'm still trying to figure that out."

One option is technical training but he's looking at all the possibilities as well as to where he'd like to go with the sport he loves.

"My dream is to be a pro motorcycle racer but I've got to have something to go back on if that's not going to happen," he said. "It all depends on how good I get in the next couple of years."

While he enjoys the MRANN series, because the races are in this region, he'd like to try National Hare and Hound, WORCS and National events.

Among his heroes desert racing veterans like Destry Abbot and the late Danny Hamel. He also admires the factory-backed riders and would like to eventually join their ranks.

The season began in February out at Nightingale and Audenried had to face some health challenges during that race.

"I had bronchitis and it was so much fun, coughing the whole time," he said. "I got a decent start and for the whole first lap I was running like sixth or seventh overall. On the second lap I was doing pretty good and then I couldn't breath at all for the last half of that lap."

Eventually the pain in his chest, as well as being light headed, caused him to slow down to avoid possibly crashing. Still he finished ninth overall.

This Sunday he'll race up at Dry Valley, located east of Susanville, on a course he likes.

"Last time I remember it was pretty whooped out up there," he said. "You just kind of pace yourself and don't wear yourself out too quick."

For this young racer earning a blue plate was a great achievement, now he wants another one but with a lower number.

OTHER RACING NEWS

•On Saturday members of the sprint car and oval track family gathered to honor one of their own and celebrate his life. The fallen one was veteran sprint car racer and car owner Gary Ogden suffered a fatal heart attack on Feb. 19th.

Auggie, as he was sometimes known, was a fierce competitor but always ready to help his fellow drivers and he was a hero to his grandsons, several of which race.

During the ceremony it was evident his smile, wiliness to help others and general upbeat attitude will be missed.

•Two different types of motorcycle races highlight this week's racing card.

The Arenacross series, now using the name of Arenocross, visits the Livestock Events Center for a three-day show. On Friday and Saturday nights, starting at 7:30 p.m., the pros race then at 10 a.m. Sunday is when the amateurs get their chance.

•MRANN's second race of the season will be at Dry Valley, east of Susanville and just across the Nevada state line. It's the Shannon Castillo 100, named to honor a rider lost last year, and is staged by the Lassen Motorcycle Club.

As usual Saturday's races begin at 9 a.m. with the Pee Wees and ends with the V Women's event. The big bikes run the 42-mile long course starting at 10 a.m. on Sunday.

•NASCAR's Las Vegas trio was at home this weekend as they raced at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. In Saturday's rain delayed Nationwide race Brendan Gaughan finished 13th while Kyle Busch ended up 16th.

On Sunday both Busch brothers had problems as a penalty dropped Kyle from contention to a 15th place finish and a wreck dropped older brother Kurt, who started from the pole, to 35th.