Tracy Press

6-year-old Tyler Kooreman doesn't have to say much about his motorcycle passion — his riding skills speak for themselves.

Tyler Kooreman is only 6 years old, but he's felt at home on a bike for the past three years. Glenn Moore/Tracy Press

At first approach, Tyler Kooreman doesn’t seem to have a lot to say about his favorite sport.

Then, he gets on his motorcycle, hits the throttle and sends up a cloud of dust and gravel as he flies back and forth across his front yard. He lets his bike do the talking, and it speaks clearly about how this 6-year-old feels about speed and acceleration.

Tyler’s parents, Heather and Scott Kooreman, said the young motocross racer got his first bike at age 3 and since then has had progressively bigger bikes, leading to the one he races now at Sacramento Raceway. There were never any training wheels.

"When that gate drops, he pins it as far as he can," Scott said. "If he’s first at the end of the first straightaway, he’s got a good chance of winning the race."

Tyler finished the Spring Series at Sacramento Raceway two weeks ago at the top of the 50cc 4- to 6-year-old beginners class. He did that with five first-place finishes, one second place and one third place. He also finished sixth in the 50cc open, which includes 7- and 8-year-olds and engines as large as 62cc.

Now, he’s into the second series of the season, which includes seven more races that started July 25 and will end with the finals Oct. 24.

Tyler Kooreman and his dad, Steve, tinker with Tyler's bike. Glenn Moore/Tracy Press

"He knows we’ve got to check everything when he’s done racing," Scott said. "He knows where the power is, so he can tell me where to do the tuning."

He’s also taken a few spills, but with helmets and pads for protection, he recovers quickly, and only once did an injury knock him out of a race.

Scott, who also has raced motorcycles at hill-climb events, said that once Tyler got on his first bike, they went out for rides at Carnegie Vehicular Recreation Area west of town and also at a nearby dairy farm. That’s where Tyler met other kids who race.

"I told him that he needed to practice, like we do with baseball," Scott said.

So they made it out to Carnegie about twice a week before the Sacramento Raceway events started in April, and they still go out to friends’ ranches when they get a chance.

"He wanted to go out and practice, and the next thing we knew, he was racing," Heather said. "When he gets on the bike, he tells me to relax. I’m the one who’s more nervous. He gets very focused.

"He doesn’t like a lot of attention about it, but he has that competitive nature."

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written by trmom , August 04, 2008

Way to go Ty-ty. Who is Steve?

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written by Alhutch4 , August 04, 2008

You Rock Ty-Ty!!! way to go