Top teen speaks in 2 motocross events

On October 3, Tayteum Aschan of Breckenridge became state champion in two motocross events while competing at Sweney Cycle Park in Brush.

What makes this performance at the state championship even more impressive is that Tayteum is just 14 years old, a freshman at Summit High School who has competed much older in women’s and senior races. .

“Last year was my first year racing, and I finished second in state,” Tayteum said. “So this year I pushed harder in my training not to be second again. It was nice to win the state, and I was amazed at the end of the season because it ended up being close.

Tayteum won by three points in both classes aboard his 2020 Husqvarna 105, a bike far less powerful than his 10-horsepower rivals. Tayteum said the women she rode against were on 250 or 450 displacement bikes — or around 17 to 30 horsepower — which made it much harder for her to keep up.

“They have a lot more power. They often overtake me,” Tayteum said. “Just for them to have a lot more power than me and for me to stay ahead, it’s kind of hard to believe.”

Tayteum said she had been riding since she was 9 years old and was introduced to the sport through her family’s love of motocross.

“My dad rode bikes when he was younger, and we all grew up with bikes, so we used to go out as a family freeriding,” Tayteum said.

Tayteum eventually fell in love with motocross racing and quickly earned the nickname “Seabiscuit” from one of her trainers, Bobby Fitch, who was a professional motocross racer.

“I love sports so much and I have a heart for it,” Tayteum said. “Like Seabiscuit, no one thought something big was going to happen, but it did because of how hard I keep pushing and trying.”

Tayteum trains with Fitch’s family and thanks them for the success she has had in the sport so far. With performances on track this season and last season, Tayteum has already signed 10 sponsors.

“She’s a lot better than (the Fitches) thought she could be just because of Tayteum’s natural talent and the Fitches’ training,” Tayteum’s father Shane Aschan said.

Tayteum hopes to continue winning on the motocross track next year when she competes in the women’s A class. She would then train hard throughout the season in order to qualify to compete in the Super Bowl of motocross racing: the Monster Energy AMA National Amateur Motocross Championships at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee.

“Loretta is the top of the line for amateur riders,” Tayteum said. “It can’t get much better than Loretta because they only take the top six in each class.”

Aschan said she has the potential to qualify for national championships.

“She crashed at a national motocross qualifying meet in Texas last year and made up for it to still finish seventh,” Aschan said. “So for her to go down and only miss the Nationals by one point indicates Tayteum’s potential.”

Tayteum’s love for the sport goes beyond first place finishes, state championships and honours.

“I really appreciate the larger motocross community,” Tayteum said. “People I train with, people who support me or all the little girls I help out who look up to me now – I love it.”