Joshua Conger wants to race Trophy Trucks one day. For now, he's doing well in challenging, but a little more tame, types of racing.

The 11-year-old Arroyo Grande resident who attends Grover Heights Elementary School in Grover Beach said he's been racing in bicycle motocross, or BMX, for six years. This past year, he was the champion in the local 50 cc class, for the third year in a row, and second in 65 cc.

His fifth-place finish at Prunedale wrapped up a BMX season for him in which he finished fourth in the state in his age group. That's not bad for a rookie.

When it comes to racing, “The most fun things about racing are the exercise and the adrenaline,” the youngster said.

BMX courses are a combination of dirt jumps and dirt flats. “I like the jumps best,” Joshua said.

“Most courses are about 900 yards,” said William Conger, Joshua's father. “The one in Reedley was the longest (we'd seen). It was about 1,100 yards.”

Joshua Conger works out twice a week at the BMX facility at the Elks/Unocal Events Center. Dawn Porter, the secretary and treasurer of the BMX facility there, said the center's BMX track is about a quarter mile.

Advertisement

Porter is track president Mike Porter's wife.

Joshua Conger said that when it comes to riding, “I like anything that has handle bars, horsepower or a steering wheel. I want to start racing Trophy Trucks as soon as possible. I got to ride in one. It was really cool.”

“I like just about all sports, but I don't like skateboards.”

Why?

“No handle bars.”

Young Conger's dream ride, the Trophy Trucks are used in most major levels of off-road racing, like SCORE and Championship Off-Road Racing (CORR). The Trophy Trucks are the premiere category of the two series, one of which (SCORE) holds the famed Baja 1000 endurance race in Mexico every November.

When asked why he wanted to go the off-road route, his reason was simple.

“The horsepower,” Joshua said.

The youngster raced in eight BMX events this year. He got into the win column once his initial year, winning a race in Fresno.

He said a buddy got him interested in racing BMX bikes.

“My friend, Cole Sumner, is from Grover Beach. He moved to Nacimiento Lake. We rode around town, he raced bicycles and he wanted me to start.”

William Conger, Joshua's father, said, “(Sumner) was a championship rider.”

Debbie Porter said that Joshua Conger is a fixture at the Elks/Unocal BMX track. “We average about 60 per practice, and Joshua is one of our most faithful riders, especially from that far out of town,” she said.

“We do get some from the Santa Barbara area. Riders from the Santa Ynez area are our most faithful from southbound.”

Besides his son working out twice a week at the Elks Unocal facility, “We have a private track on the Nipomo Mesa,” said William Conger.

Joshua gets quite a workout when he's working out. “I usually ride about 10 miles in one workout,” he said.

“Sometimes before bed, I do 100 pushups.”

Some of the youngster's sponsors include Arroyo Grande-based Ruby Glass, Slime, and Monument Board Shop.

William Conger said, “K-Man Racing, based out of Atascadero, is the racing team that Joshua's part of. They actually got us into it and paid his NBL license.”

Dawn Porter believes Joshua is part of a bright future for the local BMX track.

“The sport is gaining popularity, especially because of the Olympics,” she said. “I see great things happening for the sport, and especially for this track.”

Sports Production Editor Mike McKean contributed to this story.

October 21, 2008