Carson City native rider praises Douglas County motocross track

Nevada native Adam Conway said he's looking forward to racing before a home crowd at this weekend's event at the Nevada Motocross Park.

"Hopefully we get a good turnout this weekend, and everyone has a great time," he said.

Conway was born and raised in Carson City and has been riding since he was 5 years old.

At 17, he's turned pro and is getting ready to participate in the 2010 Supercross.

"I went to the amateur nationals last year," he said. "This year everything was going good so I decided to make the jump to pro."

Conway has been racing since he was 7 years old, and said the sport is attracting younger riders.

"There's a lot of younger talent coming up," he said. "It's a sport that relies on younger talent coming up."

He said many amateur riders are attaining professional speeds.

"The intermediate class has riders just as fast as the majority of professional riders now," he said. "The main difference between amateur and professional is that you get paid. When you go pro you're going on longer races. It becomes your job."

But that doesn't take any of the fun out of it.

"If you really look at what you're getting paid for, it's getting out to ride your dirtbike," he said. "It's very time consuming, and there's a lot of pressure that goes along with it. But it's amazing that you're getting paid to do what you used to do for fun."

Conway is paid through sponsorships, which depend on how well he does while racing.

"They say that 'What wins on Sunday, pays on Monday,'" he said. "The better we do the more it helps sell the products."

Conway said this weekend's big air freestyle event and motocross race will help him prepare for larger events next year.

"It's more than just training," he said. "It's also making sure you're on par with everyone and that everything's working."

He said the Gardnerville track is working out well.

"The track is getting really good," he said. "They had some bugs they had to work out, but the whole crew has been putting in 120 percent to make it better. The dirt mixing is great, but it needs time. Rome wasn't built in a day."

Conway said he has two Hondas he's riding, a Honda CRF 250, CRF 450.