Pair gears up for national event

A pair of Cape Girardeau motocross racers are headed back into familiar territory for a shot at national titles.

Max Friese, 16, and his brother Vince, 12, will compete for a full week early next month in the 20th annual AMA National Motocross Championship Finals near Hurricane Mills, Tenn. The event featuring more than 1,300 riders will be at Loretta Lynn's Ranch.

Max will compete in the youth and amateur divisions for his age groups, while Vince will compete in the stock class.

"They both have the potential to do really well," said the pair's father, Doug Friese, who operates the motocross track at Auto Tire and Parts Racepark in Scott County. "The main thing is to have fun, and it's an opportunity to learn from other riders, too."

It's the sixth year the two have raced at the national event. They qualified for this year's event in early June in a regional race at Dyersburg, Tenn., one of eight regional AMA events.

More than 13,000 riders began the season trying to earn a shot at one of 32 national titles. Max and Vince each set out to improve on last year when Vince finished outside the top 20 and Max didn't advance past the regionals.

"We had problems with the motorcycle, just bad luck I guess," Max said.

Both are looking forward to improving next month, and the whole family is looking forward to the experience.

"It's a nice family trip for all of us," Doug Friese said.