Liam Ponsonby just turned 7. He has been riding motorcycles for about a year, but he sure knows his way around the mini machine and the tracks on which he competes.

Forget about being able to reach the handle bars. Ponsonby is reaching for championships.

Ponsonby, who is going into second grade at Norwin’s Stewartsville Elementary, qualified for the American Motorcycle Association Amateur National Motocross Championship, formerly known as the “Loretta Lynn’s” championship, Aug. 2-7 at Loretta Lynn’s family ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tenn.

Only 42 young competitors in Ponsonby’s Mini Electric 4-6 age class advanced to compete in the race, so it is quite an accomplishment for the local rider.

“I would attribute this to him being an extremely technical rider,” said Liam’s mother, Paige. “He listens to his coaches and carefully applies their technique to his riding. Him and his dad always walk new tracks before he rides on them, so he can understand the jumps, turns and ruts before riding.”

Ponsonby, who knew more about throttle control than his ABC’s by the time he could walk, is enamored with dirt bike racing. He likes to watch online videos of accomplished motocrosser Haiden Deegan, who, at 10, was the youngest athlete to perform a back flip on a dirt bike.

Deegan is now 14 and continues to perform on two wheels.

Ponsonby went through local and regional qualifers to advance to the national championships. He had to finish in the top nine in the former and top six in the latter.

He placed fifth at the Mid East Regional at BriarCliff MX in Nashport, Ohio.

“Liam has been interested in anything with wheels since he could walk,” Paige Ponsonby said. “He started on a Strider balance bike at 18 months and hasn’t gotten off wheels since. He progressed to a regular pedal bike and then a Stacyc mini electric bike.”

Ponsonby once road a Honda CRF50 pit bike — with training wheels — when he was 3. At 5, he was straddling a KTM 50 Jr. and began racing soon after.

Like any parent, Paige Ponsonby has safety concerns watching her son launch off upslopes and take tight corners on dirt tracks.

She places trust in his coaches, Mike Jones and Steve Roman, who run Jones and Roman MX in Butler.

“The coaches have been a tremendous help with teaching Liam how to safely race,” she said. “We also make sure Liam is wearing proper gear each time he rides, including not only a helmet, but a chest protector, knee braces, and dirt bike boots. His bike is checked before and after each moto by his dad to ensure there are no mechanical issues.”

David Ponsonby, Liam’s father, used to watch “Mad Mike Jones” compete on television at the X Games. Jones is now one his son’s coaches.

The Ponsonbys enjoy motocross as a family.

“We have met so many great families, and Liam has made many friends at the races,” Paige said. “Motocross has become our community, and we are thankful for all the memories and experiences it has brought our family.”

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