A parent's perspective

July 4 – Two kids who are well into the "promising" area of amateur competition are Bobby and Anthony Fong Jr, both of Stockton, California. Coming to the Grand National Dirt Track Championships for the past three years, the Fongs have proven to be tough competitors who run strong and remember to have a good time. We asked the father, Anthony Fong, why he does it.

How'd you get started?
It's funny. One of my coworkers lives on the street that the Lodi Cycle Bowl is on. I had always loved motorcycles, but never raced. When I had my first son, it seemed like it'd be something fun to do together. As soon as he hit age five, we started.

What keeps you coming back, all the way from California?
For me, it's running here with all the name people. When he was a pee wee back in Lodi, I remember reading all the names in American Motorcyclist and remember reading about Logan Myers when he was a pee wee. Now I'm out here racing, and they're coming up and shaking my hand — and these are the guys I used to read about. To me, the biggest part is making friends from all over the country. this is great.