DeKalb resident Emma Johnson will be racing in the new year, as she is a top female local two-five motocross racing champ.

Starting at just three-years of age, Johnson has won numerous awards last year and doesn’t see it coming to an end any time soon.

“The reason I love doing this so much,” Johnson said. “is because I get to travel around and compete on my dirt bike, and at the same time making new friends. I don’t ever imagine myself giving this up.”

According to her father, Jeff Johnson, the youngster got her start with a  50cc four-wheeler at the county fair.

“She got a third place and a second place that year,” Johnson said. “She has been hooked ever since.”
Taking a break from competition for a couple years, she continued riding and at the age of eight, she progressed to a dirt bike.

“In a matter of months she was riding above what the bike was meant to do,” said Johnson. “So we bought her a KTM 65. One of my good friends, Brad Emmerton, was riding with her and teaching her how to be fast on it. He would spend hours in the field teaching her how to jump and practicing take offs.”

Finally, Emma decided to have another go competitively at the state fair and placed third in one race and second in another.

“After that I took her to several more races,” Johnson said. “She continued to place in the top three consistently. I think it gave her a goal to work for. She wanted to be the champion the next season.”
Buying her another bike, this time an 85 cc, gave Emma some more horsepower and she continually practiced.

“Now it was time for the 2017 race season,” Johnson remembered. “She had worked so hard on each bike and ran four classes all year.”

Emma competed in the 65 cc open class, ages 9-11; 85 cc open class 11-15; Youth MC class 14 and under and the Supermini MC 105 cc class 14-16 years of age.

“By this time she has started picking up sponsors like ONeal Racing, X Brand goggles, Atlas brakes, Duro Tires and Performance Supercycle,” Johnson said. “Race TN series had started and she found herself consistently finishing in the first and second place in each class a third from time to time.”
Some of her awards included:

• Oct. 21 won Fall Brawl Championship
• Dec. 3 won third at the award banquet
• Won the 65 cc MC Open Championship
• Won the 85 cc MC Open
• Won the Supermini MC based on a points system.

Her superlatives awards include winning the “Holeshot Bandit” award for the most holeshots of the season voted by all the riders.