Blake Wharton - Supercross Lites East Coast

Meet Blake Wharton for the first time, and you're likely to think, "What an easygoing guy." But don't let his cool, calm manner fool you. It takes nothing more than strapping on a helmet and firing up a CRF250R motocrosser for him to make the transformation into a flint-hard competitor who simply will not quit until the other guy drops or loses.

This remarkably talented 18-year-old raced his first full professional season in 2009 and regularly finished among the top 10. Racing the Supercross Lites East, Wharton achieved several podium finishes, but his breakthrough moment arrived at the St. Louis Supercross when he nailed down his first career pro win.

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"Winning in St. Louis was just amazing," he says. "Once I got out front I just put my head down and went for it. I knew from the first round in the series that I had the speed; it was just a matter of me staying positive and racing a polished race. Standing on the top step of the podium after the race, I really didn't know what to feel. I was so happy, but I don't think what I had just achieved really set in until I was back home in Texas the following day. It was definitely an experience I could get used to."

But racing Supercross is a very different beast compared to Motocross, as Wharton soon found out. After scoring a win and finishing the Supercross Championship fourth in the standings, the Texan's confidence was high heading to the outdoor series.

"I finished the 2009 Motocross Lites series eighth in the points chase, which I was fairly happy with. Most rounds I was among the top 10 finishers, but I unfortunately had a couple of DNFs, which ultimately affected my overall standings. I did finish on four moto podiums though, which I'm pumped with. I also had the chance to race a few outdoor national events in 2008, and I did pretty well considering I was just 16 years old and racing against more experienced professionals."

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