Off the track, Blake Wharton presents himself as an extraordinarily nice young man. But the minute he straddles a CRF250R motocrosser, he transforms into a very serious competitor—one that even some pros several years his senior are keeping a close eye on.

The 17-year-old was a newcomer to pro competition in 2008, joining the GEICO Powersports Honda team for the final three races of the 2008 outdoor motocross season. His performance in all three events was impressive, exemplified by his fifth overall finish in his debut ride at the Spring Creek round.

“It was a new experience because we never raced the outdoor nationals before,” he says. “We had done amateur races, but this was totally different in the way that the track is run. I just looked at it as just another race, and in any race you want to get a good start; the basics are the same. So I was in good shape, my bike was great and the team was great. The whole experience was good because I got some positive pro experience to prepare me for the full Supercross season.”

Wharton’s stellar pro debut came on the heels of a rough finish at the Loretta Lynn amateurs several weeks earlier. He credits Factory Connection principals Rick “Ziggy” Zielfelder and Jeff Majkrzak with making the step up a smooth one.

“I went to Loretta’s and I did not do very well; I was a little rusty. I was ‘off’ that week and it was a couple weeks before the nationals. But Ziggy and Jeff were great. When I went to the nationals, they kept the pressure off me so I could just stay calm and ride my best. It wasn’t much different than me riding a local race. Those guys really made it easy for me.”

In some ways, becoming a pro rider was not all that unfamiliar to Wharton.“Most of the guys that are racing pro were guys I had raced at some point in amateurs, so it really wasn’t that much different. So I just looked at it that way.”

He is also very aware of the advantages of being a member of the GEICO Powersports Honda team and riding a Honda CRF250R.

“A lot of riders would love to be on the GEICO team, and I have two years to do basically what I have always wanted to do: to be a pro racer and be a success. I have two years to show that I can do that. You can’t ask for much more on a team—all the mechanics, all the sponsors, everything is top quality. And I know I am on the best bike out there. Some riders have to worry about their bike breaking down. Not me.”

His superb athletic talent aside, perhaps Wharton’s biggest asset is his ability to see the “bigger picture”
when it comes winning.

“My goal is to be consistent. That is probably the biggest thing, to be consistently in the top five—even
the top three—have good starts and stay off the ground. That’s what it’s all about. It’s a whole season,not just one race. You’ve got to look at it that way.”