“You have to be fearless when you are riding.” ­– Dré Whisennand

He walks down the same hallways as any other student. Most people see him as a normal guy, but dig a little deeper and this man shows a dangerous side of his

character. Dré Whisennand, a freshman from Hugoton, has been riding motocross competitively for a little more than a year. “Where I grew up there was really no kids, so I just hung out with my siblings and cousins and got in trouble,” Whisennand said. His career has been brief, but he knew from the start it was something he wanted to do. “My cousin Dale invited me to go to one of his races in Texhoma, and it kinda grew on me,” Whisennand said. “I just wanted to race because I loved watching him do it.” Whisennand’s biggest race every year is the Arenacross in Amarillo, Texas, which is coming up Oct. 3. “There are a lot of people that show up to watch or race, and it is really good to get experience,” Whisennand said. “There are usually 26 riders in my class and I finish in the top 10.” Whisennand’s sister Breonna supports her brother’s dream. “I am really proud of him because he goes out there and tries his best no matter what,” Breonna said. “He hasn’t been racing very long, and he is already placing. I think he can achieve his dream.” Motocross is a dangerous sport, but the riders know the risks that they take. “I love flying through the air. It kind of scares my mom, but she just has to deal with it,” Dré said with a laugh. His mom said she has learned to deal with it. “I enjoy watching him, but with him being an amateur at the first races it did scare me,” said Vicki Mills, Dré’s mother. “He keeps getting better everytime and goes to more races.” A backflip on a quad is something that Dré would like to achieve. “He said he wants to be one of the guys that can do a back flip on a quad since there’s not very many riders in the world that can do it,” Breonna said. “In March, there was a little kid that was clearing a double that most riders couldn’t clear. He didn’t really have much respect for anybody, so you have to watch out for yourself when you are out there,” Dré said. “You have to be fearless when you are riding.” Dré has plans to buy a dirt bike and switch to two wheels instead of four. “I want to go pro, and the best of the best ride dirt bike’s,” Dré said. “I want to build tracks and then be able to race professionally.”