By Sonny Jones
The tiny motorbikes buzzed along the many dirt paths behind the houses in the Cape Owen Manor subdivision.
Bzzzz … bzzzz … bzzzz
Like a swarm of bees, the young riders, which included five-year-old Greigh Butler, churned up the dirt and sand as the dust slowly settled back to the ground.
Bzzzz … bzzzz … bzzzz
For Greigh, now 9, those hours and hours riding those paths began a journey that has turned into a family affair at motocross tracks across the Carolinas.
“It’s real fun,” says Greigh, who is pictured at the top of the story leading a pack around a corner while riding his No. 24 motorbike. “Pushing yourself and trying to pass people and go over bigger jumps (in the races).” He admits some of those bigger jumps can be a bit scary.
| GREIGH’S SPONSORS • Leinwand’s • Coaches Golf Cart • Pro Line Equipment • Ryan Godwin-Hilton Realty • Cape Fear Winery • Cape Fear Distillery • JOSEPH d Salon • Bladen Online • United Pro Arc Corp. of Taiwan |
“Back when I was four I was riding on a little bike,” Greigh said. “Everyone had a dirt bike so I got one. One of my friends in the neighborhood races motocross so I started.”
With the help of several local sponsors to defray some of the expenses, Greigh has raced in the CCMX series this fall. Riding a Yamaha YZ65, he has a win to go along with a second-place and fourth-place finish and a pair of sixth-place finishes.
Greigh has two more races on the fall schedule. The first is this weekend (Nov. 20-21) in Cowpens, South Carolina, and the finale is set for Dec. 11-12 in Maysville. It will complete his second racing season.
So, Greigh, along with his parents, Joelle and Josh Butler, will load up the family motorhome this weekend and latch the trailer with the bikes and equipment behind and head down the road.
“We have really put in a lot of effort doing this,” said Josh Butler, who is sales director for Westwood Metal Technologies. “As long as he’s passionate about it, we’ll support him.”
The Butlers often go to Raeford for training sessions taught by professional riders. Greigh learns how to handle the turns and the jumps.
Greigh, who is a fifth-grader at Emereau: Bladen Charter School, plans to continue racing next year and see how far he can go in the sport.
“I’ll try to get to the bigger bikes and see how I like it,” he said. “I might start doing some bigger races.”
About Author
