COMMUNITY: Eastern Iowans in motocross nationals

Marion's Chaz Braden and Jamie Bennett, Cedar Rapids' Chase Stevenson and Oelwein's Mason Clendenen are about to make their dreams come true.

The four Eastern Iowa bike racers have qualified for the largest amateur motocross race in the world, the 32nd annual Red Bull AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship at Loretta Lynn's Ranch in Hurricane Milles, Tenn.

Races run July 29 through Aug. 3.

More than 20,000 hopefuls from across the country attempt to earn one of the 1,446 qualifying positions.

Bennett is in the plus-40 class, Braden the 450 A division, Clendenen of the 250 C and Stevenson the 250 A.

“The Amateur Nationals at Loretta Lynn's is the event every motocross racer in the country wants to compete in,” event director Tim Cotter said in a release. “A win at the Amateur Nationals gives a rider instant national notoriety and can serve as a springboard to a lucrative professional motocross career.”

The race coverage will are live on NBC for the first time.

The track, built on a section of Loretta Lynn's Ranch and Campground, contains a variety of jumps, corners and other obstacles designed to test the skills and stamina of the racers.

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