Submitted photo Cash Petersen, seen here in mid-air on his motorcycle, regularly fine tunes his riding skills in the hopes of eventually becoming a professional competitor one day.

Cash Petersen of Ryder is only 11 years old and attends North Shore Plaza Elementary. It is safe to say the young man has some grand ambitions.

Petersen will be competing in the Texas Winter Series, a motocross tournament which is scheduled to begin on Jan. 1 at the Freestone Raceway in Wortham, Texas. The event is a five-part race which will take place on four different tracks and conclude on Feb. 21. Meanwhile, Petersen is slated to compete in the 65 CC (cubic capacity) youth class, as well as the 85 CC youth class.

Most recently, Petersen competed in the Mini O’s Nationals, which took place in Gainsville, Fla. during the week of Nov. 22-29. There, the North Dakota youngster finished as high as 13th in his class while competing against other riders from across the United States. There were roughly 5,500 overall race entries at the event, and a total of over 100 youth competitors per class.

According to Petersen’s father Tony, his son’s interest in dirt bike racing began instantly at the tender age of six. Once the younger Petersen received a motorcycle as a present on his sixth birthday, his excitement for the sport was ignited. Three months later, Petersen was began his journey into competitive racing. “I had a few motorcycles here and there, but I never competed or anything, it was just kind of a neat hobby for me,” Tony Petersen tells the Minot Daily News. “But when I gave Cash his first bike, he took it to a whole other level. It was crazy how well he adapted to riding it, and within a couple of months, he started competing and doing well.”

As Petersen states, his son began watching videos on Youtube to learn how to ride. Shortly thereafter, the dirt biking prodigy began performing well at different races. These days, Cash is now coached by Gregg Albertson of GAME MOTO Coaching, who operates a training facility located in Purcell, Oklahoma.

Petersen, who works for an oil company, reveals he has invested a large amount of time and money to ensure he can prepare his son for a successful professional career. “It’s been a big sacrifice for everyone, but I want to make sure he has a chance to earn a pro card by the time he turns 16. He’s placed 22nd at the World Nationals in Tennessee as a 9-year old, so I have a ton of faith in him. My daughter Skyylar stopped competing in gymnastics so we can afford to invest in Cash’s dream of becoming a pro,” the proud father adds.