Photograpy: Andrew Campo 

At 5' 11" and 205 lbs, California's Weston Peick is built more like a football player than a motocross rider. But you could never tell by his results. He pulls holeshots on riders half his size on a 250F and runs the pace of the top intermediate riders in the world. His history in the sport is different than most. He didn't race his first amateur national until 2007, but has somehow managed to etch his name as one of the fastest intermediate riders in the country since. He stormed onto the scene at the Arizona Amateur Open last year and has put in consistent rides ever since.

Peick is gearing up for the Honey Lake Regional Qualifier this weekend and is ready to prove his championship status at Ponca and Loretta's. "I can win championships," said Peick, "I just have to go out there and have some good luck and make it happen." His presence off the track is big, but not nearly as big as it is on the track.

Enter Weston Peick >>>

Stats:

Age: 17

Hometown: Wildomar, California

Class: Intermediate 

Height: 5' 11"

Weight: 205lbs

Sponsors: Fox, Rockriver Powersports, Yamaha, MX Trainer, Doctor D., Acerbis, Devol, Flow Skin Gloves, Factory Backing, Ready Filters, Dunlop, Kicker, Regina Chains and Pro Taper.

Give us some history on the number 31?
I'm not really sure how that one happened. I think it's just a number that have always ran since I was on pee wee's at like two or three years old.

You stormed onto the scene last year at Mini O's. You had a great ride at the Am Open that kind of put your name on the list of national hot-shoes before that. But before Am Open that year no one seemed to know your name. Fill us in on some of your riding history and how the heck you managed to blast onto the national circuit out of nowhere?
When I was a kid I used was into the local scene out here in California a little bit. I would go out to Glen Helen and Perris every once in a while, but it was never really a consistent thing I did until now. I started getting back into riding a few years ago. I was in High School playing football and I was just over that, so I started riding more and more and started liking that scene more and more. Then I started getting faster and everything just kind of took off from there. I got into the Glamis scene and started doing a few little races here and there. Then I got into the WORCS (World Off Road Championship Series) and starting racing that, but I was just getting hurt too much. So I did that for a full year and then started racing nationals. My first national was the Dodge Amateur National here in California in '07.

So that is the start of your national experience...2007?! Considering where you are now, that is impressive. It's not often someone picks up the national circuit at 16 and does so well.
Yeah, for sure. I've been doing pretty well over the last year. I've had some ups and downs along the way, but that stuff happens.

Take me through Oak Hill and World Mini? You had promising speed, but the end results didn't seem to benefit you.
Yeah, at Oak Hill I got hurt. In the moto that I raced I had an outside gate pick and was working my way up through the pack after a bad start, I think I made my way into 14th or 10th. I was making ground when I took an outside line over a double and another guy landed on top of me and I got a concussion. So that ended my week. Then I went into Vegas and was doing really good. At the end of the week I went into the triple-triple section and ended up casing it sideways and launching into the next jump, resulting in a broken wrist. 

You have proven that you can run towards the front of the pack throughout the last few nationals, what do you think it will take to win a title?
I can win championships. I put my head down, I have the confidence and I work hard every week to get everything done. I've just got to go out there and have some good luck and make it happen.

Give me some of your future plans. Next year you will turn pro, I assume, then try and hit the Outdoor Nationals? Would you consider going in as a 450 rider given your size?
For the rest of this year I am going to race intermediate. Then after Loretta's I will race as a pro at the amateur level for a year, and after that we will start doing the Outdoor Nationals and start in on the rest of circuit. I feel if someone puts me on a 250F and the motor is good I can make something happen in the Lites class. I've already been on a 250F and I've been doing really well hanging with all the top guys. So I think I will go in as a Lites rider.