For Derek Drake, winning the 2018 Nicky Hayden AMA Motocross Horizon Award marks his joining a select group of amateur motocross competitors.

The award is bestowed each year on the amateur motocross competitor who is best prepared for the professional ranks, based on attitude, enthusiasm and performance.

Previous winners of the motocross award include reigning Monster Energy AMA Supercross 450SX Champion Jason Anderson and past professional supercross and motocross national champions Ryan Villopoto, James Stewart Jr. and Davi Millsaps.

The 17-year-old Drake’s path to winning the prestigious award can be traced back to his third birthday. His father is an avid trail rider and bought his toddler son a Suzuki JR50 as a birthday present.

Drake, of San Luis Obispo, Calif., started riding the little motorcycle around the yard, and “ran into a few solid objects along the way.” One year later, Drake began his career as an amateur motocross competitor. He said he scored a fourth-place finish in his first race and was hooked.

While honing his riding skills during his youth, Drake did not have many purpose-built motocross tracks near his family’s home.

“We only had one track near us,” he said. “I used to ride mountain trails with my dad and some friends. We made our own race tracks, using the trails, and that helped me develop my riding skills a lot.”

It wasn’t until 2009 that Drake got his first taste of competing in a national championship. He and his father had not heard of the AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch until a family friend mentioned it to them. Drake has competed at the event each year from 2009 to 2018, except 2012 and 2014.

At the 2018 edition of the event, Drake’s talent and potential were on full display. He said he trained hard and kept his expectations low. He also said the track conditions were nearly perfect all week, which allowed him to perform at his best and win the coveted AMA Horizon Award.

“There was very little rain all week,” Drake said. “Everything just clicked perfectly.”

Drake’s drive to be the top performer at the event started the first year he competed there. He recalled the motivation he felt the first time he witnessed the Loretta Lynn’s awards ceremony. Just seeing all of the awards that were handed out that night ignited a fire within him.

“I knew I could do it,” he said. “I can’t wait to look back at this in 15 or 20 years. I am forever grateful to be in the [Loretta Lynn’s] record books.”

Drake is wasting no time getting his pro career started. He is planning to make his pro debut in the 2019 outdoor pro motocross series. He won one of the Amateur All-Star Class motos Oct. 13 at 2018 Monster Energy Cup in Las Vegas, Nev.

Drake’s professional racing ambitions are not limited to motocross and Supercross. He said he enjoys the idea of racing through woods and would like to take part in a GNCC event someday.