American 5th Grader Gets Invite to Race in the UK

After proving himself on the domestic racing circuit, Keagan Brown is being called up to compete across the pond

It’s been more than a decade since an American won a premier class world title, and the years of US-born riders dominating grand prix racing is behind us, at least for now. Enter: Keagan Brown, a multi-disciplinary motorcycle racing champion with a lot of promise, oh yeah, and he’s still in the fifth grade.

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Brown’s father has worked in the motorcycle industry for decades, so the decision to buy a Yamaha PW50 was seemingly a natural one. The pint-sized racer didn’t win much at first, but he clearly enjoyed riding and over time his skills grew along with his appreciation for the sport. After learning the basics aboard the tiny MXer, Brown stepped up to a 150cc road racing bike and has since achieved a championship title and multiple podium finishes in races throughout North Carolina, Georgia, New York, Florida, New Jersey, South Carolina, and Virginia.

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The young racer’s success caught the attention of race organizers overseas, resulting in an exclusive invite to take part in the British Mini-Bike Road Racing Three Sisters Circuit race the end of September in Wigan, United Kingdom. “It’s pretty cool he was asked to be a U.S. ambassador,” explained Brown’s dad. “Only two to three kids from the United States are chosen each year.”

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It’s always nice to see an American getting international recognition in the racing world and though it’s hard to say how the fifth-grader will fair against the competition in Europe, something tells me this won’t be the last we’ll hear of Keagan “The Carolina Hurricane” Brown (which I assume is a nod to Collin Edwards’ nickname).

Cover photo by MX4Nam Photography. Other photos courtesy of Bill Brown.