𝗣𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵: 𝗠𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗥𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝟰 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗴𝗼 𝗶𝗻……..

Julien Almaguer is the epitome of what you would think a 7-year-old dirt biker might look like.

Rocking a hot pink Vans hat with a checkered bill, he has a ton of energy, bouncing around with his eyes lighting up and mouth moving as fast as he races when talking about the first true love of his young life: dirt biking and motorcross.

Almaguer has been riding dirt bikes since he was 4 years old. But his dad, Richie Almaguer, who has been riding dirt bikes himself since he was 10, saw it coming practically since his son’s birth.

“I enjoyed it as a kid, it was really fun,” Richie said of motocross. “So, I was hoping he would enjoy it as well, and he does. He loves riding, he loves racing.”

When asked what his favorite part about motorcross is, Julien provides the answer that most would expect from any 7-year-old:

“I like being fast, winning and getting trophies,” the youngster said.

He giggled as he added that his favorite trophy is the one he won last March after threepeating first-place finishes in local races — the trophy is 7 feet tall.

His father said that since Julien took up the sport, he has grown a lot and at a faster rate than what is average for a kid his age, noting that he trains 10 to 15 hours a week. “He’s very mature, in a good way. He’s gotten really strong and can do anything he puts his mind to.”

Getting his revs in

Richie and Julien ride together in the desert near their house in Sorrento.

“It helps me get used to sand tracks,” Julien said. “It’s sandy and it’s rocky, so it’s a little bit of a challenge and different than what I usually practice on.”

Pat McMullen has been Julien’s coach for the past year and sees him twice a week.

“His progress has been huge,” McMullen said. “He’s a little warrior. He wants to go super-fast, so it’s about getting better with his techniques. But he has progressed a ton on riding … mental, physical, everything has gotten better.”