Great talent

Toddler (8) goes full throttle in front of 50,000 fans in the USA

Raphael Edlinger is regarded as a great motocross talent.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Irina Gorod Photography Manfred Edlinger)

Motocross talent Raphael Edlinger from Mattighofen (Upper Austria) will be able to demonstrate his skills on an electric KTM in San Diego, California, on Saturday in the packed "Snapdragon" stadium. According to his father Manfred, the HSV-Ried rider is a "killer on the track". 

At the end of June, pop superstar Shakira will heat up the crowd there, while the MLS footballers from San Diego FC normally do the same - and last weekend, 2000 hp, five-ton trucks went full throttle at the "Monster Jam". We are talking about the 310 million dollar "Snapdragon" stadium in San Diego. Where, on Saturday, a youngster from Mattighofen will get his big break!

A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
The 8-year-old Raphael Edlinger will be able to demonstrate his skills in front of around 50,000 spectators as part of the "AMA Supercross Series", the absolute premier league in motocross sport. How did this come about? "This is a unique opportunity," says dad Manfred, referring to the junior racing series, which is ridden on KTM electric bikes and for which you have to apply online. Raphael was selected as one of 15 talents.

Raphael has been training in the USA since last week.

(Bild: Manfred Edlinger)

"A killer on the track"
"The standard is extremely high," says Manfred, knowing that his speedy son is up against tough competition. But there is no pressure. "We do it because he enjoys it. The successes come naturally to him, he does it really well and is a killer on the track," says Manfred. A small advantage: Raphael was already able to try out the new bike, which is ridden by all the starters in the USA, last season as a test rider for KTM.