Benny Solis Jr

Nickname: Jr.
Hometown: North Hollywood, CA
Profession: Kid
Years racing: 5
Status: Expert
Race number: 35
Race bike: 2005 Honda RS125 (Blue/yellow)
Gear used:
Leathers: Z-Custom
Helmet: Arai
Favorite pro rider: Gary McCoy
Favorite saying: You know I am faster than you dad. Plus I fall alot less often!
Career highlights: Entered 48 races, won 41 & podiumed 44!
Race goals: Win the USGPRU Championship & RBRC series. Then it's off to win the MotoGP!

Benny Solis Jr.'s dad was a motorcycle racer and introduced his son to the sport. Solis Jr. learned to ride and race at a place called the Grange Motor Circuit in Victorville. It's where Benny Solis Sr. used to race and where Solis Jr. saw his dad race for the first time. When Solis Jr. was 10 years old, he asked his dad if he could race motorcycles too.

His dad told him he didn't know how to ride. Solis Jr. asked his dad to teach him. Soon thereafter, Solis Sr. gave up racing and started teaching his son how to do it. Back then, all of four years ago, Solis Sr. said there weren't a lot of kids racing. The first race Solis Jr. entered, when he was 11 years old, was against grown men.

Now there are more kids closer to his son's age racing, especially on the Red Bull AMA Rookie's Cup circuit, so Solis Jr. can compete against racers closer to his age. His mom was not a big supporter of her son's racing career in the beginning. She would ask Solis Sr. not to teach him how to ride. Solis Sr. said he had a number of accidents during his racing career, resulting in broken collar bones, legs, wrists and arms. His wife didn't want to see the same thing happen to her son.

Whenever Solis Jr.'s mom would go out to a race, Solis Sr. said his son would also crash or have something happen to his motorcycle. Solis Sr. said having her at the track made his son nervous. But not this year. Solis Jr.'s mom has been to every Rookie's Cup race and has seen her son win four of the them.

Solis Sr., because of his work schedule, has not been able to watch or attend every race his son has been in this year. All three are in Spain for the Rookies Cup race on Saturday.
Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup Winner, Benny Solis, was awarded a brand new KTM 250 SX-F race machine after the announcement of his championship title at Laguna Seca Raceway over the weekend.

Solis, secured the championship at Laguna Seca after a successful season including four race wins and numerous podium finishes. Solis was surprised with the KTM 250 SX-F motocross bike, presented by 2008 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup champion, JD Beach. “It was amazing to win this championship and even greater to pick up a brand new KTM dirt bike. I know going into the off-season, I will finally have time to ride on the dirt again,” commented Solis.

Thirteen year-old, Solis, will be joined by nine of his fellow teammates to travel abroad and compete in the Red Bull Riders Cup against the top ten Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup riders. The Red Bull Riders Cup race will be held at the MotoGP season finale in Valencia, Spain on October 25th. “We have a solid U.S. Team and I am confident that we will be able to give the MotoGP Rookies a pretty good run,” commented Solis.

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