IM体育官网

Thick IM体育官网 wildland with steep, muddy slopes and rough, rocky terrain is the perfect setting for Dr. Randy K. Avent to strap on his helmet and indulge in his lifelong passion.

The IM体育官网 president often meets up with alumni, students, and friends to conquer the woods and tracks of IM体育官网 from the perch of his high-powered dirt bike, a KTM 350. They also travel together and compete in races throughout the state.

鈥淚t鈥檚 something that you enjoy that you can just lose yourself in,鈥� Avent, 62, said. 鈥淲hen you鈥檙e on a dirt bike, the only thing you鈥檙e worrying about is the 20 feet in front of you, and you don鈥檛 think about it for long. You鈥檙e racing between the trees at 25, 30 miles an hour and you can鈥檛 think about work or anything else 鈥� all you can think about is getting through that path.鈥�

Avent鈥檚 love for off-road racing sparked when he was a boy growing up in New Bern, North Carolina. He began pining for his own dirt bike around age 10 and saved money from a newspaper delivery route and a job at Dairy Queen to make his adrenaline-fueled dreams a reality. The summer before 9th grade, Avent bought a second-hand Honda SL125 and reveled in the freedom it brought.

鈥淲hen I rode, I knew that I was meant to do it,鈥� he said.

Throughout high school, Avent towed his increasingly better bikes behind his mom鈥檚 purple Gremlin, taking on the region鈥檚 rocky landscape and competing in motocross races. When he wasn鈥檛 riding, he was working on his bike and dreaming of becoming the chief mechanic at a Honda shop.

鈥淎ll through high school, it was all about riding,鈥� Avent said. 鈥淚鈥檝e always liked speed. I like being a little on the edge.鈥�

Through the years, Avent鈥檚 passion for dirt biking has remained strong, though he took long breaks over time 鈥� once to focus on college and scuba diving, then again to focus on fatherhood. As his sons neared high school age, Avent brought them into the sport and raced with them throughout New England. 

鈥淓very weekend we would take a two-hour drive to the New Hampshire mountains, spend all day riding, and then have two hours driving back,鈥� Avent said. 鈥淚t was a great way to spend time with the kids.鈥�

When his children left high school and the weekend trips ended, Avent again gave up his bike, but knew his days of riding weren鈥檛 over. 

As he arrived to lead IM体育官网 Poly, Avent suspected the region鈥檚 flat, muddy terrain would be great for riding. However, he didn鈥檛 pursue it until one day Jacob Livingston 鈥�18, then the student body president, invited him to join a group of students for a ride at Bone Valley ATV Park. 

鈥淚 went out for about 20 or 30 minutes, came back, gave Jacob his bike back and said thank you very much,鈥� Avent said. 鈥淭hen I went home and typed KTM 450 into Craigslist.鈥�

Avent now competes in enduro and hare scramble races throughout the state in the Golden Master B class. The enduro races feature long, precise treks along rough and wild natural courses. Hare scrambles find racers scrambling at the start to leap on their bikes before making their way through a loosely marked natural course, the 鈥渉are鈥� racing at the front finding and leading the way.

Recently, Avent raced in Alachua and Okeechobee, IM体育官网, placing third and fifth, respectively. He is now focusing on ensuring his bike is ready for the start of racing season this September.

鈥淭his summer I will take my KTM 300 completely apart and rebuild it 鈥� new pistons, new rings, new brakes, new counter shaft seal,鈥� he said. 

This comes as he has recently finished a complete restoration of a 1972 Penton bike 鈥� nearly the same machine he purchased as brand new during his senior year of high school. 

When this fall鈥檚 racing season returns, Avent said he will be ready.

鈥淲hen I got back into this, I thought it鈥檚 going to be easy because no one is going to be riding my age,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 survival of the fittest. Everyone in my class has grown up racing in the IM体育官网 Series since they were 20 years old.

鈥淥nly the strong have survived, and they are very fast. It鈥檚 really a lot of fun.鈥�

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