“When I race the best I can, I usually finish up pretty well,” says Russell Bobbitt of Fayetteville.

Russell, a Dalton State sophomore who qualified to become a member of the U.S. Junior Trophy Team, will compete in an international motorcycle racing competition in Slovakia in mid-September.

“I’ve been racing since I was four,” says Russell, who admits that almost everything he enjoys doing provides some kind of adrenaline rush. “I’ve always been involved with risk-taking activities. If I weren’t racing motorcycles, I’d be racing mountain bikes or something else.”

The 19-year-old general studies major has arranged his college courses around his sport, taking most of his classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays and leaving Fridays free for weekend travel.

“We drive to most of the competitions, and average about 45 weekend races a year,” he says.

Russell and his father Bo Bobbitt, who owns a cycle dealership in Fayetteville, usually travel to the races together in a custom-designed box van that includes sleeping quarters and a refrigerator. The father-son duo have been making these weekend trips steadily for about three years.

To earn a spot on the International Six Day Enduro (ISDE) Team USA, Bobbitt competed in Ohio in one of the two qualifying events held earlier this year. He is one of four members on the Junior Trophy Team, which is for riders under the age of 23.

In Slovakia, during the 80th ISDE competition, Russell will be riding a total of 829 miles over a six-day period through rugged terrain that is considered by many to be the “Olympics of off-road motorcycling.”

“I’ve heard that the terrain is really tough – there’s a fair amount of rock, so it will be challenging,” he says.

While he’s looking forward to the challenge, he’s not looking forward to the cuisine. “I’ve heard the food is pretty bad.”

Russell hopes to continue racing all of his life, planning to “make a career out of it.”

“I’d like to become one of the top pros in the country,” says Russell, who is currently ranked number six nationally in the American Motorcycling Association National Enduros.

While he’s had his share of falls from his bike, Russell has remained free of too many major injuries, and has no fear of racing.

“It’s fun. I really enjoy it.”