Local Sixth Grader Dominates in New England Motocross

When you look at the Kaplan family home from Grant Hill Road, it’s difficult to see what’s going on at the end of the winding, icy driveway.

Zoom in a little closer and you’ll begin to discover all of the elements that go into creating Tolland’s newest champion. If you haven’t heard about him yet, it’s because Kenny Kaplan Jr. is only 11 years old.

The sport is motocross racing, and you don’t have to venture too far into the 50-acre property to find that out.  A row of five neon green bikes, each the perfect size and height for Kenny, rest idly in front of the family garage. Inside that garage sit more bikes, stacks of safety equipment and warm-weather gear. A perfectly plowed racecourse winds carefully around the front lawn. An icy trail leads to another one out back. His father, Ken Kaplan Sr., has plans for more.

These are the kinds of perks that recently set Kenny apart from hundreds of other riders en route to four separate New England Motocross Association championships last season, his first year completing a full series. There’s more to it than that, though. For Kenny, achieving his goals is all about putting in the time off the course.

“[I practice] at least four times a week,” said Kenny. “You just try and practice everything you’re doing in the race. Jumps, corners and just making sure you have all around speed.”

Time spent on the bike isn’t allowed in the Kaplan household, though, if other good habits aren’t practiced first. That means that Kenny has to maintain a spotless room, and of course, a spotless report card at school. For Kenny’s father, his son does an excellent job simply motivating himself.

“He’s really good at [being motivated],” said Kaplan. “He’s more disciplined than I was at his age. He’s just a really smart kid. I never have to ask him to do his homework, and he always watches the clock for getting to school on time and getting to bed on time.”

That discipline and motivation has come from another element of his son’s life.

Kenny’s second passion, martial arts, is something that keeps him busy whenever he isn’t doing schoolwork or putting in what he and his father call “saddle time” on the bike. A month ago, he became a junior instructor at Hidden Dragon Karate in Willington, which has given him a whole new set of obligations.

“I teach two classes a week, and mostly I am teaching kids moves and making sure that they are following instructions,” said Kenny.

The wisdom of choosing two extracurricular activities at a young age and trying to excel at them is something that Kaplan believes is working for his son. Kenny will ideally be going for his black belt in close to two years time, but right now the main focus is on repeating 2010’s success on the dirt bike.

“I’m going to try and be as successful as I was [in 2010],” said Kenny. “More importantly, I’m just going to try to have fun. That’s what matters.”

Such a stimulation for racing dates back in the family since 1974, when Kenny’s father began competing on a dirt bike. That passion for the sport has created a powerful bond between father and son that parallels the relationship Kaplan had with his own father.

“Ever since I was a little kid, the biggest part of my life would be to go with my dad to the mini bike shop in Massachusetts near Northboro,” said Kaplan. “We’d go and look at all the bikes and that was a big Saturday trip. I have fond memories of doing that.”

Aside from going back and forth to the bike shop, Kaplan went with his father to races for over a decade during the 1970s and early 1980s. Now he has the opportunity to take Kenny to the tracks throughout New England every week.

“On Saturdays and Sundays, there’s hundreds of trailers, and we haul our own trailer to the tracks every weekend,” said Kaplan. “Picture our front lawn but filled with bikes and people. It’s pretty unbelievable.”

Kenny’s father claims that his son is a great networker at the races, running up to the various groups of racers and introducing himself to all sorts of people. Such a “people person” attitude is important in an expensive sport that operates off of sponsorships.

, his father’s business based out of Manchester, is one of those sponsors. The business, which he started in 1991, services more than 35,000 loyal customers. The success of his two-decade old company, coupled with the family relationship with nine other sponsors, helps fund the cost to put three people through a 22-race season.

One was Kenny’s father, who also races every weekend in his age division and took home his own championship in 2010.

Kenny’s six-year-old sister Jordan also loves to zip around on a bike. She took home the title in the 4-6 age group.

According to his father, Kenny’s 14-year-old sister Taylor has no interest in racing but loves karate.

“She can kick anybody’s butt—including Kenny’s,” said Kaplan. “She’s great.”

Meanwhile, the racers in the family will attempt to defend their titles beginning April 2 in Middleboro, MA. Until then, they will be putting in hour after hour of practice in Tolland, as they can’t go down to Florida during the winter like some riders do due to the computer business.

The circuit ends in October, and will take place across New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts and New York.