While kicking up dirt and exhaust at local all-terrain vehicle tracks, three teens formed a friendship and now are pushing each other to compete at the national level.

Jeremy LeDonne, 17, of Shaler Township, and Shane McMillen, 16, and Dylan McClellan, 13, both of Hampton Township, are racing ATVs in the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) Pro Racing 2014 Mtn. Dew ATV Motocross National Championship.

The nine-race series continues through Aug. 9 at raceways in eight eastern states with each event attracting 500 to 800 professional and amateur racers from around the world.

“I think it's wild because overall, it's a small population for what we race, and for the three of us to be in the same area and meet and become friends is pretty cool,” said McMillen, a sophomore at Hampton High School.

McMillen met McClellan, a seventh-grader at Hampton Middle School, at a local raceway after seeing he was wearing a Hampton Talbots shirt. McClellan then introduced McMillen to LeDonne who he knew from racing. The three now frequently meet at local raceways to train.

“You can push them to make them better and yourself better too,” McClellan said.

LeDonne, who has been racing since he was 4 years old, frequently brings McMillen or McClellan to train with him at Switchback Raceway in Butler County. They will use each other to pace and push themselves, and LeDonne often shares what he has learned through his years of racing.

The three riders compete in different divisions or classes based on the ATV motor size and their experience level in the national race series.

This is McMillen's first year competing at the national level, and he says he enjoys being with his friends at the track and follows their races to cheer them on.

“I have their numbers memorized so I can watch them,” he said. “And we were all there when (LeDonne) got his second moto win.”

LeDonne recently came in first in the 450B class at the ATV Stampede race in Mt. Morris, Pa. This is his first season back participating in the national series after missing last race season to recover from injuries sustained in an ATV crash.

The three riders will compete together next on June 14 at the Ohio National race, in Nashport, Ohio, the fifth event in the 2014 series schedule.

“The thing I like most is being around my friends at the track because they're probably my best friends,” McMillen said.

Bethany Hofstetter is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at 724-772-6364 or bhofstetter@tribweb.com.

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