The sound of purring engines fill freshman Aaron Bowers’ ears as he rides his dirt bike down the track and positions himself in a line of 40 racers. As the race begins, black rubber tires spin causing dust to fill the sky. The air smells of gasoline but Bowers doesn’t notice. He is focused on one thing, the turn ahead. He rounds the track and takes a deep breath before his bike flies through the air. Bowers spirals out of control. He loses grip of his bike and his body tumbles to the dirt track. Bowers groans in pain as race officials rush to his side.

Bowers, who has been racing dirt bikes for nine years, has hopes of someday racing in the professional circuit. Currently, he races for Munn Racing KTM. He is sponsored by motorbike company, AXO America. He practices three times a week at his family’s race track. He travels “all over the states” for his races and attends a week long national competition.

“(Nationals) requires weeks of training and putting in effort to compete with all sorts of people,” Bowers said. “I’ve raced people from China to Germany.”

Bowers said he would like to go professional within four years. Although Bowers has big hopes for the future, his motocross career has not come easy. This year alone, Bowers has had two accidents involving racing that landed him in the hospital. The first accident happened Sept. 22 while racing in Lefors, TX.

“I came over a jump and there were two bikes down in front of me,” Bowers said. “I crashed into them. I couldn’t walk. I thought I was paralyzed.”

Bowers was airlifted to Northwest Texas Hospital where doctors diagnosed him with a cracked tailbone and bruised pelvis and ordered him to walk on crutches. However, three weeks later Bowers was back on his bike. This time he was on his family’s track and riding with friends.

“I was going over a jump when the wind picked up,” Bowers said. “There is a wire that goes over my grip bar. I flipped (my bike) and the wire sliced my hand open.”

Bowers now has a protruding scar on the top of his hand that stretches from his knuckles to his wrist. This scar is just one thing that reminds Bowers of how dangerous the sport of racing can be.

“(Before these incidents) I’d never had any serious accidents,” Bowers said. “I’d had a few bruises and scratches before but nothing like this. Now I get nervous in the bigger races. There are 40 racers that line up. The bikes are closer together. I don’t want to crash.”

Although Bowers admits these accidents have affected him, he still says his ultimate goal is to compete in the professional supercross or motocross races that are shown on NBC and Fox Sports Networks.

“I guess I could say I just want it more (than the others),” Bowers said. “Someday (I want) win a national title and be on the podium on live television.”