By Oscar A. Hernandez
Special to The Advertiser
On any given day, motocross riders fill Campbell Industrial Park's track honing their skills on the dirt track, sometimes taking flight and landing jumps as long as 60 feet.
One particular rider appears tiny, but can take to the air with the best of them — 12-year-old Mercedes Santana of Wai'anae.
"I started riding a quad (runner) when I was 5, because most of my family likes to ride off-road bikes," said Mercedes, who began riding and racing two-wheeled dirt bikes at age 10.
But Mercedes does not simply enjoy the dirt track; the Wai'anae Intermediate student is also a contender.
Next month Mercedes and her father, Nelson Santana, 32, will travel to Hurricane Mills, Tenn., where Mercedes will compete in the National Amateur Motocross Championships from Aug. 1 to 6. Not bad for a girl who has been racing for only two years.
Mercedes earned an invitation to the championship by winning two qualifiers. In April, Mercedes placed first overall in her division in Alvord, Texas, earning an invitation to the regional qualifier last month in San Antonio.
At the San Antonio regional, Mercedes also took first in her age group, netting her a chance to compete at nationals.
In Tennessee, Mercedes will take on the best riders in the country in the 9-to-13 age division. As a testament to her skill, Mercedes also qualified for the women's division, but opted to race in her age group.
The road to success wasn't paved for Mercedes. In order for her to compete with the best girls across the Mainland, she had to take on the competition on O'ahu, which consists mostly of boys.
"The boys give me rubs over here, but it's all good ... because I can beat most of them," she said.
Asked about her training methods, Mercedes said, "I train about 14 hours every week at Campbell's and Kahuku (track)."
When taking her dirt bike on a 60-foot jump, Mercedes said she does not allow fear to overcome her concentration.
"She has a natural riding ability and the right instincts ... if a jump doesn't feel right for her, she won't be reckless," Nelson Santana said.
That's not to say Mercedes hasn't her hard knocks. "She's actually broken both her wrists (on separate occasions) ... but she still wants to ride," Nelson Santana said.
Mercedes' father not only provides moral support, he also coaches Mercedes and is her mechanic. "Even though I give her advice, when it comes down to action in the race track, she's going to do what she feels is best," he said.
Fear may not run through Mercedes' veins, but it's a different story for her mother, Kelly Santana, 31.
"It's a really dangerous sport ... and I can't really watch her do the jumps ... I prefer to wait for the results at the end of a race to know how she did," Kelly Santana said.
Kelly Santana understands the danger of the sport, though, and remains supportive of Mercedes. "It's what she wants to do ... but it's difficult to watch your kid out there, especially when she's jumping so high," she said.
Kelly Santana is amazed at how well her daughter performs on the track, considering there are only two tracks on O'ahu.
"The Mainland riders are able to ride daily and have access to more racing tracks," she said.
Mercedes has proved herself — so much so that she is sponsored by national motocross outfitter O'Neal Racing. Her parents say they are looking for more sponsors. For details, call 351-1700.
