Twin Falls racer places at national competition

A Twin Falls boy is the only one from the Magic Valley to have qualified for the largest amateur motocross championship event in the world.

KC Clinton and his family just returned from the Loretta Lynn Ranch and Campground in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee, the site of the 38th Annual Rocky Mountain ATV/MC AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship.

KC placed 19th in the 85 cc 10-12 classes and 21st in the 85 cc 10-12 limited.

On Wednesday, the teen could be seen riding the course at the Minidoka County Fairgrounds in Rupert.

Clinton's path to success wasn't easy, he had to make it out of the area qualifiers, then regionals to qualify for the national championships.

His mother told us 12 from the west coast advanced to nationals. KC says this course in Rupert is like a freeway compared to the one in Tennessee, which was a lot more rough and rugged, with deep ruts.

KC said, "what I've accomplished puts me in probably the most elite group of my age group because it's the biggest amateur race in the world. "Even just qualifying is a pretty, a pretty big accomplishment."

Jennifer Clinton, his mother added, "I'm so proud of him, he went out there, rode his heart out, he didn't get the greatest starts out there." "He really pushed from the start to the end. The humidity was unbearable, the heat was unbearable he went out there and gave it his all and did a really great job," she explained.

KC has been riding since he was four, he maintains straight A's as he enters eighth grade through Inspire Connections Academy.