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These days, Spaeth, 13, is faster than some of the boys who used to pick on her and she’s long since earned their respect. She’s also up to speed with the top amateur girls in the country.
Spaeth, of St. Charles, Minn., is competing this week at the 27th annual Air Nautiques/AMA Amateur National Motocross Championships at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tenn. It will be Spaeth’s second consecutive year competing at the largest amateur motocross race in the world.
Spaeth, who earned one of just 1,386 qualifying spots out of 20,000 hopefuls, qualified for the 9-13 girls age group. She’s also an alternate for the Women’s 12+ Class.
“I love competition,” Cloe said. “I love racing against people and trying to get up to their speed.
“A lot of people don’t really get it, so they don’t care. But I’ve invited some friends and they think it’s the coolest thing they’ve ever seen. They say, ‘I didn’t think you’d be so fast.’”
It comes with the territory of being a girl in a male-dominated sport. Although Cloe has never really thought about it that way. She and her brother, Alan, 10, developed a passion for motocross through their father, Tim, a former racer.
Motocross has since become a family affair for the Spaeths. Cloe and Alan, their parents Tim and Marci, and the Spaeth’s three Shih Tzus all make regular trips in the family motor home to motocross events — playing highway bingo and board games, working on puzzles and doing lots of reading along the way. The Spaeths left for Tennessee last Thursday.
“It’s a lot of fun,” Marci said. “A lot of family time.”
Tim serves as Cloe’s mechanic, trainer and coach. Marci is the consummate race mom, organizing, supporting and taking care of any loose ends, which included altering Cloe’s motocross gear so it didn’t have such a boyish fit. “Race like a boy, but think like a girl,” Marci often tells Cloe, reminding her daughter to be careful on the track.
“We never pushed her,” Marci said. “However far she wants to take it, we’ll help her. If she wants to be a pro woman rider, then we’ll go that way.
“It would be great. I say, go get ‘em, girl. I’m proud of her. I think there are a lot of women who would like to do what she does.”
Cloe aspires to turn pro when she turns 16, the required age for professional status.
Last year, Spaeth finished 21st out of the 42 fastest 9-13 year old girls in the country at Loretta Lynn’s Nationals. This year, she hopes to finish in the top 10.
“This year I really want to get top 10 or even top five,” Cloe said. “Keep my head up and keep it on two wheels.”
Cloe has trained hard for this year’s Loretta Lynn’s Nationals, running daily and riding when she can between softball, volleyball, basketball and track practice. Locally, Cloe is ranked first in the 9-13 girls class as well as the women’s 12+ class in the Midway MX Survivor Series in Kellogg. She’s also ranked first in the girls class and second in the women’s class in the Unbound Energy Super Series in Millville.
“Cloe’s come a long way,” Tim said. “She’s really shown the determination and heart that it takes to be in the top 10 in the nation.
“She’s much stronger than she was last year. She’s more in control on the bike and she’s much more confident.”
Besides performing well on the track, Cloe takes pride in being a role model for young girls.
“Cloe actually will approach the little girls (at the track),” Marci said. “They think it’s the coolest thing ever. She’s really good with kids and those little girls really like her. Some kids come off as arrogant, but she’s by no means that way. She’s very humble. I think that’s why all the little girls think she’s so cool.”
