BUTLER TWP — Some dirt bike racers go a lifetime without ever qualifying for the Motocross National Championships.

Aiden Birckbichler didn’t have to wait very long.

Birckbichler, 9, of Butler is headed to the national championships on Loretta Lynn’s Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tenn., Sunday through Aug. 4 to compete in the 50cc 7-8 Stock Class.

He placed fifth overall among 62 competitors in his class at the Northeast Regional in Shippensburg to qualify for nationals. The top-seven placers in each of six regionals across the country qualify.

“I think it’s awesome,” Aiden said of heading to Tennessee as one of the top 42 in his class out of hundreds off hopefuls nationwide. “I think I can finish somewhere in the top 15 there.

“You just have to ride that much harder. When I’m racing against the best, I want to win that much more.”

He’s been winning — a lot.

On a dirt bike since age 4 and competing since he was 6, Birckbichler has won between 50 and 100 career races already.

“He wins at Switchback (off Route 8 in Butler) all of the time,” his father, John Birckbichler said. “Aiden usually beats the next-fastest rider by 30 seconds, easily.

“We have to travel to find him the kind of competition that will make him better.”

Every weekend throughout most of the calendar, the Birckbichler family travels to a motocross event somewhere. Aiden competes in Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio and West Virginia on a regular basis.

He said his bike travels 55 miles per hour on straightaways, 30 to 40 miles per hour around bends.

“My dad put me on a bike when I was 4 and I liked it,” he said. “The first week I ever rode, I was pretty scared. But the more I race, the more confident I get.”

Aiden suffered a badly broken arm during a race last October and was sidelined for a couple of months.

“He didn’t get back on the bike until Christmas break and it’s taken him a while to get back to where he was racing-wise,” his father said. “During qualifying in March, he was still a little tentative.

“Aiden has wanted to do this for as long as we can remember. He could ride a bicycle without training wheels when he was 4.”

Aiden said he watched motocross on TV, attended one live event, and “really wanted to get out there and do it.”

He formerly played baseball, football, dek hockey and competed in taekwondo.

No more.

“(Motocross) is what I want to do,” Aiden insisted. “I’ll be doing it for a long, long time.”

His parents have no problem with their son’s sport of choice.

“It’s as exciting as it is dangerous and you have to accept that risk,” Mr. Birckbichler said. “From an injury standpoint, Aiden is every bit as safe on a motocross track as he would be playing football.

“Football can bring broken bones, blown out knees, concussions. ... Aiden is decked out in all of the best safety equipment every time he goes on the track.

“The bikes these kids race with are like rocket ships. They’re strictly for racing and he knows how to handle it,” he added.

Nearly 18,000 racers attempt to qualify in 36 classes for the 1,410 available positions in the Loretta Lynn nationals.

“We’re thrilled that Aiden’s among them,” his father said. “He’s earned it.”