UNIONTOWN — Motocross has been a way of life for Darryn Durham.

The Butler native, now 22, has been involved in the sport since age 4. He turned pro two years ago and is participating in the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship series.

The third of the 12-race series this season takes place Saturday on the High Point track in Mount Morris, near the West Virginia state line.

“That’s my home track,” Durham said. “I used to watch my father (Chris Durham) race pro there when I was young.

“I’ve raced on that track many times. You always have an advantage at your home track and I’m looking for a podium finish down there.”

Durham said riding and racing motorcycles was “a family thing” when he was growing up.

“It led me to where I am today,” he said.

Where Durham is today is the 37th-ranked motocross racer in the country. His teammate with the Eleven 10 Mods race team based in Uniontown — Alex Martin from Minnesota — is ranked 46th.

I anticipate Darryn having a big year,” Eleven 10 Mods General Manager Dave Kinkus said. “He’s been a local rider for years and he’s making a nice transition into the pros.”

Durham won 12 pro-am titles during a decorated amateur career that included recognition as the top amateur racer in the country in 2008. He won the Lites A Pro Sport class at the Loretta Lynn Amateur National Championship that year and received the prestigious Loretta Lynn Horizon Award.

Injuries caught up to Durham last season.

“My season was up and down,” he said. “I separated a shoulder in a crash and got three concussions during the year. that sidelined me for a while.

“This year, I’m looking to get as many podium finishes as possible.”

A podium finish is a top-three finish. He was in line to get one May 21 in Sacramento, Calif., during the opening stop of the Lucas Oil series.

“I was running third with a couple of laps to go when a lapped bike took me out,” he said. “It happens.”

Durham settled for an eighth-place finish among 42 bikes in the 25-cc division. Bike problems cost the Eleven 10 Mod team May 28 in Texas. Now the unit is ready to try again.

“I have nothing but confidence in both of these guys,” Kinkus said of Durham and Wilson. “We’re only going to get better and stronger as a team.”

The Lucas Oil series will return to the area Sept. 3 for the Steel City Nationals in Delmont. Race stops are in Maryland, Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota, Washington, New York and Massachusetts beforehand.

This series features the world’s fastest outdoor motocross racers riding the toughest tracks in the country.

“The pace is grueling and bodies get beat up,” Durham admitted. “I hope to do this until I’m 30 or so. That’s generally the age most guys get out of it.

“There’s always younger kids coming up through looking to steal the thunder.”

Count Durham among that group right now.

Most courses are nearly two miles in length and a race consists of 16 laps.

“You’re out there 35 to 40 minutes going at an incredibly fast pace,” Durham said. “The competition is fierce. Getting out to a good start is always important.

“The tracks get beat up during the year, too, which adds to the challenge. I fly in Friday, race Saturday, fly home Sunday. I love it.”