Knoch seventh-grader Travis Bartley poses after winning a motocross race. Bartley was recently named the 2025 Pennsylvania Motocross Association Rider of the Year. Submitted photo

Being the best has its perks.

Travis Bartley, a Knoch seventh-grader, was recently named the 2025 Pennsylvania Motocross Association Rider of the Year.

Bartley’s mother, Krista, said the top 10 finishers in each PAMX class at the Travis Pastrana Pro-Am World Challenge get the opportunity of a lifetime, visiting a sprawling, custom-built Maryland hub for motocross and other racing sports — Pastranaland.

Travis considered the win in a Motoplayground Dirty 100 event, which sent him to Pastranaland, as the biggest of his year. Krista likened the reward to the children who visited Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory.

“This is like going to Disney World for motocross racers,” Krista said via email. “You get to hang out with Travis Pastrana and members of Nitro Circus and it’s known for the opportunity to backflip dirt bikes.”

Pastrana is a famed motorsports athlete who’s won X Games gold medals and was the first to land a double backflip in Motocross competition.

Travis Bartley began riding bikes when he was 3 years old. He got his first dirt bike when he was 4, gifted from his cousin. Travis’ father helps him train and keeps his bikes tuned for races.

“I tried other sports like soccer, baseball and hockey, but it just clicked riding bikes,” Travis said. “It was cool getting started, riding around, doing different tricks and building the biggest jumps just to see my mom’s reaction once I hit them.”

Travis Bartley said his goals are to “keep winning, make a solid run for Loretta’s and have fun doing what I love — racing.”