Myles Cheek's goal for the 2014 season of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series presented by GEICO is to qualify for every main event.
That seems a pretty modest goal considering Cheek has dominated the Kart ranks and won a class championship in each of the past three seasons. It could be different next year, though, because the 14-year-old from Orange, California, will be racing in the Pro Lite class.
Cheek began making the transition this year, driving in one national event and a full season of regional races, and he's very aware of the challenges he faces.
"I'm excited to race with something new and race with faster guys," he said. "It's a little intimidating because a lot of people have been racing it for so long. I'm new and I'll have to get used to racing with them and being with them.
"The driving style is pretty similar, but the Pro Lite has so much more horsepower and the power steering is something I'll have to get used to. That makes it easier in a way because it doesn't take as much energy to work the car, but it's harder because they're so much faster drivers.
"I'm going to pretty much take it race by race, but I want to at least make all the mains for the year."
Cheek's father, Chuck, was the first Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series Pro Buggy champion, in 2009, and his sister, Micaela, was fifth in the Junior 2 Kart class in 2010. Myles is doing a solo act now, though, because Chuck stopped racing to concentrate on business – his CMI Precision is one of the leading producers of race car parts – and Micaela is concentrating on rodeo barrel racing, although she does plan to compete in some regional off road events next year.
Cheek started his three-year string of championships with a pair of Junior 2 Kart titles in 2011, beating Chad Graham by 29 points in the national series and winning the Southern California Regional series as well. He bested Brock Heger by 29 points for the Modified Kart crown in 2012 and closed with two wins and five seconds in the last eight races to finish 33 points ahead of Cole Mamer in this year's Modified Kart battle.
His Pro Lite debut in the national series was memorable as well. Driving "one of Casey Currie's old trucks that was pretty much dialed in for me" Cheek qualified well enough to avoid being part of the first Last Chance Qualifiers for the class. But in both races he lost the front brakes and finished 13th one day and 14th the next.
Cheek said he and crew chief Tim Goins will be staying with the same truck for 2014, although with a new shock package.
Beyond that, Cheek said, he likes the way 2012 Pro Lite champion RJ Anderson drives and the way champion racer and television personality Cameron Steele talks and he'd like to follow in the their footsteps – all the way to the top step of the podium.
Myles Cheek At A Glance
Age: 14 (19 February 1999)
Lives in: Orange
Marital status: Single
Occupation: Student
Car number: 1 Modified Kart
Type of chassis: Super Kart
Engine: 450cc Yamaha
Crew Chief: Tim Goins
Sponsors: ThyssenKrupp, Metal Mulisha, Fox Shocks, Eibach Springs, Action Sport Canopies, Oakley
Years in racing: 6
Divisions raced: Junior 1 Kart, Junior 2 Kart, Modified Kart; KTM Junior Challenge Supercross
Series points standings: 11 Mod Karts (2010); 1 Jr. 2 Karts, 9 Mod Karts (2011); 1 Mod Karts (2012), 1 Mod Karts, 30 Pro Lite (2013)
