As a nine-year-old, Ben Roese rode a motocross machine over hill and dale.
Salzwedel l Meanwhile he is one of the best youngsters on the quad in East Germany.
With his 60 hp racing quad, Ben Roese chases over mud, sand and earth. On firm ground, he accelerates his machine up to 80 kilometers per hour. “There is always a real adrenaline rush when driving,” enthuses the 15-year-old from Salzwedel.
Career starts at the age of nine
Roese started motorsport at the age of nine. “My stepdad Markus Roese was a good quadcross rider himself. He took my mother and me to the racing course. I was fascinated by the sport from the very first moment, ”says the young person. Before Ben Roese competed on four wheels, he first went over hill and dale on a small motocross machine. After about 1.5 years, when the motorcycle became too small, the now 15-year-old switched to the quad.
In September 2019, the Salzwedeler completed his first competition at the Werner race in Hartenholm. The year 2020 turned out to be very successful for Ben Roese until the new Corona break. At the X Sport Cup, a racing series that is driven in eastern Germany, he was in first place in his age group after three races. He drove in the rookie class (under 18 years of age). “We drive the same course as the adults, but we have our own rating,” explains Ben Roese. He has won four out of six races at the X Sport Cup. In addition, there was a victory in a race in Apolda.
The slope sometimes looks like an asparagus field
When there is a competition, the 15-year-old is away for a weekend. We start with the motorhome and the quad on the trailer. Mother and father are there too. “My Vaddi is my coach and can help me a lot with his experience in the sport,” explains Ben Roese. A race usually consists of two races. Before that, there is training and compulsory training, in which the placements are achieved at the start of the race. The races then last 15 minutes plus two laps. “That doesn’t sound like a lot, but you have to do really hard work during that time,” says Ben Roese. The drivers have to be highly concentrated from the first to the last second. The route changes during the race, especially on loose surfaces. “The slope sometimes looks like an asparagus field,” explains the Salzwedeler. In addition, the slopes go up and down. “After a race, legs, arms and back often hurt,” says the 15-year-old.
In order to have enough strength for the competitions, Ben Roese also keeps himself fit off the racetrack. “I do a lot of downhill,” explains the youngster. Together with a friend, he then heats up over hill and dale on his bike. This trains stamina and coordination. His home track for training with the quad is in Apenburg. Since his machine is currently in winter maintenance, the engine stays off for now. Unlike most sports, there are currently still routes that allow training.
But Ben Roese does not yet know what the next season will look like: “A lot is still in the stars. But when the races are scheduled, I want to take as many as possible with me. ”The youngster has set himself ambitious goals:“ I want to compete in the German Championship and the Quadcross of Nations later. ”
The young Salzwedeler uses the winter to achieve this. In the cold season he would like to win sponsors for himself. He is currently supported by Caramba, but is looking for other companies that he would like to present on his racing machine.
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