By Sapna Pathak
Staff Writer

To Travis Beaudoin, not having his driver’s license is just a minor detail. It certainly hasn’t stopped him from cruising around every week, sometimes topping out at 100 mph.

Beaudoin proudly admits he’s reached this speed plenty of times on his racing motorcycle. The Goffstown High sophomore, too young to sit behind the wheel of his father’s pickup, earned his professional motorcycle racing license on July 29.

“I started when I was 8 on a Honda 50,” said Beaudoin. “My dad’s friend Jay [Routhier] is a pro racer and got me into it this summer. Fifteen is the youngest age you can race, so I was just waiting to be 15.”

One day after receiving his racing license, Beaudoin competed in Grand Prix Lightweight and Superbike Ultralight races. Beaudoin, who said he wants to make a career out of motorcycle racing, raced at New Hampshire International Speedway (NHIS) in Loudon every weekend this summer.

On Sunday, Sept. 3, he took home his first first-place finish. Since Loudon’s speedway is part of the national circuit, Beaudoin said he hopes to advance to the regional rankings in points standings.

He currently races a Honda CRF 450, a modified dirt bike also known as a “motard.” Though the investment has been substantial, Beaudoin’s parents said they see how much passion he has for racing.

“We knew it would be more expensive than signing him up for football and soccer,” said Roger Beaudoin. “But he likes it a lot, and he’s really dedicated to it. It keeps him out of trouble, so it’s worth it that way, too.”

Roger Beaudoin and his wife, Pam, have equipped their son with more than $2,300 in safety gear, including a specially designed spine protector, brand new helmet and plenty of padding in his racing suit.

Add in Beaudoin’s racing bike, pit bike and the family’s brand new trailer to house all the equipment and serve as sleeping quarters on the road, and it’s easy to see how Roger Beaudoin estimated his initial investment around $15,000.

As of Monday, Sept. 18, Beaudoin was halfway to advancing from novice to amateur class. He has compiled .287 points after seven races and needs to pass .500 to put amateur plates on his bike.

His best lap time is 1-minute, 29 seconds at NHIS, a 1.6-mile track with 12 turns and one straightaway.

Though Pam and Roger attend every race, setting up camp in the interior of the track, both said they’ve never witnessed any of Travis’s three crashes.

“All three happened on turns that were on the other side of the track,” said Pam Beaudoin. “So we listen on the radio and they say what rider is down, and you kind of wait until you hear, ‘rider 990 is up and all right.’ I guess we’re lucky we haven’t seen any in person.”

Beaudoin recalled his first crash, saying he was trying to pass someone and slid into him going full speed.

“I was too scared to stop,” said Beaudoin. “So instead of slowing down, I gunned it and tried to pass the guy and bumped right into him. I was so scared, but I haven’t had anything where I was really hurt, just bumps and bruises.”