Automotive

10-year old South Australian becomes world’s youngest motorsport champion

Through the desert hills and sun Adelaide-born youngster and now extreme sport victor, Dexter Warren is crowned at the UTV World Championship in California.

Through the desert hills and sun beating down Adelaide-born 10-year-old youngster and now extreme sport victor, Dexter Warren is crowned victor at the UTV World Championship in California.

Amongst some of the world’s greatest in utility terrain and all terrain vehicle drivers Dexter is easily the youngest and one of the only Aussie’s to race in the yearly competition in Barstow, California.

Coming from watching V8 supercars and racing dirt karts in Kadina from as early as 2 years old, Dexter Warren has lived and breathed a passion for offroad driving. In 2019 he made the journey to America and into a more prominent competitive scene travelling with his parents Robert and Mel diving headfirst into racing across the country.

Hometown hero Dexter Warren said, “It’s been amazing living in the USA. We’ve raced nearly every weekend somewhere.”

Travelling across majority of the country his favourites have been Yellowstone National Park, Mount Rushmore, “I’ve been through 21 states in total so far”.

Before his win this year he had made two attempts at the world title, once in 2019 where he crashed out and in again 2021 only missing out by one place coming in second.

Waking up at the crack of dawn getting ready for his race he watched the hot sun come cracking over the horizon and saw the desert dust fill the air. Dexter spoke on the atmosphere in Barstow, “It was brutal. It seemed like just any other race morning but there was more people and event staff so nerves were definitely there.”

In the afterglow of the rush of the 70-mile track (112 kilometres) the Two-Wells country kid eagerly waited for the official times and results to be called.

Dexter Warren remembers the moment saying, “When my name was called as the winner I was so excited. I drove my car up onto the podium. They handed me some apple cider to spray and I jumped up onto the (car) roof and sprayed it.”

Basking in the glory after a long fought battle for victory with knotty blonde mullet and big shades he knew exactly what he could do to make the moment even more memorable. Dexter rips his race boot off, pours the celebratory cider into the boot and swigs a classic Aussie shoey.

The 10-year-old Adelaide champion was a hit amongst the press surrounding the event and made history becoming the youngest ever winner of the UTV World Championship.

Dexter and family are taking some well-deserved rest after his huge win in an early career but are in fact planning to return back to Adelaide. His next steps involve growing the off-road sports in Australia.

“I am looking forward to coming home and seeing my friends. I am also working hard to start an Australian off-road championship. I want to help other Aussie kids get into this fun sport.” With the help of his incredible sponsors and new found glory from the world title anything will be possibly for the mullet toting legend.

See Dexter Warren’s Facebook page to keep updated and follow his journey to furthering the sport.

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