Twenty adventurous years after first mounting a dirt bike, twin brothers from Jonesburg have finally reached the pinnacle of their sport.Adam and Aaron Gulley, 24, began riding as eager preschoolers following in their father’s footsteps.Relentless commitment has propelled them to the top, as they are now competing in the Pro Division of Supercross.“It’s really cool to have reached this level, but at the same time I wish the sport was a lot bigger,” said Adam.Still, they have fulfilled a lifelong goal.“When you’re young, that’s what you dream of, is racing Supercross,” asserted Aaron.Being considered a professional in the sport doesn’t necessarily mean one can make a living in it, as Adam and Aaron each have full-time jobs outside of what can be an expensive hobby.“We’re not getting paid just to show up,” added Adam. “We have to win to earn money.”The Gulleys have competed at the Edward Jones Dome five times in the past but were unable to advance to the finals until more recently.“When you move up, you go from beating everyone to getting beaten by everyone. It’s like starting over again,” explained Adam, who reached elite status this past winter while racing in the indoor series.Supercross events have three levels of qualification.Adam began among the field of 60 and outrode the competition until claiming a spot in the final 20 racers, which qualified him for the main event.He duplicated that feat at events in Dallas, Atlanta, Minneapolis and Las Vegas.Aaron was in the early stages of a successful season, before breaking his arm during the second round of a race.“Last year was my closest opportunity, but I ended up getting hurt,” said Gulley. “Making the Top 40 is a pretty good, but I wanted better.”The Gulleys have become reocognizable figures in the 450 and 250 classes, taking two bikes to each race.“People will come up to us and start talking about our races, and we have no idea who they are,” said Aaron. “Being twins kind of helps that too.”The Gulleys says they understand the dangers involved with the sport, and their passion outweighs the occasional pain or disappointment.“There’s definitely a big risk,” said Aaron. “Everyone that goes out on the track knows they’re probably going to get hurt eventually.”Logging thousands of miles beginning in February, traveling can be costly, and Adams says there is more money to be made closer to home.“It’s definitely more fun to be in the big atmosphere, but if we stay local and race the sport tends to pay for itself a little better,” said Gulley.Despite the twins rise to notoriety in the sport, they’re not always privileged to the best parts or equipment. In fact, they work on their Kawasaki bikes anywhere space is available.“For a while we had to work on the bikes in the living room of our house,” said Adam.Their father has since built a garage, in which they spend significant time behind the scenes.“The most challenging part is to stay motivated and keep it fun,” said Adam.The Gulleys like both the thrill and uniqueness of the sport, which doesn’t compare to team sports in their eyes.“Anybody can go out and shoot hoops, but not everyone can get out there and jump 30 feet in the air and go around turns like we do,” said Aaron.

Motocross racing will be one of the featured events Friday night at the Fair.

Derrick Forsythe Photo.