Hillsdale graduate Chase Witmer fulfills motocross dream while honoring late friend

Sports can teach many life lessons.

Perseverance, overcoming failure, adversity and pushing the human body to the limits are just a few.

But for 2017 Hillsdale graduate Chase Witmer, the opportunity for the dream of a lifetime collided with the death of his best friend. And, with a heavy heart, the young man learned another lesson.

How to celebrate a personal dream while honoring a lifelong friend.

Witmer sees dream fulfilled

Witmer’s best friend from preschool through adulthood was classmate Riley Carpenter. While growing up, they were inseparable, riding dirt bikes, playing sports and enjoying life together.

Witmer always received support from his best friend as he dreamed of being on the professional motocross circuit.

“He was always there for me,” said Witmer.

Witmer’s dream was to one day compete at the AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship at Loretta Lynn's Ranch in Tennessee.

“Loretta Lynn’s is the biggest amateur national in the world,” said Witmer. “Many would describe it as the most prestigious race one can qualify for. I had to go through an area qualifier, where they took the top seven in my class and then on to a regional qualifier, where they took the top six.

“In the past, I’ve tried for Loretta’s three or four times and was never able to do it. The race meant everything to me. I was relieved to finally achieve the accomplishment of making it there.”

But with the ultimate high of achieving the dream came devastating news.

“Riley and I attended preschool together and, ever since we were 4 years old, we were inseparable while finishing high school together," Witmer said. "I was nervous for him when he told me he was enlisting in the Marines. We stayed in touch and would catch up every time he came home, which unfortunately was not a lot — maybe every six months. So, while life took us in separate directions, we still remained brothers until the end.”

Sgt. Carpenter died July 16 in an automobile accident in Bishop, California, while heading back to Ohio. Also killed in the crash was his girlfriend, 2019 Ashland High School graduate Candace Adkins.

Racing ‘4Riley’ with a heavy heart

“We had two weeks until Loretta Lynn’s when the accident happened, but we didn’t know when services or the funeral for Riley would be, and Chase did not want to miss it,” said Kathy Witmer, Chase’s mother. “When we realized Riley’s escort home, calling hours and services were going to be the week of Loretta’s, Chase was devastated. Loretta’s was most likely a once in a lifetime opportunity, but how do you miss a lifetime friend’s services?

“In his heart, Chase knew Riley would not want him to miss Loretta’s, and Riley’s family made it clear to Chase that they did not want Chase to miss it. Loretta’s became ‘4Riley.’ It broke my heart for Riley, his girlfriend, his family, for Chase. The pain was incredible.”

According to Kathy, Carpenter knew Chase’s dream had always been to make it to Loretta’s, and the last conversation Chase had with Carpenter was when an extremely excited Carpenter called Chase to congratulate him on making it.

“I’m not very good at talking about my emotions, but his death was very heartbreaking and painful,” said Witmer. “I really felt lost, angry and, most importantly, my heart aches for his family. I carry a lot of guilt for not making it to his service, but I know he would’ve not wanted me to miss Loretta’s, which is why I still went.”

“That was probably one of the hardest decisions Chase has ever made,” added Kathy. “While we celebrated Loretta’s, we mourned Riley but also took time to reminisce on the many treasured memories the two friends had together.”

Witmer had a fantastic weekend in Tennessee, finishing 29th out of 42 riders in the 250 pro sport class.

“Honestly, I thought about Riley pretty much every minute I was down there,” he said. “I just wanted him to be proud and know I went out there and left it all on the track. It was comforting to know I had a guardian angel watching over me, and I prayed for him to keep me safe and watch over me before every race.

"It’s still pretty tough to talk about as it still doesn’t feel real to me. He was always so supportive of me and cheering me on from across the country.”

Witmer will be racing at the Ashland County Fair this fall

“Motocross is a very results-based sport, so it is very humbling because just when you think you’re at the top, you’ll get beat and go back to just continuing the grind to be better,” Witmer said. “The ultimate dream for me is to qualify for a pro national against the best of the best in the sport. Guys like Eli Tomac, Ken Roczen and Jett Lawrence are who I would be racing.”

Learning from defeat is key to improvement.

“It’s hard to get an exact number of races I’ve raced in,” Witmer said. “If I had to give a rough estimate, I would say probably 300 to 400 times all across the country since I was 7 when I competed in my first race.

“Although I have won my fair share of races, it’s the times when I get beat that I learn the most and can walk away with experience needed to get better at the next race.”

The moments before a race are unlike anything else, according to Witmer

“The pre-race rush is like no other thing I’ve experienced,” he said. “It’s a mixture of excitement, nerves and determination. Being on the gate with 39 of the fastest guys in the country is such an adrenaline rush, and then to race for 25 minutes averaging a heart rate of 190-plus beats per minute is exhilarating and very tiring.

“I would also like to give a huge thank you to my parents, family and friends for always believing in me even when I don’t believe in myself.”

Those wishing to support Witmer will have a chance in a few weeks.

“For anyone wanting to watch a race without traveling too far, I’ll be racing at the Ashland County Fair Sept. 23,” he said.

Life teaches us that success is not a finale, failure should never be an option and having the courage to continue when life gets brutal is sometimes not even an option.

And the family and community that raised you is an eternal flame of love.

This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Chase Witmer fulfills racing dream while honoring late friend