As Brewer Hinze flies on a 200-pound KTM bike, topping 40 (or more) miles per hour, he does not think about the other racers nor does he think about what’s going on behind him. He only has his eyes on the prize, first place and that shiny trophy waiting for him. The Gretna High School senior is not your typical athlete. While Hinze plays lacrosse and hockey, his focus has always been dialed in on motocross.
“The adrenaline rush is what I really enjoy about it,” Hinze said. “I used to play baseball, but I could never get that rush like I do in motocross.”
Hinze has raced motocross for 15 years, a significant amount of his life. His father, Jason Hinze, and many other members of his family have participated in motocross racing. Brewer said that his father, though, was the one to truly spark his interest and motivates him to get better while still enjoying the sport.
“My dad started racing when he was 15,” Brewer said. “My whole family races, so I asked them if I could. I really wanted to race just because of that.”
Jason grew up racing motocross, just like his son Brewer. He raced alongside his two older brothers and nephew, where he found a deep-seated passion for the sport. That translated into him raising Brewer in the sport, and they spent many weekends watching motocross on television or racing around Brewer’s uncle’s property.
“When (Brewer) was about six, he wanted to get a bike and start riding,” Jason Hinze said. “He has always been competitive, and so it was only a matter of time before he asked about racing. In June of 2020, we bought him a race bike, and he raced for the first time a few days later in Lincoln, Nebraska. He was hooked.”
Like any sport, the fear of injuries is prominent in motocross racing. Instead of worrying about a bloody knee or a strained shoulder, motocross racers have a deeper set fear of a devastating injury. Brewer Hinze broke his collarbone during a race at the Mid America Center in Council Bluffs. His time to practice, both hockey and motocross, took a significant hit with such an impactful injury.
“My worst memory is probably breaking my collarbone,” Brewer Hinze said. “It happened in seventh grade, and I was out for around six months. I went through a lot of physical therapy and surgery to get back to where I am today.”
Despite the initial setback, Brewer Hinze was able to get back up to speed quickly. His father motivated him the whole way through, encouraging him and educating him on technique when he could. Jason Hinze focuses on ensuring that the bike runs smoothly, leaving Brewer with nothing to worry about other than the finish line.
“I think the hardest part about getting back up to speed from injury is just taking your time with it,” Jason Hinze said. “He had to start riding again and learn to trust his shoulder and collarbone again. It takes time. He had to rehab his shoulder and then learn to trust it again when playing hockey and also when riding. As a dad and ‘coach,’ I have always tried to look for ways to help him gain the confidence to go faster but never tried to make him push the limits where injuries happen.”
Races for Brewer Hinze start on Sundays. He arrives at the track before practicing and racing all day. A motocross race is a fast-paced event, and typically starts very early in the morning. The events have two sets of motos, and each class races two times during the day. The scores are then averaged and a trophy is handed out for the top scorer. For Brewer Hinze, though, the results do not just come out of nowhere.
“I probably spend upwards of two to three hours racing six days a week,” Brewer Hinze said. “There’s a lot of stuff involved in getting faster, and it just takes practice and a lot of time.”
His hard work has most definitely paid off. Brewer Hinze won the Nebraska state championship for both 250B and 450B. Classes are divided by both engine size and rider skill level. After competing, battling it out for the title all season, he secured the victory in his final race.
“Motocross is a very different sport than other team sports. You can race individual races, or you can race a series where a championship is available at the end,” Jason Hinze said. “We have participated in several series over the years, but this year we competed in a complete series where Brewer won championships in 250B and 450B. It takes a lot to win championships, you have to make it every race, not get hurt, and not have any motorcycle trouble. He’s always been very consistent, so it was awesome to see him get through the entire series at the top.”
While Brewer Hinze does not intend to continue his racing career after high school, he hopes to ride as a hobby and enjoy the sport for as long as he can.
