ISHPEMING, Mich. (WZMQ) – Meet Derek Meyer, a 14-year-old freshman at Ishpeming High School, an average kid with extraordinary skills at going fast. Derek is a snowmobile racer, seen here aboard his number 10 sled, and he just finished atop one of the most prestigious races in the country, the Decker Triple Crown race in Eagle River, Wisconsin.
“I’d say the reason we love it is partly because of the success, and mostly because of the family and friends you meet and all the fun you have every weekend of the winter,” said Meyer.
Believe it or not, Derek started racing when he was only four.
“When I was four, we decided to go to Gleason, Wisconsin, and we tried it out, and we liked it. We’ve been doing it ever since then.
The purse for the race was an astounding $10,000 quite a sum for someone this age. Derek had to get special permission to even enter.
“So I got an advancement. You’re supposed to be 16 to get in this race, but we sent a letter out, and they gave us an advancement to get into the race, so I was the youngest at 14,” said Meyer.
Derek races a specially modified sled.
“So these sleds are lower to the ground for a better center of gravity. These are made just to turn left, so they don’t really turn right at all,” said Meyer.
The one thing I soon realized about this remarkable young man was his sense of humility and his reverence for his team.
“This is by far our biggest event, for our little team. It’s a lot for a little team from Ishpeming,” said Meyer.
When he’s not racing. Derek can be found here at Meyer Yamaha in Ishpeming, helping his dad.
