Member of the Week: Miranda Tweeton
Written by: Jackie Riess
Growing up in a family of motocross racers, Miranda took to the track in 2006. Soon after, her brother began taking an interest in hare scramble racing, and she began racing at her local race in Monticello, MN. She admits she wasn’t having great success on minis in either discipline, but once she moved to the supermini, she began finding success. Miranda moved up from the Girl’s class into the Women’s class of District 23 ARMCA hare scramble racing, where she finally won her first championship. After this championship, she moved up to 200 C and quickly moved to 200 B where she continues to race in District 23 ARMCA.
In 2020, a new job allowed Miranda to begin racing the national GNCC Series in the Women’s class. The more intense races have proved challenging for her, but in 2020 she finished in the top 5 of every race she competed in (with one mechanical exception) and 4th overall in the series. She sees this as her greatest racing accomplishment of her career and strives to continue this success in 2021.
In 2021, she continues to dedicate herself to the GNCC Series. With 9-7 finishes in her first two races, she is quickly progressing each time she’s on the track, after a long winter halted her on-the-bike progress. Long days and nights of driving to get to the races and back before work on Monday show how truly dedicated she is to her goals. She is often accompanied by her mom on these trips, and explained how this can be a shocking scene for people. Two women stopping for gas with a dirt bike in the back of a truck is surprising for people, but Miranda admittedly enjoys getting these looks and challenging people’s expectations.
Miranda attributes her progression to her background in both motocross and hare scramble racing. Her corner speed and aggression learned in motocross, as well as her proper form and technique in hare scrambles have helped her become a better racer. Though the GNCC races are generally more open and fast paced like motocross, she feels the tight technical hare scrambles in District 23 ARMCA have given her an advantage in these rare sections of GNCC racing. As she continues learning how to tackle the national tracks, she claims the people are what keep her coming back. The camaraderie among the women is refreshing, and keeps the social environment laid back when the racing gains intensity. When asked what advice she has for new riders, Miranda responded, “just give it a try!’ She encourages people to tackle their fears in the supportive environment we have in District 23 ARMCA.