Brian Burns’ bedroom is probably what you’d expect from any 17-year-old: A television, an Xbox, a desk for homework and a bed to relax on.

But what really catches your eye as you enter the San Clemente native’s room are the countless number of trophies and plaques covering the walls. Ranging from a small wooden plaque to a four-foot high first place finish, each one of these trophies helps tell the story of an up and coming motocross rider who is on the verge of making a push into the professional world of a sport he loves.

Burns has raced competitively for four years and on August 2, he will head to Hurricane Mills, Tennessee to compete in the 2010 Amateur National Motocross Championships on a track named after singer Loretta Lynn.

Ever since Burns took his first ride on a motorcycle at the age of 10, he has displayed an edge that separates him from the rest of his competitors.

“In my very first race I raced against three other kids and there was nobody there [in attendance] but I ended up smoking them all and lapping second place,” Burns said.

That win proved to be just the beginning, as Burns has now earned more than 40 first-place finishes as he and his family toured the southwest motocross scene in the following years.

The hardware that came with his first win is now part of a growing collection that makes up what Burns’ mom, Jennifer Burns, calls his “Trophy Room,” which seems to double as Burns’ bedroom. There are so many awards that Jennifer Burns is starting to worry that they are an earthquake hazard.

“I’m afraid they’re going to fall down on him” she said jokingly.

But among all of the trophies and plaques on the wall, Burns reserves a special place for something that reminds him of his ultimate goal. Thumb-tacked right in the middle of his bulletin board and placed so anyone walking in or out of the room can see it, is an overheard picture of the Loretta Lynn’s championship track.

It will be a longer, more challenging race than any he has competed in all year. Normally, Burns races for about 10 minutes while competing. But at the Loretta Lynn’s track, he will have to double his efforts and race for a grueling 20 minute stretch. During that time he will not only be battling against the best amateur racers in the world, he will also be battling the elements as the temperature on the track in August historically hovers around 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Add a couple pounds of gear and a helmet to the mix and one can start to picture the task Burns is up against.

“Whenever I think about it I get nervous,” Burns said. “But I’m confident in my abilities…when we get out there and once it’s all said and done hopefully it will turn out good.”

Burns’ road to the national championship has been long, and the first obstacle he had to overcome was making it through area qualifying. After placing fifth in his area, Burns moved on to regional qualifying where he competed against the best of the notoriously tough southwest region. He posted a strong fourth place finish and earned the right to be one of the regions five representatives that move on to nationals. For Burns, it has been a roller coaster ride that has taxed him both physically and mentally.

Burns spends a lot of his free time working on and perfecting his craft. Not only does he ride motorcycles, but Burns has come to learn how his bikes work, inside and out. Burns and his dad, Neil Burns, can spend three to five hours a week solely tuning up and repairing the multiple bikes in their garage. This devotion to detail has Burns sounding like a true mechanic.

“I’ve had to rebuild the whole top end and fix the piston and piston rings…I can basically fix anything on my bike as long as it doesn’t need some special machine to work on it,” Burns said.

Even with all of the time devoted to his motocross racing, Burns still focuses on school and is preparing for his senior year at San Clemente High. He takes Advanced Placement classes and tries to find time to study whenever he can, even with a long commute to practice riding in Riverside County.

“On weekdays when I’d go riding I would have to make sure I didn’t have any big projects due,” he said. “I usually do a lot of my homework driving out on Ortega Highway.”

In a sport where speed is key, and heavy machinery is being used, accidents are unavoidable. These riders hurl themselves into the air and cut around hair pin turns at top speeds. Burns has already built up a list of injuries that would spur many people to park their motorcycle for good.

But when asked about significant wrecks, Burns shrugs and rattles off a laundry list of injuries like they were scratches.

“I’ve broken my wrist and had two pins put in, I broke two bones in my hand…I cut my leg and had 36 stitches and I’ve sprained my wrists and ankles all at once,” Burns said.

But this toughness is something that Burns feels is essential to his success as a motocross rider.

“They say [motocross riding] is 20 percent physical and 80 percent mental…you just have to want it more than anyone else,” Burns said.

That grittiness is evident in what he describes as one of his proudest moments while on the track. After placing well in two races at an event in May, Burns was poised to make a podium finish, if he could follow up with a strong third race. But while competing in a different race between heats, he took a nasty fall and broke two bones in his hand.

“We just iced it for hours and taped it up and blew off all the other races I had to do because we had the best chance in this one. I raced in it and got 14th, which gave me 10th overall—with a broken hand,” Burns said.

The cast that he had to wear after his big fall didn’t get thrown away or forgotten about. Instead it stands on the trophy he earned with his gutsy performance. The trophy may be just another award in a room that is full of them. But this one is different, a reminder of the determination it is going to take for him to succeed as he heads into the spotlight of the national championship stage in Tennessee.