SWANTON - With two national titles and nine local championship trophies, this pint-sized racer has a giant resume.

Trevor Thatcher, 7, has been driving all-terrain vehicles since he was 2 years old. He won his first race at 4 years old.

He earned his second national title last month. Trevor beat 14 other drivers to win the 51-70 Production Series for children ages 6 to 11 years old at the American Motorcyclist Association's Extreme Dirt Track National ATV Race on Sept. 19 in Greeneville, Tenn.

When he's driving toward that finish line, Trevor said he's focused on one thing - winning.

"The faster all the races get done," Trevor said, "the sooner the next year can start."

His mother, Heather Thatcher, can't help but smile when she sees photos of her son's facial expression on the track.

"You can see the determination," she said.

The boy - who said he hopes to race NASCAR someday - has collected dozens of plaques and trophies in his three-year amateur racing career. Some of the trophies are even taller than he is, making for impressive props for show-and-tell for his second grade classmates at St. Richard School.

Trevor's father, Corey Thatcher, enjoys riding all-terrain vehicles and said his son has been "crawling on my stuff" since he's been old enough to walk.

It wasn't long before Trevor's parents put him on his own toddler-sized four-wheeler.

Now he rides a race-quality vehicle designed for children and practices at least once a week on a private track in Archbold. On weekends during race season, from May to September, the family treks hundreds of miles across state lines for race events.

Harold Goodman, a professional all-terrain vehicle driver with two national titles under his belt, said he sees something special in Trevor. Mr. Goodman, 31, of Brownstown, Mich., has been racing since he was Trevor's age and often offers the boy trackside pointers.

"He's got a natural talent for riding, which is very important as in any sport," Mr. Goodman said. "He and his family put a lot of effort into it, and the two together creates a winning combination."

The family has become so wrapped up in the sport that Mr. and Mrs. Thatcher built a business around their son's hobby.

Last year, the couple opened Fierce Powersports in Swanton, a shop that repairs and sells all-terrain vehicles, engine parts, and riding gear.

But the sport isn't without risks.

Earlier this year, Trevor's parents watched helplessly as their son's ATV overturned and trapped him underneath. Other than some bumps and bruises, Trevor was uninjured.

"I still hyperventilate before the race," his dad said. "You don't want to see the kid get hurt."

Other riders aren't so lucky.

In 2007, at least 40,000 children under 16 years old nationwide landed in hospital emergency rooms after being hurt while riding all-terrain vehicles, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

At least 107 children were killed while riding the same year, the commission said.

The close call didn't stop Trevor from getting up and finishing the race, and hasn't scared him away from the sport. His parents acknowledge the sport can be risky, but said the right protective gear goes a long way in keeping children safe on all-terrain vehicles. Child racers "could get hurt riding their bike just as easily," Mr. Thatcher said.

Under his racing uniform, Trevor wears sturdy padding against his torso and down to his elbows, with heavy plates against his spine. He also wears goggles and a helmet that clicks into a fabric-lined neck brace. That kind of gear, or "body armor" as the riders call it, costs between $100 and $300 for children.

Mr. Goodman agreed that safety gear is crucial for child riders.

"It's not really different than playing hockey or football," Mr. Goodman said. "But if you have all the safety equipment, its going to be that much safer."

Mr. Goodman added that another reason some children get hurt is that they drive adult-sized vehicles, but should be only riding smaller all-terrain vehicles designed especially for kids. Race-ready all-terrain vehicles for children start around $2,000, Mr. Thatcher said.

First Published November 3, 2009, 6:31 p.m.