By John RittenhouseHe’s only 12-years old, but Luverne’s Ryder Reed is in the process of making a comeback.Four years ago, he was involved in an on-track accident on his off-road dirt bike. Now he’s decided the time has come to resume his motocross racing career that was a big part of his life years earlier.If the results of the first two races during his comeback serve as any indication, it appears Ryder made the right decision.During his first two races in 88cc Mini Class competition of the season at Saddleback Race Park (SRP) near Renner, S.D., he had recorded fifth- and second-place finishes respectively.Ryder is the son of Rick and Lori Reed, owners of Luverne Kawasaki."He’s doing excellent," said Rick Reed."There was some apprehension on our part when Ryder said he would like to try it again, but he really has been doing well."The Reeds had reason to be apprehensive when their only child decided it was time to re-enter the world of motocross racing.Physically and mentally challenging, the sport is not attractive to everyone.Motocross racing involves cyclists competing in a timed race on a closed dirt course consisting of difficult jumps and hairpin turns.So, when Ryder said he wanted to race again, it was decision time for his parents.They knew their boy had been riding motorcycles since he was 3, the same year he took the training wheels off his bicycle.Still, the reoccurring vision of Ryder’s on-track accident four years ago at SRP still runs through the minds of his parents, and the decision to let him race again wasn’t an easy one."It was partly my fault," said Rick Reed, recalling Ryder’s accident in 2002."He had been racing 50cc bikes in the Pee Wee Class all year, and we entered him in the 65cc class for this race. Anyway, a kid who fell earlier in the race was coming up from behind Ryder later in the race. As they were heading into a turn, Ryder made the turn and the other kid didn’t, and there was a collision."With the exception of bumps and scratches, the young Reed wasn’t seriously injured physically. The accident, however, changed Ryder’s mental approach to the sport."It scared him," his father said."He started looking at what was going on behind him instead of concentrating on what was going on in front of him. You really can’t race that way, and since we were busy enough trying to get our new business at that time, we thought it would be best to get out of racing at that time."The decision to race again was Ryder’s choice, and it was one his father now embraces.Rick Reed is a retired motocross racer with 26 years of competitive experience.He can draw from his experience to give his son racing advice. Even more importantly, the sport gives the father and son a common interest to share."It’s such a good family sport for us," Rick Reed offered."It gives us some father and son binding time. We work on the bikes together, and we go out and practice one to two nights a week together. We’ve really been working on his focus and concentration on the track, which he really seems to be doing a good job of."If Rick Reed sounds like a proud father, it’s because he is.His son overcame the adversity of being involved in a motorcycle accident, but it has not curbed his will to get back on the bike."What he’s doing does take a certain amount of courage," Rick said.