Calgary motorbike racer still dreams of taking on the best in the world

Torin Collins spent the past four years racing motorbikes on the Junior Grand Prix circuit in Europe.

He raced against teenagers who were the best in the world and says that experience has made him better.

"It was a little difficult but I was able to learn so much and I grew as a person and as a racer," the 18-year-old said.

"Definitely a great experience and I loved the past couple of years over in Europe and I'll miss it but I'm looking forward to the next step."

RACING IN THE UNITED STATES

That next step for Collins is racing in the American National Championship in the Super Sport series.

Collins has already competed in one event in Austin, Texas, in September and says he was pleased with how it went.

"In September, I did something called a wildcard, which is a one-off race. I went there, joined a team and raced on a track I'd never been on and a bike I'd never been on in a national championship and it was great," he said.

"I finished fourth in the first race and in the second race, I was able to snatch a podium, finishing third."

NEED FOR SPEED

In Europe, Collins competed against the best teenagers in the sport.

In the United States, he'll race against professionals and adults.

He says the motorbikes are also more powerful.

"The ones I was racing in Europe were going 245 km/h top speed. In Texas, they were going 272, so it's a big difference -- a big speed difference. The bikes are heavier and all of that, so it will be a big change," he said.

GOAL HASN'T CHANGED

Collins signed with a team and will be racing in the Moto America Super Sport next season.

His goal is to finish in the top three and fight it out for the Championship.

Beyond that, Collins still has the dream of heading back to Europe and racing against the best in the world.

"The eventual goal is to hopefully be in the world championship again. Not junior world championships again but hopefully the world championships with the best of the best," he said.

"That's always the goal and I've been chasing that since I was five years old. So the goal hasn't changed -- it's just on a different path."

And Collins says he's always looking for sponsorship. If interested, you can contact him on his Instagram or Facebook, @torincollinsracing.