After Hours with Austin Barton
As Austin Barton was growing up, dirt bikes were the ideal mode of transportation on his family’s farm in Nebo, Ill.
“I started riding at six years old; it was the best way to get around the farm,” he says. “I got bigger bikes as I grew older and eventually I started racing them when I was 15. I raced throughout high school and college.”
Now a project engineer in O’Shea’s Champaign office, Austin continues to race motocross (a form of off-road motorcycle racing) on the weekends.
This year, he was chosen to be part of the motocross team of Owen Motor Sports, a motorcycle dealer operating in Charleston and Effingham.
From March through November, Austin is participating in the District 17 Fly Showdown Series at Lincoln Trail Motosports in Casey, Ill., with one or two races each month.
“When I bought my dirt bike from Owen Motor Sports, they let me know about the opening on their team, so I sent in a resume,” Austin says. “I really enjoy everyone who is involved in the series; I have a lot of friends I get to see and catch up with at the track.”
Racing gives Austin an adrenaline rush he knows he can’t easily find elsewhere. It also keeps him motivated to exercise regularly, because racing calls for a high level of physical activity and athleticism.
Motocross races typically last around 15 minutes, with riders hitting speeds up to 60 miles per hour on rough terrain. Race courses have large elevation changes, jumps and silty clay soil.
Throughout all of his racing endeavors, Austin says the staff at O’Shea has been extremely supportive.
“They encourage everyone to find passions outside of work to focus on,” he shares. “Physical health and mental health are important to them. This is definitely a good stress relief for me and a break from work demands. While it usually takes up most of my weekend, it’s great to get away and focus on something else.”
Over the years, Austin has traveled around the Midwest to participate in numerous racing series, as well as one-off races. He proudly displays the O’Shea Builders logo on his dirt bike.
“I actually get a lot of questions about my O’Shea logo and comments from people saying they’ve seen O’Shea crews and trucks around. It has provided a lot more attention than I thought it would,” he says.
“It’s neat to see that and have O’Shea be recognized because a builder is not a typical motocross sponsor. Without my job at O’Shea, I wouldn’t be able to do what I love to do on the weekends.”