When he was in his late teens, Richards was in Canada in university and "I was not happy with where I was going".

He said: "I changed my goals. I have loved racing all my life but had never ridden. My first year at Southside I won six races and managed to beat people like (veterans) David Jones. The club at Southside have been very supportive of me."

Although he doesn't race at Southside anymore, Richards does keep a 600 cc bike in Bermuda and practices down at the east end track.

"Most of my racing since then has been in the US east coast working with AB-1 Motorsports. Last year I was on the expert team and raced in places like Virginia, Atlanta and Alabama and I went out to California to train with Jason.

"With this sport there is a big leap from expert to the professional class – there is a big difference from the competition on the track to the amount of time that goes into (working on) the bikes."

Richards is also in the gym regularly and runs for his fitness training.

"You have to be fit for this sport," he said adding that fitness can also help out when a rider is involved in a crash. "I have had a number of crashes but I have good quality equipment which has saved my life. Also being fit helps out a lot as you take your blows when you hit the ground. I have come off the bike at over 100 mph."

His bike can reach speeds of up to 165 mph "depending on the track". And he may be hitting that speed in his first professional race in March at the Daytona Beach Speedway.

"Every year they have Daytona Bike Week and that will be my first race," he said adding that he has been on the Daytona track before. "It is amazing," he added.

His manager Robinson said that Richards will compete in the Supersport class.

"Basically we want to be able to measure Antoine's abilities against other folks in his same level. The Supersport class is designed for amateur riders dabbling into the professional level. The class used to be only for riders from 16-21-years-old but that has now changed and they have opened up the class for riders of any age who are looking to become professionals."

Robinson said that if he does well, Richards could become part of the Jordan race team.

"The Michael Jordan team is always looking for talented riders. Antoine is a nice kid, a super rider and he has a passion for the sport. We will be putting him through his paces. Hopefully Antoine can become a champion and perhaps a champion on the global scale. We are hoping for some great things out of him."

Robinson explained that Michael Jordan, the best basketball player the planet has even seen, has always had a passion for the motorcycle racing.

"As a kid he had dirt bikes but of course when he was playing in the NBA they have strict rules (about competing in dangerous sports). Once he retired in 1999 he got back his passion for motorcycles and that passion grew into this team."

Richards said he is hoping to get local sponsors on board to help him achieve his dream. "I would like to race for the Jordan team," he said adding that he is also involved with the Bermuda race team and charity Team Tuned which was started by Cyril Whitter in 2007.

"We work with young kids – it is youth development with a focus on working with young kids at the race track teaching them rider skills, team work skills and also life skills. We want to help more kids get off the street. In Bermuda we have so many naturally talented kids. Racing is growing in popularity here but not the same as in the US and Europe. Internationally it is a huge sport but in Bermuda it is still untapped a lot."

Richards and Robinson also said they greatly admired young Bermudian rider Toriano Wilson who was starting to make a name for himself on the international stage before being killed in a crash in the summer of 2008 during a Red Bull Rookies Cup event in the US.

"He was so talented. His name was being talked about in high circles. He was so good and was a driving force for me," said Richards.

Robinson also said he had admired Wilson and that he had signed him the week before his fatal crash.

"He had so much talent," said Robinson.

Now Richards is hoping that other young riders will follow his lead. "I truly believe that I am blazing a trail," he said.

Anyone wanting to sponsor Richards can call him at 536-7223 or email arichards87gmail.com