While most of his friends were given bikes with pedals for their third birthday, Michael Maday was given a bike with a throttle for his third birthday.

He learned how to ride the dirt bike that very weekend, and as time went on, he learned how to ride a motorcycle and was joined not only by his father, Tony Dolamore, but also his brother Kyle Dolamore, cousin Steven Dolamore, uncle Stephen Dolamore and other motorcycle-loving relatives.

By the time he was 15 years old, he had entered the Wiseco/Cycle Tech Super Bike category at Summit Motorsports Park. After his father told him to respect his motorcycle and the amount of power it’s putting out, Michael made a 99 mile-per-hour pass, followed by a 108 mile-per-hour pass, and with that, he knew, and his family knew, that he had found his calling.

It’s the freedom to take any path he chooses when he’s on a trail on his dirt bike and the freedom to go fast when he’s on a track on his motorcycle that he so completely cherishes.

It’s also the time spent working on motorcycles alongside his family and then loading his motorcycle into his trailer and traveling to the track with his constant companions, his grandparents, Terry and Heidi Dolamore.

From them, and the rest of his family, including his girlfriend, Ali Bell, and children, Kile and Elliot, he gets enthusiasm and encouragement to be the best that he can be.

In fact, Michael, a CNC programmer and tool and die-maker, is confident that his success, especially his Wiseco/Cycle Tech Super Bike championship, has everything to do with his surroundings.

“You can’t put a price on that,” Michael has said.

Michael and his fellow champions were quite deservedly in the spotlight during the 45th Annual Edelbrock Banquet of Champions presented by Lincoln Electric on Jan. 19 at Kalarari Resorts and Conventions in Sandusky, Ohio. - Mary Lendzion