Braden Judge Is Just Getting Started
Story By: Cody Carney
Photos Provided By: Braden Judge
As kids, we all wanted to grow up to be like the superheroes we saw on television or in a comic. It wasn’t ever because of the attention they received or the social status like celebrities get, but simply because of the admiration we had for them. Our heroes were just the coolest and we would find ourselves imitating them all the time. As we got older and for many of us, the people we revered as our heroes started to change. Still, there tends to be that one person which seems to have always held their standing. For Little Ripper Braden Judge, that person is his father, Beau. It’s no surprise, a father is a son’s first hero, after all. As a matter of fact, it was Beau who provided a means for Braden to even start racing in the off-road industry.
Braden: Before I was even born, my dad had already gotten me a dirt bike. When I was three years old, my dad put me on that dirt bike, and that’s when my passion for racing began. About a year later, my dad took me out to the local track, the Sacramento Raceway. It was the first track I ever raced. From there, I continued racing dirt bikes alongside my dad until he decided to retire from dirt bikes and move into the UTV world.
This change for Beau happened back in 2015, and as he would compete in the UTV section, Braden would be right there at the track cheering him on. The time Braden spent at the UTV races encouraged him to start racing UTVs as well. One Christmas morning when Braden was just eight years old, his dad surprised him with the tools he needed to do so, and they were in the form of a RZR 170. Shortly after, his journey in racing would continue in that UTV, as his father took him to his first UTV race at the Lucas Oil Regional Series.
Braden: I ended up on the podium my first race and ever since then my passion for driving race cars has been growing more and more. The hardest thing for me when racing is being nervous to start the race, but as soon as I get going, that all changes as the adrenaline starts pumping—it’s my favorite part about racing. Just in the time of having my 170, I have won three championships at the NorCal SXS Series and finished second in the championship at WORCS. That was up until a few months ago when we ended up selling my 170 and now will be racing in a RZR RS1.
Braden’s new car is currently being built by two time Best In The Desert world champion, Phil Blurton. You can bet with the influence of both his father and Phil, Braden is going to be an increasingly stronger competitor in a very short amount of time. Even more so than he already is. Outside of racing Braden has his own YouTube channel called “Braden Judge.” On it, he makes weekly vlogs. This hobby of making videos originated from when Braden would watch his favorite YouTubers and decided he wanted to do what they were doing. As of right now, Braden doesn’t have any plans for video making and just plans to keep going and see where it takes him. One thing is for sure, he plans to stay with racing cars and hopes to one day make his way to NASCAR. As his skills and passion grow both on and off the track, we look forward to seeing what Braden is capable of doing next. Follow him along his journey at @bradenjudge156.
