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Richard Taylor Jr. trying to take his skills to next level in Supercross

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Flying 100 feet over a triple jump on a dirt bike during a Supercross race ranks as one of the most intimidating, heart-in-mouth moments in motorsports.

Compared to some of the things that Richard Taylor Jr. has done on two wheels, that’s like a stress-free Sunday joyride.

When the 23-year-old from Woodland Hills is not lining up in the starting gate on his Kawasaki KX450, as he will again Saturday at Angel Stadium, the second-generation rider is traveling the world working as a stuntman.

He has appeared in numerous feature films and shows such as “AXL”, “Terminal List” and “Jumanji”.

He was on the Fox TV series “Lethal Weapon”. Look for the guy riding a motorcycle through some glass.

Not everything he does, though, requires climbing on a bike. He’s done plenty of what he calls “basic stuff,” such as getting shot, falling and pretending to die on the set. But the bulk of his work is done on a motorcycle.

Most of the time, he said he is just speeding around in front of the cameras and hopping over small jumps.

No big deal for someone who has been riding since he was 3 years old.

But there was this one time when a director asked him to pull off a stunt that made his palms sweat a bit.

This was the plan – jump off the bike in midair and land on his back on a pile of cardboard boxes.

What could go wrong with that? Plenty.

His father, Richard Taylor Sr. tried it first. He missed the boxes and landed on his backside.

And he knows how to ride. He helped Honda and Suzuki design dirt bikes and raced professionally.

The director for “Bennett’s War” asked him to suit up for another take since they couldn’t get the shot. He said no way.

Time to call in junior.

“I remember him coming home and showing me the bruise,” Richard Taylor Jr. said. “Then he asked me if I wanted to do it.”

Taylor said it was much safer the next day. The crew tweaked the jump and narrowed the gap to the boxes. Hollywood magic was made. And, unlike dad, he walked away.

“Still, I was very nervous for sure,” he said.

As strange as it might sound, Taylor said he will feel more at risk riding his Kawasaki on Saturday at Angel Stadium.

On set, Taylor said he has a whole team working behind him to make sure he stays safe. During a Supercross race, his health is solely in his hands.

“Jumping a triple is no easy Sunday cruise,” he said. “It still brings nerves to my stomach. I would say I feel more comfortable doing stunts now because of the racing.”

After winning 12 AMA amateur national titles, Taylor turned pro in 2022, competing for the 250 Western Region Supercross championship. He made his first career main event in Round 4 in Anaheim and finished 21st. He broke his wrist at the next race, ending his season.

This year, Taylor moved up to the premier 450 class racing as a privateer, so keeping up with Eli Tomac and his factory-backed Yamaha, which is on a two-race winning streak, sometimes feels impossible.

“You have to be on your A game just to qualify,” he said.

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He came up short last weekend in San Diego, crashing during time trials and failing to make it to the heat races.

He did make it to the night program in the season opener earlier this month in Anaheim, but got run off the course and during the Last Chance Qualifier and failed to advance to the main event.

For Saturday’s race in Anaheim, he has set a modest and realistic goal for just his third 450 class race.

“Fighting to be in the main event. That would feel like a victory to me. I just want to keep improving,” he said. I know I can be there and put up a good fight. I just want to make a living doing what I love and what my dad did for 17 years. I want to follow in his footsteps.”

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