One of the younger riders in the paddock, at 17 years old, Josh Herrin of Glendale, CA is taking after his number-sharing hero, Valentino Rossi.

Evidenced by the number 46 displayed on the number plates of Josh Herrin, the Graves Motorsports Yamaha Factory rider is a huge fan of the multi-time MotoGP world champion, Valentino Rossi. Racing number aside, these two riders share multiple variables in common.

Josh Herrin and Valentino Rossi were both born into road-racing families (Fathers Phil and Graziano, respectively). They grew up watching their fathers compete on a local and national level. Their tendency towards racing had both riders on the track before the age of seven.

Both Josh and Valentino boast 125cc category championships. And remarkably enough, both scored a finish of sixth in their first professional race, Herrin at Road America in 2006 and Rossi in Malaysia in 1996.

A little over a decade separates these riders by age, but given the talent and potential of Josh Herrin, he is quickly on his way to achieving his goal of competing in the MotoGP premier class. When that day comes, he may just find himself going toe-to-toe with his childhood role-model, The Doctor, Valentino Rossi.
Steve Northcott
Steve Northcott