Motocross is an extreme sport and you obviously have to be a little bit crazy to begin with just to deal with the high adrenaline levels, the nerve-racking wheel-to-wheel battles and the stiff competition. There are nevertheless some MX stars who stand out in the field of riders and get people talking about them and their strange ways:

Philipp Klakow (ADAC MX Masters)

Take Philipp Klakow for example. The 26-year-old has been involved with the ADAC MX Masters for some years but rarely manages to qualify. However, that is not necessarily what it is all about for him. In the main, the ADAC MX Masters rider just wants to get stuck in along with the Big Boys and experience the adrenaline rush when he lines up at the gate alongside MX greats like Dennis Ullrich or Max Nagl. Klakow has even already gone up against superstar Ken Roczen. He qualified for the American Supercross three out of five times this year. "What's the point of competing in a local state championship? I would probably achieve better results there but wouldn't feel anything like the pressure that I experience both at the Masters and in America that I find so beneficial. I want to ride with the good guys and that can only mean one thing, contesting the ADAC MX Masters here in Europe and Supercross in the USA. I live and love this sport. How I do on track is of secondary concern for me," said the rider, who wears #973 on his jersey and has ridden since he was nine years old. A motocross rider who seldom makes it to the line-up at the starting gate but has made a name for himself on the international scene thanks to his passion for the sport - something that very few amateurs have so far been able to achieve.

Dominique Thury (ADAC MX Masters)

Dominique Thury actually does not really like to stand out in the motocross scene but the 23-year-old just cannot help it. Like his fellow competitors, the Falcon Motorsport team rider is ambitious and strong-willed, and you rarely see him being pig-headed or in a bad mood. On the contrary, 'Nique', as he is known in the scene, is actually always laughing, and there are often moments when his friends also have good reason to laugh along with him. For the ADAC MX Masters rider is blessed with a characteristic that makes him appear not only quite crazy but also really endearing at the same time - he's clumsy. The MX star once tried his hand as a roofer but broke his finger after just ten minutes and had to quickly forget his brief fling with roofing. Another time, he accidentally caught the vacuum cleaner cable in the door of his camper and drove for miles with the hoover clattering loudly behind him. People in the paddock regard Thury, who is currently a trainee industrial clerk, as someone whose mind goes off in all directions or is a bit 'hare-brained'. However, when the 23-year-old lines up at the starting gate, there is no trace of him with his head in the clouds and he is at least just as focused as his rivals.

Brian Hsu (ADAC MX Masters)

Brian Hsu is regarded as an exceptional talent on the motocross scene. Aged 18, he already holds two world championships and five European titles and won the ADAC MX Youngster Cup last year. But it is not only his top performance in the sport that makes him one of the craziest motocross riders ever. Born in Freiburg to Hungarian-Taiwanese parents, he also makes violins apart from being a pro motocross rider, and for that, he needs just as much patience, concentration and attention to detail as in motocross. "These are two very different careers which both require brains. I pursue them equally with all my heart, and you have to prove yourself as an artist of extremes where both are concerned," said the Team Suzuki World MX2 rider, whose Hungarian father is also a violin maker and helps his son with his wide-ranging expertise and with professional tips. Currently, however, the 18-year-old is dedicated to improving his skill on the bike, since he has been out of action for six months with an injured wrist and is now keen to experience the adrenaline rush back out on the track again. "I'm putting violin making on hold for a while. I've got so many goals in motocross that I want to achieve this year and have now got to train hard once again to ensure that I move up the field after my long absence. Still, my other work plays just as big a role in my life, and I'm very pleased to have a chance to make a name for myself both as a violin maker and as a pro motocross rider," said the ADAC Sports Foundation protégé.