From baseball to bikes. Freddie Camarena is one of the most versatile athletes in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.

    Camarena once had dreams of playing professional baseball while attending California State University at Dominguez Hills on a full scholarship as a middle infielder. His goal of the major leagues fell short when he was passed up in the draft. So he turned his ambitions towards the major leagues of drag racing.

    For many years Camarena helped his friends wrench on their race cars at drag strips across the Southwest watching them have all the fun behind the wheel. Soon, Camarena found himself craving the need for speed, and thought that racing a motorcycle would give him the best bang for the buck.

    Initially, he began his career in the National Motorcycle Racing Association in the Top Gas division. He ran this class for six seasons before making the move to the professional Pro Stock Motorcycle division in NHRA.

    Camarena quickly took to the quicker Pro Stock bikes where speed can reach more than 190 mile per hour and was nominated as Rookie of the year. The following season, in 2000, he debuted his own race team - Freddie Camarena Racing - and has been in the fast lane ever since.

    Camarena's ride of choice is the Suzuki TL 1000, with associate sponsorship from Embee Performance, CLay Smith Cams and LaundryParts.com.

    Living with his daughter in Placentia, Calif., Camarena plays in a slow pitch softball league in Orange County, Calif., for fun.