Category: 2018

Today was the final round of Tauranga MXs summer series at TECT Park. I have had a great time competing here this season and walked away 2nd overall in the all in 65cc class. The track here is always in mint condition thanks to all the effort put in by the committee members and it’s been a really good place to get used to riding my 65 on yet another different dirt. Every track is very different here – dirt, beach sand, river sand, clay, peat, sandy dirt, dirty clay etc. The mini track finished heaps earlier than the seniors so I had a try out of the main track with the 85s before riding this track in the upcoming Tauranga schools event. I have really liked being a club member here so I will be back next season to be part of the Pro 65 class.

After rain postponed Valley Champs in early February the sun held out long enough to dry the track and even though this weekend was also the Nationals in Rotorua there was still a good turn out. The 65s were given a 3/4 track to ride which is the layout used for Patetonga MXs twilight rounds and it was awesome. There were a lot of speedy kids in this class and we were all pushing each other to go higher and faster. Race 2 was a game changer – nearly all the riders in the top 10 came off or had issues so it all came down to race 3.  I finished 4-7-3 and scraped in for 5th overall and a trophy. The club did a great job of fixing the tracks drainage issues and creating another successful event which I look forward to doing it again.

 

As always the Harrisville track was in top condition for Round 3. I had three good starts out of the gates and was keeping up with the faster 85cc riders. I came into a corner a bit too hot in race 2 and got spun around after a light rain shower which lost me a bit of ground. I had some great competition today and it still feels really good to be riding Pro65 on the big track. My top speed today was 58.6 km per hour  so I am getting faster with each race day. Just need to start being consistent with each race to keep me up the top of the race order but I’m still pretty happy with 5th overall with 2-8-4.

Today was the perfect summers day for a moto. The track was in perfect condition and it was a relaxed boys day out with the girls staying home. My race bike was in the shop for a big service so I rode my training bike competitively for the first time. There was definitely a noticeable change in performance but I rode consistently and finished second overall for Round 4. I feel confident that the foundation training I have been doing, focusing on what Greg Moss taught us in Taupo last year, has made me a better rider and now I just have to work on my speed.

This weekend was the 57th Woodville MX GP. It covers 2 full days – minis and juniors on Saturday and seniors on Sunday. Because it’s 5+ hours drive from where we live we packed up on Thursday and drove down on Friday, ready for racing on Saturday. It was a really cool track layout with grass gates, dirt, sand, mud, step ups, whoops, jumps and tight corners and after a sighting lap I got into qualifying mode. I started way back off the start and climbed up to 9th out of 28 riders and with each ride got a better start position for the next race. The end of day results were 6-4-4 for 4th overall. I had a great time, am so stoked with my result, had good speed and with each lap found faster lines and ways around the lappers. I was consistent which definitely helped me stay in the top 5. As always there are a couple of areas in my riding which I know I need to work on – like not kicking it into neutral down a straight  and better clutch control. I got to ride with a lot of kids who usually don’t go to the race meets up by us and it was fun to check out new places and tracks. We came back out to Woodville on Sunday before the long drive home to see the seniors ride and got a few signatures and some advice about how to come back bigger and better next year. I had a really good chat with the Aussie riders who had come over for the event too. I can’t wait until I’m a junior and can head overseas to have a go at these events… and catch up with old friends… and get some Twisties.

It is almost the end of the school holidays and some days felt so much longer than others, especially the days I was training at home, doing track work or racing. After some intensive coaching I started to over think improving my technique when I was out on the dirt, I was focusing on working on too many things at once, I made mistakes, I crashed so many times, I got meh results. Riding and racing stopped being fun. I went to Summer Cross at Awakaponga and showcased some of my worst riding. I didn’t want to go to club days but I didn’t want to give up any points so I kind of turned up and rolled around the tracks. But this weekend I had fun. And I was laughing with my mates again. And I rode well. And I finished 3rd overall which I am really proud of.  I don’t know what the change was but it’s nice to be back here again. Maybe I put too much pressure on myself to get big results when I am still learning a lot. There’s 2 bits of advice I heard lately that make some sense:  “You can’t get to the top without starting at the bottom”  – thanks Grandpa – and “If you look good, you feel good. If you feel good, you ride good” – Ken Roczen. So I have asked mum if we can go buy me a suit. The future of motocross is going to be well dressed and smart with role models like these guys.

 

 

The sun was shining down in the Waikato for Patetonga’s 4th round. The track was looking pretty good and by the time it got to us in the race order it had dried up a little and there were some nice ruts forming. My starts were great today, no monos out the gate, smooth throttle control and I was rewarded with 3 holeshots. I managed to keep the lead for the first lap or two but then lost it. I’m still getting used to riding in a combined class with 50s and 65s and I could have ridden harder but I was worried about coming over a jump and landing on somebody. At least this is giving me an opportunity to think quick and find different lines to avoid congestion and get around lappers. The effort I have been putting into my training is paying off and I finished 2nd overall for the day.