NZ GOT (young) TALENT

**SWERVE** · 25th July 2009, 12:14

While some may say that the state of motorcycle racing in NZ is not at its best right now and that the organising powers need to "pull their fingers out". Add this to a worldwide recession and you would think that the whole scene was not 'on the up".

Well someone forgot to tell the South Is youngsters...................

First of all the level of presentation within the Streetstock 150 class is fantastic. This time last year half the bikes were still in various colurs mainly from road paint schemes and only a handfull were were in team colours......... Last weekend at levels there was a fantastic turn-out of machines with the grid looking very professional. Well done everyone especially the Mums & dads who finance most of this....... special well done to the "Woodley" family whos bikes are always immaculate and a well deserved "best presented bike award" going to Vanessa Woodley-Gill. Good stuff guys.

This level of presentation is not only with the bikes, ALL the youngsters are becoming very focused in their approach to racing and it shows not only in their attitudes and sportsmanship towards each other, but in the quality of racing too. If you watch these guys closely they provide some off the best 'full action" racing you will see.

This class has brought to the spotlight some serious talent over the last few years, Cameron Jones, Glen Skatchil, Alistar & James Hoogie just to name a few. But its not stopping there......... watch out for Cameron Hudson (are all camerons born to race well) he rode a 125 gp bike this weekend and was to say the least "IMPRESSIVE"

another young lad who had his first sucess this weekend was Jayden Curtis(16) from the west coast who took Dads 675 to his first victory in clubmans.

I suggest you NZ 600/superbike team managers keep a close eye on some young homegrown talent for the future.

This talent pool of youngsters doesn,t stop at streetstock. many have already made the jump into F3, Pro twin and 600SP. It was great to see so many of these 150 graduates at Levels last week riding larger bikes.
Lets hope that they can gain the support needed (sponsorship) to carry on their success into the senior ranks. And provide some AWESOME racing over the forth-coming seasons.

I cant go on to name all the promising talent as it would take an age......... however use this thread to tell everyone who you think is talented or feel free to "blow your own horn".
The Mums & Dads / sponsors/ organisers should take a bow to what they have achieved. Im sure Pete Jones (oyster) never knew what he had started all those years ago in Invercargil.

**DELLORTO** · 25th July 2009, 12:33

im 14 and ive love to race street stock but i jsut live too far away from the tracks they race.....it would be good to race with my age group

f4 buckets it is for me now though

**lostinflyz** · 25th July 2009, 13:05

ay swerve i agree. all the front running bikes were nicely presented and certainly tidy.

You can add to this theres some real cracker racing going on. i didn't catch much at levels but round 1 of sportzfotoz at invercargill a few weeks ago i actually made the effort to go watch the racing. Heaps of passing at the front, plenty right to the back. I was really impressed. too often we watch alot of racing cause the bikes are new and shiny but its pretty dull. it was such a nice change to see proper good racing.

**SWERVE** · 25th July 2009, 17:23

yeh Dellorto its a real shame that the North Is clubs have not been able to replicate the successful junior training and racing scene that Oyster and MCC have going down here.
Hopefully the new 250/streetstock class will be a worthy successor and run alongside the 150 class. If enough people and dealers/bike shops see the possibilities for this to highlight young talent and put road relevent bike on show it maybe the answer to having a thriving junior race series right across both islands. Good luck with the buckets in the mean time.
Spot on lostinfly...... you will never be bored watchin streetstock if ya like close battles no matter what position they are contesting.

**roadracingoldfart** · 25th July 2009, 21:36

Originally Posted by SWERVE

yeh Dellorto its a real shame that the North Is clubs have not been able to replicate the successful junior training and racing scene that Oyster and MCC have going down here.
Hopefully the new 250/streetstock class will be a worthy successor and run alongside the 150 class. If enough people and dealers/bike shops see the possibilities for this to highlight young talent and put road relevent bike on show it maybe the answer to having a thriving junior race series right across both islands. Good luck with the buckets in the mean time.
Spot on lostinfly...... you will never be bored watchin streetstock if ya like close battles no matter what position they are contesting.

Im afraid i have to dissagree with you saying the N.I is behind the S.I with young riders , there may be a few less but with the likes of Steve Bagshaws Moto Acadamy and the VMCC 150 scholaships there is a good gene pool coming through.
Not all NEW promising riders have to be 12 or 14 years old and i have a team of awesome racers doing really good things including challenging for overall victory in the VMCC winter series in F3 and P/C junior.
The inclusion of 250 multis in the streetstock class has helped to swell the grids and the smiles around the pits is great to see with many parents now getting the bug and racing themselves after seeing thier kids having so much fun.
This is not intended as a bash on your thread but please , look around more than your own back yard and accentuate the possatives you see , not the nasty negative bits.

Paul .
Manager , Shower Buddy/ Dunlop Race Team

**SWERVE** · 25th July 2009, 21:53

Point taken.......... but iam not having a go at the Nth Is clubs or the success they and yourself have had.
Just saying how great it is to see SO MANY youngsters with talent out there at the moment.
I know there is no shortage of young (or slightly older) talent in the Nth Is. And i am a big fan of what Steve Bagshaw has done too.
I dont care how the talent comes thru the ranks as long as it gets the help and encouragement it deserves. However i dont think that anyone can deny that the whole junior development program in place at MCC is second to none.
Lets hope that we can all "come together in perfect harmony' (as per beatles/john lennon) and make this a nationwide develpoment program with support for everyone from everywhere.
Good luck for the future.

**roadracingoldfart** · 25th July 2009, 22:03

Originally Posted by SWERVE

Point taken.......... but iam not having a go at the Nth Is clubs or the success they and yourself have had.
Just saying how great it is to see SO MANY youngsters with talent out there at the moment.
I know there is no shortage of young (or slightly older) talent in the Nth Is. And i am a big fan of what Steve Bagshaw has done too.
I dont care how the talent comes thru the ranks as long as it gets the help and encouragement it deserves. However i dont think that anyone can deny that the whole junior development program in place at MCC is second to none.
Lets hope that we can all "come together in perfect harmony' (as per beatles/john lennon) and make this a nationwide develpoment program with support for everyone from everywhere.
Good luck for the future.

I agree , the S.I scene is bursting and thats got to be goot for the sport.
I would like to see an accadamy started to foster upcoming racers but the kiwi too hard attitude will prevail i feel. sad i know but if someone doesnt agree with me then prove me wrong and get the ball rolling.
Im not the guy either as im too inept

, just ask anyone that knows me

**puddytat** · 25th July 2009, 22:06

I started racing in clubmans last year with the R6 which was a hoot, but I realised that to learn more I needed to get into a class that wasnt as expensive & on to a bike that was more suited to my ability...I had stared running on the r6 before I was ready to walk so to speak.
After watching the youngsters (& elders) on the streetstocks having race after race of intense racing I decided to get a 250 twin when MCC announced that they would run with the 150's. I can afford to crash it. Because I can afford to crash it I will be able to HTFU & take the leap of faith I feel was lacking last season as I didnt want to trash my roadbike. I cant wait!! Roll on Rnd 1 of KOR,& Im sure Im going to get taught some lessons by the 150 crew. I wonder if there'll be any other Prolights there though....
Good onya MCC!!

**quallman1234** · 25th July 2009, 23:06

Most of the 150SS riders in the N.I get bugger all 'mentoring' with the exception of a few lucky ones. There needs to be more input from people who actually know what they are doing. The skill would improve awesome amounts by doing a little amount of this, just to guide these guys a little bit.
Moto-Academy are doing a good job within the 125 class.

**Billy** · 26th July 2009, 09:15

Originally Posted by quallman1234

Most of the 150SS riders in the N.I get bugger all 'mentoring' with the exception of a few lucky ones. There needs to be more input from people who actually know what they are doing. The skill would improve awesome amounts by doing a little amount of this, just to guide these guys a little bit.
Moto-Academy are doing a good job within the 125 class.

The only reason the riders in the North Island arent getting any mentoring,Is a lack of input from the clubs and apathy on the part of the riders.There are any number of experienced riders who have offered their time including,Brian Bernard,Glen Williams,Jay Lawrence,Jarrod Wintle,Shaun Harris and Myself and Im sure I could add too that list no problem.However I have organised with some of theses guys to do mentoring and liased a the club,only to turn up on the day to be told,Sorry dont have any tracktime for you ,to the point I gave up and stopped asking other people to give up their time for no apparent reason.Further too that I have offered my time on this very site a number of times and had no response.As I have stated in another thread,Myself with the asisstance of Jos Mason from NZBADD and a number of other high profile KB suppliers and riders are negotiating with a club to introduce a junior championship including rider training with the added bonus of a scholarship for the National series in the new 250 production class for atleast 1 rider.However this will not be reserved for a North Island rider or riders, it will be decided on merit and if its not supported it will end as quickly as it started

**quallman1234** · 26th July 2009, 10:41

Originally Posted by Billy

The only reason the riders in the North Island arent getting any mentoring,Is a lack of input from the clubs and apathy on the part of the riders.There are any number of experienced riders who have offered their time including,Brian Bernard,Glen Williams,Jay Lawrence,Jarrod Wintle,Shaun Harris and Myself and Im sure I could add too that list no problem.However I have organised with some of theses guys to do mentoring and liased a the club,only to turn up on the day to be told,Sorry dont have any tracktime for you ,to the point I gave up and stopped asking other people to give up their time for no apparent reason.Further too that I have offered my time on this very site a number of times and had no response.As I have stated in another thread,Myself with the asisstance of Jos Mason from NZBADD and a number of other high profile KB suppliers and riders are negotiating with a club to introduce a junior championship including rider training with the added bonus of a scholarship for the National series in the new 250 production class for atleast 1 rider.However this will not be reserved for a North Island rider or riders, it will be decided on merit and if its not supported it will end as quickly as it started

There you go, that explains it. Cheers billy.

**budda** · 1st August 2009, 22:46

for an old past-it racer, you still have a knack of getting your point across.
Being "deserving" doesnt mean you're "entitled", and some of the relative newcomers have unfortunately bought into this mindset - Billy is correct, and all it will take for this to be proven is for a few"deserving" people to get their finger out and mind into gear. In this Sport, you EARN support .......

**Crasherfromwayback** · 1st August 2009, 22:49

Make all aspiring young road racers go round and round in the dirt first.

Works everywhere else!

**wharfy** · 1st August 2009, 23:31