My 6yo first time on a 2 wheel bike.

[White trash]

Yay Vinny!!! Well done, bet he's as proud of himself as his dad is.

[SimJen]

Awesome, great to see young ones getting on bikes
Also great to see a good progression in his skills and that he never gave up like so many playstation generation kids do!
My boy has just turned 5, one of his birthday presents was a little Honda QR50. He almost wet himself with excitement when he saw it.
He hopped straight on and rode, no problem! Fell off once, got back on and carried on.
My girl 7 also loves it, so I've got an expensive future ahead of me

[White trash]

Hey Pete, just wanted to reiterate how cool it was to watch Vinny race on Sunday and tell people "I've been watching that kids progress online for the past 4 and a half years!"

Vinny did really well given that he's in the most hotly contested class in the country and racing the nations best. Got a real buzz watching him pick his way through the field. Please pass on my congratulations to him on a job well done.

[Conquiztador]

After 4 years of riding it was time to participate in a NZ National Mini Championship. Vinny has just turned 11 and will be 12 before next Championship in 2013 being to old for Mini's. So this was it, as in 2013 we will move up to 85cc and Juniors.

This years Mini Nationals were held at Kapi Mana Motocross Club, Upper Hutt Wellington.

We have been building up to this all year, racing every w/e since February and Vinny has learnt heaps. Sure, there is still almost 3 months of MX left in 2012. But nothing compares to a NZ title. I never had any expectations that Vinny would finish in top ten. In fact my expectation was that he would be 15'th. And at the end of the second day he finished 16'th only one point from 15'th. But at one stage it looked like a top ten was possible...

The club had done a brilliant job on the track and Vinny loved racing there. Some straights, jumps, technical sections and never a chance to go full speed. I had left nothing to chance and spent most of the week getting all ready. We arrived with two prepped bikes, three different tyres for different surfaces, spares, food, motel stay and all other bits in place we needed. Now it was up to Vinny.

First the 65cc's got a practice session. Then they were separated in to two groups of 21 for qualifying where the top 30 with the fastest lap times would go to the finals. Vinny had a crash in one lap and stalled the motor in a corner in another lap. But he managed two good laps and qualified 16'th.

The first race came fast and it was all on. In the first corner a crash that took down a few of the favorites (see first start on video). Vinny kept his nose clean, and apart from a small misshap in the race, all went well and he finished 13'th. Second race we focused on the start as he was not doing too well there (has always been his Achilles heal). It went better and a race without misshaps saw him finishing 12'th. This was encouraging! By the third race it had started raining, but not enough to change the track much. Vinny was sitting in 11'th and was holding the placing well. But another rider wanted it more... and crashed in to him making Vinny fall and finish 16'th. (The other rider, Hunter, came 11'th in that race...).

After day one Vinny was 12'th. Encouraging!

Day two came and there was two more races (all up five races). Somehow Vinny lacked his hunger from yesterday and only managed 20'th in the first race. I had a chat with him before last race and we managed to find a little spark. Vinny was sitting 16'th and trying to pass the only girl in the championships (Oceaana, currently easily the top female Mini rider in NZ) in a corner, but got it wrong and crashed in to her backwheel and fell. She finished 15'th and Vinny 18'th. When all points were counted he came 16'th. Brody Connolly won (not surprisingly... He has just turned only 9 and is in a class of his own!) with Hayden Smith (my pre-racing favorite) second and Cam Wash (on his home track) third. Vinny could, if all had worked for him, perhaps got in to top ten. But there was a few top riders who also had misshaps and did not achieve their potential. So all in all we are happy. 16'th in a very competitive class is a good result considering that this was the first year we have really taken the MX to the next level. From 2013 (when in Juniors) we will crank it up a few notches with fitness and strength training and also inlude better food choices. More to come...

[Conquiztador]

Hey Pete, just wanted to reiterate how cool it was to watch Vinny race on Sunday and tell people "I've been watching that kids progress online for the past 4 and a half years!"

Vinny did really well given that he's in the most hotly contested class in the country and racing the nations best. Got a real buzz watching him pick his way through the field. Please pass on my congratulations to him on a job well done.

Good to see you there! And to volunteer to help! Also thanks for supporting comments! Will tell Vinny. Cheers!

[Conquiztador]

Reflection time.

In 2012 Vinny has:
- Raced in 45 meetings.
- Done 150 10-12 minute races + 45 10 minute practices before the meetings
- Done 2 one weeks MX Holiday programmes
- Upgraded from a 2006 KTM 65SX to a 2011 KTM 65SX
- Cut his lap time at Taupo Mini Track with 16 sec/lap
- Gone from finishing 15 - 20'th in bigger meetings to finishing consistently in top 5
- Gone from having problems in the start to consistently being in top 5 at first corner, and normally gets one holeshot at each meeting
- No DNF (has yet to have one since he started riding 4 1/2 years ago)
- Signed up AFC Motorcycles Palmerston Nth as sponsor (Vinny is happy as it looks better than only having Dad and Sandra on the sheet...)

Some of the more memorable finishes:
- Winner Auckland 9-11yo 65cc Champs
- Winner 65cc and 85cc at Wairarapa Champs
- 2'nd Summer Cross Whakatane 9-11yo 65cc
- 2'nd Ben Townley "Once In a Blue Moon" Championships Maddix Park Tauranga "Experienced 65cc A Grade"
- 2'nd Wanganui v. Taranaki Challenge 9-11yo 65cc
- 3'rd King of the Mountain New Plymouth 9-11yo 65cc
- 3'rd Wanganui Winter Series 9-11yo 65cc
- 3'rd Hawke's Bay Winter Series 9-11yo 65cc (missed one meeting out of 5)
- 3'rd Hawke's Bay Championship series (missed one meeting out of 3)
- 3'rd (unofficially as his points did not count as he is not a club member) Auckland Mini MX Club Champs 9-11yo 65cc

We have not had too many low points.
- One hospital visit with a suspected broken wrist, but Xrays showed that nothing was broken.
- At NI and NZ Champs Vinny did not achieve his full potential and finished 17'th and 16'th.
- At Waikato Champs he let a possible 3'rd finish slip as a result of two falls and ended up 7'th.
- King of the North 25'th. His second worst meeting of the year.
- Woodville 5'th in support class. Did not qualify for main event 9-11yo 65cc. Worst meeting. This was first meeting of the year, and Vinny will have a second go end of January 2013...
- And probably the lack of recognition at his school where someone who does a non-motor sport will always be mentioned in the newsletter and congratulated for their results. (OK, I have managed to get him in there twice, but the swimming, rugby, hockey, orienteering etc. takes priority every time)

Vinny has spent almost every w/e racing in 2012. Not much time to play with his mates. But he has never complained and is eager to travel each time, even when I wake him up at 5am for an early start. He has missed b'thday parties and other events, but it is the price he has been willing to pay.

As Vinnys mechanic/driver/manager/support person and everything else, it has been a big ask of me and my time (not to mention the financial contribution...). I have also been prepared to make the needed sacrifices as the rewards outweigh it all. My view is still the same as when all this started 4 1/2 years ago. If Vinny never becomes a NZ Champion or is able to even partly support him self from MX I do not care. (There is obviously a very small chance that he goes all the way, but there is many more sacrifices to make to get even close) As we carry on he is learning many things he will be able to use in his life, not least being prepared to give all you have to be a winner.

We see where it goes. 2013 has a few 65cc 9-11yo meetings we will tackle: Woodville, King of the North, Wairarapa Champs and North Island Champs. The plan was to move up to the 85cc 8-11yo Junior class from February. But Vinny has started considering the option of riding 65cc until he turns 12 in October. I can see his logic: he is now one of NI's top 65cc riders. (He has become much faster and a good starter. And many of the ones that he were fighting with have already gone to 85cc as they are now 12 or it is where they want to race). He is getting big and tall giving him a handicap on the 65cc bikes that would not be there on 85cc. I think that once he has had a few meetings on the 85cc it might be where he wants to go.

One thing is sure: we will in 2013 again give it all we have. A little less meetings (focus on the "bigger" ones) and more special training focusing on his weaknesses. We can now do this as he has become fast and we are now starting to look for .5 second here and .5 second there. Now we will add specific fitness and strength training, and also be more focused on diet.

Will update again at some stage in 2013.

Here Summer Cross:

[unstuck]

fuckin awesome dude.

[Dogboy900]

First time I have seen this thread (Been away from KB for a long while) What a great record of Vinnies's progress and heart warming to see where it has led from that first morning waking you up. I have had a huge smile on my face reading this whole thing this morning.

Well done to Vinnie and well done to you!

[Conquiztador]

We are on the first step of the staircase to make this something more than a hobby!!!

Vinny came second at the NZGP in his 9-11yo MX class.

And as a result ended up in the local paper:

http://www.hawkesbaytoday.co.nz/news/motocross-bay-pair-set-bright-future-on-two-wheels/1739420/

And he now has a web page too!! http://mxvinny.wix.com/vinny

Perhaps my retirement plan will work!!!

[Banditbandit]

Well Done Vinny - world champs here you come ...

(Jeez - like listening to a flock of Mason Bees !!! Bzzzz Bzzz .. )

[unstuck]

Brilliant, well done vinny. Keep up the good work.

[Motu]

Well done Vinny !!!! What a list of achievements, congratulations from your support crew at Huntly. In case anyone thinks Vinny is a high achiever pushed to these heights by a father living his own unfulfilled life through his son - Vinny comes to Camp Motu with his own support crew of soft and fluffies, sits at my dinning room table and plays with the toys my kids have grown out of, and reads our big collection of books....he's a kid totally within his age group. And stand up Pete - there are things going on in your life that would be a concern for most people, but every weekend you load up and drive that bloody van all over the country. No screaming and ranting from the sidelines, just positive support and constructive advice.

Well done both of you.

[_Shrek_]

well done Vinny

& Con for being there , there's nothing more filling than doing stuff with ya kids

& having the support from a wife/mum etc... when you do stuff.... that others only frown at

a great read!!!

[Conquiztador]

Thanks guys. Warms an old heart!

Motu is correct: There is no living through my son. (Done my own living). He is pushing him self, and loving it. The only thing I am doing is giving him the opportunity. I have two other boys at home who have very little interest in bikes. One of them is in to art and music, the other in to computers. When they need me I am there for them.

My silver bullet to all problems in the world is simple: If everyone took care of their kids we would have no problems.

[Conquiztador]

( Hmmm..."follow" that is supposed to say. Sadly as a pleb I can not change it.)

As I think I mentioned earlier, Vinny now has a web page: Vinnys web page

I have also just started his facebook page: Vinnys fb page If you are interested in following his progress, please click on the fb link and after looking at what is there, if you are interested to be kept updated, just "LIKE" his fb page and you are in the loop.

We are at this stage looking at approx 50 meetings in 2013 for him... While others are now starting to dust off their bikes we have already done 7 race meeting days plus practices. And the KTM85sx is starting to become the main bike now.