Cameron Forlong

Rider Profile

« previous | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | next »
 

Cameron Forlong

Date of Birth: 25/07/97

Type of Riding: MX

Bike: Had a Suzuki RM 85.  Since July 2012 on a YZ125

Bike Mods: FMF Fatty pipe

Sponsors: Moto GB Suzuki, Pirelli, Scott, Fox, Elf Oil, FMF, Smart Clad Building, Mackie Signs & Direct Fuels

Years Riding: 6

Class: 11-12 85cc – next year 13-16 85’s

Goals: Win Nats – Woodville and Summercross !!

Likes: Racing, Jumping, Adrenalin buzz of MX.

Dislikes: Crashing, Losing.

Other Stuff: Likes Rugby, hunting and fishing

Race Report 2nd September 2012 Central MX Series Round 2

Today I raced at the second round of an inter club series between Rotoroa and Tokoroa, this round was at Tokoroa. The track had been groomed and it was a sunny day.  I was racing in both the junior 125/ 250cc and the MX3.  After my first practice, I and some other spectators noticed that the clutch was slipping.  Dad had a look and changed the clutch oil and adjusted the lever but it didn’t help.  I had to race the rest of the day with it which also meant that I got very bad starts all day. In the 125 class I got up to 3rd  in all my races and in the MX3  I got three  2nds.  Over all, the day went well and I was happy with these results. I got a lot of passing practice.

Race Report 19th August 2012 Whakatane MX Round 4

On Sunday I raced at the Whakatane club day.  There had been heaps of rain all week so the track had some soft patches but was mostly pretty good. I was racing in the 125cc A and the junior open, In the open there was only 2 races and I got about mid pack starts in both of them, I found the wet concrete difficult to get off quickly. In the first one I came through and got into 4th and in the second race managed to get into 3rd. In the 125 A class I got a better start in race one and after making about 4 passes I finished in 3rd . In race two again I was about 10th round the first corner and after a long race ended up 4th .Race three I got a good start and was 5th round the first corner and on the last lap passed into 2nd place and my best result of the day. Overall I think it was a great day and every time I ride the bike I’m getting better. Love that YZ125!!

Next weekend Dad and I will go through to Tokoroa and have a training day, where I can ride and talk and try and change some things to find some more speed.

Race Report 5th August Central MX Series Round 1

On Sunday I raced at the first of a four round series between Tokoroa and Rotorua , the first round was in Rotorua. They had a lot of rain in the few days before but it was a fine day which was a relief as the track was already quite soft and slippery at the start in the morning. This was the first time I had raced the 125 and  I was racing in the junior 125cc class which had about 25 riders in it. In the practice it was still really wet and I got covered in mud, but had dried out a lot before my first race. I was about 12th around the first corner and had made 3 passes after nearly 1 lap but followed someone into a rut and they fell off right in front of me, I went down as well but I got up got up quickly and didn’t lose to many places. I started moving through the field again and by the end of the race I had gotten up to 8th. Race 2  I was again about mid field round the first corner and on the second lap I had the same accident as the first race and I had more trouble getting up this time and had a lot more work to do, I made lots of passes and finished in 10th.Race 3  I got another 12th round the first corner and made steady progress over the whole race and finished in 5th. Which put me in 6th place in the overall points which was good considering everything that happened and I got much more comfortable over the day and my lap times actually got faster as the day went on. I really love riding the YZ 125 but still have to get to grips the extra size and power of it.

Report 1st August 2012

On Saturday I had my first ride back in 2 months and first ride on my new YZ 125 up at Maddix Park in Tauranga. I really enjoyed being on the 125 it just had so much more power and made it way easier to get through mud holes and big ruts and over all made it much more fun to ride. I will be racing for the first time this weekend at rotorua, I’m really looking forward to it and can’t wait to start racing again. Attached is a photo of the brand new bike, first time out. Have taken off the plastics and dropped them into Tim at Mackie signs in Te Puke for my new race numbers. I recently turned 15 so I will be racing in the 15-16 125 class and my new number is 61.

 

Race Report Tokoroa 6th May 2012

Last weekend I raced at Tokoroa.  They hadn’t had rain for a long time so the track was very dry and during the day it became very soft with lots of real powdery berms. I was racing in 2 classes the big wheel 85cc and the 12-16 125/250 both on my 85. The 125 class had the new 15-16 125 national champion and a few other high profile riders competing in it. In my 85 class there was no good riders and I easily won all of the races. In my first 125 race I was 6th around the first corner, the 85 seriously lacking power against the 125/250s  and quickly passed into 5th and was slowly catching 4th throughout the race but ran out of laps to get close enough to make a pass so finished in 5th . Race 2, I was 5th around the first corner and on the third lap the guy in front of me washed the back out and I just managed to pass him but he was right behind me and about a lap later passed me. I stayed with him right on his back wheel for about 2 and a half laps getting roosted in nearly every corner but then I passed him back on the last lap which made him give up and I pulled a big gap before the end of the race and I finished in 4th.Race 3, I got a very good start and was 2nd round the first corner and was passed twice in the first lap and ended up finishing in 4th again, and that concluded a very good day were I completed 6 races without going down and had strong finishes throughout.

 

I really need a 125.

Race Report: Junior Nationals 2012 Timaru

On the 13th, 14th and 15th April I raced at the nationals in Timaru. We started driving down on Wednesday morning and arrived at the track on Thursday and racing started on Friday. I had never been to this track before and was really excited to see it.  It was a very long track with 26 jumps and 3 rhythm sections all of which I had to learn. Each day they ripped the track and heavily watered it .There was 45 riders in my class so we had to Qualify ,and we were only given a 10 minute (which was about 4 laps)practice before qualifying which was 12 minutes long. I qualified 5th which gave me 5th gate pick all week end. In the first two races I got really bad starts due to some bike troubles we had and I was about 20th round the first corner in both but I made a lot of passes  and got a 4th and a 5th which was alright considering the starts. In race 3 and 4 I got better starts and got 3rd  in each race which we were all really pleased with as this also put me 3rd in the overall points with 2 races to go. In race 5 I was about 10th round the first corner and on the last lap I passed for 3rd with an 8 point gap on 4th , In the last race I got another really bad start but worked my way up to 4th and that gave me 3rd overall which I was real happy with. Both the riders that beat me were locals that have had a lot of time on this track so to be on the podium with them was very satisfying.

School MX Rotorua 30th March 2012

Last Friday I raced at the western heights high school tournament which most of the high schools in the mid north island were competing in so there were over 260 riders at the day. It was a clear fine day, the track had been ripped and was in perfect condition. I was racing in the 14-16 85cc and the 12-14 125/250 which both had around 30 riders. In my first 85 race I was 3rd  around the first corner and in the first lap passed for the lead and pulled a good gap and ended up winning by about 20 seconds. 85 race 2, I was 2nd  around the first corner and on lap two passed for the lead and pulled away once again finishing well ahead of 2nd .race 3 I got the holeshot and lead for the whole race. In the first 125 race I was about 6 around the first corner and after lap one I was in 3rd and by lap 3 I was winning and went on to win the race. In race 2 and 3 it was the same result. Riding in the 125 class and being able to chase down and pass the bigger more powerful bikes was really fun. I ended up winning both classes for the day and we were very happy with how the day went.

Training: 18th December 2012

On Saturday I went to an open training day at the Taupo clubs super cross track, it’s not often that you get the chance to ride a super cross track. I would really like to do the Taupo round of the series on the 14th of January  but needed to get some ride time in first to see if I could do it. The track was in great condition from the overnight rain, we helped suck up the surface puddles before anyone could ride it .I did about 2 hours of riding in sessions of about 20 minutes and after that I was too tired to do anymore as I was starting to make mistakes .I think I improved a lot over the time I was there getting good flow and doing all the jumps apart from the big triple.

Patetonga Round 3  11th December 2011

On Sunday I raced at Patetonga’s 3rd club round.  When we got there the track was heavily watered – like it normally is there.  I was riding in the 13-16 85cc class & the 12-14 125class (on my 85) Because of the water, practice was very muddy, but by my first race it was much better.  My race was in the 125cc class I was 3rd around the first corner, but not far into the first lap my front tyre went flat but I didn’t realise and fell off on a corner and then knew something was wrong.  After that was sorted out I was ready for the next race which was the 85 race.  I was 2nd around the first corner and chasing hard but I couldn’t keep up with leader and by the end of the race he had pulled a good gap on me.

In race 3 I was 2nd around the first corner but again I couldn’t keep up with the leader but the gap was a lot closer.  Next up was the 2nd 85cc race and again I was running in 2nd just couldn’t stay with the leader.  Coming down the hill into the supercross section the engine died and when I kicked it over it had no compression.  My day was over.  Dad said the engine was very old, over 200 hours so was probably a bit tired.  Dad & I are going to fix it this week and I’ll be back riding next weekend.

Race Report:  Bel Ray Cross Country 27th November 2011

Sunday was the 2nd round of the Belray cross country series in Huntly.  There had been no rain for ages so the track was hard, dry and very dusty. I rode the same 14-16 85cc class that I won the last round. There was a split start with the junior 125-250 getting approx 3 minutes lead and when the dust had cleared enough to see, all the 85cc bikes and the woman got the second shotgun start. It is a dead engine, hands on head, wait for the gun start. I start in neutral and others start in gear which is faster providing the bike fires on the first kick. The guy beside me had to kick it 3 times and was about 25 around the first corner, I was 4th .  I pushed hard right from the start and about half a km later had the lead with clear air for a while .At the end of the first lap I had caught and passed about 8 of the 125-250 start and just kept working . I pitted for fuel at the end of lap 3 which went well with dad topping up the tank ,I was drinking PowerAde out of a camelback so didn’t need anything else .With lap times in the mid 15 minutes I completed 6 laps with a big lead over 2nd place and got up to 13th overall .

I stayed on the bike all day and really enjoyed the tough conditions

November 6th 2011 Update:

This weekend I raced at the Tarawera 50 which is the junior version of the Tarawera 100. When we arrived the weather wasn’t looking very good but it fined up before the race. I was racing in the 11-14 2 stroke class which was put in with all the other  85cc classes and all the junior women, all together there were 70 people in the race. The race was started by the fire of a shotgun and we had to have our hands on our heads with dead engines. I had never done a start like this before so when I was 4th around the first coroner I was very surprised. After about 6 more coroners I was into 2nd behind Josiah Natzke. Just the dust coming off him made it very hard it see for the first few minutes, then we went into really tight bush where I fell off twice in the first lap.  The track then opened up into farm paddocks and gravel road, each lap was approx 30 minutes and about 20k’s, It was compulsory to stop to refuel and get a much needed drink after each lap, I took the lead in the 2nd lap when Josiah was down, but he passed me back in lap 3, we finished less than 1 minute apart with times of 1hour 58 & 1 hour 59, 10 minutes ahead of the next rider in our class.  It was the first time I had ever done a race like this before and I really enjoyed it and will do it again next year.

On Sunday we raced another trail race – round one of the BellRay series in Maramaru, that was great fun too, these long rides are really good for my fitness.  I had a few too many off’s but I still finished first in my class.

Not sure where we’re riding this coming weekend, but looking forward to getting out somewhere.

October 18th 2011  Update

This weekend I had my first race back from injury. After 6 months I must admit I was a bit nervous. I was going to ride at Awakaponga’s last race day but they had to cancel it because of the weather and the only other racing was at Mercers last club round. The track at Mercer is deep sand like racing on a beach and I’ve only been there once before. The track starts off smooth but by the end of the day it ends up with deep ruts and lots of whoops. In my 85cc class there was about 20 other riders most of whom had done all the other club rounds.  I felt good and was really motivated, I took 3 holeshots and 3 race wins from 3 starts. I had so much fun and couldn’t beleave how well I was able to perform, all the hard work paid off.

Next weekend I will be racing in Taupo’s  Labour weekend extravaganza , I won my class last year taking 3 from 3 so the pressures on, then the following weekend is Tokoroa’s rescheduled Queen’s birthday weekend meeting.

A big thank you for your continued support           

September 26th Update

Just an update on how I’m going, this last weekend on the Saturday I rode at Maddix Park this was only my second ride back on a real moto cross track and I really enjoyed it, it was so cool to be back on 2 wheels again, the track was in good condition with some soft patches and a few rough bits, I did quite long sessions as I’m trying to get my ride fitness back.

On Sunday we decided to go for a ride at the Tokoroa Motocross track.  While we were driving over the Kaimai’s it started raining quite hard and I thought the track would be real muddy.  When we got there it had stopped raining and the track was in perfect condition, better still there was only 1 other rider there.  We did some section training and quite alot of jumps, because I hadn’t done any for the last 5 months.  By the end of the day I felt fine doing all the jumps again.  When it started raining we decided to come home.

I’ve been back to the doctor for a clearance to be able to race (get my MNZ licence back) but so far I haven’t been able to get one.  At this point I don’t know when I will be able to actually race again – soon I hope.   In the mean time I have been doing other strength and fitness work, like cycling 30 k’s 2 times a week and some running too.

Thanks heaps, I really appreciate your support

June 26th Update

Just to keep you up to date with how Cameron is progressing.  It has been 6 weeks since his crash where he broke his left ankle, right knee, left wrist and right shoulder.  Thankfully all these injuries were minor fractures, just the multitude of them that has had him stuck in a wheel chair (one of the ones with the small back wheels so he can’t self wheel since his wrist and shoulder are broken)    He has been off school but has plenty of school work from all his teachers ( 3 hours a day) to keep him busy and a tutor spends 2 hours a week with him.

This week he goes back to hospital for xrays on his ankle & knee and fingers crossed will be free of casts then, he will have to have a moon boot for his ankle and a brace for his knee for a few weeks.  His wrist may take another week as 1 week into the healing process the doctors realised the wrist wasn’t correctly aligned so had to re break it to get it right.

Cameron is actually bearing up remarkably well for such a usually active boy, he has enjoyed reading – especially the DRD magazines!  He is really looking forward to being able to do “normal stuff” as he puts it – like walking, showering etc and ultimately get back riding again.

We just wanted to keep you posted on how he’s progressing, the pic was taken his during the early stages in hospital, he still looks the same now!!

Huntly 14th May 2011

Last Saturday we raced at Huntly for the North Waikato Champs, Cameron practiced and qualified well enjoying racing on a very fast track.  In his first race he was running in 2nd spot for most of lap 1, passing for the lead near the finish line and pulling clear.  Unfortunately as he came back to the finish line area on lap 2 something went horribly wrong with the bike throwing Cameron over the handle bars both he and the bike cart wheeled down the track a further 25 metres.

An ambulance trip to Waikato Hospital and subsequent xrays etc reveal he had broken his left wrist, left ankle, right knee and right shoulder. He spent Saturday & Sunday nights in Waikato and has now been transferred to Tauranga Hospital.

Despite the carnage to his body he is still feeling remarkably upbeat and positive and still looking forward to riding again.

Latest Report: Junior nationals Tokoroa Easter 2011

We survived the weekend in Tokoroa!  We went over on Thursday afternoon, leaving a rainy Tauranga heading over to Tokoroa where it was cloudy but fine, which is pretty much what we had all weekend, so were lucky no rain until this morning when we were heading back home.

The track was perfection! A huge amount of work had gone into it.  Friday started with a practice session and then qualifying in the 13-16 85cc class, there were 46 riders trying to qualify for the  40 positions on the start gate.  Cameron qualified 3rd fastest which we were all stoked with.  Their 1st race was Friday afternoon.  Under the rules of the event only the rider was allowed to prepare the ground in the start gate, which is a first as Noel normally does this and with no tools allowed Cameron struggled.

Race 1 Cameron was 7th around the first corner and moving forward to be 3rd at the end of the first lap, where he stayed until 2nd to last lap, closing on 2nd, disaster struck.  On landing a long jump the front wheel must have hit a piece of rock, puncturing the front tyre, Cam goes down hard on the next berm, quickly remounts and heads off to crash on the next berm as well, sees he has a flat front tyre and limps the bike home to finish in 25th position – out of the points.  We had had a new Pirelli front tyre with a new heavy duty tube inside it and our normal tyre pressure which was checked before the race.  So an absolutely gutting result through sheer misfortune. 

We refocused, putting that race behind us, still aiming at a top 5 finish, all positive for day 2.

Saturday was again cloudy but fine, Race 2, Cameron got a good start, 2nd out of first corner, but with Courtney coming through, he was running in 3rd which he held into the last lap, when another rider cut across the apex of the corner targeting Camerons front wheel as he exited, taking him down, with the bike landing across his forearm, only looses 2 spots but has no strength in his left hand to grip the bars, resulting in another fall, finishing approx 10th.  For the first time in his 8 years of riding Cameron picks up the Purple (protest) flag after the race.  The flag marshall who witnessed the incident agreed with Camerons version of what happened, however the riders rep who was handling the protest, while sympathising said that apart from issuing the offending rider a warning no further action would be taken.

Back in the pits we rubbed voltaren onto his forearm and iced it, ready for Race 3 that afternoon.  In race 3 Cameron had the worst start ever and was struggling with his left arm throughout the race, having no strength in his grip, with the track by now very rough, it was scary to watch, finished approx 18th

Overnight back at our motel, more voltaren and ice and try to put today behind us too!

Sunday a new day!!  Race 4, Cameron was 4th around 1st corner, which he held again till the last lap, he was right on the rear wheel of 3rd place, a 15 year old Kawasaki rider who he knows well, follows him into a rut at the end of the start straight, the only other option being an outside line which was much further.  Unfortunately 3rd place folds his front wheel and goes down with Cameron crashing into his bike and flipping right over him, finishing 7th.  At this stage of proceedings Cam was sitting around 14th overall.

Race 5, Cameron is absolutely determined to finish on a high note after a devastating event.  As the gate drops he launches down the start straight to take a comfortable holeshot. During the first lap Courtney & Chase both sneak by him, but he holds on for a comfortable 3rd place finish.  This result puts him up to 9th overall for the event.  After qualifying 2.7 seconds behind the eventual winner Courtney Duncan 9th is a very disappointing result.

We are still looking positively forward and considering it has only been 3 months since he was out of his cast (broken Tibia & Fibula) his speed as the youngest rider in this class really was outstanding.

Tokoroa 3rd April 2011

At long last we get to write another race report!! Sunday was the first round of the Tokoroa club champs which also happens to be the venue for the NZ Junior Nationals in 3 weeks time.  So there were plenty of juniors getting in a final look at the track.  The day ended up pretty good, cloudy with only a couple of light showers.  The track was in perfect condition.

The 13-16 85cc class had a very strong field, with, apart from Courtney Duncan and a couple of other South Islanders, all the top contenders on the start line, we didn’t do a bike count but there would have been approx 30 riders

Race 1 – Cameron almost takes the holeshot but blows a little wide and ends up 3rd out of the first corner, quickly takes 2nd and chases Chase Smith.  Cameron is right on his wheel for a couple of laps and when Chase makes a small error Cameron gets up beside him and after a bit of bar banging makes the pass, he goes on to pull a comfortable gap and takes the win, a huge achievement considering the strength of the field.

Race 2 – Cameron gets the holeshot and holds the lead for a lap and ½ then is passed by Chase and finishes 2nd.

Race 3 – The track was now very rough and a number of riders elected not to ride the last race, Cameron takes the holeshot and this time makes no mistakes to lead from start to finish.

Finishing the day with  1-2-1 results to take top points so far.

We’re aware that alot of these riders will certainly lift their game for the Nationals but it was very pleasing to see Cameron has got the speed to be a real contender.

The pic was taken as Cameron gets the holeshot in Race 2 – Cameron #640

Valley Champs 12th February 2010

On Saturday the juniors raced the Valley Champs at Patetonga, the day ended up fine and cloudy, no burning sun.  The track was heavily watered and slippery to start with but dried throughout the day.  This was Camerons first race back since breaking his leg at end of October.

There were 27 riders in his 13-16 85cc class the most notable of which was Chase Smith (age 15) who is a member of the NZ KTM race team  and is a real contender for the National Title in April this year.

Cameron qualified 2nd fastest with Smith being the fastest.

Race 1  - Lots of wheel spin and gets sideways on the concrete start pad and is 7th out of first corner and is buried in a bunch of riders so the first 4 jumps are very conjested and the leader Smith is getting away rapidly.  Cameron works his way forward and takes 2nd place with a little less than 2 laps to go.  He closes the gap on the leader but finishes in 2nd.

Race 2 – Again spins up on the pad but keeps it straight and is 5th around the first corner, again he works his way forward and closes on Smith to be very close at the finish – another 2nd.

Race 3 – Can’t get the hang of the concrete start pad and again is 5th around the first corner, but knows he has to charge immediately.  When the riders come back into view from out the back of the course he is in 2nd place and when they cross the finish line he has about a 50m gap to the leader – (again Chase Smith) over the next 3 laps he closes onto the leaders wheel and Smith has to ride defensively.  He is very aggressive with his blocking moves as he prevents Cameron from getting past, at one time the point of his elbow was against Cam’s chest as they rounded a sweeping corner in 4th gear and he simply pushed Cameron to the outside of the track.  The rules allow for this and especially in this age group is something to be expected.  The gap opens and closes a little as Cam stays right with him – trying everything and then with 2 corners to go, Smith makes a small mistake in a corner and Cam blows by him to take the lead and the win by a small margin.  A very exciting race for all with everyone around the finish line cheering and clapping, with Cam getting many high fives as he came off the track.

Very pleasing to note from the results sheets that Cameron set the fastest lap time of the day for any of the 85cc bikes.  With Cam only being back on his bike for 2 ½ weeks and his right leg still very weak after 9 weeks in a cast we are very delighted with this result.

Update 31st Jan 2011

Just a quick update on Camerons leg progress, he had his final check up with the doctor last Wednesday, they are all very pleased with the way the bones have mended.   So on Thursday night he went for his first ride in 3 months at Maddix Park – he loved it and did OK, then yesterday went to Tokoroa for a ride and found out how unfit he was!  But again did well and really enjoyed it.  He’s keen to do the Valley Champs at Patetonga in 2 weeks – which he won last year in the 11-12 class, will be a tough ask this time in the 13-16’s though!!

A Non-Race Report  8th November 2010

Cameron broke his leg last weekend at the Tokoroa Super x track.  He was there with Noel as the track was open for training.  Cameron had just got some fantastic new riding boots which he just loved, but they were a bit wider than his previous boots, he’d done a couple of laps of the track and had been having a bit of a problem tapping the brake by mistake around a couple of corners, well the same thing happened in reverse going over a jump he went to tap the brake while in the air to rotate the bike forward but missed the brake altogether, so the bike came down back wheel first, Cameron remembers pushing it away so it didn’t land on top of him, but in the end an xray at Tokoroa Hospital revealed broken Tibia & Fibula (both bones in bottom ½ of leg)  He was ambulanced back to Tauranga Hospital as Tokoroa weren’t happy with the swelling, which was partly due to the bones being a little misaligned, so last Monday under general anaesthetic they re aligned the bones and he has this massive cast on up to the top of his thigh, he’s currently in a wheelchair but is due to get this cast off this week and then hopefully he’ll be able to hobble around on crutches with not such a weighty cast.

He is still in reasonably high spirits, he spent the weekend at his older brothers mostly playing playstation, as we had all booked in to walk the Tongariro crossing and there was no way Cameron was going to make that trip! The rest of us are still suffering today!!

 

Taupo Extravaganza 23rd October 2010

Cameron raced at the Taupo Labour weekend Extravaganza on Saturday in an absolutely glorious sunshiny Taupo day, as we travelled to Taupo in the morning going through Reparoa the temp was -1 but an awesome clear sky and a view to the snow covered mountains was quite amazing and by mid afternoon the temp was up in the 20’s

There were 35 riders in the 12-13 85 class, Cameron was confident but also knowing his main rival had had alot more riding on the Taupo track this year, we were unsure of how Cameron would place.

In timed practice Cameron top qualified by a little over 2 sec a lap from 2nd qualifier and so had 1st pick of the gate all day.

Cameron delivered 3 very good starts resulting in 3 holeshots and from there went on to pull a very large gap by the end of the first lap in each race, controlling it from the front and ensuring 3 consecutive wins.  It was a great day to see him ride this well and to hear Neil Ritchie (the commentator) giving him credit for an outstanding achievement.

Taupo & Tokoroa 3rd/4th October 2010

A quick update on my weekends racing.  I raced Round 6 of the Taupo club rounds on Saturday, beautiful day with a 3 degree start, but warmed up nicely.  The track had been groomed well which made for some good racing.  I raced in the 13-16 85cc class.

In the first race I got a good start in 3rd position but ½ way round the first lap I found neutral in a rut and put it down, got back up in about 10th and started chasing slowly working my way up through the field, fell off again in the last lap, but got up quick and didn’t lose a position, finishing in 5th.

In the second race I managed to get the holeshot but slipped back to 3rd after the first lap and wasn’t able to stick with the front two so finished in 3rd.

In the third race I was 2nd around the first corner and managed to keep up with the leader a bit more that in race 2, held 2nd to the finish.

I hadn’t raced at Taupo for a while so I was pleased with how the day went.

Sunday was Tokoroa’s final round and prizegiving for the club champs, I went into the day in 2nd on points in the 13-16 85cc class, then in practice I landed funny over a jump, my back got twisted, I was thankful to John Apel the physiotherapist at the track who treated me, but he wasn’t happy that everything was OK so I had to go and get my back xrayed, and I was too sore to race so that was my day over.  Thankfully the xrays showed all OK, just ligament/muscle damage.  Also I managed to retain 2nd place overall for the series which was pretty cool because I won most of the points while I was still 12.

Tokoroa Round 5 September 5th 2010

The weather was cold and windy but it did not start raining.  The track was fairly well groomed with a few soft spots.  I raced in the 13-16 and did one race in the 12-16 125 class but after not riding for five weeks I was very unfit and had to pull out of that class.  As the turnout for the day wasn’t very big, all the 85cc riders were put together with a split start.

Race 1:   I was 2nd round the first corner, then on the first lap I got passed, now in 3rd.  As we are entering a rut, the front rider was a bit slow and so was second and I crashed into the back of them and went down and got up in about 9th but by the end I had fought back up to 4th.

Race 2: I took the holeshot but was quickly passed and was in 2nd for the first lap. By the end of the 2nd lap, I had slipped back to 4th.  Now I was starting to get really tired and struggling to hold on but managed to hang on to 4th till the end.

Race 3 :I got another holeshot and was leading for most of the first lap but then fell off and hurt my knee I got up in about 8th and worked my way up to 5th by the end.

I was glad to get back to a nice warm house.  I now need to work on my ride fitness a lot over the next few weeks.

 

Tokoroa round 4 August 1st 2010

The weather was cold and it started raining around 1pm, the track was groomed and in excellent condition.

Cameron raced in the 13-16 85cc – just doing the 1 class this time as he’s recovering from a bit of a flu virus.  As the turnout of riders for the day wasn’t huge all 85cc riders were racing together.

Race 1 Cameron takes the holeshot and leads for 3 laps, then makes a small mistake over the finish line jump almost spinning the bike out and loses a position.  He chases hard and soon catches the lead rider but can’t make a pass stick, then as he attempts an inside move – washes the front wheel out and goes down, finishes 3rd.

Race 2 Another holeshot, again leads for 3 laps and then a fallen lapper obstructs him on a corner by pushing his bike across the rut that Cameron was in (probably just trying to get off the track in a hurry)  But costs Cameron 2 places, 3 corners later makes a pass for 2nd and then takes a lap to catch the leader.  On the last lap of the race Cameron’s getting desperate to take the win, gets a run going into the whoops and makes an awesome pass on the leaders inside through this section – a real heart stopper to watch!

Race 3, by now the rain has arrived and the track is greasy.  Almost another holeshot from Cam but gets hit from behind entering the corner and exits 2nd, passes for the lead a few corners later and holds a good margin to the end.  The bike ran well all day.

Glad to get home to a nice warm fire!!

Training Weekend July16th-17th

A brief summary of our training weekend.

Friday 8:00am assemble with training group at the Tokaroa track and meet Glen Macdonald (macca) again. Riding at 8:30, sections of the track where particular skills were needed, these were talked about , explained in detail, then ridden with Macca very much in attendance. Riders were then paired up with similar skills and the section raced several times with encouragement to push the pace and make passes. Late morning doing the whoops section one of the 85 riders doesn’t react quick enough and goes down hard  breaking his collar bone. Roughly the same training format continues around the track with a summary talk about 4:00. Meet the following morning 8:00am at the Taupo track with a similar system as Friday. All the different major obstacles being covered, a lot of time spent in the sawdust and sand sections. The riders practiced the options of berms, ruts, with emphasis on entry, mid-corner, and exit. A session on starts, first corner, then over to the Dam jump for scrubs and whips. A huge amount of learning and riding , again a finish at 4:00 and told Macca would be at the Mercer club round on Sunday for those who could make it, we did. Cameron’s hands were quite blistered but he rode anyway, unfortunately he was physically spent and with the heavy sand really struggled. He was again in the 13-16 class and took 3 holeshots from 3 starts.

 It was a huge weekend for a young rider but Cameron thoroughly enjoyed every minute.

Race Report: Rotorua 11th July 2010

Cameron raced at the club round in Rotorua on Sunday, a beautiful day with a cold frosty -6 degree start to the day. Brrrrrr

The track had had a light groom in the worst patches which was great as it made for good racing.

Cameron again raced in two classes, 13-16 85cc & junior open (which included 125cc & 250F riders)

The concrete start pad was greasy and slippery and to begin with the start straight was frozen solid!

In the junior open class Cameron was once again hugely down on power but did a really good job of getting off the start pad quickly and of the 14 riders he rounded the first corner in either 4th or 5th position in all 3 starts.  By the end of the first lap he was back to around 8th or 9th and then started to move forward as his good riding technique and fitness came into play.  In races 2 & 3 finishing 5th & 4th respectively.

In the 85 class there were approx 15 riders.  In races 1 & 2 he took the holeshot both times and enjoyed some really hard racing to finish 2nd twice. After having ridden 5  15 minute races he was finding his forearms and hands were too sore to do the last race.

The track surface stayed rather slippery throughout the day from the frosty start but Cameron still managed to do both the big double in the centre of the track and the step down in all of his races, which on an 85 was quite an accomplishment and gave him a significant advantage.

July 4th Tokoroa

Tokoroa Round 3,  Cameron raced 2 classes the 13-16 85cc & 12-14 125cc (on his 85)

The weather was bitterly cold especially in the afternoon when the wind got up, but thankfully the rain held off.

 

In the first 85 race Cameron took the holeshot and showed good speed at the front of the field until the 4th lap when a lapper pushed him wide allowing 2nd place to come through.  The pace was really on and Cameron caught back up to the leaders wheel when another lapper forced the leader to go wide and fall off handing the lead back to Cameron which he held onto despite a very strong challenge in the last lap.  He was delighted to have won another 13-16 race.

 

In the 2nd 85 race he didn’t get such a good start and had to battle his way up to 3rd about mid race he was on the wheel of 2nd place but lost the back end of the bike coming off the Daytona corner, clipping a tyre and going over the bars. Unfortunately the bike landed across his legs and he couldn’t get it off for a while, resulting in a DNF.

 

Race 3 Another not so great start but charges through to 2nd place, the front 2 bikes appeared to be joined by a rubber band and this was a very exciting race to watch, especially having to deal with so many lappers, at the finish less than a bike length separated 1st & 2nd.

 

In the 125 races Cameron’s 85 could not compete with the bigger more powerful bikes especially with the long start straight.  In the 3rd race being the last of the day Cameron again tangled with a lapper who came down off her line and pushed Cameron right off the track which resulted in a huge crash and another DNF. 

 

Overall he rode very well and is continuing to improve both his speed and his riding technique, and thankfully came away from the day relatively unscathed.

Race Report: June 5th 2010 Tokoroa

Cameron & Thomas raced at the annual Queens Birthday motocross at Tokoroa on Saturday while the weather was still good, thankfully!!  The new track layout was absolutely awesome and groomed to perfection.

Cameron was racing his 11-12 85cc class, with the last 2 laps of practice being qualifying.  Cameron was the fastest in his group by 1.5 seconds and surprisingly his was the fastest time out of the 13-16 85cc also.

Race 1 Cameron took the holeshot and led to the finish line for a comfortable win, but afterwards said that the bike wasn’t pulling well at low speed, I couldn’t find anything wrong.

Race 2 (the Holeshot money was up for grabs!) Unfortunately as the gate dropped the engine bogs and almost stalls, by the time he gets out of the gate he is last.  He puts his head down and rides really well finishing in 2nd place, so the lead is tied for the deciding last race!

Back in the pits when we are checking the bike over we find the frame is broken through above the left foot peg and is just holding together.  Fortunately we managed to borrow another RM85 off the Kiff family which is set up for a larger rider but we are good to go again.

Race 3 2nd out of the first corner and passes for the lead mid way through the first lap.  Subsequently the borrowed bike starts making strange noises, alot of popping and back firing and starts to lose its performance, he loses first place and the gap starts to open.  Midway through the 3rd lap Cameron pulls off the track with a huge cloud of white smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe.  Day over!

He finished 4th overall despite having a DNF and was clearly the fastest rider there, it was good to see him moving forward through the field in the 2nd race.

Race Report: April 25th 2010

Another update on racing – this time Taupo Round 1 last Sunday, it was a fine sunny, dry day even slightly warm in the afternoon – quite unusual for Taupo!!

The track had been groomed and was smooth & fast to start with, but deteriorated rapidly to become very rough.  Cameron (12) was entered in the 13-16 85cc & 12-14 125 classes (both on the 85), he wanted some hard racing and he certainly got it.

Cameron did his best and rode hard for all 6 races and while the results were mixed it was certainly a good workout and made him realise how fast he needs to get to compete at the front of these classes.

We had another broken spoke in the rear wheel and blown fork seal at the front end, bike’s getting old!

At this point Cameron has chosen to pursue one of his other sporting passions – rugby – he trialled for the Tai Mitchell Rep rugby squad and has made it through 2 elimination cuts and is in the 25 man squad with only 3 more to be dropped before the naming of the playing 22.  He is training very hard and his fitness is improving markedly.   This will give us all a bit of a break after the intense lead up to the Junior Nationals, He will certainly be fit and rearing to get back racing at the end of the tournament.

Many thanks for your support

Race Report: NZ Junior Champs2010  17th-19th April Blenheim

To keep you up to date with how Cameron went at the Junior Nationals, held near Blenheim hosted by the Marlborough Motorcycle Club.

The track was a little different to the ones Cameron has raced on before being very high speed, long straights and a lot of flat corners. The weather for the entire weekend was fine, there was 280 junior riders, 60 in Camerons class.

Friday was practice, timed qualifying and race 1.  Practice went well and he qualified 5th fastest, first Suzuki, out of the 60 starters.  By the time of the first race areas of the track had dried out and were very dusty, including the first corner/start straight.

Race 1 unfortunately Cameron has a bad launch out of the gate and is buried in the pack and dust at the first corner and is involved in a bit of a tangle of bikes emerging at the back of the field.  He rides hard and does his best but can only get back up to 11th.  Back in the pits I find the rear disc has broken 2 of its 4 mounting lugs off the rear hub and is bent and dragging, probably from the first corner incident, I swapped the wheel out of the old 07 spare bike.

Saturday first up they get 2 laps of practice to sight the track for the day.  On the start line for Race 2 with only 2 minutes to go I find a broken spoke hanging out of the rear wheel – bend it around the next one and don’t tell the rider!! (Must have broken in the 2 practice laps) Race 2 – 8th out of first corner and going forward, gets up to 4th at the finish, we find another broken spoke in the rear wheel – replace from spare bike.

Race 3, has a brief off mid race and finishes 5th.

Sunday, Race 4, gets a better start, 6th out of first corner and with good speed moves into 2nd on the 2nd lap which he holds unchallenged to the chequered flag.  Another broken spoke!

Race 5, 10th out of the first corner and again quickly moves forward to 3rd which he holds to the end.

The track was very fast due to its layout and also got very rough later in the event.  The winner Josiah Natzke used his usual bike for the first race on Friday but was then able to bring out the bike purchased from the French team at the Junior Worlds – which was very much faster, taking 4 consecutive holeshots and riding off the front of the field in races 2, 3 & 4.

While 5th was not the result we were looking for there are 55 other riders who would happily swap places with Cameron.  We are very proud of Camerons efforts and the determination he showed when things didn’t go his way.

Race Report: Auckland Champs/Oceania 7th March 2010

On the weekend Cameron raced the Auckland Champs on Saturday in the 11-12 85cc class which was very well attended with all the top riders nationally fronting in this class.  Then on Sunday he raced as part of the NZ squad against the Australians.

Saturday was hot and sunny, the track, as per usual was well watered to begin with and dried out, hardening out a huge amount by the end of the day.  Ist up was practice/qualifying for gate pick, Cameron top qualified by a little over 1 second.

Race 1 Cameron was 4th out of 1st corner but with plenty of speed started moving forward, the track was very slippery but his bike was working well and he took the lead in lap 3, passing both Dylan Walsh (current NZ #1) & Joel Meikle who had been clearly faster than Cameron at Woodville, a great effort and a good win.

Race 2  5th out of 1st corner and again immediately starts moving forward to again take the lead at the end of lap 2.  He pulls a small gap and controls the race from the front on what is now a hardening track, a very delighted young man! At this point he has an 8 point lead over 2nd/3rd who were tied on points, this means he needs 4th or better in the final race to take the overall win.  At this stage Dad made a decision to change his tyres from the Pirelli MS32 to something he thought would be better for the very hard track surface....... BAD MOVE ...”Never race what you haven’t trained” !!

Race 3  5th out of 1st corner and the bike is obviously moving around alot, up to 4th place but the leaders are getting away, 2nd lap he crashes as he can’t slow the bike under brakes as he’s used too, gets going again in 5th and has some work to catch 4th place but does so and rides to the end knowing that 4th was good enough for the overall win. 

So 1st place overall which is a very strong result given that he came from behind in the first 2 races to pass Dylan, Joel & Josiah.

Then on Sunday the 2 Oceania races were held with Cameron as a racing reserve rider, unfortunately this meant that his points didn’t count towards the NZ team tally, so his role was to stay out of the way of the NZ team members and “in” the way of the Australian team members which he did very well, at one point pulling over and waving a team mate through and then closing the gate on 2 aussies for the rest of the race.  Cameron unfortunately suffered a couple of crashes the first of which began with an Australian going down in a fast rut with Joel going into the back of him and Cameron into Joel, breaking Cameron’s front brake lever, leaving only 25mm to grab hold of for the rest of the race, subsequently he missed getting his fingers onto it in a fast downhill braking area causing him to exit over the handlebars – nothing broken, just bruising and finishes the race.  A great experience which hopefully he can build on next year as the NZ team travels to Australia for the annual Oceania race off.  Sadly New Zealand came 2nd overall on this occasion.

Race Report :  Harrisville 21st Feb 2010

Yesterday Cameron raced the Pukekohe club round at Harrisville, the weather was hot & sunny, the track was very wet for the practice rounds but progressively dried and turned into the “red brick road” Cameron raced 2 classes 11-12 85cc and Junior open 125/250cc.

In the 85cc class he had a good day with some hard close racing at times and 3 wins from 3 starts,

In the open class there were alot of 15-16 year olds riding 250F machines, there were approx 18 riders in this class, Cameron started very well – being between 7th-10th around the first corner in all 3 races, very exciting race 1 dicing with a 15yr old on a KXF, they would have swapped positions at least 10 times in the 1 race, with Cameron coming out on top, finishing 6th.  Unfortunately in the 2nd race in this class Cameron punctured and crashed heavily.

 

Overall a very satisfying day albeit very tiring with the heat and double classing!  Good practice for the Auckland Champs/Oceania Champs in 2 weeks.

Race report: Valley Champs 13th Feb 2010

A quick note on Camerons results for the Valley Champs yesterday.

The weather on Saturday was showery and the track was its usual wet state but improved throughout the day.

There were 27 in his 11-12 85cc class, they had a timed practice for gate selection, Cameron was 2nd fastest qualifier.

 

Race 1 Cameron was 2nd out of 1st corner, had a good race but couldn’t get close enough to put a pass on Josiah Natzke, the leader.

 

Race 2 - $50 holeshot money up for grabs.  Cameron takes the holeshot much to our delight! But early in the first lap Josiah Natzke goes past him and pulls a gap of about 30 metres, Cameron digs deep and produces an outstanding ride to catch and pass Natzke over the finish line on the 2nd lap, Gonk the legendary commentator was just about having a fit of excitement! Cameron went on to pull a substantial gap and comfortably take the win – Meaning winner takes all in the deciding race 3!

 

Race 3  2nd out of first corner with Josiah behind him, Cameron goes hard out to pass the lead rider and controls the race from the front, not wanting to risk an off – maintains a 30-40 metre gap throughout to take the win and first place on the podium!!

 

We’re all very pleased with his result, he did a good thank you speech at prizegiving – A very happy young man!

 

The other very exciting news we have from the weekend is Camerons selection as a reserve rider into the NZ Oceania team to race against the Australians on Mar 7th which is the seniors day for the Auckland Champs at Pukekohe. The class is 12-15yrs  85cc and consists of 5 riders with 2 reserves all of whom get to race, with the top 5 finishers scoring points for their country.

 

Thanks very much for your on going support.

Race report from Woodville Jan 2010 :  On Thursday we went down to the 49th  annual New Zealand Grand Prix at Woodville, the weather was very hot and sunny on Thursday & Friday, Saturday a little more cloud cover but still warm and dry.  Unfortunately for the seniors the weather packed up on Sunday and they had a complete mud fest.  The track for our racing was in perfect condition.

For us practice and race 1 was on Friday, this time there was no qualifying for any of the junior classes.  Cameron’s 11-12 85cc class had a full 40 gate, Cameron was 3rd fastest qualifier.

Race 1 Not a great launch out of the gate and then almost got caught up in a first corner crash – luckily managed to avoid!! Out through the tape and back on the track about 20th place, pulled his finger out and rode hard with a lot of catching up to do, finishing 3rd.

Race 2 (This was Saturday morning) Good start 2nd out of 1st corner, 3 bikes ride away from the main pack and unfortunately Cameron loses a spot mid race to finish 3rd again.

Race 3 6th out of 1st corner, makes some good passing manoeuvres, has to overtake 3rd place rider to claim 2nd overall for the weekend, has to ride really hard to close the gap, but makes the pass over a jump and manages to pull a small gap to the end.

The Suzuki RM85 was faultless all weekend and was certainly up to the job, combined with the Pirelli Scorpion Tyres and Elf oils made an awesome package for Cameron.

A very pleasing 2nd place on the podium!! The winning rider from Oamaru was a clear step above Cameron’s pace at the moment, but has certainly given us something to aim for at the Nationals in Malborough in April.

At the end of the day there was an 85cc/150cc Champion of Champions race, this was selected from all 85cc/150cc riders (aged up to 16 years making a total of 85 riders)  out of which the fastest 40 were selected on lap times.  Cameron was 9th fastest qualifier, which he was very proud of.  Unfortunately with the track now very rough he took a hard fall while in 6th place which left him feeling groggy so he wisely withdrew and DNF’ed

Quote Dec 2009: “I’ve had a good season so far since I’ve come back from a few injuries, and am looking forward to going for it in the 13-16 85’s next year. My Dad Noel and I work on the bike together and along with my brother Tom we believe in a strong  team work set up to get the most out of the sport. I love MX and would like to thank all my sponsors and look forward to thrashing the berms at Maddix Park over the Xmas holidays to get ready for 2010 – Cheers, Cam.”

Bookmark and Share