One of the big influences that got me into racing was an article in AMCN written by Chris Dobie talking up the Honda CBR250RR MC22. I started in 2018 by doing a few PCRA rounds and the Island Classic in 2019. I’ve mostly been racing classic 250 production bikes but I’ve also had the opportunity to ride a 1978 NCR Ducati from the Period 5 1300 class.
Growing up I did some junior motocross but eventually gave it away. It wasn’t until 2016, in my mid-20s, that I bought a Triumph Street Triple and started doing some rider training courses with Bernie Hatton from Top Rider. Body position and vision were the two big takeaways – setting yourself up for corners, when to move and when not to move. With vision it was all about where to look and where not to look.
These are all things I continue to apply today and it makes a difference with lap times. I quickly worked out though that you just can’t do the same things on the road as you can on the track. Some trackdays followed, but I have a bit of a competitive streak and decided what I wanted to do was to ride fast on the track in a safe environment. From there I decided to buy a racebike that I wouldn’t be too stressed about if I happened to throw it down the road – which is where the MC22 came in.
I found I got a real buzz out of going fast and pushing the limits, but maybe the biggest part for me is the satisfaction I get out of getting everything right for that fast lap or a well-executed pass I had planned in my head. I also love the camaraderie in the pits. The MC22 is a solid bike. They handle incredibly well and the higher revving engine is near-on bulletproof. Ken Watson helped get me into the class, providing set-up information and advice for any of us newbies getting into the sport. The Period 6 Honda is also very easy to ride, whereas I found the more modern 250s to be more agricultural in comparison, with more flex and movement in the frame. The little Fireblade was the closest thing I could find to a real racebike. It’s taken more than four years of absolute punishment so far and I continue to do faster lap times every time I race it.
At the 2019 Island Classic I was pitted with Paul Rawstron, which is how the opportunity to ride the Ducati NCR came about. Paul is a passionate Ducati enthusiast and loves seeing his bike competing. He took the bike out of storage and offered for me to ride it at Sydney’s Festival of Speed. I missed qualifying after a few mechanical issues and started the second race from the back of the grid, making up a fair few positions before a last-lap mechanical issue ended our weekend prematurely.
It has an unbelievable amount of torque and can pull out of a corner in almost any gear. The handling was also very impressive, tipping into corners nicely and holding a tight line. Just riding the bike was an awesome experience and some of the most fun I’ve had on track. Hopefully it won’t be the last time I ride it. My only foray into modern bikes so far has been the third round of the Motul Summer Night Series this year, where the St George Formula 400 class had a run. I raced a Ninja 400 that was prepared by Pro Worx Kawasaki, and I won the round!
I’m 30 years old, and a little late to the party when it comes to racing motorcycles! I was 24 years old when I started with the PCRA, and that’s how I chose my race number. The next step is to build an RGV250 ‘proddie’ with my father, and we hope to travel interstate hopefully with good results!
PHOTOGRAPHY MAX YOUNG
