Mangakino motocross ace Kayne Lamont is making all the right moves.

The Power Balance MotoGB BikesportNZ.com Suzuki rider has just signed a deal to race for the high profile Suzuki team in the United Kingdom, enabling him to continue his love affair with racing in that part of the world.

The 17-year-old Lamont enjoyed huge success on his debut season in Britain earlier this year, impressing Suzuki team boss Rob Hooper so much that an offer came after just his second race appearance there.

“Kayne won his first meeting over there, racing a Suzuki RM125 at a Red Bull series race at Pontrillas,” said Lamont’s father, Stu Lamont.

“Kayne also shone at his next race, a round of the British Motocross Championships at Foxhills, winning his first race, even against the 250cc four-stroke riders, and coming home second in the next (equal with the eventual British champion Connor Wakely but placing him second overall on the day on a count-back).

“The seeds had been sown and that’s when Rob (Hooper) came to talk to me. He was wanting to set up his team early for 2011 and had his eye on Kayne. It will be a two-rider team in 2011 with England’s Steven Clark as Kayne’s team-mate.”

The 2011 season will be a busy one for young Lamont, the calendar giving him just five weekends off in eight months.

Lamont will race the MX2 class on a Suzuki RM-Z250 and his last race meeting in New Zealand will be the 50th annual Woodville Motocross on January 30.

“We had discussions with (Kiwi GP star) Josh Coppins and he recommended that Kayne spend more time racing in the UK before setting his sights on the MX2 world championships in Europe,” said Stu Lamont.

A double New Zealand junior champion in 2010, Lamont has since been making waves in the senior grades, earning him a position on the Power Balance MotoGB BikesportNZ.com Suzuki team based at Mount Maunganui.

“It’s great to be in this (Power Balance) team but we couldn’t resist the offer to race overseas,” said Lamont.

“I’m really excited about what’s coming up. I have contacts over in the UK now and I already know some of the tracks over there, so I should be up to speed fairly quickly.”

The UK offer means Lamont will now not be able to race the New Zealand Motocross Championships.

There will actually be four Kiwis racing in the UK this season with expatriate Kiwi Rex Michau of Team DBG offering rides to Rotorua’s John Phillips in the MX2 class and Elsthorpe’s Kieran Scheele and Masterton’s Bjarne Fredericksen in the MX1 class.

© Words and photo by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com

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