Watch this space … Rotorua’s Nathan Henderson is on the rise.

The unheralded Kawasaki ace did his best to steal the thunder from championship favourite Hadleigh Knight as he rose from under the radar to run with the leaders throughout the three-day New Zealand Junior Motocross Championships in Taranaki at the weekend.

Though he was second in the championship standings in the 14-16 years’ 250cc class after day one and he continued to hound Knight (CMR Red Bull KTM 250 SXF) and was still in the runner-up spot after day two, Henderson (Kawasaki KX250F) eventually had to settle for third outright, behind Atiamuri’s Knight and eventual runner-up Kairyn King (Yamaha YZ250F), of Motueka, although Henderson certainly had a few people sitting up and taking notice.

The 16-year-old apprentice electrician had been out of action for quite some time leading up to the nationals after breaking his leg on Waitangi Day. Henderson came out of his leg cast just six weeks before the Taranaki event and underwent an intensive training regime to be fit for battle. It was doubly surprising, then, that Henderson also entered the 15-16 years’ 125cc class, taking his KTM 125 SX to finish a solid fourth overall. He had also been running in second place in that class until the final day.

“I last raced the junior nationals in 2011, finishing ninth overall in the 12-14 years’ 125cc class,” he said.

“But I’m a lot faster now. I just need to be a bit fitter. I fund myself and have dad as my mechanic, so it’s a pretty low-key effort really.

“To be honest, I was pretty surprised at how well I went at the weekend. I thought maybe I’d only get fifth or sixth in both classes.”

With his obvious pace, it is probably fair to say that Henderson won’t be able to “slip under the radar” in the future and that suits him just fine … “I want to be out in front. I’m out there to win afterall.”

Henderson is supported by Patterson-O’Connor Motorcycles in Rotorua.

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