Things are on the way up for Te Puke’s Logan Blackburn.

The 19-year-old finished runner-up in the 125cc class at the New Zealand Motocross Championships earlier this year – missing out on the title by just one point from fellow Yamaha ace Cameron Vaughan, of Rotorua – and he showed enough promise to be promoted into the high-profile Altherm JCR Yamaha Racing Team enclosure.

The Bayride Yamaha and BikesportNZ.com-supported rider arrived at the big annual Labour Weekend Motocross Extravaganza at Taupo over Labour Weekend on a mission, with fresh, new Altherm JCR Yamaha Racing Team graphics on his bike and a tough team boss, Motueka’s Josh Coppins, to impress.

The rising young star of New Zealand motocross instantly repaid Coppins by comfortably winning the senior 125cc class with a 1-1-2 score-line.

“I’m pretty pleased with my first big race of the season … I’m surprised I went so well, actually, because I’ve had a migraine headache all day,” said Blackburn afterwards.

Blackburn was impressive in winning his first of three races, snatching the holeshot and leading from start to finish.

He was jolted back to reality in the next race when Taupo’s Hadleigh Knight (CMR Red Bull KTM) and Christchurch’s Dylan Walsh (Technosal KTM) got the jump on him out of the start gate.

“I was back in third and just decided I had to push the ‘on switch’ and go hard. I took the lead soon after that and just checked out,” he said, winning that second race by an incredible eight-second margin.

The third race of the day was an all-capacities feature final and, although he was up against riders on 250cc and 450cc bikes, he knew his focus just had to be on keeping 125cc class rivals such as Knight, Walsh and Tauranga’s Aaron Wiltshier (JT Racing KTM) in sight.

“My 125 got swallowed up a bit at the start and I was stuck in traffic for a while. But I could see Hadleigh (Knight) just ahead of me and I knew if I just kept cool, it’d be okay.”

Altherm JCR Yamaha Racing Team MX1 class rider Ethan Martens (YZ450F) eventually won the feature race, while Knight finished 13th (first 125cc rider) and Blackburn settled for 16th (second 125cc rider) and this was enough to give Blackburn the overall 125cc class win.

“This is the first time I’ve won my class at Taupo. It’s a great feeling and a fantastic way to start the season.”

The next major outing for the Altherm JCR Yamaha Racing Team will be the Auckland Motocross Championships in two weeks’ time, on November 16-17, where Blackburn will be keen to repeat the performance.

The Altherm JCR Yamaha Racing team is supported by Yamaha Motor New Zealand, CRC, Fox, Holland’s Collision Centre, Star Moving, GYTR, Yamalube, Pro Circuit, Alpinestars, Matrix, DID, NGK, Renthal, Pirelli, Etnies, Workshop Graphics, POD, Atlas, Motomuck, Uni, Giltrap Prestige, Hinson and Racetech Plastics.

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