Hamilton’s Josiah Natzke is heading for the top.

That’s the verdict after the young Yamaha ace battled clinging mud on some occasions and withstood withering heat on others to impress at the big annual Loretta Lynn’s Amateur National Motocross Championships in the United States.

Racing his Yamaha YZ85 in both the 9-11 years’ stock and the 9-11 years’ modified categories, Natzke stunned some of the world’s elite young motocross stars of the future, finishing sixth overall in the stock class and fifth overall in the modified class.

Natzke finished 10-7-7 in his three stock class races and came home 6-6-5 in his three modified class outings.

Raced over five days, the event attracts hundreds of riders from all over the world and is regarded as the ultimate proving ground for junior amateur riders, many of whom may expect to be approached for serious, professional factory contracts in the coming weeks.

“He rode really well and was improving every time he got on the track,” said Natzke’s mother, Janine.

“He also had to handle some incredible heat. They say it was 114F (45 Celsius) yesterday. It was hotter than hot.”

The week of racing covered both extremes for the Natzke crew.

“When Josiah was (in the) staging (area) for his race on Thursday, the thunder and lightning started and then the rain came. So, after standing there for about an hour they called it for the day.”

American rider Austin Forkner, from Richards, Missouri, won the overall in both the categories that Natzke contested.

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