“I’m just a kid riding a bike” … that was the delightfully frank response from Pirongia’s Jacob Beattie when he was asked how it felt to be a New Zealand mini motocross champion for the first time.
The 8-year-old from Pirongia wrapped up the win in the 7-8 years’ 65cc class at the weekend’s NZ mini motocross nationals at Moonshine, in the Akatarawa Valley, near Porirua, heading to the top of the podium ahead of Temuka’s Hudson Swete and New Plymouth’s Travis Taylor.
It was Beattie’s first attempt at winning a national title.
Beattie’s dad, former leading junior motocross racer Clint Beattie, was naturally proud of his boy’s achievement and even modestly admitted that Jacob might become a better rider than he did.
“I’m just a kid riding a bike” … that was the delightfully frank response from Pirongia’s Jacob Beattie when he was asked how it felt to be a New Zealand mini motocross champion. Photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com
Clint Beattie finished third overall in the junior 13-16 year’s 80cc class at the 1998 junior nationals, finishing behind Luke Burkhart and Ben Townley.
Clint Beattie again finished third overall at the junior nationals the following season, again behind Burkhart and Townley, this time in the 125cc division.
Meanwhile, Jacob Beattie will now move straight up to the junior ranks, where he will race on the “big track” at Taupo’s MX Fest in just over a week’s time.
© Words and photos by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ
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The picturesque mini motocross track at Moonshine, in the Akatarawa Valley, near Porirua. Photos by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com
