Don’t let the size of these racers fool you. Their hearts are huge and their desire and determination perhaps even greater than that.
Run by the South Waikato Motorcycle Club and sponsored by Craig Stevens Motorcycles, the 2026 New Zealand Mini Motocross Nationals will be held at the popular Craig Stevens Motorcycle Track at 53 Moffat Road, on the outskirts of Tokoroa, this coming Saturday and Sunday and the tricky course will be sure to test even the most talented of youngsters.
The future of the sport will be on show here with a packed programme to occupy riders over the two days.
Riders aged between 4-11 years – and riding bikes with engine capacities anywhere between 50cc and 140cc – will bash handlebars in a series of high-intensity races and there is no doubt that some of the riders who feature this weekend will go on to carve national or even international careers for themselves in the future.
There are plenty of top senior racers who kicked off their stellar international careers at the New Zealand Mini Motocross Nationals, individuals such as Australian brothers Hunter and Jett Lawrence, Huntly’s Josiah Natzke, Mangakino’s Maximus Purvis and Waitoki’s Cole Davies, for example.
Racing in Tokoroa this weekend could throw the spotlight on the next Kiwi international superstars, young riders who may go on to follow in the wheel tracks of these world class New Zealanders.
Some of the rising stars to look out for this weekend include riders such as Auckland’s Karter Tupaea, Stratford’s Jack Bunn, Gisborne’s Mac Speirs, Tokoroa’s Alex Sutherland, Whakatane’s Cooper Whyte, Owhango’s brother and sister act Corbin and Libby Wind, Hastings rider Finnian Gillies, Feilding’s Hunter Rider and Dannevirke’s Amilah-Rose Hickey, just to name a few.
Owhango’s Corbin Wind is tackling two classes in Tokoroa this weekend – 6-8 years MX50cc and 7-8 years MX65cc – and is likely to be a frontrunner in both. Photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com
South Waikato Motorcycle Club president Anthony Brolly said he was really looking forward to the weekend.
“As with any national or championship title, the competitors have been hard at work honing their skills.
“Saturday will be nail-biting from the very beginning with large numbers entered.
“The South Waikato Motorcycle Club have been hard at work preparing the track to give the competitors a real test of their skills. Local competitors will be hoping that racing in front of their home crowd may give them an advantage … time will tell,” he said.
SWMCC secretary Skyler Heathcote said: “With more than 160 competitors travelling nationwide to get here, it will be a real spectacle, we encourage everyone to come and support the competitors and see who will be crowned our next mini motocross champions.
“A rider who would be worth keeping an eye out for would be Jacko Slater. His results this season have been amazing, and it’s great to see all the hard work he’s been putting in really paying off.
“Another one to watch is local Whakamaru rider Jacob Brolly, who I believe finished NZ No.1 last year. It’ll be exciting to see how he performs this year, especially racing on home soil.”
© Words and photos by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ
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