A heady mix of bravery, tenacity and talent in equal measures were on show at the 2026 New Zealand Mini Motocross Nationals in Tokoroa at the weekend.
Run by the South Waikato Motorcycle Club and sponsored by Craig Stevens Motorcycles, the 2026 New Zealand Mini Motocross Nationals were held at the popular Craig Stevens Motorcycle Track on the outskirts of Tokoroa, with three races for each class on Saturday and then two more for each the following day.
The event produced the highest calibre of racing and the large number of spectators in attendance certainly appreciated the entertainment factor.
Riders aged between 4-11 years – and riding bikes with engine capacities anywhere between 50cc and 140cc – bashed handlebars in the series of high-intensity races and there is little doubt that some of the riders who featured at the weekend will go on to carve national or even international careers for themselves in the future.
There was plenty of inspiration on hand at the weekend, with the pit zone bristling with a handful of former superstars of the sport – men such as Tokoroa’s Reece Sutherland – all now the proud parents of today’s rising stars in mini motocross, considered a nursery ground for those starting out in motocross.
One of those riders perhaps with a big future is Huntly’s Jackson Slater, who dominated two classes at the weekend – the 7-8 years’ 65cc class and the MX50 class as well – and, in total, he won nine of the 10 races he had entered.
“I’ve been doing a lot of training leading up to this,” said the eight-year-old.
“Ive been riding and training every day.
“I’d love now to go and race in America, like (fellow Kiwi and now US champion) Cole Davies. He is an inspiration for me and if he can do it, I can do it.
“I hit one jump too fast today and that gave me a bit of a fright and I finished third in that race.”
For the record, Slater was impressive in the 7-8 years’ 65cc class and complied a 3-1-1-1-1 score-card in his five MX50 class races.
Winner of the premier 9-11 years’ 65cc class was Royce Bush, from Greenhithe, on Auckland’s North Shore, closely challenged throughout by Wairoa’s Dante McConnell and Turangi’s Anand Rothe.
Bush said he was thrilled to win his first national title.
“The competition was tough. Heaps of them (my rivals) were good friends, but still these riders, such as Anand and Dante, made it hard,” he said afterwards.
“I loved the track. I liked the big jumps. I’m clearing them all now, apart from No.2.
“I want to thank everyone who supported me. I didn’t just do this on my own you know.”
Another rider to impress was Stratford’s Jack Bunn, who finished unbeaten in his three races on Saturday and settled for two runner-up finishes on Sunday, enough to fend off his main threat, Taupo’s Brax Lee, by a meagre five competition points.
A mostly-dominant display from Morrinsville’s Lukas Baker – with just one second placing to show for his otherwise glistening performance, gave him the Intro MX50 class title ahead of Gisborne’s Mac Speirs, while Karter Tupaea truly was untouchable in the Trail 7-9 years’ class, the rider from North Harbour, Auckland, winning all five races to convincingly edge out Helensville’s Jett Schmidt.
In a rare display of maturity for one so young, and following advice from his dad, Stratford six-year-old Oakley McGechan was content to relinquish a couple of places while leading in the last race of his debut campaign in the Intro Trail 50 class, thus avoiding any entanglements with his main rivals, to ensure that he wrapped up that title.
With less than 18-months of racing, his eventual 1-1-3-1-3 score-card earned him the crown ahead of arch-rival Cooper Whyte, from Whakatane, by just two points.
Best of the females was Milton’s Mia Manston, who dominated the Mini Girls class with a solid 3-1-1-3-1 score-card over her five races, an historic outcome in many ways because this was also the first time an exclusively-girls class had been included in this event.
Manston also finished ninth in the MX65 9-11 years’ class – the best of the girls in that mixed class.
The nine-year-old from Milton, north of Balclutha, said she “loved the dirt … it’s the best track”
“It was tacky and grippy and reminded me a little of home.
“I’d like to thank mum and dad and my sponsors and supporters for making this possible. Also, thanks to the South Waikato Motorcycle Club that put this event on.”
Meanwhile, host South Waikato Motorcycle Club president Anthony Brolly said “our crew did a fantastic job keeping up with track maintenance. They couldn’t have done better. The track gave competitors a mixed bag of conditions and the eventual champions certainly earned their titles.
“This is the future of our sport right here and it was a pleasure to host it. It’s tough when you have kids racing too, but I’ve got an amazing wife, Monique, and she’s the one who makes it all possible.
“The tricky conditions really did sort the riders out. The brief rain we experienced did only serve to keep the dust down.”
With a large entry list of nearly 200 young riders, the racing was certainly intense at the weekend, showing that the sport is extremely healthy at this grassroots level.
Racing at Tokoroa at the weekend shone the spotlight on the next Kiwi international superstars, young riders who may go on to follow in the wheel tracks of world class New Zealand riders such as Otago’s Courtney Duncan, New Plymouth brothers Darryll, Shayne and Damien King, Motueka’s Josh Coppins, Oparau’s James Scott, Mangakino’s Maximus Purvis, Opotiki’s Cody Cooper and West Auckland’s Hamish Harwood, Huntly’s Josiah Natzke, Waitoki’s Cole Davies or Tauranga duo Ben Townley and Brodie Connolly, to name a few.
It is highly likely that we see a few of the 2026 New Zealand mini motocross champions, riders such as Slater, Bush and Bunn, for example, appearing in Kiwi colours as senior riders at the Motocross of Nations overseas or in international Grand Prix races in the future.
© Words and photos by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ
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