Auckland’s Callan May is a young with a very bright future in the sport of off-road motorcycle racing.

The 19-year-old from Titirangi has only been racing motorcycles for five years but already he’s knocking on the door for national championships.

He took his 2011-model Yamaha YZ125 to a solid third overall in the under-200cc two-stroke class at this year’s New Zealand Enduro Championships, with only bad luck preventing him from possibly scoring a higher ranking – he damaged his front brake lever and was forced to withdraw from the final round of the series, at Wairakei, near Taupo, in July.

The Kiwi Rider magazine and Northern Accessories-sponsored rider won the Bel Ray Cross-country Championships series in 2008, in just his second season of racing, and also takes his bike into battle on the motocross front when time allows.

He finished third in the Waikato Motocross Championships earlier this season and, despite missing the first round of four in the series, he was placed 14th overall in the 125cc nationals (11th overall in the sub-section for those riders aged under 21 years).

“I don’t mind if I am racing motocross, enduro or cross-country racing … just as long as I’m riding,” he said.

May also won his class in the recent Dirt Guide Cross-country Series and finished third overall against some very high-powered opposition on much bigger bikes.

If his career path continues to take a sharp upward trajectory, there is no telling where this young man and his 125cc Yamaha will end up.

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