Meanwhile, Pirongia’s Jacob Beattie won the 7-8
years’ 65cc class in what was another series of
cut-and-thrust battles, with Temuka’s Hudson
Swete quickly emerging as his main rival.
The close racing in this class also featured
impressive performances from New Plymouth’s
Travis Taylor, Tauranga’s Arama Te Whetu and
Ashhurst’s Korbin McConchie, among others.
Swete finished the championship just eight
points behind Beattie, with Taylor clinching the
third podium spot, 13 points further back.
The president of the host Kapi Mana Motorcycle
Club, Shane Doherty, said he was “blown away by
how it all came together”.
“It was, I believe, the largest number of entries
for a mini nationals in more than 10 years. The
kids and the parents loved the track and we even
gave it a few tweaks through the weekend to
create fresh opportunities for passing, pushing
the bunting out in some places to brings a few
more berms into play.”
Other class winners were Maddox Swanson
(Carterton, 6-8 years’ 50cc class); Levi McMaster
(Christchurch, 4-7 years’ 50cc class); Harry Pluck
(Cambridge, 6-8 years’ 50cc trail bike class); Paddy
Parkes (Pahiatua, 4-5 years’ 50cc trail bike class)
and Luke Denby (Ashhurst, 7-11 years’ big trail
bike class).
BEATTIE
BEATTIE CLAIMS 7-8 YEARS' TROPHY
by Andy McGechan
"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.
The 8-year-old from Pirongia wrapped up the win in the 7-8 years' 65cc class at the 2018 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.
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.