KTM HERO SET FOR A BIG START IN EUROPE
Words: Andy McGechan Photos: Geoff Osborne
K
iwi Rider tester James Scott can’t wait
for his latest big overseas adventure to
begin. The 16-year-old Kiwi rising star will
board a plane for Belgium at the end of
next month, determined to again shake
up the motocross scene in Europe.
Scott impressed when he last raced in
Europe in 2016, competing in the European
150 Motocross Championships (EMX150),
turning a few heads and obviously attracting
the attention of all the right people.
Scott will join the Belgian-based KTM-backed
FMX4Ever KTM team, becoming an integral
member of what will be a three-rider line-
up to contest the European 125cc Motocross
Championships (EMX125) this season.
The young KTM rider finished runner-up to
Mangakino’s Maximus Purvis in the 15-16 years’ 125cc
class at the 2017 New Zealand Junior Motocross
Championships last April and, although injured at
the start of this year, he is now well on the road to
Oparau’s James Scott (KTM 125SX),
ready for another crack at
the European motocross
scene this season
16 KIWI RIDER
recovery and ready to race again internationally.
Scott’s father, Matthew Scott, said the broken arm
he suffered at Woodville in late January meant
his son would skip the first two of nine rounds
of the EMX125 series, but “he would be back up
to speed again” for the rounds that follow.
James Scott has been working his way back
to full fitness with help from Olympic BMX
rider Kurt Picard, from Tauranga, and Bay of
Plenty’s former motocross world champion
Ben Townley, who “has been the driving force
behind establishing James’ latest campaign”.
Scott will line up for his first 2018 EMX125
race at round three of the series at Kegums,
in Latvia, on May 13, followed a week later by
round four at Teutschenthal, in Germany.
Meanwhile, Waikato man Patrick Glidden will
travel with Scott to work as his mechanic.
Originally a freestyle motocross team, FMX4Ever
recently switched its attention to the mainstream
motocross scene, with a prime focus on the
EMX125 series. Scott will join with other riders
Wannes van de Voorde, Kjell Verbruggen and
Spanish 125cc champion Mario Lucas Sanz
in forming the 2018 FMX4Ever line-up.
The EMX125 and EMX250 championships are
considered a launch pad to full Grand Prix
racing and shares the weekend programme
with nine of the GP events.