Full speed ahead for Bellarine’s young racing talent

TWO Bellarine primary school students have been selected to represent Australia at the Ovhale Guangzhou Supercup in August.

Patrick and Finn Bradbury, aged seven and eight, have been racing for two years and earned selection alongside four other Australian junior riders.

The cousins already loved riding motorbikes and jumped at the opportunity to race in the MiniGP Australia Series.

Not the average weekend sport for children their age, Finn and Patrick said racing was both exciting and challenging.

Travelling across Australia with their family to compete, they said nerves are just part of competing in motorsport.

Finn said having fun was his favourite part of racing, but admitted that it can be scary too.

“The straight is very fast. You’ve got to go full speed into it and then into a corner,” he said.

Avoiding dangerous crashes is part of his responsibility as a rider and one he takes seriously. A recent crash left him shaken but determined to learn from the experience.

 

Patrick said following racing lines and being aware of the other riders on the course was essential to making sure everyone finished safely.

“I don’t get nervous at the start because I’ve done it before and it’s not that scary because we’re pretty used to it because we’ve done it for a couple years,” Patrick said.

Unable to secure space to train at a local track, the boys travel to Oakleigh to practice at the only Victorian circuit offering regular training times for riders.

It can be a big effort for the young riders, but they love every second.

Both boys said they are proud to have the opportunity to compete against riders from around the world.

Finn said he is especially proud to be heading overseas with older Australian competitors.

“I’m proud because I’m the youngest one and I got selected to race,” he said.

“I’m nervous; I’ve never been to China before.”

The boys’ fathers said they couldn’t be prouder of the effort they have put into their racing and believed their selection was well deserved.

“The boys have both worked incredibly hard to get themselves to a skill level that they can be selected,” Finn’s dad Aaron Bradbury said.

“We don’t really care about results at this age or where they come, we’re just really excited for the opportunity.”

 

The boys first became involved in racing through Patrick’s father, Matt Bradbury, and his connection to Superbike champion Wayne Maxwell.

Working in the Superbike paddocks, Matt learnt Maxwell was investing in the future of the sport through grassroots junior development.

With two boys already passionate about motorbikes, getting involved was an easy decision.

“Ten years ago, this didn’t exist,” Matt said. “If it wasn’t for Wayne’s program, there would be no kids in the southern states of Australia that would have an opportunity to do it at all.

“For him to retire and put all his time and effort into the youngest kids in the country is incredible.”

As for other kids their age, Patrick said they should think about taking up motorbike racing too.

“I reckon they should try and give it a go; it’s really good to try new things,” he said.

The Ovhale Guangzhou Supercup is in its second year and will run from 17-24 August in Guangzhou, China.