NOAH Grabham, 9, has continued to grow his profile on the national stage after scoring a bronze double at the Australian Junior Dirt Track Championships Showdown.
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Grabham and other riders had waited two months to complete the rescheduled event at Kurri Kurri (delayed due to rain over the June long weekend) but the time away from the track only fuelled the Bathurst junior’s desire to succeed on Sunday.
In a highly-competitive division Grabham finished third in both the 65cc class for 7 to under 9s and the 85cc 4-stroke modified class for 7 to Under 10s.
Grabham was victorious at last year’s Victorian Dirt Track State Titles and has carried that strong form into the 2018 season of racing.
His father Damien, who also had enjoyed great results at the Victorian event, has been proud to see his son continuing to improve his riding.
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“He’s been building up to this. We’d been doing a fair bit of travelling around and he’s been getting that bit faster and faster,” he said.
“On Sunday there was only the practice race then the final. He’d woken up with a bit of cold and flu so we were thinking ‘Oh no’ but he’s done really well.”
Jayden Holder was the victor across both of Grabham’s categories but the Bathurst rider delivered some serious competition to the winner along with Hugh Dilley and Beau Bailey.
Damien Grabham said Noah’s journey towards the podium made the result all the more satisfying.
“All up there was probably 100 kids across the age groups, which is great for an Aussie title meeting,” he said.
“There’s 12 that qualify through to the final and of that 12 there’s probably six to eight riders who are capable of winning it.
“It all depends on the start that they get. If Noah had got a better start I’ve got no doubt that he would have won. He got a bad start in one and an average one in the other but two thirds is really good.
He’s been building up to this. We’d been doing a fair bit of travelling around and he’s been getting that bit faster and faster.
- Damien Grabham
“On the 65cc he was about sixth from the start and he was fifth right up until the last lap, but on the second last corner he passed two people and ended up third.”
There’s little time for Grabham to rest as he aims to end his year with more wonderful results.
“NSW titles are coming up along with the Victorian and South Australian titles,” Damien Grabham said.
“There’s Australian long track titles too, which is similar to what he’d had at the nationals but that had a right-hander in it. That’ll be up at Tamworth.”
The 2018 NSW Junior Dirt Track Championships will be held at the Central Coast Junior Motorcycle Club from September 15 to 16.
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Alexander Grant
Part of the Western Advocate's sports desk in Bathurst.
Part of the Western Advocate's sports desk in Bathurst.
