Motocross in New Zealand must be in a healthy state if a young man, on debut in the premier grade, can put himself on the podium at the New Zealand motocross championships, particularly in a series so packed with incredible talent.
Invercargill 20-year-old Jack Treloar (pictured here), racing for the Motul Honda Racing Team, made a huge impact on the senior motocross scene this season, his rookie campaign in the premier MX1 class, for open-class bikes, seeing him run with the two leaders, both of them international riders of note.
While West Auckland’s 28-year-old multi-time former New Zealand champion Hamish Harwood (KTM), also a frequent representative for his country in the annual Motocross of Nations in Europe and the United States, won the main prize this season, Treloar’s achievement was also quite remarkable.
Runner-up this season was 2024 Australian Motocross Championships leader and former Grand Prix rider Jed Beaton (Yamaha), but, in finishing on the third step of the series podium overall, young man Treloar had also achieved greatness.
“To finish third overall on my rookie season is pretty crazy,” said Treloar at the end of the day’s racing at the fourth and final
Invercargill’s Jack Symon (Honda), winner of the battle-within-a-battle in the MX2 class for Under-19 age-group honours this season. Photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com
round of the 2024 New Zealand Motocross Championships in Taranaki on Sunday.
“It feels really good. I’ve been working hard since Honda picked me for their team this year. They threw me a lifeline really. They said, ‘if you want to race, you can come and ride for us on a 450cc Honda’. I couldn’t turn down an offer like that and I feel I have repaid them by giving them this result.
“Being from all the way down in Invercargill, they didn’t know much about me and took a gamble with me, but then I took a bet on myself too and now we’re in this position, so I’m stoked.
“I raced a different bike brand last year and raced in the MX2 (250cc) class, finishing ninth overall after two bike malfunctions. Now I’m on a Honda, a 450cc bike and third in New Zealand. It feels incredible.
“I would have liked to be able to push Harwood and Beaton harder, but I wasn’t feeling well coming into this weekend. It’s been a learning curve this season, but I’ve gotten stronger at each round. I ride quite aggressively, so I had to change my riding style. You’ve got to respect the power of a 450cc bike or it’ll bite you.
“I’ll be back next year. The goal is always to win, and this has been a stepping stone to achieving that aim.”
New Plymouth’s Rian King (Honda), unlucky to miss out on the Under-19 title this season, but showing enough promise that it’s probably only a matter of time before the 18-year-old clinches a senior title in New Zealand. Photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com
Meanwhile, the just-turned 19-year-old Jack Symon, also from Invercargill, took his Brent Scammell Honda CRF250R to finish the series fourth overall in the close-fought MX2 (250cc) class, good enough also for him to win the battle-within-a-battle for national under-19 honours.
Fellow Honda star, Crown Kiwi and Alpinestars-backed 18-year-old Rian King, from New Plymouth, had been the leading rider aged under-19 at the start of the day on Sunday, but a non-finish in one race proved costly for him and, with Symon registering a 4-7-6 scorecard on Sunday, the South Islander was able to move up and top the under-19 rankings.
“I feel gutted for Rian … he was riding really well, but the sport can be brutal sometimes,” said Symon. “It was a case of me just never giving up.
“This is my first MX2 campaign in the senior nationals and I couldn’t have done this without support from my sponsors, Brent and Maria Scammell.”
2024 NZ Motocross Championship calendar:
Round 1, Rotorua, February 3, 2024
Round 2, Balclutha, February 25, 2024
Round 3, Pukekohe, March 23, 2024
Round 4, Taranaki, April 13, 2024 (but run on April 14).
© Words and photos by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com
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