Small bike, big dreams
James Drought, 8, is getting ready for a trip to China as his motorsport dreams grow. Photo: Dan Hutchinson
James Drought is proving that age is no barrier when it comes to chasing your dreams.
By Dan Hutchinson
The eight-year-old has his sights set on the MotoGP motorcycle racing scene and his next step is a trip to China for an international mini moto event.
The Taupō youngster recently returned from Newcastle, Australia, where he competed in the Mini Moto Australia series and finished second.
His parents – Nicole and Paul Drought – say it’s all about fun and experience for James rather than expectation, and for now they are happy to fund the dream.
Even so, trips to Australia mean a hired bike, which Nicole says gets “thrashed every Tuesday to within an inch of its life."
James races in the 110cc class for 8-to-10-year-olds and is currently ranked second in New Zealand.
He is also competing in the Mini Moto Australia series which runs across five rounds — Melbourne, New South Wales, Adelaide, Queensland, and back to Port Melbourne. He has three rounds to go.
But the bigger news is China, and James has been selected to represent New Zealand at an international mini moto event in August, where riders from 20 countries compete — one per nation.
Each rider is assigned a brand-new bike straight out of the box, which is a big advantage for James who is used to a hire bike when overseas, albeit with a few tweaks from his dad.
The China trip follows directly from his Adelaide round, making for a busy stretch of travel for the family.
James got his start through the Mini GP Academy ‘Have a Go Day’. Previously he raced in Motocross.
Paul recalls the moment clearly, partly for his own “greenness” when it came to the sport.
A fellow competitor and his dad noticed James was riding without the nylon sliders on his knees – a necessary part of motorcycle racing given riders bring their knees to the ground when cornering.
"They couldn't believe that he hadn't ridden before … They came over with a couple of sliders.”
James has been on motorbikes since he was about 18 months old, starting on a small quad bike, before progressing to motocross.
The progression to road bike racing has been swift.
The young riders use small bikes that can travel up to about 100kmh, using mostly go-kart tracks.
The tight corners and technical riding is good experience for later in life.
Paul says they have never chased results, and it’s about building a skillset over time, rather than going out and “trying to be the man from day one”.
“It's just whether he's had fun. Main thing is whether he's safe, whether he's doing things at the appropriate level."
James has a slightly simpler view, saying “I like going fast, it’s quite fun.”