The Yamaha Victorian Off-Road Championship got underway for 2016 at Rawson over the weekend and 2015 Elite Rider Training Camp attendee Brenton Naylor got things off to a good start.
He finished the day in third position behind Daniel Rodek and Lachlan Skinner, in first and second place respectively, in the 19 and Under B Grade class.
“I would have loved to have seen myself make it to the A class but a few crashes dropped me back as the grading is time-based,” Brenton said.
“Going into this round I felt like I had a bigger weight on my shoulders from not only doing well last year but also it being the debut of my Marriott’s MPE Off-Road Race Team,” he added.
Feeling like he had something to prove, Brenton has spent the off-season training hard, and was extremely keen for this season to start.
“I was super pumped to get back on the bike in a racing sense and I’ve been training all summer with Five30 Fitness. I feel that I’m fit and I know that I’m raring to go,” Brenton added.
“In my first two sprints I was struggling with grip but I really felt like I was in the zone from using some tips I picked up at the Training Camp I did in the back half of 2015.
“As the day wore on I found that I couldn’t be so aggressive on the bike and I had to be smoother around the course, which I managed to do and that helped my lap times,” he said.
Brenton thought that Trent Tucci and Deon Javi are a couple of riders to watch out for in the rest of the season based on what he saw at Rawson.
“Trent (Tucci) and Deon (Javni) were on fire at Rawson. I think they made a big statement and they will definitely be a force to be reckoned with throughout the rest of the VORC season,” Brenton added.
“For myself, like I said, I feel fit and I’m ready to fight so it’s just a matter of putting it all together throughout the season. Round One is always an eye opener, I know what I have to do, and I’ll be putting my head down and pushing on.”
You can follow Brenton’s progress via his Facebook Page – Brent Naylor Racing #451 – https://www.facebook.com/brentnaylorracing/?fref=nf.
Story by Mark Vallance
Operations & Events Manager