ROSEBUD’s Michael Burns is ready to rock as the opening round of the 2016 Victorian Senior Motocross Championships ignites at the Blue Rock Motorcycle Club in Newborough this weekend, March 5-6.
Michael, who got involved in the sport of motocross through his son over 11 years ago, is keen to dust his racing boots off for another year of friendly competition in the Vets class.
He’ll compete in the Vets Over 40s class against the likes of Troy Dorron, Mike Reefman, Cameron Taylor and Craig Rutherford over four rounds with Round 1 starting at Newborough this weekend, Round 2 at Colac on April 23-24, Round 3 at Wonthaggi on June 4-5, and the final round in Swan Hill on July 23-24.
“I’m a competitive creature at heart. I’ve always enjoyed it,” the 52-year-old said.
Michael, who was also elected as the President of Motorcycling Victoria in July 2015, says his main goal whenever he is out on the track competing in any competition is to make sure no-one gets lost.
“The sport is a great getaway from the stresses of work and life. When you’re out there riding on the track you don’t have to worry about a lot,” Michael said. “I’m also a bit of a speed and adrenalin junkie. There’s no doubt about the excitement of the start of a motocross race, and the jumps and corners,” Michael added.
Michael served as the president of the Rosebud Motorcycle Club for five years before joining the Board of Directors at MV and has always been passionate about improving the whole sport of motorcycling, not just motocross, as well as Motorcycling Victoria.
In April 2013, Michael was also honoured with an Official Recognition by MV for his work as a scrutineer at the opening round of the Victorian Junior Motocross Championships. Incredibly, Michael inspected well-over 300 bikes in less than two hours whilst he was on crutches after sustaining an injury.
“It’s a very proud and exciting time at Motorcycling Victoria. I became involved because I saw it as a good way to have a positive impact on the sport. It’s really easy to sit on the fence and complain about things,” Michael added.
Michael would like to thank his family, especially his wife, for all their support, including his sponsors: Able Onsite Services, Davey Motorsports, The Collective Family, SP Moto Seats, Tune-tech Racing, AJs Motorcycles, and R&S Concreting.
He’d also like to thank all the members of every club who will host a Victorian Senior or Junior Motocross Championships this year. “They’re going to be fantastic competitions this year and they’d be really proud in hosting one,” Michael said.
“I’d also like to thank the motocross committee. They do a great job running and promoting the series. It gets better every year, and especially the staff at Motorcycling Victoria for their incredible efforts,” he added.
Round 1 of the 2016 Victorian Senior Motocross Championships takes place on the weekend of March 5-6 at the Blue Rock Motorcycle Club on Coach Road in Newborough.
Please download Latrobe City’s Visitors Booklet to help you when you visit the Latrobe Valley this weekend!