Youngster discovers her best is best of all

Simone Sidwell is yet to blow the candles out on her 16th birthday, but already the motocross loving teen is a New Zealand champion.

The 15-year-old Otamatea High School student claimed the New Zealand Junior Women's Under-17 85cc 2 stroke-150cc 4 stroke class at the 2011 New Zealand Veterans' and Women's Motocross Championships in Manawatu.

A humble Sidwell, who has been revving the throttle of motocross bikes for eight years, said she was "stoked" with the national title she'd been training a month and a half to clinch.

"Mum's always encouraging us to do our hardest and we always enjoy it and we always try our hardest so it felt good to know my hardest was enough."

On her way to becoming a champion Sidwell competed in three races where she claimed two firsts and a second ahead of around 10 other riders.

"In my second place race I was only half a second behind the winner," she said.

Heavy rain on Saturday, which lasted throughout the night, meant the venue's access point and the pit area became a mud pit. This year's championships were decided after three races per class instead of the five races originally planned.

"A couple of riders had to pull out of some races because they couldn't ride in the mud. But Dad always got me and my brother [Lachlan Sidwell] to ride in mud. He always told us if you can ride mud, you can ride in anything."

Sidwell thanked the Whangarei and Dargaville motorcycle clubs, Dargaville Honda, Otamatea High School staff, and her mechanic Kelvin Platt from Kaiwaka Suzuki for their support.

- Whangrei Report