This season's race for 125cc road-race honours could be a real David and Goliath battle.
The two-rider Yamaha Junior Team comprises two rookies in Cambridge's Kenneth Jones and Auckland's Jaden Hassan but, managed and mentored by Hawkes Bay former racer Maarty van Booma, they will likely loom among
the favourites to take away the GP125 class honours this season.
Jones, in particular, has been impressive in pre-season testing and in racing in the Victoria Motorcycle Club's popular road-race series, which wrapped up with Jones top of the podium at the sixth and final round at Taupo's Centennial Drive Circuit just a fortnight ago.
Getting faster as the series wore on, the 16-year-old Jones and his Yamaha TZ125M wrapped up victory in the 125GP class with a stunning performance at Taupo's finale, qualifying fastest and then sealing the title by winning the days first 125GP race.
He crashed out of the next race, the final one for the series, but that could not put a dampener on the teenager's day of triumph. His glorious day included him setting a new lap record for the class at Taupo.
For number two rider in the team, 13-year-old Western Springs College third-former Hassan, the progress has also been encouraging. Unable to start or even complete a full series because of a succession of mountainbike injuries, Hassan (Yamaha TZ125M) nonetheless managed fifth and sixth in his 125GP debut at round six.
"I'm very tired but I'm over the moon," team boss van Booma said afterwards. "Kenneth has worked two jobs to support his racing effort within the team. He had never even ridden a proper race bike until late March this year. Prior to that, he had competed in bucket racing for three years, funded by himself, and then raced two events on a street-stock 150 machine, once again self funded.
"He has really done the business this year and that he has done with great humility, courage and sheer determination. He'll go far."
With New Zealand's 125GP class a stepping stone to greater levels in the sport, such as the World Superbikes Championship or MotoGP, it is possible van Booma's fledglings will be the next Kiwi names to pop up on the international scene.
