ROCKET-POWERED: Kai Iwi 9-year-old Jet Ashworth prepares for the South Island Motocross Championships this weekend with practice laps on his KTM65 around his training track at home.PHOTO/SUPPLIED
ROCKET-POWERED: Kai Iwi 9-year-old Jet Ashworth prepares for the South Island Motocross Championships this weekend with practice laps on his KTM65 around his training track at home.PHOTO/SUPPLIED
AN APTLY-named Kai Iwi youngster is heading south this weekend to mount up in the South Island Motocross Championships in Canterbury.
Nine-year-old Jet Ashworth, a member of the Wanganui Motorcycle Club, has been competing for the past year with perhaps one of better placings being 13th in his age groupat the New Zealand Grand Prix in Woodville earlier this year on his KTM65 machine.
Father Darren Ashworth, a diesel mechanic working in Hawera, has carved out a practice track at home in Bushy Park Rd in Kai Iwi and his son is rarely far away.
Jet by name and jet by nature, the young Kai Iwi School student is a keen and fearless rider starting at a young age.
"He used to ride on the handlebars of my bike when he was about three yelling for me to go faster," Ashworth said. "He has some fairly good placings already apart from the Grand Prix in Woodville. He has placed fourth in Wanganui club rounds, 18th at the North Island champs, 28th in the Mini Nationals and fourth at the Capital Champs in Wellington just three weeks ago."
Ashworth said there were just four North Island youngsters heading to the South Island Championships hosted by the Christchurch Off Road MC Club at West Melton in Canterbury this weekend.
"And they are all travelling with us. Jet is the only one from Whanganui and will be competing in the 9-11-year-old and 65cc grades."
