Future stars on the right path for Honda Hattah

As some of the nation’s best senior off road riders prepare for the upcoming Honda Hattah Enduro to be held near Mildura VIC in mid July, there’s a healthy field of juniors also getting ready for the event.

Organisers of the event - The North West Victorian Motorcycle Club (NWVMCC) - have always made it a priority to ensure the sport’s future stars are catered for at its club and national meetings.

More than 40 juniors competed in last year’s Honda Hattah Enduro, creating a spectacle in their own right, and a similar number have already expressed their desire to enter this year's event.

“Making sure junior riders are on the right track from the outset is a major focus for the Club,” said the Club’s Publicity Officer Ben Pisioneri. “Earlier this year we had around 40 riders take part in the Honda SMART Rider Training school in a lead up to the event and it was a great success.”

Current Honda stars, including 2005 Dual Juniors Champion Kade Mosig, who is making his mark on the National motocross scene this year, provided valuable instruction at the SMART school to ensure the district’s juniors develop their skills accurately.

This year’s Honda Hattah Enduro features no less than eight junior classes, catering for the youngest competitors right up to those ready to make the jump into senior racing.

“The skills these kids picked up at the SMART school will be really valuable come race time,” Pisioneri said.

The Hattah is generally considered to be one of the hardest off road events of the year, just behind the Australian Safari, Finke and Condo 750. The event will be run as an Open including 2-stroke, 4-stroke, veterans and juniors classes.

Honda rider Craig Carmichael won the event last year on a CRF450R. The 2006 Honda Hattah Enduro will be held on the weekend of July 15-16.