Lamont joins UK motocross team
The New Zealand flag will wave overseas again this year with current national MX2 champion Kayne Lamont signing on to race for the MX Zone Turvey Construction Yamaha team in the United Kingdom.
The Yamaha rider from Mangakino will help form a new four-rider team to contest the British Motocross Championships in 2015, as well as two other high- profile series and selected World Championship Grand Prix events.
The team will be managed by renowned engine tuner Matt Greenland, and Lamont’s teammates will be British riders Liam Garland, Keiran Banks and Camlann Macdonald.
‘‘It’s been three years since I’ve raced in England and didn’t have the best time when I was there in 2011,’’ said 21-year-old Lamont, who will race a Yamaha YZ250F in the MX2 class for the new team.
‘‘ I was battling injury – a cracked shoulder blade – the whole time I was there in 2011. The last races I did over there were my best ones and I managed to finish inside the top six. I am a lot more experienced now, so I’m hoping the results should be even better.
‘‘I guess you could say I have some unfinished business in England.
‘‘I will be up against a couple of GP boys in the British champs, riders such as [ Bulgarian] Petar Petrov are entered, so they will be extremely fast, but I’m aiming to finish among the top five and even gets some wins,’’ the BikesportNZ. com- supported Kiwi star said.
‘‘I am looking forward to going back over and racing there again. I’m riding for Yamaha in New Zealand and I am enjoying the new bike, so racing the same bike in the UK will be a big bonus. I have a good relationship with Matt [Greenland] and look forward to working with him in this upcoming season.
‘‘I am still working on building up my strength at the moment after my recent injury and I’m feeling pretty good, but there is always room for improvement.’’
South coast youngster Garland will be making his return to racing in 2015 after two injury-ravaged seasons, while Banks brings with him experience from competing in the EMX125 championship over the past two years.
Garland and Banks will race the MX2 class alongside Lamont, while Macdonald will race the MXY2 class.
Team manager Greenland said he was looking forward to Lamont joining the team and to working alongside Yamaha.
‘‘Yamaha has a strong bike in both the engine and chassis department, which is a great starting block for our race bike. I have worked with all three MX2 riders before and I know with hard work from us all we can have a great year,’’ Greenland said.
The team is supported by Turvey Construction, a Hampshire-based building and development company, and will be run from the MX Zone Headquarters in Melksham, Wiltshire.
The facility houses a full engineering and engine development department where it is capable of producing some of the fastest bikes on the track.
Further support from the team comes from Yamaha UK via the Altherm JCR Yamaha Racing connection, MBO Sport, GP Graphics, Poolcare, Performance Head Engineering and Total Scaffolding Supplies.
Lamont will fly out to England after the final round of the New Zealand Motocross Championships in March. When he returns at the conclusion of his British campaign, he will slot into the Altherm JCR Yamaha Racing Team in New Zealand.