From Ngaroto to the US pro circuits
Reporter speaks to a young motocross champion looking to be the world’s top rider in our series.
Waikato teenager Rachael Archer’s dream is to ride full time as a member of a pro motocross team in the US.
Working hard to fulfil the dream, the 16-year-old holds the New Zealand Under-17 Women’s Motocross, the Under-17 Cross Country and the Under 17-Junior Enduro titles.
Rachael grew up on a farm in Ngaroto, in the Waipa district.
She started racing dirt bikes when she was young and became hooked on the adrenaline rush.
The Archer family is well known in motorcross. Dad David and three brothers have competed for years so Rachael’s involvement was almost expected.
‘‘I wanted to follow in dad’s footsteps and now have a goal of becoming the best women’s motocross rider in the world,’’ Rachael said.
The 16-year-old is rated in the top 10 of women riders and was recognised by the US Dirt Rider magazine as ‘‘one of the names to be watching for the future’’.
In 2016 Rachael led a Husqvarna 1-2 to the top of the 125cc/250cc junior-grade podium, humbling the young men at the third round of six in the season’s NZXC Cross-country Series which was held at Taikorea, near Palmerston North.
With her mind set on an international campaign the following year, the series couldn’t have come at a better time, elevating her to the top of the NZXC series standings.
Carrying her form to the US, Rachael became a member of the KR4 Race team competing in the World Motocross Championships gaining a pro class fourth placing.
Since returning to New Zealand, she secured a podium finish of third place in a trans-Tasman showdown.
This season she represented New Zealand in the Oceania Challenge in Woodville and placed third in the Senior Women’s Section.
A sixth placing in the seniors category in the Raglan Rocks fourhour cross country has assured her of a good start for the season.
Physical fitness and money are two critical objectives to success.
Off the bike, she focuses on crossfit training, sprinting and endurance exercises.
Financially, Rachael relies heavily on sponsorship and parental support but does what she can to assist with funding and usually works around the family farm at Ngaroto.
She is now looking forward to travelling over to the US to gain a place on a pro team and riding full time.