A young Amanzimtoti two-wheel speedster continues to fly high in motocross circles. Luke Grundy, 12, was selected to represent the SA team for the third time and he will line up against the world’s best at Trento, Italy next month.
He first represented his country as an eight-year-old in Zimbabwe in 2015 when he finished in the top three after three 50cc races. In Botswana he finished sixth overall in 2016, racing in his first year in the 65cc class.
He is currently lying ninth in the 85cc Pro Mini (big wheels) national series. “This is my first year in the class and most of my competitors are two years older than me, so I’m finding it tough at the moment. My first race in Port Elizabeth was really bad, because we raced in beach sand. I prefer hard track and I only finished 15th.
My second race in Cape Town was better, although I had to run with someone else’s suspension, which was set up for them, after my forks collapsed. I managed to finish eighth. At the third race two weeks ago in Bloemfontein I finished eighth.” Last year in the 85cc junior class, Luke finished second, missing the top step by a mere six points, a testament to the Amanzimtoti Primary School grade 6 learner’s talent, and with two more years in the Pro Mini class, it is just a matter of time before he rises to the top.
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His next race is in Johannesburg on 6 July, then he has to travel home to get his suspension serviced on the Monday, to fly out to Venice the next day. He will get two days to catch up on his jet lag before he will battle it out with 100 competitors to make qualifying. Five riders in each class are selected from around the world to make up this prestigious 100. “Only 40 riders qualify to race, so to just make that will be an achievement. My goal is to one day race in Europe, so I can’t wait to see how I compare with the other riders’ speed.”
In SA Luke races 15 minutes and one lap in nationals, but in Italy they will race 20 minutes plus two laps. “I’ve been working hard on my fitness and eating right. On Mondays and Tuesdays I do cross fit at the Fit Factory in Ilovo. On Wednesdays and Saturdays I have motocross training in Pietermaritzburg. On Thursdays it’s back to cross fit and I have started seeing a sports psychologist on Fridays. Sunday is my day off and I like to ride my bicycle or scooter on the Durban beachfront.”
Luke is sponsored by Seven MX SA, Iguana Doors, gets help from FCR Suspension and is coached by Wyatt Avis. His bike is set up by off road legend Rod Bergstrom, who still races at 65-years-old. Unfortunately he cannot take his bike with, only his suspension, and he will have to hire one at a cost of 900 Euros to race in Italy.
But first he needs to raise the money to make the trip. He has been donated three different sets of racing gear priced from R1 500 to R2 500, which he is raffling off at a cost of R50 a ticket. He has also been donated a R15 000 clothing voucher from Studio-88, which he will raffle off at R150 a ticket. Finally he will have his gazebo and bike set up at the Galleria robots this Sunday, 23 June and the Toti public is urged to pop past and donate to his worthy cause. To purchase raffle tickets, call his mother Moira on 082-930-2520 or email moiragrundy@hotmail.com
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