Who says playing in the dirt isn’t fun

A flash of white and blue passed before my eyes, followed by a trail of dust. I see Tyron Nel progressively finishing each lap, faster and faster.
His boots smothered in dust he walks up to me and offers a clean hand and a hello. I notice the sweat in his brow, sweat that proves motocross isn’t just a ride on a bike, but hard work.

This young man is someone to keep an eye on, under the guidance of his dad Gary, a six-time former SA Motocross Champion.
Most children by age four have just learnt to ride a bicycle. Tyron is different, at that age he was riding 50cc peewee motorcycle. 11 years have passed since Tyron first got on a bike and now this teen is looking to conquer South Africa’s dirt tracks.

“My ultimate goal is to take on the European and North American motocross, but for now I will be focused on my racing here on home soil,” said Tyron.

Motocross isn’t an easy sport to take on, it requires a lot of dedication and training, Tyron spends two days a week at Clewer Sands MX Track, pushing his bike and body to its limits, he also spends weekends training in Gauteng against his competitors.

“You have to learn to jump, as well as how to bring the bike back properly and when to centralise and when not to centralise, this all adds up in giving you the best racing line,” he added.

So far Tyron’s best ranking has been a fourth place in the East London nationals which took place on July 19 and 20.
The first day was a practice and qualifier followed by the first of three heats of races.

“You have to do your best and get the best times. The fastest lap gets you the best gate pick for the race which can prove to your advantage when going up against a horde of riders,” continued Tyron.

As with any sport there are risks, and when it comes to motor sport, it usually involves biting some dirt. Tyron has had his fair share of bails and crashes. He once sustained a wedge fracture in his back.

But this hasn’t stopped him from climbing back on his Amtec Racing Yamaha 125cc and throttling his way around the corners or over the jumps.

“Its best to just have fun, if you are not having fun you tend to fall, and you can’t come ride being unfit, because that’s when you make mistakes,” he added.

Tyron thanks his mom and dad for all their support, as well as his school, HTS Witbank, for allowing him time off to travel to the national competitions.

Keep an eye open for this young man as he aims for international glory in the motocross scene.