Kayne Lamont is in high demand internationally. The Managakino rider has embarked on his latest overseas adventure, with support from Phil and Cheryl London of WIL Sport, joining the MX Zone Turvey Construction Yamaha Team in England.
Lamont, 22, the former New Zealand MX2 champion will race in the UK and beyond.
“I’ve missed the start of their season in the UK, but I’ll compete at six races, in three different series including the British Motocross Championships, on a Yamaha YZ250F,” said Lamont.
He will then tackle the biggest international motocross race of the year, the annual Motocross of Nations (MXoN), at Ernee, northern France.
He is one of three riders to represent New Zealand at this “Olympic Games of motocross” event, set for September 26-27. His team-mates will be Cody Cooper (Mt Maunganui) and Ben Townley (Tauranga).
“I will be able to relax for my first two weeks over there in the UK. I will go to be a spectator only at the British Motocross Championships round at Foxhills on August 1-2 but, after that, I’ll be racing flat-out in England right up until the Motocross of Nations, so I will be quite busy.”
New Zealand has a proud tradition at the MXoN. The team stood on the podium in England (1998), Belgium (2001) and England again (2006). But it has almost become mission impossible for Team NZ in recent times.
Lamont represented the country in Belgium in 2012 and again in Germany in 2013, but was sidelined with injury when the race was held in Latvia last season.
Team NZ failed to qualify among the top 20 countries in Latvia and that meant the world body did not offer travel assistance funds for this year’s event.
However, with Lamont based in the UK and his British team offering to support the Kiwis in France, and thanks to the remarkable fundraising efforts by the Taupo Motorcycle Club, New Zealand should be able to mount a solid campaign.
Despite nursing a sore wrist, Lamont had his last big domestic hit-out at the annual Bike Torque Yamaha-sponsored NZ Motorcycle TT Championships near Kuratau just over a week ago, riding a YZ450F in the MX1 class and a YZ250F in the MX2 class.
He ended the two-day event as runner-up to fellow Kiwi international Brad Groombridge in the MX1 class and third in the MX2 class behind Aaron Wiltshier and Cohen Chase. But, perhaps saving his best for last, Lamont took his Yamaha YZ250F to win the all-capacities feature final that wrapped up the weekend.
“My left wrist was good all weekend. The racing at the TT nationals was a good test for it.
“I’m proud and thrilled to be selected again for the Motocross of Nations team. I thought perhaps my recent wrist injury would have put the selectors off, but I suppose I’ve shown now that I’m almost back to 100 per cent again now.”
Fingers are crossed that Lamont and MXoN team-mates Cooper and Townley can stay out of trouble and injury-free over the next month or so and that another podium finish might be possible.