Tauranga kid has motocross in his veins

Arama Te Whetu, number 105, during a race at the nationals. Image: Fun Factory Photography.

An eight-year-old that was born to ride has taken out a national title.

Arama Te Whetu won the New Zealand Mini Motocross Nationals in the seven-to-eight-year-old 65cc class.

The Tauranga boy is 'really stoked” he won and he was the only rider to win all five races in his class at the competition in Hastings.

'I kind of found it bit easy and a bit hard in some of the races on both days.

'I won all five races, it was really good because I was the only one that won all their races,” Arama says.

His dad Jaycen says the first day was 22 to 23 degrees and the track was hard and fast, that night it rained and created a mud bath for racing the following day.

Arama's mum Amy and Jaycen and incredibly proud of his achievements and Amy tears up talking about it.

'I am super, super proud. I'm very heart full, bursting with pride. I'm still very emotional over it, it's ridiculous,” Amy says.

'We're all very proud. He's worked really hard for it. He just takes it all in his stride, and he's so cool and calm about it all and mum is always a wreck on the sidelines.

'It was a really tough competition, but he killed it. He was awesome.”

Arama says motocross is his passion and he is born to ride a motorbike.

'He was born to be on two wheels put it that way,” Amy says.

He practices at least once or twice a week either at a motorbike park or on the track they've set up in a paddock of their rural home.

Jaycen says Arama has been training hard for this competition by taking part in local club rounds.

'He's put in a lot of hard work over the over the winter to get to where he is.

'He just goes riding but he pushes himself, so he rides as much as he can.”

Arama got his first bike when he was three and competed in his first race at age four.

'The first time he rode he crashed into a fence. But it didn't stop him and he got so much better,” says Amy.

'From when he was about one or two, he used to make [motorbike] noises and always be fixated with watching them.”

They have continued to foster his love of motocross.

'We realise it's his passion and he's got a bit of talent,” Jaycen says.

The youngster is looking forward to riding in a new class in next year's Junior Motocross Nationals at TECT Park.

He will continue to ride his 65cc bike but will ride in the eight to 11 year old class.

'I'm really excited about changing class and going up because I get to race faster kids to make it more competition so I can get a bit faster,” Arama says.

'I'm looking forward to the junior nationals because it's at my home track.”

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