Older Updates. Jan - Dec 2015
After 2 months off with injury 2015 Summer Cross is tough for Vinny!
27 December 2015
We did not realise how much rider fitness Vinny had lost, but it became clear at SummerX. Lack of speed, crashes, silly mistakes and an unhappy Vinny only completed two of the three rides in his class.
A two-day MX Camp with Broxy at Pirini was just what Vinny needed!
23 December 2015
Pirini is Vinny's favorite NZ track. But this track is very much reliant on the weather. And this time there had been no rain and with the hot weather the track was very dry and dusty. Add some strong wind on Day 1 and it was not what he had expected.
But Vinny soldiered on and when the Trails track was opened things got better. Apart from some Broxy coaching Vinny spent most of the time on this track. He found some new friends and he was buzzing when I picked him up.
We also confirmed that the wrist was now as good as new!
Thanks also to Vinny's sponsor JT Racing for taking the time to come to the track with a new helmet and boots! As Vinny had grown heaps in the 2 months off, with the broken wrist, his old boots and helmet had suddenly become too small to fit him!!
The cast is now off Vinnys arm. But the hand is weak. We will hold back on racing untill Vinny is ready and re-emerge for Summer Cross in Whakatane on 27 December!
11 December 2015
Vinny's cast needed a custom touch. After lots of debating he settled for the obvious!
18 days until the cast comes off!!
20 November 2015
Our NZ 2016 MX Calendar now here on Vinny's website!
3 November 2015
We now have the 2016 Calendar on here! There is obviously still many more MX events to be added, but we have all we know of included. Many clubs still have to start planning 2016, but as soon as they do so we will add them here as we strive to keep the same high and up-to-date standard we have become known for!
Click below or on the link at top of the page to find the Calendar!
MX Fest in Taupo is no party for Vinny.
24 October 2015
Our plan was to secure 7'th and aim for top 5. But a crash in Race 1 erased any plans we had, and instead Vinny is now out of racing for a minimum of 6 weeks with a broken wrist.
MOTOZONE comes aboard as one of Vinny's sponsors!
20 October 2015
We had been looking for someone who had a big selection of after-market parts and consumables. After some searching we found MOTOZONE that ticks all the boxes: They are passionate about MX, they carry much of the stock they list, they deliver fast. Add that they are friendly and when they said yes to sponsoring Vinny we knew this was a perfect fit for us! Welcome aboard!
One and a half lap is all Vinny gets at Rotorua
11 October 2015
The bike was humming and Vinny was on fire in Race 1 at Rotorua Club Champs Round 2. But 1.5 laps in to the race our day ended. While passing for 5'th (in a field of 21 riders) the motor aeized and that was it for tha day. 4 minutes of riding for 6 hours of driving does not seem fair!
No racing over te w/e but 3 days of coaching by Broxy!
7 October 2015
On Thursday we had practice at Valley Rd where the focus was on getting the jumps right. Small adjustments to Vinnys style made a noticeable difference!
On Monday/Tuesday Vinny was part of Broxy's 2 day Wairoa Camp that was held at Shortys track in Ardkeen just north of Frasertown. Rut work, selecting lines and getting rid of bad habits was the focus. I am told that the riders were well taken care of and there was plenty of good food! Vinny managed to run out of petrol on the second day. 27 litres gone! Heaps of riding was done!
Final round of Taupo Winter Series goes to plan for us!
27 September 2015
More good starts, height in jumps and good lines gives Vinny a 6'th, 5'th and 4'th placing him 4'th in the series, his best result in 6 years of Taupo racing!
No practice this week as it has been non-stop rain in Hastings. And the practice track is now under water! Being inside Ngaruroro rivers stop-banks this happens once or twice/year. At 29 seconds you can see some of the berms of the track to the left...
25 September 2015
Vinny gives all he has, but it is not enough at Round 2 of NI Junior Champs held at Ngaruroro Raceway in Hastings.
19 September 2015
Good starts and good speed is not enough when Vinny is the only one who does not jump the two big doubles at the back. This means he has 5 seconds to catch up every lap and it becomes too much and he places 5'th in the Champs.
Hard competition in Rotorua was just what we were looking for!
13 September 2015
With many clubs only a stone throw (or two...) away from Rotorua we expected quite a few good riders to come here to race. And we got just that! This will do wonders for Vinnys development!
With Tokoroa cancelled we spent Sat and Sun practicing at Pakowhai Dirt Bike Park
6 September 2015
The weather made riding at many tracks over the w/e almost impossible, and so also at the SWMCC track in Tokoroa. And with Vinny now having shaken off the cold he was keen to ride. So we spent a few hours on Sat and Sun practicing at the local track on Pakowhai Rd. First day we focused on more rut riding and second day on becoming faster around a corner/turn where there was no rut. Good improvements both days. Coming w/e we plan to be in Rotorua where the Rotorua MCC holds Round 1 of their spring series.
Practice pays off for Vinny in Taupo!
30 August 2015
We had been working on Vinny's racing and today it came together. More to do, but clear improvement is such a buzz!
A collapsed wheel bearing could have destroyed the day, but a borrowed wheel from Tony Cvitanovich saved us!
22 August 2015
A last in Race 1, then a 6'th and a 5'th places Vinny in 6'th before Round 2 (final round) of the NI Junior MX Championship Series.
A holeshot and fast riding included in a good day at Wanganuis final round.
16 August 2015
Brave riding by Vinny, changes in his start technique and a quick bike repair in Race 3 all was part of a positive day for Vinny!
Vinny achieves a 4'th in the HBMCC Taylor Magic 5 Round Series.
9 August 2015
Good starts, including a holeshot, and steady racing to 4'th, 5'th and 5'th pays off for Vinny on a cold, rainy and slippery day.
At NZDBF TT Champs Vinny climbs one step higher!
2 August 2015
Three 2'nd placings gives Vinny 2'nd in the Championship!
NZ School TT Challenge puts Vinny on the podium.
1 August 2015
A very fast track gives Vinny the chance to push hard and finish 3'rd in the challenge!
Round 4 is Vinnys best at Taupo sofar in 2015!
26 July 2015
Vinny get's his first 3'rd placing in the series and stays in 3'rd in the totals with two rounds to go.
Wanganui Round 3 is a hard day at the office!
19 July 2015
Vinny gets left behind at the restart of Race 1 and later crashes. He crashes in Race 2 leaving him 13'th and last in both races. Race 3 goes a little better, but by then Vinny is in pain and bruised.
Vinny's first top-of-the-podium for 2015 (and on a 125cc)
18 July 2015
Some cornering practice helps Vinny to claim 1'st at East Coast Beach Racing Challenge in Gisborne
Round 4 of HBMCC Taylor Magic Series is a struggle
5 July 2015
The bike is not running well and Vinny struggles but still climbs up to 4'th in the series.
Beach Racing is more than straight ahead with full speed!
4 July 2015
Vinny finds the turns a challenge on his 125cc and even if his straight line speed is superior it is not enough.
Trent Haywood Memorial Secondary School Champs Vinnys best racing sofar in 2015
3 July 2015
Vinny uses his experience and brain to place 3'rd in the Expert 13-14yo 125/250cc class.
Vinny pushes through illness to get this years best Taupo result!
28 June 2015
With a rebuilt motor and new clutch Vinnys starts improve and even if he is battling a chest infection he rides well to now sit in 3'rd in the series!
Flooding in Wanganui stops us racing over the w/e.
22 June 2015
Vinnys 125cc motor was due for a rebuild, so I took the crank to Patterson O’Connor on Tuesday to have the new conrod fitted and the crank rebuilt. On Thursday the courier delivered the crank and other bits needed. Friday was spent rebuilding.
The idea was to race either Gisborne Beach Racing on Saturday or Wanganui Winter Series Round 2 on Sunday as there was not enough funds for both. As the clock ticked closer to leaving time for Gisborne on Saturday Wanganui was still looking like it would be on for Sunday. So the decision was made to do Wanganui… Wrong decision, as
Wanganui was under water by Sunday morning. So no racing for the weekend. But not all bad as it gave Vinny time to heal some minor niggles and time for us to sort some things on the bike that have been waiting for attention.
We will this week spend time on the practice track to try and change some parts of Vinnys riding style. Then on Sunday race at Taupo Winter Series Round 3 where we have some clear goals.
Round 3 of HBMCC Taylor Magic Series becomes damage control
16 June 2015
A slipping clutch stops Vinny from claiming higher placings in Race 1 and 2. And a flat rear tyre in Race 3 makes the riding hard work.
Two days of riding on the demanding track at NI TT Champs is good for Vinny.
8 June 2015
Vinny survives Day 1 while many fall by the wayside and increases his speed for Day 2. We are OK with his 10'th in a group of 17 riders.
Two new sponsors for Vinny!
2 June 2015
We are very proud to announce that from 1 June Vinny now has two additional quality sponsors joining the team:
JT Racing will provide all Vinny's racing gear.
Patterson O'Connor Motorcycles will be where we get all genuine KTM bits and bikes!
We are thrilled about them joining us and look forward to a long and mutually beneficial partnership with them both!
2'nd for Vinny in the HBMCC 1.5 hour MX.
31 May 2015
Vinny wins the 125/250cc Junior class in Round 3 of the HBMCC 1.5 hour MX. With a win in Round 2 and now this one he has enough points to claim 2'nd even if Vinny did not race in Round 1.
Vinny climbs up one placing at Taupo Winter Series Round 2
24 May 2015
A crash in Race 1 gets Vinny fired up and in Race 2 and 3 he closes the gap to the riders ahead of him.
Wanganui Round 1 more good racing for Vinny
17 May 2015
Three races w/o incidents increases Vinnys confidence and at last it feels like we have the year on track!
Round 2 of HB Taylor Magic Series goes well for Vinny
12 May 2015
Steady riding works well for Vinny and he now sits in shared 6'th place in the series.
Vinny is reminded that his biggest asset as a MX rider is his mind. Once you learn to controll it you have such a big advantage!
Middle of the pack at Rotorua Secondary School Champs is OK for us.
20 March 2015
It has been quiet for a month, but now Vinny is back!
24 April 2015
There has not been much to report for the last 4 weeks as Vinny has been healing the latest injury. Now the elbow is good again and we are back!
We had planned two days of practice at the Pakowhai Dirt Track, but the silt that is main part of the track had not handled the two days of rain, so we will scrap this and do only Saturday's HBMCC practice at Ngaruroro before racing in Taupo on Sunday.
This is Round 1 of the Taupo Winter Series. With this being Vinny's first year of 125cc riding (and 2 months has been spent recouping from injuries) we have three goals in mind for this first round:
1. Finish all three races
2. Do not get lapped
3. Have fun
By Round 6 our aim is to be finishing inside top five.
Injury in practice changes our plans.
26 March 2015
It was to be the last lap of the practice and Vinny had already slowed down. A mistake in a corner while at low speed saw him fall inwards to the left. Hand came out to take some of the impact and the elbow got the weight of it.
After A&E visit we are told that there is suspected damage in the elbow, but the X-ray could not confirm this. So Vinny will take it easy for a week and we see the specialist. No cast but arm in a sling. Could have been worse.
We wll play it by ear and not commit to any racing before Round 1 of Taupo Winter Series at end of April. But if arm is OK earlier we might turn up somewhere...
Update 10 April:
After (once again...) visiting the HB Hospital Fracture Clinic we have been told that the healing is going well and after 2 more weeks Vinny will be OK to ride. Yesss... just in time for Taupo Winter Series Round 1!!
We achieve all three objectives we had:
1. Qualify for Expert Class. Vinny comes 19'th of 44 riders in qualifying.
2. Complete three good rides. With only one crash in race 1 this was achieved.
3. Place in middle of the pack. Vinny comes 25'th, 20'th and 20'th placing him 22'nd from 44 riders... A tick here too!
Practice time in Hawke's Bay and Rotorua
16 March 2015
We are now spending time at the Pakowhai Park MX Track a few hours most days. This is what we have been looking for! Apart from giving Vinny valuable time on the bike it has also brought back the fun to his MX!
On Sunday we travelled to Rotorua to get a feel of the track in preparation for the Rotorua Secondary School Challenge. We went through a planned programme of bike setup specific to the track, start practices and racing simulation. All went according to plan. Roll on Friday!
Central HB 1hour MX race had it's challenges.
7 March 2015
We take the 3'rd placing, the riding experience and go forward!
2 days of practice is just what Vinny needed!!
2 March 2015
After 6 weeks of no riding we spent two days at tracks in Manawatu. Saturday 28/2 at Flipps and Sunday 1/3 at Wanganui.
Flipps was hot and dusry as there had been no rain for ages. There was just a few other riders and as they all left we had the track to our selves. Vinny enjoyed the freedom of not worrying about anyone else. His orders were to take it easy and just have fun. Not to ride outside his comfort zone. After 3 hours of riding we considered the mission completed!
Sunday was spent in Wanganui where the club wanted to test their new transponder setup in a race situation. Vinny's orders were same as yesterday. And apart from one hairy moment, all was fine as he enjoyed being back riding.
There is still a good way to go before Vinny will feel fully at home on the bigger 125cc. But as all 85' are now sold this is it! We will give it until end of 2015 before there will start to be some pressure on Vinny to get podiums!
Vinnys
2013 KTM 85sx
NOW SOLD!
1 March 2013
Vinny's achilles tendon is being stubborn and heals very slowly.
7 February 2015
Vinny's foot problem from KOTM was doing OK and we went for a practice. And as things go he crashed and hurt same foot again. After doctor visit, x-ray and ultra sound we know that there are no obvious injuries. That is the good news. Now physio for a few weeks and then back to it by latest beginning of March!
18 Feb Update: Bummed out! We were hoping to be back racing this w/e for the HBMCC Club Day. But Physio told us that we will have to wait at least one more week.
24 Feb Update: Good news! We will this w/e spend time in Manawatu practicing and racing! Here is hoping for good weather!!
Vinny races 125cc and 85cc at King Of The Mountain
17 January 2015
A mixed bag for Vinny in the 12-13yo 85cc class and the 12-14yo 125cc class where, once again, he showed that he has what it takes, but needs to get three good races together!.
Sore hand after crash in Race 1 slows Vinny down.
10 January 2015
In a field of 22 riders we aimed for a top 10 finish. But that plan went out the window in first race after Vinny was taken out and got a DNF. He raced R2 and R3 but with a very painful hand and not wanting to go all out.
