Jonah Smith Aims To Win On New Year’s Day
[Written by Stephen Wright]
Jonah Smith has backed himself to claim glory in the Bermuda Motocross Association’s New Year’s Trophy Race at the Bermuda Motorsports Park in Southside, St David’s, on Sunday.
Smith, widely regarded as the island’s top rider, will compete in the Expert class against American Denver Rigsby and local riders such as Kai’jun Simons, Allan DeGraff, Gap Minors, Aaron Cannonier and Zendai Fubler.
The 25-year-old, who turned professional in 2017 and has competed in the American Motorcyclist Association Supercross Championship, said he was well aware of the threat posed by visiting rider Rigsby.
“I’m looking to win; I expect nothing less,” Smith told Bernews. “It will be interesting to see how fast Rigsby is on this track.
“It should be really competitive, but I’m feeling confident. Racing can be unpredictable sometimes. Anything can happen.”
Smith said he hopes a bumper crowd attends the event, one of the most celebrated meets in the local motocross calendar, along with the Remembrance Day Race and the Boxing Day Race.
“It’s a big meet for all the riders,” said Smith, whose races on Boxing Day were washed out because of bad weather.
“I ended up crashing out last year on New Year’s Day, so, hopefully, I can make up for it this year.
“Hopefully, we will attract a lot of spectators. It’s going to be a good day of racing.”
Although Smith still harbours ambitions to race again overseas, he said he is more focused on helping produce the next generation of local riders as part of his Jumpstart MX Training Programme in Southside.
“For the most part, I train boys and girls from the time they can ride until they’re around 14,” he said.
“I put on one-on-one and group sessions. The only way the sport will keep going [in Bermuda] is if we produce more talented riders.
“If we can produce skillful riders, hopefully, we can put on more entertaining races and lure more spectators to our race days. That way, it’s a win-win situation for everybody.”
The racing starts at noon. Admission is free for children aged five and under and seniors, $5 for 6 to 15-year-olds, and $10 for adults.
