Ray ready for motocross event

Rockhampton boy Brendan Ray is hoping to put on a show for local freestyle motocross fans on the weekend.

Daniel Burdon Rok-Motox

ROCKHAMPTON'S Brendan Ray is looking forward to putting his best moves on show in this weekend’s RFDmx Underground Tour event.

Ray will join 21 other competitors for the RFDmx Underground tour’s Rockhampton leg only and is excited to be a part of it.

“It’s a thrill just to ride with some good professionals on my home track,” Ray said.

Spending every weekend for the past few months riding the course Ray has been working hard preparing for Saturday night’s event.

He has alternated between riding his motocross bike and a push bike in an effort to build up his endurance.

The ProjectFMX track differs to other tracks on the tour in that it is a circuit-style freestyle motocross course, rather than a single jump layout.

Each rider will complete two laps of the course and will give spectators the chance to witness 12 times the amount of acrobatic action than they would get at other freestyle motocross events.

“It’s going to be more challenging for the riders because you don’t get the chance to think about what you’re going to do,” Ray said.

“Instead of stopping and then going again, you’re going from jump to jump continuously.

“It’ll be a lot better for the spectators though.”

For the first time ever, the tour event is open to spectators.

The four-leg RFDmx Underground tour began in 2007 and has been primarily for rider’s to showcase their skills to the media and other riders.

Rather than hosting the events in showgrounds, sporting fields or entertainment centres, instead they are hosted on private compounds.

Beginning at 8am on Saturday morning and running throughout the day, the event will be the first where spectators are invited along and ProjectFMX event coordinator Jessica McIlwain believes it’s the perfect sport for spectators.

Situated north of Rockhampton, just past The Caves, ProjectFMX will be the venue for the weekend’s action and since finding out only six weeks ago that they’re hosting the event, the organisation has been busy preparing.

McIlwain is hoping the event will be a success and will become a permanent fixture on the RFDmx tour.

“If the event goes well we’d like to host another one later this year,” McIlwain said.

The idea behind ProjectFMX is to give young riders a place to practise and improve their riding skills through the guidance of experienced riders.

They currently have tracks set up to cater for motocross, supercross, endurance and freestyle, and are hoping that in the near future the venue will be accredited so that locals can have a place where they can learn from experienced coaches.

When accreditation is approved, ProjectFMX will be the only venue in Australia that is able to teach all three disciplines at the one location.

Saturday night’s RFDmx Undergound Tour event will give young riders the chance to see some of Australia’s top freestyle motocross riders in action.

It will be the first chance for defending RFDmx Underground champion Joe Sheppard to defend his title after the cancellation of the first round event in Corryong, Victoria due to bad weather.

“I’m really looking forward to defending my title this year,” said Sheppard.

“Winning last year’s championships was a huge stepping stone for me, and I’m pumped to step it up and try to win it again this year.”