“It’s different to anything else”: Shepparton riders enjoy the spoils of hosting a home Nationals

Having the BMX Racing National Championship in your own backyard has its advantages. There’s the comfort of seeing the familiar faces of friends and family at the track, and the inside knowledge that comes from spending hours on course.

But getting the opportunity to be a part of four National Champs in your hometown with some of your best mates and closest family?

That’s the kind of special connection Shepparton BMX Club riders Lance and Jamie Mahuika, Gian Renato and Zayvier Sandland have realised this week, having ridden in every one of the previous four National Championships in Shepparton.

Speaking to AusCycling, the group – who all compete in different categories – gave voice to the benefits of having such a large event in your hometown.

“You don't have to travel, no accommodation fees, and also having that time on the track just really helps when it comes down to your motos, semis, finals,” Jamie Mahuika said.

“You get to see your family come to the races, and just the atmosphere is always great, being at our home races. It's different to anything else,” Renato added.

Gian Renato (Photo: Get Snapt)

The group also described how the event and the venue have changed over the years since the first National Championships were held in Shepparton in 2010.

“I think the track's changed a lot for sure. The council's been backing us pretty much all the way with a good track, giving us all these fantastic facilities and infrastructure,” Lance Mahuika said.

“Just being older, you take it in, and you don't take for granted. You actually enjoy the sport a bit more, get to hang with your mates and just have a bit of fun. That's all it's about,” Sandland said.

“We've grown up together as kids, evolved, and it’s come so far. It's just amazing to see, the progression of the sport within Shepparton and how it's come along. Even though with the devastation, the floods … just to see what's evolved and how it's come together, it's amazing.”

Zayvier Sandland (Photo: Get Snapt)

When the Shepparton track was inundated by floods last October, it would be easy to imagine that many of the riders would disconnect from racing, but the group revealed how they stayed engaged with the sport while the track was being rebuilt.

“We’d still do a lot of gym work or sprints, and just try to find a place around local where there's a bit of a hill. Even right next door, we've got the velodrome, so we do a lot of sprint work here. And once they’re working on the track, if they finish one straight, we just tend to try and ride that straight whilst they finish off the rest of it, so we work in between to see what we can do and manage from there,” Jamie Mahuika said.

The group also made a point of highlighting the unsung hero of the Shepparton BMX Track, Levi Collins, who was one of the key figures involved in the track’s rebuild post-flooding, adding that the second corner should be named after him one day.

“If it doesn't, we’re protesting. We’ll spray paint it on there,” they joked.

Levi Collins (Photo: AusCycling)

Work permitting, they hope to attend BMXNats24 in Western Australia, but are quick to add that they would love to see more events back in Shepparton in the future, with Sandland adding, “I'd love to see a world titles here one day”.

The home ground advantage played itself out on the track on Friday. Renato and Jamie Mahuika both finished second in the 17-25 Men and 30-34 Men categories respectively, while Sandland also made the final of the 25-29 Men category, finishing fifth.

Lance Mahuika will race tomorrow in the 60+ Cruiser category.

On the track, 32 national titles were awarded on Day 2 of the BMX Racing National Championships.

Notable results included Dusty Schroder (Toowoomba BMX) and Amelie Reid (Mandurah BMX) winning the 11 and 12 Girls crowns respectively, while Charli Guy (Ashmore BMX) won arguably the toughest Girls final, defeating Imogen Healy (Tea Tree Gully BMX), Lauren Winter (Nhulunbuy BMX) and Ivy Westbrook (Wanneroo BMX) in the 16 Girls.

Jayden Bradbrook (Cross Keys BMX) proved his W1 plate was no fluke, winning the 11 Boys title by half a second. Cameron Gatt (Geelong BMX) took out the 15 Boys crown, while Bailey Seckold (Ashmore BMX) was too good for AJ Donald (Hawkesbury Hornets BMX) and Preston Murray (The Cove BMX) in the 16 Boys.

Before 2023, Shepparton previously hosted national championships in 2010, 2014, and 2019, and hosted a UCI World Cup round in 2020.

#BMXNats23 comes to an exciting conclusion tomorrow, with the Cruiser, Para, Vet Pro and Superclass categories.

2023 AusCycling BMX Racing National Championships

Location: Shepparton, Victoria
Dates: 30 October - 5 November 2023
More information: 2023 AusCycling BMX Racing National Championships

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The 2023 AusCycling BMX Racing National Championships are proudly supported by the Greater Shepparton City Council and Visit Victoria.

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