MOTOCROSS: Three Dubbo riders, David and Alex Mendham and Matthew Edwards, will entertain an enthusiastic crowd at Orange on Saturday for the Yamaha Stadium Motocross series.
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As many as 340 dirt bike racers and close to 3000
spectators will be trackside at the Orange Showground for the long-standing round.
The race, which many local residents and leading riders from across the country have come to look forward to, is run by successful motorcycle event promoters Dirt Bike Promotions, who are Orange locals.
Edwards is one of the up-and-coming young riders on the motocross circuit but now will have to juggle a new career with his sport.
“I’ve just started as an apprentice builder with Ryan Newman and Classic Homes, so it’s still up in the air whether I’ll get to Orange this weekend,” Edwards said yesterday.
“Obviously my work will have to come first but if it turns out I can get there, then we’ll see what happens.
“It’s been fairly quiet during the off-season but the Yamaha YZ250S has been well prepared by the Readford Motorcycles team and is ready to go racing.”
Edwards will compete in the 250 Clubman Class races.
Orange tomorrow is a definite yes for the father and son Mendham team.
David, 46, will race in the Over-30s division while 16-year-old son Alex will be looking for honours in 250 Clubman.
David, a veteran of more than 30 years in motor sport, is as enthusiastic as ever about his racing, especially when he is in there supporting Alex.
“Look, it’s one of the great things about the sport - I can go riding with my son. It’s an ideal father/son thing and one that I really enjoy,” David Mendham said.
“I got into bikes at a very early age and then into off-road racing - both at national levels - had a break when the kids came along and then when Alex was old enough to ride a bike, I started up again.”
Obviously running the successful Dubbo City Motor Cycles shop in West Dubbo is a lead-up start for the Mendham family - not all the family is into motocross.
“It’s interesting. My youngest son Connor, aged 12, is not the least bit interested in bikes or the like, but Alex is very
different,” David Mendham said.
“He is in the last year of school at MAGS but is very good with kids, so I’m not sure what he will do next year.
“But while ever he has the bug for bikes, then that’s fine with me.
“When he gets on a bike he’s very competitive. He may be quicker than me on the track but I beat him in the scrub.”
