We talk at length with Wayne Maxwell about the FIM MiniGP project

Talking rider development with Wayne Maxwell

Trevor caught up with Wayne Maxwell following the running of the 2023 Ohvale FIM Mini GP World Final, where Australia’s MiniGP victors duked it out on the global stage against the best MiniGP racers in the world, for the second year running.

Maxwell gave us some insight into what’s involved with the Australian MiniGP efforts, how it’s developed in the past year, and how our Aussie racers fared against the more experienced MiniGP nations.

Trevor Hedge: So Wayne, second year taking the kids over to Europe for the Ohvale FIM Mini GP World Final. Last year I think we were a bit shell-shocked? In regards to how underprepared our young fellas were, and I know you made a big effort to change that this year.  Did that pay off? How did it go this year?

Wayne Maxwell: “Yeah, look, last year I couldn’t go due to commitments here with ASBK, like with the last round coming up. So this year I was like, I’m never letting that happen again after results.

“I felt really sorry for the kids that we sent them there last year without the support. So this year we made a big effort with the riding and that reflected at every track we went to. We improved, we broke every record significantly from last year.

“The field condensed up due to just giving the kids more support, more training, advice and more information sharing because it’s about development more so than just someone winning. Which I must thank all the parents for, because they’ve all had the same approach rather than trying to push their own thing.

“So this year, I definitely went there. Bikes were a little bit different for the 160 kids, but we went there and we closed the gap. Last year we were 1.2 seconds off, this year, 0.6s off. So yeah, it’s working.”

Trev: That’s great. So this year, what you did differently, I think there was more, more practice time or more tuition with the kids ahead of each race, getting underway at each round. Is that right?

Maxwell: “Yeah. So what we looked at is most of the people travelling to the races to ride because they didn’t want their kids to ride on tracks they hadn’t ridden or practiced on. So they didn’t want to get disadvantaged.

“You know, as soon as one person goes, everyone wants to go. So I said, I will put the Friday on to cut the costs, which we didn’t have previously, and we’ll turn into more of a coaching day where we explain to all the kids like the fast kids what gears they’re using, what gear they’re using, the bike set-ups and those things and what they can do to improve their riding styles and techniques and use some GPS data to overlay the speed.

RelatedPosts

Recapping the Nolan Superbike Masters finale from The Bend

November 15, 2024

Aussie wildcard stars in bLU cRU Asia-Pacific finale

November 14, 2024

“So I think this year had made a massive step and I feel like a proud dad to be honest.”

Trev: Good on you. So who were the main riding coaches this year that helped you get a lot of help to move these kids along?

Maxwell: “Tom Bramich trains on the Ohvale and he understands it, he came to a majority of the races so he sort of looked after it. It was still a little bit under-resourced to be as good as what we could be, but it’s all like a process, so we took a step forward and next year we’ll try to improve again, take another step and provide with some more support.“

Trev: So calling for some more volunteers to help?

Maxwell: “No, no, we can’t really have volunteers because you need to be able to pay someone, you can sort of tell them what to do or whatever. So yeah, Tom’s good like that.

“He’s passionate about it, he’s still young enough to remember when he was young, and if he had had the opportunities that these kids are getting that it could have changed his career to another level, you know.

“So yeah, it’s been a good venture, we’re lucky to have a great network of people around Ohvale and yeah, we’re getting better and better.”

Trev: And take us through how each of the kids went this year that made it to Europe.

Maxwell: “So in the 160 class we took Rikki Henry and Jake Paige who were first and second in the series here. The age for 160s is 10 to 14, Rikki is 14 and that maturity showed, because when you want to coach him or show him stuff, he was good like that. He made it straight through to the main races, qualified 17th.

“And then with Jake, who is 12. He came through as well. So he qualified, I think, 21st or something like that. So he had to go through the two qualifying races. So the first qualifying race, I think he had a bit of an altercation at the last corner and dropped a few positions. So he couldn’t battle for the top two to go through. So he had to win the last qualifying race.

“And he came through from fifth and led the last eight laps of the race and stayed strong. So that was pretty cool to be able to see him do that for a 12-year-old. He’s pretty impressive.”

Trev: I bet there were some high fives in the team.

Maxwell: “Yeah, it was high fives. And just to have the camaraderie, I mean, we try to build a culture where everyone works together. It’s because I don’t think anyone as an individual in this country is big enough to fix the problem that we have, to close the gap to Spain and the rest of the world.

“So that’s the approach I’ve tried to take to the kids and the families. And yeah, that was pretty cool to see that everyone celebrated that. And then in the 190s we had Cameron Dunker, who won that series here. That’s the 12 to 16s. 

“So Cameron’s 15 (has now turned 16 recently). We’ve obviously seen how talented he is through the 300 and through the 600. Yeah, so to have him there, he did really well. He adapted to the track quick. But I think the biggest difference is we’re probably two years out of whack.

“That 13 to the growth, like the physical size of the rider from 13 to 15 is, or 12, like some of the Spanish are, is just enough to knock a couple of tenths of a lap out of it to make it a real challenge. And yeah, Cameron didn’t really get as comfortable as he should have. And we probably didn’t give him a good enough bike. Plus in the Super Finale he lost the clutch lever which makes it really hard, but in his usual fashion, he dug deep.

“Then young Levi, who’s had a massively busy schedule in the Asia Talent Cup, he’s shown improvements. So he’s 15 also. But yeah, he rode awesome. He qualified straight through to the main races. He battled through and in the last 190 in the Super Finale I thought he would have been battling for the podium there but he high-sided out, the track surface was like overlaid and was a bit stony off the main racing line, he tried to go narrow to get good drive out of the last corner in the rear come around he went to the moon, but typical Levi style, he is tough as, he got up.

“Then yeah Harry was our last 190 guy and you know he took a big step forward with his riding and listened and learned. So he didn’t make the main races but I think he’s improved with some PBs every time out there and yeah he probably learned a lot from it. I think yeah overall the kids were good and it’s just about constant development really.”

Trev: Harry’s a big kid these days, he’s grown some long legs?

Maxwell: “So he’s got long legs and all that, but like when we analysed it afterwards like a little bit with the data, he was good everywhere, it’s just like two places he was making a mistake so maybe had we been on to that earlier we could have tried to rectify that. So he did a really good job.”

Trev: What are the plans for next year are they similar amount of rounds shaking things up at all?

Maxwell: “Yeah, a similar amount of rounds and then what we’ll try to move to is more of a curriculum, like more of a drill base training, because I think that’s what’s missing now. We go to the track and basically, we’re having a golf coach just saying, hit the ball further and harder.

“It doesn’t really work, so we need to work on more technique and really nail down on that from the kids that are younger and the older ones. So I think the plan is to have like an elite training group, and then a development squad, and then try to bring it in.”

Trev: Rob Mott goes with you and takes all the photos. Do you get him to photograph every ride or a certain corner and sort of analyse that? Have we got that far yet and video analysing?

Maxwell: “Yeah, a little bit of video analysing and stuff like that. That’s what we’re sort of trying to move forward with now, more video analysing and taking what I’ve learned from technique and stuff like at the start of the year, just even teaching them the correct stuff, changing gears and doing the right things at the right times, the basics.

“So I think now we can start to introduce more rear brake control that’s needed, more other bits and pieces. So they’re getting better and better. And I think the biggest thing we’ve seen is the good kids will always be good, but I think closing up the field for the kids that don’t come from a big massive dirt bike background is what we’re seeing. So yeah, I’m excited for it. I love it and yeah, look forward to what I’m saying.”

Trev: And if you could pick one point where some of the European kids have got the edge over ours that you need to work on, is it just a bit of everything or is it one particular area where they really stand out?

Maxwell: “I haven’t drilled down the data. We’re lucky enough to get the data from the winning bikes and stuff. So I haven’t drilled it down yet, but I would say change of direction, being able to like clear the brake a little bit earlier, get around the back of the corner and so which probably comes to the rear brake, like being able to get to the rear brake and rotate the bike and get around the corner. I would say that would be the biggest next big step.”

Trev: I did see a bit of the vision and I must say that stood out to me. How quick some of those kids went from full bank to full bank on change of direction. Was amazing. It was so fast.

Maxwell: “Yeah, that’s just that’s just time, isn’t it? Like where, you know, our goal is to move forward is to try to bring the age back by two years as in like have, you know, someone that’s Cameron’s or Levi’s level that’s only 13 over the next few years.

“So next year, some of the kids out of the 160s, like Rikki and Jake that will go to 190. Yeah. And that’ll be pretty exciting to see of those kids that have just come through our pathway for the whole time as we can really, you know, put a bit of pressure on them to see if they can take the next step.”

Trev: Good on you. Thanks, Wayne.

Maxwell: “Thanks for the chat. Thanks, Trev.”

2023 MiniGP Rider’s Championship 190 cc Standings

2023 MiniGP Rider’s Championship 160 cc Standings

Aussies at the 2023 FIM MiniGP Final in Valencia, Spain Gallery