Cooper Pozniak – A young rider in a hurry and with a positive future
When the future crop of Australia’s Supercross stars take to the grid in the Junior Lites class at Saturday night’s (December 5) final round of the 2015 Penrite Australian Supercross Championships presented by Ryco Filters at Knight’s Stadium in Melbourne, the rider they will all be gunning for is 16-year-old Newcastle, NSW, ace Cooper Pozniak.
Pozniak, who races with the support of Newcastle KTM, has been the class act of this year’s Junior Lites Australian Supercross Championship, winning the first three of the four rounds of the Championships staged to date – with only a broken chain at round four at Jimboomba, Queensland, derailing his hopes of making a clean sweep of the series.
With a 13 point advantage, Pozniak leads fellow KTM rider Jake McGlashan (366 to 353) going into this weekend’s Junior Lites Championship decider at Knight’s Stadium, with Joel Cigliano (CRF Honda Racing) third with 316 points.
“The points are close, so the pressure is going to be on at the final round this weekend,” admits Pozniak, who started racing at five years of age.
“But my plan will be to keep doing just what I have been through the previous rounds and come away with the Australian Championship, that would be awesome!”
Yet another dirt bike prodigy from the NSW Hunter Valley, which has produced the likes of global Aussie moto star Chad Reed and former Australian champion Craig Anderson, Pozniak already has his eyes set on international race career.
“That’s the goal, for sure,” explains Pozniak, who last year recovered from two broken legs to capture his first Australian Junior Motocross Championship, and since then has won a swag of state and local events.
“I raced the World Junior Motocross Championships in Spain earlier this year and finished 16th overall and that event really helped to open my eyes about racing overseas, and that’s definitely what I want to do in the future.
“I turn 17 next year and will go up to the Development class here in Australia, so I’m excited to see how I go and what kind of ride I can get and then hopefully take the next step in my career and make a plan to race overseas.
“I would really like to be able to race in America in the future, that’s my ambition.”
Pozniak has already had a stint at ‘boot camp’ at the famed Millsaps Training Facility in the USA, which is all part of his plan to take on the world.
On the cusp of adding another Australian title to his resume this weekend, Pozniak is quick to thank Newcastle KTM, Lusty Industries, Seven MX, Willmax Graphics and CFX Seats for their support this year.
“And I also have to say thanks to my mum and dad, who have been with me every step of the way,” says Pozniak,
With Saturday’s Melbourne event sure to deliver a thrilling conclusion to the 2015 Penrite Oils Australian Supercross Championships presented by Ryco Filters, in which all national Championships are still up for grabs, tickets are selling fast.
Tickets to the December 5 event at Knights Stadium at Sunshine are available by going to the www.ticketebo.com.au/supercrossmelbourne web site.
Ticket prices start at $40 and along with seeing Australia’s best Supercross racers banging bars for the prestigious national Championship crowns, fans will also be treated to the high-flying action of freestyle MX displays and the high-horsepower antics of a Monster truck demo.
Junior Lites Championship: 4/5 rounds
1. Cooper Pozniak – KTM. 366
2. Jake McGlashan – KTM. 353
3. Joel Cigliano – Honda. 316
85cc 12-U16 Championship: 4/5 rounds
1. Jy Roberts – Husqvarna. 406
2. Tyler Darby – KTM. 356
3. Samuel Noonan – KTM. 335.
