FIM MiniGP Australia Rider Development
With Anthony Mariniello
At the start of this year, Wayne Maxwell and I had a discussion about how we could enhance the coaching program for the Ohvale FIM MiniGP Junior riders.
Wayne, a three-time Australian Superbike champion and a living legend in Australian motorcycle racing, brought in a top-tier team of coaches. This team included Supersport racers Tom Bramich and Jack Mahaffy, both of whom have extensive overseas racing experience.
Our objective was clear: to create the best road racing junior development program in Australia and elevate the standard so these kids could narrow the gap with their counterparts in Spain and Italy.
We examined what was being done overseas, focusing on several key aspects, including drill work, dedicated coaches, and structured development programs.
Drill work is a massive part of the Spanish system, with riders like Marc Marquez and Pedro Acosta incorporating it into their training routines. These drills involve riding small capacity bikes such as pit bikes and Ohvales to develop their reactions, accuracy, and body position, which directly translates to every level of road racing.
Wayne also developed a comprehensive system to identify areas where the coaching team needed to improve their performance and how to convey that information to the riders effectively.
Given that this is an entry-level program, we aimed to reduce barriers for kids entering the sport while providing the most valuable information possible at the lowest cost.
Having worked with race teams that have substantial budgets and sophisticated data analysis tools, I knew this would be a challenge. However, I also recognised that we had a significant advantage: a group of dedicated parents and riders keen to create a competitive environment. This competitive spirit is crucial for performance improvement, as having data from others to compare can highlight areas for growth.
The series’ mentality is not just about competition but about creating an academy to elevate the level of all riders. The “all boats float on a rising tide” mentality fosters an environment where everyone benefits from collective improvement.
We started by assessing the tools we had at our disposal: an entry-level lap timer with GPS information on speed and position, and some GoPro cameras.
Leveraging my day job in software development, we built our own analysis tool. This tool took information from the lap timers, analysed it, and overlaid it with speed comparisons from the class’s fastest rider, providing time delta differences to pinpoint where improvements could be made.
Additionally, we developed a video analysis tool to quickly compare rider onboard footage side-by-side.
Currently, we are working on an on-track video analysis tool to assist with body position analysis.
These tools have proven invaluable for the coaching team, enabling them to quickly identify areas of improvement and provide riders with a visual representation of what needs to be done.
The results speak for themselves: this year, lap records have been broken at every round, and the field is the tightest it has ever been. This competitive edge is preparing these young riders for exciting racing careers.
Our approach to developing the coaching program for Ohvale FIM MiniGP Junior riders has been to blend structured development with technology, providing objective data and video analysis to drive performance improvements.
The success we’ve seen so far demonstrates the effectiveness of this approach and sets a new standard for junior road racing development in Australia.
