The Ride Train Race Academy (RTR) was established by legendary Springbok Motocross riders Tony Riddell and Ryan Hunt. Their aim was to give young riders the opportunity to experience off-road motorcycling and motocross and benefit from these exciting sports in the same way that they themselves did.
Motocross and off-road motorcycle training and racing allow young riders to grow in confidence, fulfil their potential, and compete in Inland, Regional and National Championships. Beyond this, RTR has ambitious plans to see South African boys and girls represent their country in international competitions.
The founders of RTR, and their sponsors (including Tork Craft and Motul) see this as the ideal way to give back to the sporting community, and to encourage more young people to take up these exciting forms of riding.
The success of this approach can be seen in the fact that four RTR riders have been selected by Motorsport SA to represent South Africa at the prestigious Motocross of African Nations 2024 event. Participating in the MXOAN means even more this year – South Africa is the defending champions after their 2023 success on home soil, in Cape Town.
Trey Dean (aged 9) – 50cc Class; Rayden Woolls (11) – 65cc Class; Zoe Botha (16) and Katelyn Pretorius (14) – both in the Ladies’ Class – are the talented riders who are on course to earn their Springbok colours this October. In addition, Rayden has been selected to represent Mzansi at the 2024 FIM Junior Motocross World Championships, which take place in the Netherlands from 12 July 2024.
“It’s an honour to support these youngsters as they work their way up through the Motocross ranks,” commented Mercia Jansen, Motul General Manager for Southern and Eastern Africa. “Their passion and dedication are truly inspiring, and we’re delighted to see so much talent emerging at a grassroots level,” she added.
These skilled youngsters are no strangers to overcoming obstacles on the way to becoming some of the finest young Motocross riders in the SA. However, despite representing their country, these young athletes receive no government support, so preparations are underway to see if they can self-fund their trips.
“We’re immensely proud of what Trey, Rayden, Zoe and Katelyn have already achieved,” commented RTR Co-Founder Tony Riddell. “We believe they have earned the right to take on the best in Africa and the world this year, and it would be a real shame if a lack of funding prevented them from achieving their dreams,” he added.
“On behalf of our future champions, I would urge anyone with an interest in motocross to consider supporting these young athletes in their quest for glory,” commented Riddell’s Co-Founder and Director of Vermont Sales/Tork Craft, Ryan Hunt. “These riders have a real chance of returning home with medals – but first we have to get them to Morocco and Holland,” he added.
“A big thank you to all our sponsors for supporting the next generation of riders in the RTR academy, they include Tork Craft, Zombie Networx, Pepson Plastics, Motul, Pirelli, Alpinestars, EMD Racing, Prepsol and ETS Race Fuel,” concluded Riddell.
To learn more about the Ride Train Race academy, and how you can sign up or support these young riders, visit the RTR Instagram page: Ride Train Race.
