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Photo Jay Lawrence - The lightning fast 16-year-old New Zealander was offered the chance to step up from his regular 125 to a Yamaha R6 at a low-key meeting at Manfeild circuit, and said afterwards, “I know I could really get to feel comfortable on one of those.”
Yamaha - Press Release:
Watch this space......... Paraparaumu's Jay Lawrence is a name you're sure to be hearing more about in the future if his recent exploits are anything to go by ... and that's even more likely if the teenager gets his way and Yamaha has anything to do with it.
The 16-year-old finished fourth in his debut road racing season in New Zealand this year, riding a 125cc machine in the GP125 class. Although the rookie plans another season in the small bike class, he's already eyeing a future in the 600cc sports production class in 2005, hopefully on a Yamaha R6.
The Papararaumu High School fifth former snatched at the opportunity when he was offered a ride on the Yamaha R6 at a low-key meeting at Feilding's Manfeild circuit this year and he “absolutely loved it”.
The youngest road race exponent on the New Zealand scene at the moment, Lawrence's whirlwind initiation into the top level of the sport this season -- he made his debut soon after turning 15 -- has set tongues wagging.
“A friend of mine, Stu Rodwell, had been racing a Yamaha R6 and offered it to me for an afternoon. I had a great time. I know I could really get to feel comfortable on one of those.”
Lawrence has been racing motorcycles since he was four, first of all on a motocross bike, but has been on tarseal since he was about 13.
A key member of the Museum Hotel Wellington Sawyer Motorcycles Race Team, Lawrence is in good company with top Kiwi Bruce Anstey able to mentor him and team manager Barry New, sales manager at the Sawyer Yamaha-Honda co-franchise outlet, also keeping tabs on the young man’s burgeoning career.
“My introduction to Jay was a few years ago when he was bucket (mini road race) racing,” said New. “I remember him as a pimple-faced youngster who stood in awe of the top guys around him. Now he’s kicking their arses.
“We want him to concentrate on the small bikes for now but we’ll certainly be encouraging him to get on a Yamaha R6 in 2005. He’s got a big future ahead of him.”
The 2004/05 New Zealand Road Racing Season: kicks off at Ruapuna on December 4-5, followed by Teretonga on December 11-12. Round three is at Manfeild on February 26-27 followed by Pukekohe on March 5-6 and, finally, the series wraps up with a return to Ruapuna for round five on March 19-20.
