Motorcycling: Master blaster sets sights high

Reece Lister in action on the national cross-country racing circuit. Photo / Andy McGechan, Bikesportnz.com

Hands up if you don't know where Kotemaori is.

Thanks to Hawke's Bay motorcycle crosscountry racer Reece Lister just about everyone in his sport knows where the inland settlement off the main highway between Napier and Wairoa is. Lister, 15, has been the talk of this season's national series.

Reece Lister.

Last year's junior grade winner in the series, Lister, could have remained a junior rider for another two years but the KTM125 SX rider opted to go up to the Senior Under 200cc Two Stroke class. Despite his youthfulness and two full seasons in the sport, Lister won the national championship in the class which ended with the fourth and final round near Nelson last weekend.

"I was pretty happy. I put it down to consistency and the desire to try to eliminate mistakes," the Napier Boys' High School Year 11 student said.

There's no doubt he was consistent. Lister finished first in the 12-rider class in the Mosgiel-hosted round and second in the Pukekohe-hosted round.

A hunting expedition prevented him from tackling the Taranaki-hosted round. What makes his success more significant is that the hostel student claimed to "hardly spend too much time on my bike".

"Often when I go home from school for weekends I prefer to go hunting or help mum and dad with their forestry work," Lister said.

"I make up for my lack of time on the bike with plenty of gym work which I find enjoyable. It builds my aerobic base and strength."

Because he is often travelling around the country at weekends to events and training at the gym after school, Lister doesn't play any sport for the school. His long-term goal is to ride professionally overseas and he doesn't have to look far for inspiration.

"Yes I want to follow a similar path to Kieran," Lister said referring to NBHS product and a former Scinde House Hostel student Kieran Scheele.

During a couple of nine month stints in Europe Elsthorpe's Scheele represented New Zealand at "the Olympic Games of Motocross" - the Motocross of Nations in France and helped the Kiwis finish 29th.

"If that doesn't work out I'll be happy to get straight into forestry work when I leave school," Lister said.

When he wasn't on the national crosscountry circuit during the summer, Lister was more than likely competing on the national motocross series circuit which took him to Timaru, Manawatu, Rotorua and Taupo. He finished eighth overall in the national 125cc senior class, once again another commendable result considering his age and that Lister has only been motocross riding for five years.

"I'm lucky I can blat around the paddocks at home if I want to but as I say I probably don't get on the bike as often as I should."

This weekend Lister will compete in the Manawatu motocross championships. He is hoping for better luck than when he last competed through the gorge as an 85cc rider four years ago when he smashed his radiator.

There's no doubt more will be heard about Lister in the future. Should he race in Europe as a professional it will be interesting to hear how the commentators deal with Kotemaori.