Jade targets the top spot

Featherston solo bike speedway ace Jade Mudgway is aiming for a top three finish at the national championships to be held in Auckland over the weekend.
Mudgway, 17, will be facing high quality competition from Australia, England and Italy as well as New Zealand in the premier event and is in the right frame of mind to make a decent impact, having placed second at the North Island championships in Gisborne just last weekend.
That competition quickly developed into a two-way battle between Mudgway and Andy Bargh, and while the latter eventually took the overall honours, Mudgway did have the satisfaction of beating him on one occasion.
The fact Bargh will be amongst his rivals again this weekend, and that the international riders will further boost the calibre of the opposition, doesn't faze Mudgway, who believes a top three finish is possible providing everything goes according to play.
"Top three would be great, top five would be ok and anything less wouldn't be good enough," he said. "There's no point in being happy with tenth or something like that???you have to aim for the top."
Mudgway knows that one of the secrets to success at Auckland will be the ability to stay calm before each of his events.
"There's always a certain amount of nervousness there, but you have to keep it under control," he said. "The start is so important that you have to be totally focussed right from the word go."
Mudgway won't let his youth ? he will be one of the youngest riders in the premier grade ? stand in the way when it comes to mixing it with his older rivals on the racetrack
"You don't win at this level unless you are prepared to be aggressive and give as good as you get," he said. "You can't let your opposition dictate?do that and you are history."
For Mudgway a big performance at the national championships could be a major assist to turn his dream of competing on the professional circuit into reality.
For that to happen sponsorship is a prime requirement and the better the results the more chance there is of sponsors being attracted to him.
"I'd like to think that competing regularly overseas will come, and sooner than later," he said. " It's all about promoting yourself the right way, and getting good results is the best promotion of all."