Lincoln the youngest at the Barry Sheene Challenge

Lincoln the youngest at the Barry Sheene Trans Tasman Challenge

The youngest competitor at 14 years of age at the Barry Sheene Trans Tasman Challenge event at Hampton Downs this weekend will be Tyler Lincoln from Hawke’s Bay.

Tyler has just returned from Spain where he was amongst 106 teenagers from around the world trying out for the Red Bull Rookies Cup Series for next year. This Cup Series is a feeder for Moto 3 GP racing. Tyler has been racing 125’s in NZ over the past winter and is regarded as an up and coming star. He will be riding Ray Hayward’s 1960 3TA 350cc Triumph – a far cry from his 45HP Honda RS125 racer.

He is also not old enough to race anything bigger than 350cc and has a special dispensation. At the other end of the age continuum are a pair of 80-year-old Velocette racers, Peter Butterworth & Jack Mickelson (oldest by about 3 months).

Tyler started bucket racing at 13 at his local go-kart track and had his first full motorcycle meeting at the Road Race Spectacular at Taupo at the end of 2010. In 2011 he raced a Kawasaki KR150 in the Streetstock Class and earlier this year was class runner-up at the National Superbike Series, winning the Teretonga round and setting lap records along the way.
He also won the 2012 Vic Streetstock Winter Series.

Tyler will be one of two-hundred and fifty racers on three-hundred and fifty machines at the Barry Sheene Trans Tasman Challenge this weekend that includes 2 x Isle of Man TT Winner Cameron Donald, Robbie Phillis – ‘Mr Superbike’, Doug Chivas the NZ, Australian and USA Sidecar Champion , Bathurst Champion & Marlboro Series Star Marcus De Caux, Australian Post Classic Champions Martin Pearson, Gen Hindle and Terry Morris, all very quick riders.

New Zealand riders include Hayden Fitzgerald winner of the recent Queensland Superbike Title on Matchless G50, Dave Cole 4 x Australian Classic Champion, leading superbike racer Nick Cole racing both an ES2 Norton plus Kawasaki 750, Chris Swallow just back from two podium seconds at the Isle of Man Grand Prix, plus former NZ Champions Alan De Latour on his Suzuki RG500, Trevor Discombe on TZ350 Yamaha, Vince Sharpe on a Honda 1100 and Paul Pavletich on his ZXR750 Kawasaki to name a few.

For further event details go to www.barrysheenetranstasman.co.nz

Words by Robert Cochrane

ENDS

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