The start of this season has been a bit of an up and down experience but hidden blessings are certainly part of it all. Unfortunately, the first race of the weekend had to be cancelled due to a technical issue with the bikes. It was disappointing because I had been feeling really strong throughout practice.
I was really looking forward to the second round of the CIV GP Junior Series, but before that I had the opportunity to test at Cremona Circuit with Birretti Racing.
The test went incredibly well, and I felt like I really got to grips with the track. We started the day on the GP7, which I rode all morning. Session by session, I steadily improved my lap times, taking more than four seconds off my best time by the end of the morning.
In the afternoon, I decided to try the NSF 250, the same bike used in Moto4. It felt great right away, and I continued improving my lap times throughout the afternoon. Unfortunately, I was dealing with some serious jet lag and had to finish a little earlier than I would have liked.
Overall, the test was a huge success, and I feel like I made massive improvements in both my pace and confidence. A huge thank you to Birretti Racing for providing the bikes and a pit box for me. Everything was perfectly organized, and I couldn’t have asked for a better test day.
A week later, it was finally time for the second round of the CIV GP Junior Series.
Despite the setback of the cancelled round one, I was confident going into the weekend. I felt like I had top-five pace in every practice session and managed to pick up some great tows, allowing me to set some competitive lap times. There were six practice sessions on Saturday, but I only completed five because of fatigue. It was incredibly hot out, I wasn’t the only rider to sit out a session—most riders skipped at least one, and some even missed two.
Later that afternoon, it was time for qualifying. I wasn’t completely confident in the bike because we were still dealing with a few issues, but I knew I had the speed. I ended up qualifying fourth, just 0.173 seconds off pole position, with a best lap of 1:12.029. That result gave me a huge confidence boost heading into the second qualifying session. Unfortunately, the extreme heat made it difficult to improve, and I wasn’t able to improve my lap time. Even so, nobody else improved enough to move ahead of me and my time in Q2 was actually P2, so in the end I held onto fourth on the grid for race day.
Race day arrived with temperatures already climbing above 30°C before lunch. Even with the heat, I felt ready to race.
After what felt like an endless wait on the grid, my nerves started to build, but I stayed calm. We completed the warm-up lap, lined up, and the lights went out.
I got an excellent start, moving into third by Turn 1 and up to second before the end of the opening lap. I stayed in the fight at the front and eventually made my way into the lead, where I managed to pull away slightly. I led the race for a few laps before the riders behind began to close the gap. By lap seven, it had become a battle between myself and one other rider for the win. I was passed two laps to the finish and was determined to get the lead back.
The fight continued all the way to the final lap. I made a move for the lead but carried a little too much speed into the corner, forcing me wide. My rival slipped back through and created a small gap. I pushed as hard as I could to catch him, but I just ran out of time. I crossed the line in second place, while also setting the fastest lap of the race. 1:11.938
The final race of the weekend was even tougher, with temperatures exceeding 35°C. I knew I had the pace to fight for the win—I just needed a good start.
Unfortunately, things didn’t go to plan. I got a poor launch and dropped back to sixth into the first corner before recovering to fifth. I spent several laps battling for position, but every lap we fought meant the leaders edged further away. Eventually, I decided to settle in behind fourth place and focus on catching the front group instead.
At one stage, we were 1.6 seconds behind the leaders, but within a few laps we had closed the gap and were back in contention with only three laps remaining.
I pushed hard to make passes whenever I could. When fourth made a mistake, I seized the opportunity and dived up the inside. A few corners later, I used the slipstream to move into third, but I lost drive onto the straight and was immediately passed again. The battle continued all the way to the final lap.
As the last lap unfolded, it looked like my race was settled. I had a comfortable gap behind me and was beginning to lose touch with the riders ahead. Then, in the final corner, third place made a bold move up the inside, forcing both second and third to run wide. I stayed patient, cut back underneath them, and drove through to the finish, taking advantage of the opportunity to claim another second-place finish.
Overall, it was an incredibly successful weekend. Two podium finishes and the fastest lap in Race 1, having left me just one point behind the championship leader. The title fight is still wide open, and I’m looking forward to the next round.
A huge thank you to my family, and everyone who continues to support me. I couldn’t do this without you.
A special thanks to my sponsors, first and foremost TCS Canada who has been my number one supporter for years now. Also thank you to MetroGlass, Rocky Mountain Motorsports, Perfect Lap, Kabuto America, NA Course (Mithos leathers), Jack Carter Powersports and HardNox Track Dayz. All of you make this happen, and it is not easy competing internationally.
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