Press Releases
Catching up with Aden De Jager - By: Aaryn Minerds
Posted: Friday, 19th November, 2010 -
11,147 Reads
Most Australian riders take the same path to make it to the top in Australian
racing. Most will come through Juniors prove themselves get some results
as a privateer or if lucky with a support ride when they first hit seniors
and work their way to a ride on a top team with the best opportunity to
make it as a champion in our sport.
There have been the few exceptions with rider like Chad Reed and Bret
Metcalfe that head virtually straight from juniors to overseas rides with
top international teams, but they are the exception. Aden DeJager has
done what few have done before him; he headed over the US as a privateer
to race full time in arguable the best Motocross and certainly the biggest
and most competitive supercross series in the world.
Sure there have been Australian riders before him that have headed over as privateers to do a couple of rounds between racing in Australia, Aden however took it one step further and headed to the US with his sights set on racing a couple of full seasons in the AMA with nothing more than a bought bike and Van when he landed in the USA.
Unfortunately for Aden he could not get back into the US this year when he went to return and is now in Australia and trying to piece together a ride for next year in Australia, he will also be competing in the final two rounds in this year’s SuperX series at Parramatta and Brisbane, we caught up with Aden for a chat about his US experience, the reason behind him not getting back to the US of A for 2011 and what he has lined up for the final two SuperX races of 2011.
Fullnoise: Hi Jaden, how did the riding go today?
Aden: Yeah good I went out to a private track near Batemans bay, I usually head down there with Mackie, It has been good, and I have put in a few solid days of riding. Really just starting to get into the flow of things, I’m mean the last time I rode supercross was Vegas (final round of the 2010 AMA Supercross series) so it has been awhile.
I had my first supercross ride back out at Bopping’s a couple of weeks ago, it was my first ride back and I was worried about spoading out a bit and air wheeling off jumps but there was not too much of that so it was good.
Fullnoise: You mentioned your last race was Vegas, in the AMA Supercross series, you have spent the last few years doing the privateer deal in the AMA, how has that gone for your?
Aden: Pretty good, the time in America was awesome, last year I qualified for every round I entered at the supercross , I think I done 14 of the 17 rounds, I missed a couple of rounds after breaking my collarbone at one, it was a hell of an experience that is for sure.
Fullnoise: You chose to go over to the US on your own, and travel the country racing as a privateer and meeting people as you went, how was that experience?
Aden: It started off when I went over the first year, there was nothing happening for me over here so I said screw it, I am going to go to the states, and I am going to by a bike and a van and see what I can do. In the first year I qualified for a few supercrosses and Motocrosses and done pretty well.
From there I got signed on with the Wonder Warthog team which is a privateer based outfit. Basically what they do is, they have a big rig with their sponsors and stuff on it to get our bikes from race to race, so that was the start of it with them.
This year with Supercross they were starting a team, basically they ran some tryouts to get riders on their team and I ended up being the top rider from the try outs, so they gave me a race bike for the whole of the supercross season, they are mainly just a supercross team.
IT was good spending the last two years travelling around, I put 65,000 Miles on the van in two years, and I definitely saw a lot of the country.
Fullnoise: Doing it that way you certainly would have seen a lot of the country and also would have spent a lot of hours behind the wheel driving that is for sure it must have been a great couple of years.
Aden: Honestly it was the greatest experience, I got to ride the best motocross tracks, and riding a supercross at a place like Atlanta in front of seventy thousand people was crazy.
Fullnoise: You also had some good results in the AMA motocross Nationals this year, qualifying inside the top 40 at a few rounds and racing in the points paying races and by the end of the year you scored a top 20 moto result and scored yourself some AMA national points that would have to have been a good feeling.
Aden: Yeah it was a good season, and my best result was at Millville, it was ridiculously hot and it was one of those days where people were kind of fading out. The hardest thing for me was I kind of lacked a little bit of raw speed, I had the stamina and I could last a whole moto, but my fastest lap would be what I could do for the whole 35 minutes, where most guys could put in a real sprint lap.
This also caused me to struggle with qualifying at the early rounds, I was really starting to get down during the first half of the 2010 motocross, after coming off a pretty successful supercross season qualifying inside the top 40 at every round, then coming to motocross expecting to qualify and not really doing that much had me a little bummed.
When I got to Millville I got out there and qualified and got 20th in the race, which was a hell of a feat I thought.
Fullnoise: For sure, it meant you scored and AMA National point, not everyone can say that!
Aden: Yeah I got my first ever AMA Pro point, the next week at Washougal , I got 24th there, it was really looking good, I also had a little bit of back luck like casing Laroccos leap at Red Bud and destroying myself there.
Fullnoise: I have heard you were not planning on coming home to race; you were going back to the US until you were told you could not come back due to Visa issues, what happened there?
Aden: I had the same thing lined up with Wonder warthog to race the whole Supercross series again next year, I had Rob Beeves from Moto E , complete racing solution who has signed up as a sponsor and was going to be my personal trainer. Rob had me doing gruelling workouts , I was super pumped for the season, I had two supercross tracks, a bobcat and a water truck that was all going to be at my disposal for the two months in the lead up to the season, it was all set.
When I landed in the U.S.A I was stopped by boarder security and sent back home for the wrong VISA basically for what I was trying to do.
Fullnoise: Is there any way around it, any way you will be able to get back over for next year?
Aden: Not as of right now, I am going to try and fight it and talk to some lawyers. If I was not making any money by the end of the year in the states next year it was going to be my final year anyway, but I wanted to make it a hell of a year. It kind of sucks as I have really only done one full season, and I really felt like I had learnt so much and what I needed to do, I knew where I had to pick up.
I had everything set up to go, I was basically heading straight back and getting on the bike until A1, I had everything planned, I was meant to arrive on the Tuesday and I already had a gym session planned for that Tuesday night and then the next morning I was heading to the track to ride, the track was all ready sitting there waiting for me to turn up and all those plans got put on hold very very fast.
Fullnoise: That really would have sucked.
Aden: Yeah it was not fun sitting at the airport being interrogated then being sent home, but hey I guess things like that happen for a reason. I don’t know I guess we will see what happens, maybe I am meant to be racing in Australia or going back to study and moving on, but I do feel like there is some unfinished business, and I feel like I am really starting to peak now, I would really like to go to Parramatta and kill it.
Fullnoise: We will be seeing you out at Parramatta and Brisbane rounds of SuperX then, what have you got lined up for those rounds?
Aden: Yeah, pretty much Yamaha said here you go, show us what you can do on a bike, and gave me a bike to racing with; Heffo from the Academy of off road riding helped me set that up.
It was good, I wanted to see how I would go with getting sponsors and that sort of stuff and setting up my own sort of thing, it has been coming along well I have a lot on board already. My dad’s company Biketique is on board, so it will be the Biketique Yamaha that I will be racing, I have two other main sponsors on board with MotoE and Detour lifestyle which is a motorbike shop and I have my website up at Adendejager.com where you can see the bike and all the sponsors that are helping me out at the moment.
Fullnoise: So what are the plans at this stage for next year, will we see you racing the Nationals in Australia in 2011?
Aden: Well at this stage I am going to say I am pretty much going to be racing in Australia, I would love to have something lined up but I have to prove myself first before I can just be offered something. Parramatta and Brisbane will be a proving ground for me, I need to go out there and ride well and have people notice me and take me seriously and hopefully offer me something.
Fullnoise: Cool, hopefully a team or someone will jump onboard and you will get the support you need for 2011 over here and best of luck with the race in Parramatta, I’ll catch up with you there.
Aden: Yeah thanks come over and say good day
Unforunatley as this interview was about to be posted Aden crashed during a training mishap and i looks as though he has broken his Radius, ruling him out at this stage for the final two rounds of SuperX. We wish Aden a speedy recovery and hope to see him on the line at next years MX Nationals with the support he needs to go racing in 2011.
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Disappointment at Indianapolis - misfortune strikes Aden
Posted: Tuesday, 22nd February, 2010
The Specialist confirms that the right collar bone is badly broken. Fortunately he doesn't have to operate because the bone is aligned and he felt that Aden will mend quicker without the operation and pins. Hopefully all going well, he will be back in time for Dallas.
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Posted: Sunday, 21st February, 2010
Race Results 2010 Indianapolis
Posted: Sunday, 21st February, 2010
Qualifying Heat Race LCQ
24th 19th DNS
I had two great practices and felt that I was more than capable of making the main. In the first Heat race I had a very good start and came out the first corner in 5th position. A few laps in to the race whilst still in 5th, I crashed and broke my Collarbone. The disappointment was immense but its racing and I will be back stronger and faster ASAP.
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Race Results 2010 Anaheim 3
Posted: Sunday, 14th February, 2010
Qualifying Heat Race LCQ
30th 13th 10th
The preparation coming into Anaheim 3 was good and I felt physically good but it was disappointing not making the main. I was disappointed with the end result but happy that I am now back to full fitness and speed. Bring next week on I know that this is the week I will make the main.
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Race Results 2010 San Diego
Posted: Sunday, 7th February, 2010
Qualifying Heat Race LCQ
32 nd 13th 10th
Once again the track was awesome I had a good practice and felt real good. With a first corner crash, I had to race hard to get back from last, through the pack and was able to salvage a 13th place finish. The LCQ started off with me going into the rhythm section in 2nd place, however I got cross rutted and with that the result is I ended up going right across the track landing between the triple and the finish line. Luckily I missed the other riders and was able to rejoin the race after getting out the mud.
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Race Results 2010 San Francisco
Posted: Sunday, 30th January, 2010
Qualifying Heat Race LCQ
31 st 14th 6th
Qualifying was good. I felt a hole lot better and the confidence was back. The heat race was good but I was a little unfortunate and was take out early thus forcing me into the LCQ. The start was average in the LCQ but I was very happy with the way I was able to get through the pack and have a modest 6th place finish. I am looking forward to next week in San Diego.
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Race Results 2010 Anaheim 2
Posted: Sunday, 23rd January, 2010
Qualifying Heat Race LCQ
33 rd 16th 17th
The qualifying was much better but the starts in both the races were not good. I will be taking the positive out of the race and that was that my lap times were not far off the factory riders.
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Race Results 2010 Phoenix
Posted: Sunday, 16th January, 2010
Qualifying Heat Race LCQ
39 th 16th 15th
On the mend but still a long way to go.
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Race Results 2010 Anaheim 1
Posted: Sunday, 9th January, 2010
With the help of my team, I tried to ride and do the best I could under the circumstances but unfortunately I was unable to race hard and fast enough through the rhythm section and stutters. The pain was too great so I was unable to do the times needed to qualify in the top 40. I finished in 42nd position. This was disappointing as I put months of training into this SX season for an injury to slow me down before the season starts. I will be back next week, taking things one step at a time.
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Aden has a horrific Crash two day before 2010 Anaheim 1
Posted: Wednesday, 6th January, 2010
With only a few day left before Anaheim 1, I crashed badly whilst training at Palm Springs training facility. I cased the quad in the rhythm section and subsequently went over the burm and into the large gorge next to the track, landing hard on my shoulder. Witnesses to the crash said that it was enormous. X-rays showed a crack in my shoulder. I will try and do Anaheim 1 but at the moment I am extremely sore and cannot lift my arm.
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Washougal AMA National Motocross
Posted: Saturday, 25th July,2009
The beginning of the week wasn’t looking too promising for the weekend race at Washougal. To start off the week, I caught a stomach bug which had me practically bed ridden until Wednesday night. I had my flight booked for Thursday afternoon stopping over at Houston, Texas. We were delayed in air by bad storms around Houston. As a result I had missed my connecting flight to Portland. I was then put on standby for a flight later that night which I was hoping to get on. However, I didn’t. I ended up sleeping at Houston Airport on the floor having to wait until 5pm Friday to catch the next flight up to Portland arriving at 9pm. I knew I had to get up early Saturday and get to the track as I had yet to even see the track. Luckily, Chris from Wonder Warthog took care of my bike on the Friday also putting on an FMF pipe and had everything ready for race day.
Practice/Qualifier 1: I went out in first practice with a whole lot of determination after everything that had gone pear-shaped throughout the week. The track was very enjoyable and I felt fairly fast and smooth with finding some good lines. I was astonished to find out I had the 3rd fastest time in my group with a 2.21.
Practice/Qualifier 2: With a massive confidence boost and feeling really relaxed; I knew I could drop off a few more seconds from my time. Each lap I pushed harder and ended up knocking 4 seconds off my best time in my first prac. This landed me the fastest time in my Group B with a 2.17.302. This result qualified me in 26th position overall ready for the main. It is hard to find words that can explain how I felt not only qualifying for the main for the first time, but having the number one time in my entire group.
Moto 1: I had a fairly decent start off the gates and narrowly missed the commotion that occurred through the first few corners. I found myself close behind Nick Wey through the first four laps. After lap four I was starting to wear off and was passed by a few riders. I was trying to keep up to the pace however it dramatically increased my heart rate resulting in me ‘hitting the wall’ by lap 8. I continued to put in my best efforts nonetheless I was suffering as my hands and fingers were sore. I ended up finishing 29th.
Moto 2: I had an inside gate with a substantial start. I sneaked right to the inside on the first corner as there was a good size crash towards the middle. I fought my way through on the first lap with a 16th position just behind New Zealander’s Luke Burkhart. I stayed behind Burkhart for five laps until I passed him going through the whoops. I held him off for ¾ of a lap until he passed me again on a down hill braking section. I made a small mistake giving him the opportunity to pull about 2 seconds on me. At that point I was the meat inside the New Zealander sandwich with Justin McDonald not far behind. Half a lap later Burkhart made a mistake and crashed putting him out of the rest of the race. I continued to fight as McDonald was approaching fast. I kept a good distance in front of him for approx 2 ½ laps, however he found the chance to make a pass steaming up Horsepower Hill. I stayed with McDonald for another 2 laps but maxed out my heart rate by lap 12. I tried to stay smooth for the rest of the moto and use my legs a bit more to save some energy. I was pleased with my finishing result in this moto in 24th position.
The bike was extremely responsive with my Roll-on Throttle and FMF pipe. I must give Chris and Jeff my mechanic from Wonder Warthog a massive thanks for all of the hard work and encouragement they put in.
I would also like to give a big thanks to all of my other sponsors who have helped me out tremendously; BDR, Wonder Warthog, Fly Racing, Kwala MX Components, Kali Protective's, Stomp Grip, Hammerhead, Roll-on Throttle, No Toil, Go Pro, Scott, The Burgess Family and my Mum and Dad; without their support I would not be here.
I will be returning to Australia to compete in the 2009 Australian SuperX series. I am looking for sponsorship, so any team, company or anyone willing to sponsor me please feel free to contact me with any information or help that you can provide.
Mt Morris AMA National Motocross
Posted: Wednesday, 17th June,2009
We arrived at High Point on the Friday driving through rain the entire time looking like it was going to be a muddy weekend. Luckily not far from the track, it stopped raining so heads were up. This is my first National race as I am based on the east coast. I have been training by competing in a few local races and also practice days at tracks. During this time BDR Motors and Suspension offered to help me out a great deal by getting me two Honda CRF 450’s. This is a great opportunity for me as instead of having just one bike to train and race on, I now have a practise bike and a top notch race bike. I picked up the bikes only four days before my first National race and in that time do some testing and work out all of the kinks to make sure I was as ready as can be.
Practice/Qualifier 1: I went out on one of the most outstanding motocross tracks I have ever ridden. There were plenty of jumps and off-camber corners whilst it was rutting up nicely. I only got two fast laps after the first 5 minutes free and I was 15th fastest in my B group putting me 47th out of 79 riders overall.
Practice/Qualifier 2: I was first to head back onto the track for the second qualifier. I was determined to set a few fast laps as I was 12 places outside of qualifying overall. First lap was a pretty good lap as I tagged onto a few fast guys and used them as my competition to set a fast time. I set a 2.32.6 lap time however I still knew I had more to give. This time just put me out of a qualifying position for the Main Moto's. In one of my fast laps I was heavy in concentration however made a small mistake when I tucked the front wheel under which cost me a whole lap gone to waste. My last lap was my fastest setting a 2.32.2 but still was not fast enough resulting in me missing out on the main by 1.6seconds / 6 positions ending in 44th. It was a heartbreaking result as I knew I could have pushed it and easily qualified. This result sent me to the LCQ which is a four lap race and only the top two riders go through to the main to make up the top 40.
Last Chance Qualifier: As this was only a four lap race I knew the start would be crucial. I didn’t get the best jump out of the gate and headed into the first corner in 12th. I felt more determined and confident as I wasn’t as tense and managed to push my self up to 5th position. Heading into the last lap 3rd and 4th were just in front of me with 2nd position about half a straight ahead. The rider in 3rd position crashed on a blind step-up causing the rider in 4th and myself in 5th to land on him sending me over the bars. This was a big blow as I had the second fastest lap time in the race and I knew I had what it takes to catch up to 2nd and make it into the main. I re-mounted and straightened my levers and handlebars to the best I could and took back off to finish the race and have one last lap of High Point. It was a bitter pill to swallow knowing that I didn’t make it this round, however I know I have the speed, fitness and knowledge to make the mains in other rounds.
My next round will be Red Bud which I am fairly confident I will go well as it fits the description of what I'm more used to back in Australia with big jumps and a sandy base.
I would like to thank Troy Crisp from BDR for getting my bikes dialled in time for my first round. We will be doing some more testing throughout the next few weeks getting ready for the next National. I would also like to give a big Thanks to all of my other sponsors who have helped me out tremendously; Fly Racing, Kwala MX Components, Kali Protective's, Stomp Grip, Hammerhead, No Toil, Go Pro, Scott, The Burgess Family and My Mum and Dad without there support I would not be here.
Posted: Monday, 6th April,2009
In two weeks prior to Jacksonville Supercross I attended some local Motocross Races. The experience was excellent and was tones of fun riding in different and muddy conditions. The Jacksonville Supercross was my last Supercross Race as I cannot afford to travel to the West Coast for the remaining rounds. Instead I will be participating in a number of Motocross Races to qualify for Loretta Lynns and the MX Nationals.
Qualifying/Practise 1 : The track was tight but a lot of fun featuring a big triple out of a flat corner. I put in a few good laps getting to know the track and sorting out my lines. My fastest lap was a 1:01min making me 16th fastest in my B/C group.
Qualifying/Practise 2: I was a bit more relaxed in my second Practise and was riding smoother and did some faster laps. My goal was to reach under a minute in this qualifying. I set my fastest lap towards the end of Practise in the 59 sec and felt pretty comfortable with the track and a fairly solid time. I qualified again 16th out of 22 riders and landed a position in the second heat for the night show.
Heat 2: I was positioned towards the outside on the gates, so I knew I had to sneak up the inside when they dropped to get to the corner. I was in approx 12th position exiting the first corner. Coming up to the first triple the rider in front of me did not jump the triple, and I made the costly mistake of doubling over it. I was riding fairly strong and tried to pass another rider going up the inside of another triple however I drifted a little wide and landed on a tough block on the down ramp resulting in going over the bars. Once I had gotten up and started the bike again, I noticed the handle bars were out of place so I went to the mechanics area to straighten them up. I knew I didn’t have a chance now, so I continued to race and use my Heat race as another practise for the LCQ.
LCQ: Once again I was lined up on the outside due to my result in my Heat race. Sneaking up the inside worked fairly well in my Heat so I decided to do that again to gain a good position heading into the first corner. I was in approx 11th position after the first corner. I was lying just outside the top 10 for half a lap but over jumped the tabletop-single a little causing me to drift wide and roll the first jump in the first rhythm section which allowed two riders to step on-step off beside me. I had a good battle with a Suzuki rider until the end of the race finishing in myself getting the upper-hand. I finished in 15th position for the night.
All of the Supercross Rounds were amazing. The experience was invaluable and I definitely learnt what it takes to make it in the sport of Supercross. I’m really looking forward to being able to race the Australian Supercross with the knowledge and experience I have gained while being over here in America. I must give a huge Thank You to Roger Dinsdale from Pro-Motion Suspension for his hard work on my bike. The suspension was imaculate for the race and definitely made it that bit easier on the track. I also have to say Thank You to everyone helping me out; Alpha Motorsports, Yamaha, GYTR, Yamalube,Pro Motion Suspension, FLY, Kali Protectives, No-Toil, Kenda, Stomp, AXO boots Hammerhead Designs, Go Pro, Scott, Ogio, Mum and Dad, without them this would not be possible.
I really appreciate everything you all have done for me while being here. Your support and help was tremendous throughout the entire Supercross Series. I look forward to competing in the Motocross Series.
Posted: Tuesday, 17th March, 2009
The week leading up to the New Orleans Supercross, I made a few adjustments to the bike to help me run a bit smoother for the weekend. I finally had my suspension done properly for the Supercross by Roger Dinsdale at Pro-Motion Racing Suspension. I also took a trip down on Wednesday morning to GPF (Georgia Practice Facility) to do some real practice on a top quality supercross track that afternoon and Thursday for the day. You can view me practicing with my Go-Pro Helmet Cam on youtube via this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SznXxPGOCvo
This helped me get a lot more
confident with the bike and adjust to the new suspension.
Track Review-
As I walked the track in the morning, it was clear that it was a
very tight and single lined track. The most difficult section was
the 180 degree sand corner straight after a triple leading into a
very large set of whoops. While watching practices prior to mine, I
noticed that not one person got on top of the whoops; everyone was
jumping through them. This however, changed throughout the night.
Qualifying/Practise 1- The track was tight but I went out there with a positive attitude as I had had some decent training during the week and the bike was in good condition. I set a couple of fast times and did all of the rhythm sections, however I was a little tight and suffered some arm pump. I finished 14th in Group B/C combined, which gave me some good motivation for the next Practice.
Qualifying/Practice 2- Now that I had relaxed a bit more, things were working a little better and things were seemed smoother. I improved my time by half a second which put me in 33rd qualifying position for the night show.
Heat 2-
I was pumped to make it to another night show, and even more excited
as it was my first one indoor with an amazing crowd surrounding. I
lined up with number 17 pick on the gate and stood with the likes of
James Stewart. I didn’t get the best jump out of the gate, was
pushed wide on the straight and found my self in a sorry last place.
I was in the mess of things going through the first rhythm section
with all the other riders and wasn’t picking up much speed. I passed
a couple of riders, nonetheless wasn’t aggressive enough with the
track or the riders to progress any further. I finished in 15th
position taking me to the LCQ for another week.
LCQ-
I had a spot on the line with 11th gate pick up on the
inside. With the hope to improve my riding from the Heat race, I put
my head down and focused as the 30 second bored was up. My start
still wasn’t the best so I knew I had some work to do. I was a bit
more aggressive overall resulting in my position being pushed up to
11th. Jacob Marsack had been just behind me for a few
laps and made a pass on the last lap as the white flag was held to
put me back to 12th position to finish for the night.
I won’t be attending St. Louis
or Toronto due to my financial restrictions. However, these few
weeks I will be putting in some hard hours training, racing the
Carolina Ultra Series and the Mega Series which are Loretta Lynns
area qualifiers. I will be attending Jacksonville Supercross to
finish up the Supercross Season (cough, cough, Vegas baby).
I have to say a big Thank You
to everyone helping me out; Alpha Motorsports, Yamaha, GYTR,
Yamalube, FLY, Kali Protectives, No-Toil, Kenda, Stomp, Hammerhead
Designs, Go Pro, Scott, Ogio, Pro-Motion Suspension, Mum, Dad, and
my Girlfriend. Without them this would not be possible.
ECHECONNEE OFF-ROAD PARK (Best in Georgia series)
Posted: Monday, 9th March, 2009
I had raced the night before at Daytona Supercross, but we decided that we could do the race in Georgia, which is part of the B.I.G series. We got to this awesome, sandy track. Man what a pristine track, they kept watering and maintaining it all day
450 A Race 1:- I only had 5 Laps practice, which did not leave me much time to learn the track. I spun a little coming off the concrete start, which pushed me back in about 10th, but I thought what the hell, and I pushed through not really knowing the lines, just learning as I went along. I passed a number of riders and made my way back up to 4th. The leaders were approximately one straight ahead of me by the end of the race. This was good as I could determine where I stood, had I got a better start.
16-24 yrs Race 2:- I found out that I was able to compete in this class as well, so I entered, although I had now missed race 1, I participated in race 2 because I wanted to do as much riding as possible. I got the Holeshot and checked out from start to finish winning by 2 straights. This was good because I found some lines and it was good to explore these before my next 450 race.
450 A race 2:- I got a good jump off the start, but got pushed wide in the first corner and with that a whole heap of people snuck in, underneath me. And suddenly I was sitting in 12th coming around corner 2, it was okay as now that I knew where some of the faster lines were, I put my head down, turned on the gas and decided it was time to catch the leaders. By the time I had made my way up to 4th place, I was only about one straight behind the three leaders. With only 4 laps left to catch them, I stuck my head down and let it all hang out, on the last lap I was right on their tail, made this awesome pass on the 3rd and 2nd place guys, by railing the inside of a corner. I was now in 2nd with a few corners to go; I was just not able to make a pass on Clint Shealy for the lead.
With a 4-2 placing, I finished 2nd overall.
I have to say a big thank you to all the people for helping me out:
Alpha Motorsports, Yamaha, GYTR, Yamalube, FLY, Kali Protectives, No-Toil, Kenda, Stomp, Hammerhead designs, Go Pro, Scott, Ogio and Mum and Dad and a real good friend of mine Dave Root, for driving all night to get us to the track
Rnd 4 AMA Supercross - Daytona
Posted: Sunday, 8th March, 2009
A bit of news first: - I have decided to move back to the YZ450F, a couple of reasons, firstly I was 2 ½ seconds faster on the stock YZ450F, on the tight track than my race prep’d YZ250F. And secondly the funds required for maintaining a YZ250F is substantially more than the bigger bike, as a privateer I am sure you know where I am coming from, especially as I only have the one bike. That’s what made my decision to move back to the YZ450F, easier. The more time I had on the YZ450F (big) bike; the more comfortable I felt
Practice/Qualifying 1: I went out in the first practice and was amazed by how rough this track had become after one round of practice. It was like trying to ride a Mr. Motocross National, at the end of the day (extremely rutted out). I wasn’t sure how I was going to deal with this. A few days prior I had prepared and had ridden a sandy track that was not quite Supercross, but at least had some good big jumps and tight corners. Anyway, I went out in Practice and struggled a bit in the ruts. There were so many different lines to take, especially with some of the triples having massive kickers in the face of them. Whilst I was riding I could feel that I was tense and tight and did not relax at all, hence I had a bad practice.
Practice/Qualifying 2: As the weather heated up the track dried out quite a bit, which caused the ruts to set and get deeper. I sat down and watched some of the other Pro Riders in their practices and felt I could really have kicked myself for riding the way I had in Practice 1. In Practice 2, I went out and set a much faster lap, by 4 seconds. I was doing all the rhythm sections and managed to put together some smoother laps which was enough to put me into 38th position, enough to make the night show, finally!
Heat 1: I was lined up with the likes of Stewart and Windam, along with many other fast riders. I had a good jump out of the gate and beat the guys close to me into the first corner. I was rounding the corner just behind Ryan Villipoto in about 12th spot. I held that position till I got to the whoops/stutters. I went in hard and got a nasty kick in the rear end, which kicked my left leg off into a sort of odd Nac Nac position. I was skimming the whoops with one foot on one peg hoping it was not going to end nasty, well it ended up with me sort of washing out. Disappointed that I had messed up such a good opportunity, I picked myself up and finished the heat. My first heat race with the big boys and I have to go and crash. I finished Pos 20th.
LCQ: I did not have the best gate pick for the LCQ. I also had to line up with some of the worlds best riders who did not make it through in their Heat; Davi Millsapps, Ivan Tadesco, Josh Grant and Mike Brown just to name a few. I got a fairly good jump out of the gate but just sort of touched handlebars with another rider, which put us back in the first corner. Other riders crashing did not help, I got held up which put me in around 13th. I knew I was still not riding my best as I still felt very tight and tense. The thing that I struggled with the most was the ruts. For example you would land in a rut on a rhythm section and have to follow that rut all the way through the up ramp of the next jump. I have never experienced anything that tough before. It was frustrating as I knew by this time I stood no chance of making it through. Then whilst doing the double-triple in the rhythm section, I got cross rutted and sort of veered left off the track. Typical, I landed on the edge of the down ramp on one of the tough blocks and yeah, it got caught in my back brake. I had to stop and pull it out before I could get going again. I finished the race and now at least I could take the experience away from here and use it to my advantage to know what it’s going to take to qualify for a Main Event. It was an invaluable experience and a good dose of motivation that I need to lead me into more Main Events in following the weeks. Final Pos: 20th
I have to say thank you to all the people helping me out Alpha Motorsports, Yamaha, GYTR, Yamalube, FLY, Kali Protectives, No-Toil, Kenda, Stomp, Hammerhead designs, Go Pro, Scott, Ogio, Mum and Dad without them this would not be possible.
Rnd 3 AMA Supercross - Indianapolis Lites East Coast
Posted: Tuesday, 3rd March, 2009
So I went during the week and got some bike time in it was good getting comfortable and familiar with the bike. The weeks riding went fairly good apart from the time when I snapped a kick starter. Never done that before but we fixed the problem and away we went to Indianapolis. When we get to Indianapolis it was 17F which is like -8C wow what a shock waking up to that in the morning.
Practice / Qualifying 1 : So I went out, the track was technical with a nasty set of whoops coming out of a sharp sandy corner this track was designed by Mike Larocco it was technical but fun. So I went out there did a few laps and got comfortable put in a few laps and was struggling with the staircase and the whoops. I set a couple of fast times but nothing to special without doing the staircase and getting the whoops properly. My fastest lap in that practice was a 59.6s. You can see a lap of my First Practice here is the link to the video on Youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMXOFZ0yzPg
Practice/ Qualifying 2: So I went and watched the other practices and studied how they were attacking the whoops and the staircase and a couple of other rhythm sections. I went out did the stair case 1st lap attacked the whoops a bit better still not good enough and worked on some speed into the Rhythm sections. I was doing everything that everyone else was doing. So it really comes down to some speed in the corners. I put in a few solid laps and we just had to wait to see what time I got. I stepped it up and got a 57.8 That should be enough to make it into the night show, wrong. I missed out by qualifying by 0.25seconds all that is basically a bleep of the throttle just in one corner and it would count. But that put me back in 44th Position wow. 4 riders in 0.25seconds to qualify. If I was to knock off 1 second I would be lying in about 30th Position and 2 seconds would put me in the top 20. Everyone I think looks at the East Coast and does not see the big names so they don’t think that there is talent. But the class is so stacked like a rider that I was riding with in my practice made it to the main and got a good position in the top 12. And I was only just a little slower than he was. I know I was to slow in the whoops guaranteed but its something I have to work on for next week Daytona. The size difference compared from the Whoops at Indianapolis compared to the Whoops we have at Super X are massive the only round that come close was the ones at Adelaide.
It was a great show Reedy rode smart Bubba was extremely fast its amazing watching them ride. The Lites was interesting Pourcel, Izzi, Stroupe and Brayton are all stand outs after that anyone in the field could do something special. A lot of it come down to starts massive wreck in the Lites main only 7 people come out clean they had to restart the race. Stroupe and Pourcel got lucky.
Driving back from Indianapolis was hell too we were about 150 Miles from Home and it started snowing great just what we need. What should have only taken 2 and a bit hours took another 6 hours driving through a foot of Snow on the National Highway. Very interesting stuff for an Australian driving.
I would like to thank all the People that are making this possible. Alpha Motorsports, Yamaha, GYTR, Yamalube, FLY, Kali Protectives, No-Toil, Kenda, Stomp, Hammerhead designs, Go Pro, Scott, Ogio and Mum and Dad
Rnd 2 AMA Supercross Lites Class Atlanta Georgia.
Posted: Friday, 24th February, 2009
Practice/Qualifying 1 : I went out in practice C with 62 other Lites riders competing for a top 40 spot to make the night program. I went out for the first couple of laps and was amazed at the track; it had rutted up after one practice. The track was a little more intense than what I have seen in Australia; including the Super X series tracks. I was going alright with not much practice under my belt, only having ridden twice on the new 09 YZ250F since arriving four weeks ago in the USA. Although I have not ridden competitively since the last Super X round early December 08, I was super pumped just to be riding in an AMA Supercross. I did the triple by lap 3 and the rhythm section smoothly and things were looking up. I was skimming the whoops by lap 3 but towards the end of the whoops, I dropped the front wheel and went over the bars, the bike cart wheeled over the top of me. This was not a good start, I pulled off to the side of the track and a marshal stopped me saying that I can’t continue to ride because I don’t have a ‘Hats off Device’. I had no idea what a ‘Hats off Device’ was. Apparently it’s compulsory; it blows air into your helmet so it’s easy to take off your helmet if you’re knocked out. I then had to race over to the Asterisk Medical tent to apply one to my helmet, by the time it was fitted my twenty minute practice was over. This caused me to miss most of my twenty minute practice session which I needed as the track was quite technical. This left me with only a fifteen minute practice/qualifying time to try and get a good qualifying time when all the others had two full practices.
Practice/Qualifying 2 : I went to go out for practice 2 but the bike would not start, great just what I needed. After a fair few kicks, no luck so we jump started it and away I went. I said to myself “I have to do this if I want to qualify for the night program”. I cleared all the triples and did the rhythm smoothly whilst putting in a few fast laps. I struggled a little with the ruts as the bike wanted to pull in all different directions. My best qualifying time was achieved on my last lap of practice. Qualifying 48th, I missed out on the top 40 by 0.7 of a second. This showed me that the intensity and pace of all the riders back to 60th place was extremely fast. If I had bettered my time by two seconds, I could have been running in the top 20. All the competitors are more than capable of doing everything so it comes down to the corners and racing aspect. It’s good to know that I can run at the pace that is required to get through for qualifying. On this occasion, I was disappointed that I did not make the night program. With another week to practice, I feel that I can achieve the goal of knocking off a couple of seconds.
Conclusion: With only 2 short practice rides in the past 4 weeks, it’s hard to feel comfortable going out on an AMA Supercross track. Before Indianapolis, I will ride as often as possible. Hopefully, four days straight which should help with my confidence and riding fitness. Feedback that I received, was that myself, Daniel Mc Coy and Cody Cooper are not aggressive enough with the track and especially the corners. They say that we are too concerned about clearing the jumps and sort of “babying the corners”. The entire event was unbelievable and the racing was good. It honestly is an amazing show. You have to be there to experience how fantastic it is, “Only in America”. I can’t wait until Indianapolis next weekend. My goal is to make the night program and we will go from there.
Aden de
Jager off to the United States of America
Posted:
Friday, 6th February, 2009 : 9:26 AM
Yesterday on Feb 4th Aden de Jager pursued his dream and flew out of
Sydney to the United States to race in the East Coast Lites Supercross
series.
Aden is extremely excited and said "I cannot wait for my first race which will be Atlanta Georgia and I will be riding the Lites class. This is round 1 for me but I am picking it up from round 2 of the East coast series at Atlanta Georgia."
Aden has not had much luck in securing any ride here in Australia so he made the decision to go race in America. Aden will be back to compete in the Australian Super X series after his American campaign.
You can keep up to date with all of Aden's progress through his website www.adendejager.com
Aden will also be writing an online column for ADB on what it's like to compete as a privateer in the States.
Aden said "I'm basically going to write about on what it takes to race in the States as a privateer and what it feels like. I'm sure most People who race in the Sport of Motocross and Super X always wonder what it would feel like to line up at an AMA Supercross or AMA motocross event. I know that it has always been a dream of mine to race in an AMA Supercross. Now I am going to be bringing it to life."
You can view these columns online at www.adbmag.com.au
Pizza boy ready to deliver at WIN
Posted: - BY JOEL RITCHIE 13/11/2008 4:00:00 AM
Lining up against cashed-up Supercross superstars like Chad Reed and Jay Marmont will be Domino's delivery driver Aden de Jager.
De Jager, who lives at Flinders, is mixing it up with the heavyweights of the Super X Series, despite operating on a budget dwarfed by the big factory teams. De Jager relies on his income from delivery driving to cover the costs of competing in the Super X series, while a team like Reed's Rockstar Makita Suzuki or Marmont's CDR Rockstar spends around $1 million a season. The 20-year-old de Jager finished eighth in round four at Parramatta last Saturday and this weekend's event at WIN Stadium is a priceless chance to show his wares for next season.
"I'm a delivery driver at Domino's Pizza, which means I get to ride and train during the day and work at night. I would do anything to keep my sport alive," de Jager said. Indeed. While the likes of Reed, Marmont and defending Australian champion Daniel Reardon have an army of handlers to maintain their bikes, de Jager has relied on his dad Mark and local businessmen to help maintain his machine. "Dad has been doing it for me ... He has been working on bikes since I started riding, so he knows what he's doing. "I don't have the world's biggest crew - Craig Wickham from C&D Wickham Mechanical Repairs has worked so many hours on my bike. "Being a privateer, I tend to be a bit hard on the bike and don't spend enough time working on it. "Privateers might get a free bike, but they have to work during the week. "When you have factory backing, you can fly everywhere for nothing and have staff working on your bike." De Jager's Fiat Yamaha Young Guns team will be wound up after the Super X series, meaning he will launch an ambitious plan to form his own team next year.
"Aden de Jager Racing sounds cool, but I would like to get a naming rights sponsor," De Jager said. "I want to show people I can stick it to the pros. There's no reason I can't compete with those guys. "When I do beat them, it shows that I want it a lot more." De Jager compressed his T5 vertebrae in a fall at Geelong in round three, but bounced back at Parramatta Stadium to finish eighth in a helter-skelter elimination format.
De Jager Starts to Find Super X Series Form:
Posted : - 12/11/2008
A Top 10 result in the fourth round of the Super X Series last Saturday night (November 8) at Parramatta Stadium in NSW has turned the campaign of Aden de Jager’s around 180 degrees in the Pro Open class. The third round of the Super X Series down at Geelong in Victoria saw de Jager injure his back due to a crash in the opening race of the final, and last Saturday night’s eighth place finish in the fourth round of the series has definitely upped his confidence levels. In a four race knockout format, the fourth round of the Super X Series saw the Top 20 qualifiers go into the knockout where each race saw the last five riders eliminated from each of the races up until the final five decided the overall round winner. De Jager made his way into the Top 20 by finishing his qualifying heat race in sixth place. In the opening elimination race de Jager managed to overcome a fall on the opening lap of the 5-lap race to finish 12th, then in the second race it was yet again another bad start but he still finished with ninth place, and the third final saw him finish eighth. He was therefore eliminated from the contest with only the Top 5 final that remained.
“I had a really good round, and it has been a result that we have been working towards from the beginning of the series, and I couldn’t be happier,” de Jager enthused. “I was within the Top 10 at the previous round down in Geelong only to have a nasty fall and injure my back, and heading into the fourth round I wasn’t 100% sure I would even make the start but the doctor thankfully gave me the all clear to race.”
Now with a Top 10 result in the bag, de Jager, with three rounds of the Super X Series remaining, wants similar results for the remaining rounds. “There are three rounds of the series left and I’m confident that I can achieve more Top 10 results, and one of the keys to Super X competition is riding that wave of confidence once you get it,” the Yamaha YZF 450cc rider said.
“I haven’t yet got a deal in terms of a ride for next year, and not only am I looking for more Top 10 results but I need to impress the teams in order to hopefully work out a deal for next year.”
This Saturday night (November 15) the fifth round of the Super X Series heads down to WIN Stadium in Wollongong on the South Coast of NSW, and de Jager has even more motivation to do well considering that he regards it as his home round. “The South Coast is where I live and a lot of my friends, family, and sponsors are going to come out and see me, so it would be awesome to bring home a good results for them as well,” added the 20-year-old privateer rider.
De Jager wanted to say a special thanks to the support from the South Coast NSW based C&D Wickham Mechanical Services and Teknik Suspension.
Round 3 Super X Championhip Geelong
Posted : - 28/10/2008
I went out in qualifying just to set a good time so I could get a good pick for the Heat Races in the Night programme. The track was fast and flowing and I had put in a lot of practice the week before so it seemed to come to me really easy. I just worked on a couple of corners and I qualified first to my surprise by over half a second. This gave me a lot of confidence and I could not wait to get out in front of a huge crowd and show them what I was capable of. 1st Qualified in Non Seeded practice and 10th including seeded riders.
Heat 1 - 10 laps - I was lined up next to defending Champion Daniel Reardon I had 5th gate pick. I got a good jump out the gate I was running in 5th position around the first corner and went through the first rhythm section I landed on another rider because he decided not to jump halfway through the rhythm. I crashed but at the same time ripping my header pipe completely off. The bike was making a terrible noise all I had to do was just make top 10 so I would qualify for the main event. I circulated and managed to finish in 10th position which let me just qualify for the main event but the only problem was that I was 20th gate pick.
Final 3 x 6 laps races (Super Sprint) - I had 20th gate pick and nothing to loose so I just would give it my all to get to that first corner in a high position as possible. I jumped out of the gate and got a good jump but I got squezzed out a bit. I worked my way like a man on a mission from 20th to 10th in 2 laps. The track was awesome and on lap 4 I went for a pass into 9th and unfortunately my footpeg got caught in a rut causing myself to slow up and case the next triple and go over the handlebars. The bike followed me over and landed straight on my back. I was in a fair bit of pain because I got winded. I got carted off the track and it was the night for me I wrecked my bike and myself. Which is unfortunate because I feel as though I was coming into my own and really showing some promising signs of speed and it was definitely turning a lot of heads. I have since been to the doctors and learned that I have a compression Fracture of my T5 Vertebrae.
Australian Super X championships Round 2 Adelaide (Wayville Showground)
Posted : - 15/10/2008
The track was not as difficult as Perth but it was still tough it had an amazingly large whoops section which seemed to be giving everybody troubles. I went out there and put in a few good solid qualifying laps and had the 3rd fastest lap in the Non seeded SX class. That put myself 13th fastest qualifier for the event going into the Super Sprint.
In heat one had to make the top 6 to progress to the semi’s I had a star studded field with Chad Reed, Mcfarlane, and Cameron Taylor I just focused on what I had to do. I got a good jump out of the gate I was in 5th place going into the first corner. I was in 5th and passed Taylor for 4th through the rhythm section and only to get passed back through the stutters. I held my own just behind Taylor and Mcfarlane for 3 laps and Taylor made a mistake through the whoops and I capitalised on it and moved into 4th and just focused on being smooth and the chewed out SX track. I was in contention until lap 5 when Taylor caught me when I made a simple mistake in the rhythm section I cased the triple step on and could not step off the table top. I dropped back to 5th and that’s where I finished I was happy with that I moved on to the semi’s.
Once again I had to compete against Reed and even more of a star studded field with the like of Anderson, Boyd, McCoy, Mcfarlane, Carroll, Dalle Molle, all I had to do was get Top 5 and I could move onto the 10 lap final with only 10 of the fastest riders in SX. I just stuck my head down I got a little boxed in by Anderson into the first corner but I just charged through passed a few riders and just tried to jump everything smoothly without making a mistake because the track seemed to be claiming a few riders with silly little mistakes. I worked my way up to 6th and all I needed was one position but The next rider was over a straight ahead of me. I just rode smooth and was catching him with only 5 laps I did not have much time. Through the rhythm section I triple onto the table top and made a lot of ground right onto his back wheel. But it was just a little to late I just could not make the final pass I tried in the corner and the stutters but he made it through the stutters just a little better than I did. Overall I was happy with my performance I feel as though I need to work on stutters so when I go home this week I am going to build a nasty set of whoops and try and progress on them all week. I feel like I have more speed and confidence through rhythm sections. So I need to work on the Stutters and I will be able to really put together some great races this year in the Super X series
Super X Round 1 Perth (Kwinana Speedway)
Posted : - 07/10/2008
Heat 1 (10 laps)
In heat one it was not easy for me I had a Australian defending champion Daniel Reardon and World SX Champion Chad Reed. But I looked at it as just a great experience to get out there. I got a good jump out the gate and held my own all the way to the first corner I come out in 6th position just behind Troy Carroll. I held that position for 3 laps until Troy cased a rhythm section making me hesitate and myself casing too. I Stalled the bike while trying to stop the bike for the corner and lost 3 positions. I got the bike going in two kicks and worked my way back around a rider and that’s where I finished giving me the opportunity to Qualify for the Final straight out of the Semi.
Pos 8th
Super X Final (20 Laps)
This is the first final for 2008 and lining up with a star studded field it was just going to be a great eye opener for myself to know what its going to take if I want to compete in the sport of Super X. I got a fairly good jump out of the gate and tried my absolute hardest to get to that first corner in a high position as possible but I got squeezed out to the outside. I come through to 14th and was running a fairly good pace for about 12 laps but I started to fade a bit after that. I realised the intensity is really extreme especially on a track that is 1 minute long. I just stuck my head down to just finish the race without making any mistakes and hurting myself. The last two laps felt like an eternity but its great to know what it takes to complete a 20 lap final under extreme pressure. Its easy doing 20 laps on a practice track, but 20 Race laps on a Rutted SX track that is 1 minute long takes some serious focus and fitness. I know have two weeks until the next round and I will be riding a SX track just about everyday of the week and I have a fair bit of an idea on what I have to work on. It was an awesome experience and I loved every second of it and I was on Live Television a couple of times throughout the race which is great. Overall 15th
I would really like to thank all the people that helped me out and especially all the people that made it possible to get to Perth.
Injury Stalls De Jager’s 2008 Season:
Posted by: Fullnoise & Eat my Dirt - 08/07/2008
In what was a cruel end to a promising weekend, Aden de Jager will be sidelined for at least the next two months due to a crash at Lake Macquarie (NSW) during the seventh round of the Rockstar Motocross Nationals last weekend.
Riding in the Pro Open class, de Jager suffered a heavy fall during the second and final moto, at the time of the crash was on a charge through the field and was gaining good positions, and sustained numerous injuries that will sideline him for the next two months.
Yesterday de Jager visited the specialists on the South Coast of NSW and they confirmed his worst fears.
“I high sided while battling with another competitor in the middle of a left hand burm, and that saw me come down heavily on my left elbow and that has resulted in a fracture,” explained the 20-year-old.
“There were a number of other injuries sustained in the fall, but the elbow is the worst of them, and that is going to keep me off the bike for the next couple of months.”
For de Jager these injuries couldn’t have come at a worse time, as he explains.
“I was really looking forward to the next couple of months as they were going to be full on and I have been happy with my riding this year,” he said.
“Missing out on two months of racing is like another off season for me, but I’m going to be doing my best during my time off to recuperate and come back bigger and stronger for the New Zealand Championship and the upcoming Supercross Series.”
During the second moto at the time of the crash, de Jager was on a charge through the field and was on the verge of his first Top 10 result of the year.
Earlier in the round, de Jager managed to fight his way back from a poor start to finish in 15th place.
Podium Result for de Jager in NSW Championship Opener
Posted by: Eat my Dirt - 29/06/2008
During his two Moto’s, which were a duration of 20 minutes plus 1 lap each, de Jager finished in seventh and third respectively, and that gave him enough points for a third place finish overall on the podium for the Pro Open class aboard his ‘Hogs Breath Yamaha Young Guns’ YZF 450cc.
“To finish on the podium is a fabulous result and something I hope to build on as I aim to contend for the NSW Championship,” de Jager commented.
“Consistency is going to play a major part in deciding the NSW Championship, and if I can continue to finish on the podium, then I’m a good shot at being able to contend for the NSW Championship overall win.”
The opening round of the NSW Championship for de Jager didn’t start in the best of fashion as made a bad start, dropping back to 25th, in the opening moto before he fought his way back to finish in seventh.
A third place finish in the second and final moto of the NSW Championship was the end result for de Jager in what was a pleasing and promising finish to the opening round.
“I messed up the start in the opening moto and finish back in seventh, so it wasn’t too bad of a fight back, but in the second moto I still didn’t manage the best of starts, however I was able to finish in third place,” explained de Jager.
“This year’s NSW Championship is full of a number of the factory teams in the Pro Open class, so it is a real buzz to not only be able to compete with them but to also beat them and do it on a regular basis as a privateer rider.”
De Jager would like to give his best wishes to fellow rider Jacob Smith after his fall in the second moto and wishes him a speedy recovering, and a special thanks to event organisers Dirt Bike Promotions and personal sponsor Teknik Suspension.
It is certainly going to be a busy month ahead for de Jager as he contests the seventh round of the Motocross Nationals at Lake Macquarie in NSW next Sunday (July 6), followed by Boloroo Open in Moree (North Western NSW) on Sunday July 13, the eighth round of the Motocross Nationals in Victoria on Sunday July 20, and the second round of the NSW Championship in Port Macquarie on Sunday July 27.
De Jager Shows More Promise in Australian Motocross Nationals:
Posted by: Eat my Dirt - 02/06/2008
A career best Top 10 finish for Aden de Jager during the fifth round of the Australian Motocross Nationals in the Pro Open class over the weekend in Wanneroo - Western Australia was spoiled by a brake issue.
While running in sixth during the second and final race of the Pro Open class, de Jager’s ‘Hogs Breath Yamaha Young Guns’ YZF 450 cc suffered rear brake problems during the middle stages of the race and this saw him drop back to finish in 17th.
Although obviously disappointed to have a maiden Top 10 finish in the Pro Open class taken away from him due to mechanical failure it certainly hasn’t dampened his enthusiasm for the remainder of the year.
“Of course missing out on a Top 10 finish is a bitter pill to swallow, there are more positives to take out of the result than negatives, as I have never been that high up in the field before, so there is no doubting that we are heading in the right direction,” enthused de Jager.
“It’s a total different ball game being right up there amongst all those factory teams, and it’s also a great achievement as I’m just a privateer rider and I’m very confident that now I have done it, I can do it again and next time stay there.”
Running on what was a sandy / bumpy Wanneroo track surface de Jager certainly played into his hands and stepped it up a level.
“I always enjoy running on sandy track surfaces and a big thanks must go to Teknik Suspension for their help and supported heading into the weekend,” de Jager said.
“My bike just flowed over the rough surfaces, mainly due to the suspension setup as it performed faultlessly, and it was just disappointing that a brake problem spoiled what was looking to be a wonderful result.”
The round for de Jager started off in promising fashion when he finished the opening race in 12th, after losing 11th spot on the last lap to Danny Ham.
Overall for the Australian Motocross Nationals round de Jager finished in 14th overall.
Round six of the Australian Motocross Nationals is set down for this Sunday (June 8) at Murray Bridge in South Australia and with it being one of de Jager’s favourite tracks he is looking for yet another strong performance.
Currently de Jager is placed 19th in the Australian Motocross Nationals point standings for the Pro Moto class.
De Jager Looking to Turn Around Bad Luck:
Posted by: Fullnoise - 20/05/2008
Despite showing promising signs Aden de Jager has suffered some terrible luck during the opening four rounds of the Australian Motocross Championship, but remains upbeat that his luck will turn around for the better sooner rather than later.
Riding his “Hogs Breath Yamaha Young Guns” YZF 450 cc # 58, he has proven on numerous occasions during the opening rounds of the Australian Championship that he is a capable consistent Top 15 runner, but lady luck has denied him of fulfilling that potential.
“We haven’t had much luck so far this year in the Australian Championship, which has been honestly quite frustrating, and I know the chips are down at the moment but that hasn’t dented my confidence one bit,” de Jager stated.
“There is no question about it, I have the pace to run in the Top 10, and it’s just a matter of having some luck go my way.
“If I didn’t have a bit of misfortune in the opening four rounds I feel I could have been well inside the Top 15 of the Australian Championship point standings, and although we are 23rd at the moment that is not a position I’ll be in for too much longer if lady luck changes and I get my way.”
With the fifth round of the Australian Championship being held at Wanneroo in Western Australia on Sunday, June 1, de Jager is very much looking forward to turning his form around.
“Wanneroo is a sandy based track, and this will be the first track of its kind for this year’s Australian Championship and I always perform well on them [sandy base tracks],” he enthused.
“In between now and the next round I’ll be doing some training on those types of sandy surfaces in readiness for what will hopefully be a successful trip over to Western Australia as I attempt to get my championship back on track.”
De Jager motoring towards Aussie Champs:
Posted by: Lake Times 06/03/ 2008
Shellharbour motocross rider Aden de Jager continued his strong build up for the 2008 Australian Championship season with a second overall finish at the recent Nowra Classic.
De Jager finished second behind Illawarra bred factory rider Jay Marmont after matching it through the three heats.
In races one and two de Jager was able to get the hole shot and lead for the first few laps, before Marmont reclaimed the lead and held on to win, with de Jager in second place.
De Jager’s start in race three wasn’t as sharp, but he managed to claw his way through the pack for a second-placed finish.
“We showed a few people that we have the pace capable of running towards the front,” de Jager said.
“I was able to match it with Jay Marmont and run with him for an entire race distance on more than one occasion.
“I learned quite a lot from the meeting and it certainly does no harm for the confidence levels either.
“I’m even more excited about the upcoming Australian Championships than ever before.”
The strong start for the 2008 season can be contributed to a hard training program and guidance that has been given to de Jager by former Motocross Champion Lyndon Heffernan from the Academy of off Road Riding.
For de Jager, his next event is set down for the Maitland Showground on Saturday, March 8 in the third round of the Yamaha NSW Stadium Motocross Series.
De Jager would like to thank his supporters, including: Yamaha Australia, Academy of off Road Riding, W. White Wholesalers, Riderworx, Roc Stompa, Biketec, Leo Vince Exhausts, Shinko Tires, Silkolene Lubricants and RK Chains.
The impressive start to 2008 continues for de Jager:
Posted by: Eat my Dirt - 25/02/2008
With the 2008 Australian Motocross Championship fast approaching, Aden de Jager has continued his strong preparation by finishing second overall behind factory rider Jay Marmont in the Nowra Open Motocross Classic on Sunday
(February 24).
Racing in the All Powers class on his Hogs Breath Yamaha Young Guns ‘08 YZ450F, de Jager was able to match it with Jay Marmont throughout the three heat races.
In both race one and two de Jager was able to get the hole shot and lead for the first few laps, before Marmont was able to move into the lead and de Jager finished close behind in second place. For the third and final race of the meeting, de Jager was unable to duplicate his two previous starts by failing to get the hole shot into the opening turn, but he managed to fight his way back to finish in second place.
This second place finish in the Nowra Open Classic is just another indication of a strong 2008 Australian Motocross Championship from de Jager and his # 58 Yamaha YZF 450cc.
“We showed a few people that we have the pace capable of running towards the front, as I was able to match it with Jay Marmont and run with him for an entire race distance on more than one occasion,” de Jager said.
“I learned quite a lot from the meeting and it certainly does no harm for the confidence levels either, I’m even more excited about the upcoming Australian Championships than ever before.”
The strong start for the 2008 season can be contributed to a strong training program and guidance that has been given to de Jager by former Motocross Champion Lyndon Heffernan at his riding schools on numerous occasions so far this year.
For de Jager his next event is set down for the Maitland Showground on Saturday, March 8 for the 3rd round of the Yamaha NSW Stadium Motocross Series.
Third Place for De Jager in Yamaha NSW Stadium Motocross Series Round:
Posted by: Eat my Dirt - 04/02/2008
Round 2 of the Yamaha Stadium Motocross Series on Saturday night at the Orange Showground saw Aden de Jager - Team member of the “Hogs Breath Yamaha Academy” put in a commendable performance and in the Pro Open class claiming a very impressive third place finish overall.
De Jager finished third and second in his heats before battling average starts in both finals. He bounced back to finish third and fifth place for each of the finals.
“I managed to get two strong starts in both of my heat races and came away with a pair of podium results, but in the two final I was not able to duplicate the great starts made earlier, but still managed to fight back to bring home enough points for third,” de Jager said.
“Considering I was up against factory-based riders my overall result of third was very encouraging. This has given me confidence in the lead up to this year’s Australian Championship rounds.”
The highlight of the night was de Jager’s effort in the second heat race where he got the hole-shot to lead the field into the first turn.
de Jager maintained that position for the opening three laps before an unfortunate missed gear in the final corner before the closing lap board allowed Mitchell Hoad to pass and seal victory.
de Jager is looking forward to more of these stronger results in the future and is having heaps of fun and loving his 2008 Yamaha YZF 450 cc 4-stroke ride.
“I cannot speak highly enough of the 2008 Yamaha YZF,” de Jager said.
His next appearance will be the third round of the Yamaha Stadium Motocross Series at Maitland Showground on Saturday, March 8.