Wandong’s Jackson Macdonald is on track to claiming the 2024 Victorian Road Racing Championship in the junior class.
The Victorian Road Racing Championships is Victoria’s premier road racing competition, held over a four round series, with the last round expected to take place later this year.
Each round so far, Jackson fuelled his energy into his RS85cc two-stroke machine, starting at The Bend Motorsport Park in South Australia in the first round.
Close to home, the second round took place at the Broadford State Motorcycle Sports Complex, competing against riders from South Australia and Queensland, but Jackson’s skills and mindset kept him at the forefront, earning him impressive results in each race.
Jackson matched the junior lap record set by Australian Moto3 racer Joel Kelso, who had previously set the record at the age of 14.
The third round had unfavourable wet and windy conditions in Phillip Island last month, but that didn’t stop Jackson from tackling the track head on.
He adjusted his exhaust and settings for the final race, boosting his speed and ultimately securing victory by a remarkable six seconds over the competition.
He stated he brought out his best performance in the last race of the third round.
“All of a sudden the bike started to shake … I got scared but I didn’t let off because I just wanted to win,” he said.
“I was able to bring my top speed back up, and I was able to have more power out of corners.”
Although the last round is expected to take place this year, Jackson is already well on his way to victory, winning all three rounds so far.
Ahead by 155 points in the junior category, the 12-year-old is quickly closing in on his title.
Jackson will not need to compete in round four, but instead will return to Spain where he has been competing in the MIR Spanish Championship in the Moto5 category—an international series with racers from Spain, Thailand, the Netherlands, the USA, and Italy.
Set across seven rounds of racing, Jackson has already competed in three of the four rounds, and will return for rounds five, six, and seven in the coming months.
The only Australian on the grid, Jackson’s best-placed finish has been ninth, but the rider is quickly improving as he challenges himself in the 30–40 rider grids.
Learning new skills in the heartland of racing, Jackson has been identified as real talent, even having recently signed a management contract to help guide his path to the MotoGP level of racing.
