Drew Chislett,  The Koondrook and Barham Bridge Newspaper

In an exhilarating display of skill and determination, young motocross rider Judd Chislett has made headlines by clinching two titles in his first year competing in the Victorian Senior motocross titles. The 16-year-old talent achieved a clean sweep, dominating all four rounds of the Senior Victorian Titles (C Grade) held at Portland, Shepparton, Albury and the final round at Blue Rock near Moe.

Despite facing challenging conditions, including gale-force winds that tested the mettle of even the most seasoned riders, Judd’s performance remained unmatched. “Gale force winds didn’t make it easy to end this last round,” he remarked after securing his victories. “I’m happy to come away with the MX2 C Grade championship and go undefeated all year.”

In addition to his success at the Victorian Titles, Judd also celebrated a significant achievement over the weekend by wrapping up the last two rounds of the Northern Regional Series. “It was a very special weekend for me!” he shared. “Going into the weekend, I was 15 points down on first in the 8-round championship (I missed the first round because of a shoulder injury). I HAD to win every race to tie in points for first.”

Reflecting on his performance, he noted, “Saturday was alright, but could have been better effort-wise. I didn’t make pass attempts happen when I should’ve. But plenty of positives otherwise—first in class and second in all grades.”

Judd’s determination shone through on Sunday as he aimed to end the series on a high note. “I was determined to show more confidence and aggression in my riding, and that’s what I did,” he said.

Despite a poor start in the first race, he quickly made his way to the front. “In the attempt to block pass, I bent my brake disk, which left me with no front brake for the rest of the moto, but still finished strong.”

The championship came down to the last moto of the day. “I had a poor start again and was held back a bit by a down rider. As my luck would have it, the guy I was chasing in points got a great start and was visibly gone from sight out front,” Judd recounted. “It simply couldn’t have been a worse situation. I gave it my all and sprinted hard, ended up catching five fast riders and started reeling in first. A couple of laps to go, I had the chance to thread a needle tight, had an aggressive pass, and grabbed the lead. I kept the pace going and ended up finishing with a good lead out of all grades.”

With a triumphant finish, Judd expressed his satisfaction: “I couldn’t be happier with my riding and mindset in the last moto. I seriously didn’t think I’d be able to catch up and make moves as fast as I did. I ended up with the overall in MX2, which I hadn’t done all year, and I went undefeated in my grade.”

The young rider credited his success to the support he received from those around him, particularly highlighting his partnership with Tim Scriven from Scriven’s Honda in Kerang. “I can’t thank him enough for the opportunity to ride for him and the support this year. I’m very grateful for everyone who helps out,” Judd expressed.

Other support came in the form of great coaching advice from Kale Makeham, who is another very successful MX racer. Josh Naunton from Evinci sports physio in Bendigo helped with recovery from a couple of mishaps.

As the motocross community celebrates his achievements, Judd Chislett stands as an inspiring figure for aspiring riders in the area. With his sights set on higher grades and more titles, the future looks bright for this local motocross star.

This article appeared in  The Koondrook and Barham Bridge Newspaper, 24 October 2024.