The name Luke Arbon is a familiar one in Australian Motocross and Supercross, recently winning the opening round of the 2011 Rockstar Energy Drink MX Nationals’ Under 19s category.

Arbon, 18, switched to the GYTR Rockstar Yamaha team under the guidance of experienced Queenslander Scott Bishop for this season, already reaping the rewards of a fresh new beginning.

“The competition was pretty tough and there are a lot of fast young kids coming in,” Arbon reflected. “I had a few crashes leading into the series so I had a sore back and didn’t get to do much riding – definitely not as much as I wanted to. I was just going in hoping to salvage some points and would have been happy with top five, so to win made me more than happy.”

Originally from Gawler in South Australia, Arbon has based himself up in Queensland for much of this year to work directly alongside the team, and he says he’s enjoying it up there with fast riders and good tracks at his disposal on a daily basis.

“It’s been really good up here and there are a lot of guys to ride with during the week, a lot of fast ones,” Arbon explained. “There are a lot of good tracks to get onto as well. I’ve got a great family up here supporting me – the Deckert family – and it’s really good that they give me a place to stay. They make me feel like I’m at home.”

Arbon is a former national champion in the junior ranks, before signing with the factory Kawasaki Racing Team in the pro ranks for the 2009 and 2010 seasons.

2009 saw Arbon claim fifth overall in the Under 19s at the Nationals with two podiums, and he also claimed 10th in the Pro Lites class during Super X as a rookie.

“It was a big step for me because in 2008 I had a wrist injury and didn’t get to do many races,” he commented. “The races I did do I won by a fair bit in the junior ranks, so I thought I was going to kill it really. I got a rude shock when I got out there for the nationals. It was a lot tougher than I thought it was going to be and I got a reality check, for sure.”

Last year was an up and down year for Arbon, ending up 11th in the Under 19s for the Nationals after he was forced to miss the final three rounds, but the round victory at Toowoomba’s fourth round marked a highlight for the season.

“Last year I ended up in hospital at the first round because I got a handlebar to the groin, but I was really confident in my preparation,” Arbon added. “I finished second at round two and then was able to win at Toowoomba. After I got that win it sort of went downhill and I ended up breaking my wrist at Albury.

“I tried to race Moree but I hurt my ankle as well, so that’s when I decided to sit out that round and the two rounds at Coolum. My result wasn’t the greatest in the end, but I was happy to get a win and I felt like I was riding good – it just didn’t work out.”

Super X saw Arbon finish the season 12th overall, however fifth place at Dunedin in New Zealand was a solid showing to highlight his potential against the nation’s best.

“My heat races and speed were pretty good, but my results didn’t show it all,” he said. “I was happy with the fifth in New Zealand and I thought I could have scored a top five in the series, but the main events didn’t go my way. I had a lot of crashes and a lot of bad luck so it was disappointing, but I learnt a lot and look forward to it this year.”

This year marks a new team in the GYTR Rockstar Yamaha outfit and a new outlook for Arbon, and it may just be season 2011 where we see him unleash his full potential as a professional motocross contender in Australia.

Fast Facts
Nickname: Airborn
Date of Birth: 8 July, 1992
Nationality: Australian
Location: Gawler, SA
Height: 172cm
Weight: 66kg
Marital Status: Single
Hobbies: BMX, Golf, Training, riding 50s
Career Highlight: The highlights are going to start in 2011