News 5 Mar 2013

Willis to contest select MX Nationals rounds in privateer effort

After months of speculation, Errol Willis has revealed that he will be putting together his own deal for the 2013 season, running a low budget operation competing in select events throughout the year.

Errol Willis will line up aboard a privateer YZ250 at select outdoors in 2013. Image: Simon Makker/Makkreative.com.

Errol Willis will line up aboard a privateer YZ250 at select outdoors in 2013. Image: Simon Makker/Makkreative.com.

After months of speculation, Errol Willis has revealed that he will be putting together his own deal for the 2013 season, running a low budget operation competing in select events throughout the year.

Following his tough rookie MX2 season last year, the 2011 Under 19s Australian motocross and supercross champion found himself in an unfamiliar situation without an MX2 ride for 2013.

Willis waited it out in hopes of a last minute deal coming through, but nothing eventuated. Instead, he decided to go out on his own, back to the roots, taking the low cost two-stroke approach for the upcoming Monster Energy MX Nationals.

“I bought the bike from a mate, it’s just a 2008 YZ250 two-stroke and Axis Motorsports are going to help me out a bit,” said Willis. “We’re just going to do the suspension and stuff like that, then do a couple of motocross rounds and poke our head in.

“I have other guys helping me out, LKI are doing my clothing, Lusty Industries is always there for me, and The Collective will be doing my graphics.

“I’m not 100 percent on what rounds I’ll be doing. The rounds that I will probably do are Swan Hill and Appin, and I’m going to try and get along to the first round.”

Working a full-time job throughout the season, minimising preparation and training time, Willis plans to take a more relaxed approach to his racing and have some fun.

“I’m just going to go there to do it for some fun and poke my head in a little bit,” he explained. “I’m going to be working full time, so I’m not going to have the chance like everyone else has got.

“Hopefully I can do enough to just get my head in there, land something for supercross and be able to start at it full-time again – doing what I should be doing.”

Willis believes the Australian riders deserve a thicker pay cheque for the commitment and risks they take, and if a mid-season offer did arise, it would need to offer the the financial support that he is looking for.

“Like everyone, we’re trying to make a living and in this sport we’re too underpaid as it is I think,” he added. “We put our life on the line and we really don’t see much reward for it, unless you’re one of the top two guys.

“I just need enough to be able to get by, I feel like there is a lot more I can do. If somebody can support me enough to be able to get me by, then that’s all I really need to do.

“At the moment it’s Axis Motorsports that is doing enough to be able to help me get by, and all of the other guys that I named earlier, they have been the ones that are there always to help me.”

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