Kiwi teenager Hamish Harwood is one of the big surprises in the MXD class of the 2013 Monster Energy MX Nationals. He was a complete unknown heading into the series, but at the halfway point he’s currently holding the red plate.

Very little is known about this kid from a tiny town at the top of the South Island, so MotoOnline.com.au hunted him down and got to know a bit more about the current MXD series leader.

Hamish, it’s fair to say people don’t know much about you. Give us a bit of a rundown on yourself, where you live, and your motocross career to date.

No worries. I’m 18 years old and I’m from a small town in the South Island called Takaka, but I recently moved to Nelson. I finished school a few years ago and started working with the old man with some plumbing and concreting, and I also worked at the Pohara Top Ten Holiday Park, who are one of my big sponsors.

I train a lot with one of my sponsors, Target MX Coaching, and have been focusing a lot on cycling and gym work lately instead of being on the bike. It’s been a bit hard because I actually haven’t had a 250SX two-stroke to ride at home and only picked one up a couple days ago.

Last year I raced in Europe for eight months in the world GPs and the British Motocross Championships, but I broke my tib and fib when I came back to New Zealand and rode a local race here. There was quite a bit of soft tissue damage and I had to get a big rod through my leg and that kept me off the bike for four months. But yeah, I feel like I’m back to my peak now after coming back from that injury.

You came into the 2013 MX Nationals well off the radar. Do you think that was an advantage for you?

Yeah I think so eh. I raced in Aussie in 2011 and won the junior titles, but I think anyone can go hard and perform well on a weekend. I wasn’t in New Zealand last year and people don’t really realise what you’re up to when you’re overseas.

To be honest I had no idea how I’d go in Australia this year. The first round of the Nationals was only my second race back from my broken leg and I was aiming for a top 10, so I was pumped to get a podium. It’s a long series and I tried to play it safe for the first few rounds.

After spending a year racing the world GPs and the British MX Championship in the MX2 class, isn’t racing the MXD class here a step backwards? You’ve gone from racing against the world’s best to what’s effectively a graduation class here in Australia.

Yeah it does feel like a step backwards, but as good as the experience was over in Europe I think I went there a bit soon. I hadn’t done any senior racing and went straight from juniors to the world championships. I want to get back to Europe, but not before I’m ready and fit enough to have a good crack at it.

The CMR Red Bull Motorex Racing team in New Zealand got some support from KTM Australia to race the MX Nationals and it was a deal I couldn’t say no to. But I’m really enjoying the racing in Aussie – it’s been a lot of fun so far.

How do you rate the competition in Australia and who do you see as your biggest threads to the title?

I think there are four people including myself who have a chance to taken out the MXD class. Jack Simpson, Joel Dinsdale and Jesse Dobson are my main competition but honestly I thought the MXD field would’ve had more depth to it. The top 10 riders are pretty fast, but from there on there’s not much happening.

You’re carrying the red plate now, Are you surprised by this, and how will it change your strategy or approach for the rest of the series?

I am actually quite surprised, to be honest. I was hoping to be top five at this point then build and tick off moto wins as the series wears on. I don’t think my approach will change, though., I’m going to keep shooting for top threes in each round, get good starts and fun with the boys up front. That’s all you can do, really.

With the exception of Josh Coppins, the Nelson area isn’t really known as a huge hotbed for Kiwi racers. How do keep motivated and who do you train with?

I ride a lot with Jade Thompson from Target MX Coaching and he keeps me pretty honest. He’s a moto rider and a personal trainer, so he knows what muscle groups I need to work on and tells me to sharpen up when I need to. There’re a few guys he trains as well and we all ride together.

Assuming it all goes to plan and you win the MXD class this year, what’s your aim next year – return to Europe or step up to the seniors in Australia?

The plan at this stage is to carry on racing for CMR through the New Zealand summer and the four-round Nationals in the MX2 class, then hopefully I’ll step up to race the MX2 class in Australia next year. I don’t have any plans to go back to Europe yet, but maybe we’ll aim to return there in 2015, depending on what deals pop up and what’s best for my riding and my career.

That’s great, buddy. Thanks for the chat, and we’ll see you at Appin in a few weeks’ time.

Thanks heaps! I’d just like to thank the CMR race team, Pohara Top Ten Holiday Park, Target MX Coaching, 100% goggles, Alias race gear, Red Bull, Motorex, Choice Suspension and my girlfriend and family for supporting me.