Teen to race in Phillip Island GP
A Queensland teenager's about to realise a dream, racing at this weekend's Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island after he was granted a wildcard.
Callum Barker-McVay still isn't old enough for a licence, but he'll be rubbing shoulders with the elite at over 200 kilometres per hour.
"It was hard to settle everyone down at the house ... they were cheering and crying and yelling and stuff," the quietly spoken 16-year-old said.
Blessed with natural ability, the Lockyer Valley schoolboy's only been old enough to ride Moto3, or 250 class, since February.
Amazingly, young Callum is yet to practice on his bike, which has been put together on a very tight budget.
"The race weekends are basically my testing and track days ... We don't really have the funding to get to track days or test the bike," he said.
Derek Williams's workshop is Callum's second home during the school holidays.
"Not the best riders are getting the rides ... those with the biggest cheque books are getting the rides," Mr Williams says.
"They don’t have the biggest cheque book so I’m giving them a little hand up.
"(I’m) basically trying to give him a lesson and put that hard earned money of his into his racing. He'll appreciate it a bit more than he's appreciating it now.
A $4500 entry-fee and $20,000 worth of improvements is a must in order to be competitive ... and a shot at becoming the next Casey Stoner.
Callum's dad is working two jobs and his mum is trading in both cars to fund their gifted son's ambition.
"I’m all good with getting my hands dirty," he says of working to fund his dream.
"Helping Derek and giving something back for helping out with the GP is fine with me.
"If I do good (sic) there and show what I’ve got, (then) maybe I can get a ride over in Spain or Great Britain. Phillip Island is like where everyone dreams to be once in their lifetime when they’re racing bikes.
"I’ve never actually got (sic) prize money for racing before. It's just all been out of mum and dad's pockets."
