ON THE RISE: Ōtorohanga’s Zara Gray is a talented motocross star making her way back from a nasty injury last season. PHOTO Andy McGechan.
ZARA Gray is super stoked to be back riding her Kawasaki 250. An ACL injury sustained in November last year saw her spend an extended amount of time off her bike, with the 19-year-old forced to go under the knife last December, however with so many events cancelled due to Covid, it proved a good season to have off the bike. Her first event back on the bike came back in August when she hopped on her bike for a ride. Her first event came in October when she lined up in at MX Fest in Taupō. Being her first event, Gray had no expectations on her performance. “It was great to get some bike time. I had no expectations or pressure on myself in Taupō, it was all about getting back on the bike.” She was pleased to get through that event and then lined up in the New Zealand Veterans and Women’s Nationals in the Waikato region recently. The event took place not far from Cambridge at the Skyline MX venue, a spectacular set up for racing. “It was good to get more bike time. I am just pleased I’m able to get back out and ride. “It’s always nice having a break but not one nine months long.” Following that event, Gray hopped on her bike again and competed in the sand champs at Taikorea. Now she’s having a much-deserved week off before getting in some practice ahead of the second round of the Waikato Championships on December 3 and 4 with Kings and Queens taking place in Rotorua a week later, an event that’s likely to see Courtney Duncan take part. Summercross is next up in late December, an event Gray’s incredibly fond of. “It’s one of my favourite races.” She was pleased with how things were progressing on her bike and relished the chance to face Duncan. “I raced against her in the women’s event in Cambridge and it was super cool.” Gray signed on with Kawasaki at the end of last year and said they’ve been superb. “Kawasaki are amazing. They have been so good to me. “I am really thankful for them and their support.” Her foray into motocross came about six years ago, when she decided to give it a go. “I had done some riding of my bike on the farm with dad and just thought I would give it a crack and things kind of just flowed on from there.” Motocross is a sport that involves plenty of travel and it’s allowed Gray to experience some different tracks such as Tect Park in Tauranga, which is her favourite, while a few others she raced on include Rotorua, North King Country, Awakaponga, Taupo and several others. Raised in Ōtorohanga, Gray now resides in Cambridge. Look for Gray to take the tracks by storm this summer as she works her way back to peak racing form.
