Brent’s chance

Pearcedale’s Brent Landman, pictured in action at the Traralgon Masters Pro Open last year, has signed on with Woodstock Honda Racing in the Australian Motocross Championship. 22380 Picture: Meagan Rogers

By Stuart Teather
PEARCEDALE motocross sensation Brent Landman has had an exciting couple of weeks.
First, he was named as Woodstock Honda Thor Racing’s new factory rider in the Australian Motocross Championship after regular man Ford Dale suffered a season-ending injury.
Then, in his first weekend as a factory rider, Landman picked up his best result of the season, finishing sixth overall at the round four Gum Valley event in Mackay, Queensland.
Landman had previously ridden for the team as a support rider, but will now get the full benefits of being a factory rider.
“Now I’ll get more trick factory gear and I’ve got a top mechanic, Marko, to work on my bike between rounds, as well as at the track,” he said.
“Being able to go – and select the best tyres for each round is going to be one of the biggest advantages of being a factory rider.”
Despite coming in to replace an injured rider, Landman said he was over the moon to get a permanent ride.
“It wasn’t the best circumstances to get it, but I got it and it’s all been going really good,” he said.
After qualifying in ninth place, Landman got out to a flying start and finished sixth in the opening race.
He started slowly in the second and fell back as far as 15th, but worked his way into the top five before crossing the line in sixth again.
Landman said he could have even done better.
“If I got a better start, I could’ve run in that top five easy,” he said.
“It was good to get up there with those front guys and know I can do it.”
Following his impressive form, the 25-year-old has some wind in his sails and has had to revise his expectations of the season.
“My first goal was to be inside the top 10, but after doing that pretty easy I want to finish higher; fifth or sixth at the end of the year would be awesome,” he said.
Looking further ahead, Landman wants to secure his spot on the Woodstock Honda team for the future.
In the past he has ridden on factory teams; in 2004 he rode for Team Kawasaki and in 2006 was on a Kawasaki support team, but Landman said the Honda outfit was the best so far.
“This team I’m on now, Woodstock Honda, is definitely the best team I’ve ridden for in my whole career,” he said.
Landman will suit up again when round five rolls around at Murray Bridge, South Australia, on June 14.