Aiden Wagner will race the Moto2 world title-leading bike at the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix
AUSTRALIAN rider Aiden Wagner has landed a dream opportunity to launch his racing career at this year’s Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix.
AUSTRALIAN rider Aiden Wagner has landed a dream opportunity to launch his racing career at this year’s Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix.
The 20-year-old will make his world championship debut as a wildcard at Phillip Island next month riding for the team that is dominating this Moto2 world title.
Wagner will race for Marc VDS Racing, whose chargers Esteve ‘Tito’ Rabat and Mika Kallio currently top the Moto2 standings having won 10 out of the 13 grand prix so far.
It hasn’t come cheap — dreams are fuelled by dollars in the world of motorsport — but it could be the springboard that launches the Sunshine Coast youngster on the road to MotoGP.
“I can’t believe what is going to happen ... it hasn’t really sunk in yet,” Wagner said. “From something that was ‘maybe’ happening, it has all come together in the last couple of weeks.
“To be supported by Marc VDS is something you can only dream about. They are one of the most professional teams, so I know I will have the right equipment to do the job.
“This is an amazing chance to race against the best and show what I can do. It is all up to me. I can’t wait!”
Wagner is a rising star in the local motorcycle racing scene. He started out in motocross when he was just six years old, switching to tarmac three years ago. He knows the Phillip Island circuit intimately, having clinched support race victories there in each of the past two years, and he currently sits second in both the Australian Supersport Championship standings and the FX Championships.
The 600cc Marc VDS Moto2 bike is a vastly different beast to his regular Yamaha R6 ride, capable of lapping a good two seconds per lap quicker than Wagner has ever travelled around Phillip Island.
He will get plenty of time to adapt. He will be trackside with the team in Spain this weekend for the Aragon MotoGP, before taking in a test day at the Almeria circuit on the bike he will be race at Phillip Island. It will be Wagner’s first trip overseas but, he hopes, not his last.
A good performance at Phillip Island would do no end of good to his quest to carve out a professional career overseas. It worked for Troy Bayliss, who starred on an old Suzuki 250cc GP bike as a wildcard at Phillip Island in 1997. His sensational ride into sixth launched his decorated two-wheel career.
A similar performance from Wagner, who will be on the best machine ever afforded to an Aussie wildcard rider, could see him following in the footsteps of Bayliss, Wayne Gardner, Mick Doohan, Casey Stoner and, Australia’s newest MotoGP hope, Jack Miller.
“Obviously being at my home track is a big advantage but to be able to the test the bike and get to know the team will be an awesome benefit as well.
“I can adapt the bike to my size and also get used to the bike, the suspension, the electronics and the Dunlop GP-spec tyres that will have so much more grip than I am used to.
“When we go to Phillip Island I will have a head start knowing the bike, so I will be able to concentrate on being competitive from the first session.”
Wagner’s shot has come at a cost, but he believes that his chances of doing well will entice sponsors to plaster their logos on his bike for the race.
“To help with attracting sponsors, the team are leaving a lot of the fairing plain so we will be able to give some great exposure.
“Hopefully, being supported by the Marc VDS team will make it more attractive for some sponsors to come on board, as at the moment it really is all a family effort to get me there.
“I can’t thank them enough for everything they have done as well as the others that have helped arrange this ride. It is a dream come true and I aim to make the most of it.”
Wagner will join two other Australians on the grid in the Moto2 class, headed by middle-class veteran and this year’s Assen Moto2 winner Anthony West, with fellow wildcard Max Croker.
They are among seven Australians who will race across MotoGP’s three classes at the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix at Phillip Island on October 17-19.
WHO IS AIDEN WAGNER?
Date of Birth: 14 June 1994
Age: 20
Height: 177cm
Weight: 70kg
Lives: Wamuran, Queensland
1st 2012 Australian Superstock MotoGP Support races Phillip Island
1st 2013 Australian Supersport MotoGP Support races Phillip Island
2nd 2014 Australian Supersport Championship
Started road racing 2011 — 125cc Australian 125cc GP Championship
Started racing — 2000 in Motocross (aged 6)
Originally published as Aiden Wagner will race the Moto2 world title-leading bike at the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix