Jacob Leigh Williams
Jacob Williams #247 is without a doubt rising to the top of his sport of motocross, not only in my eyes but many others including Greg Moss of the Moss Institute who is also the #1 coach in the country.
We bought Jacob a four wheel motorbike when he was 4 years old and he was soon off the governor and flying, at age 5 and a half we got him a two wheel bike an XR50 and it wasn’t long before he was flying. We built him a little moto track on our small block in Nhill. By the time he was 6 he was jumping bigger than the XR could handle so we bought him his first motocross bike - a KTM SX50 pro senior. He took to the awesome 2-stroke power with reluctance but soon got the urge to open it up and see how it went on the power band.
At age 7 We couldn’t hold him back anymore - he wanted to race. We took him to the Keith motox club in SA and in his first race he got third place! We were quite amazed (as were others). In race two he won by three bike lengths & in race three he was getting the hang of it and won by a quarter of a lap. The late Andy Caldecott of Caldecott Motors & Carl Fuller from KTM were at that race meeting and told us they wanted him to race in the KTM cup in Adelaide the following weekend. I was reluctant but Jacob was keen, so we went to Adelaide. Unfortunately it was extremely wet and for a little bloke in only his second ever race meeting it was almost impossible for him to get around the track (it was the same for over half the field).
We finished the year racing at Keith doing the clubby’s, and although Jacob only started racing near the end of the season took out 2nd in his class. We now had discounted bikes and parts sponsorship from Caldecott Motors KTM.
At age 8 he wanted to race the whole year and sure enough he was beating the opposition by sometimes a lap and a half, and I can still hear Bob Douglas at presentations saying, “I don’t want to see this kid when he is on a 250”. They tried putting Jacob in the 65cc class on his 50cc to see how he would fare... We feared he was going to get beaten up by the 65cc riders that couldn’t catch him HAHAHA. He went on to take out club champion on the 50cc and sportsman of the year for having more points than anyone in any class, a feat a 50cc rider had never done.
We started the years racing now age 9 with Jacob surprising everyone with his good looking smooth style on the bike and now racing a 65cc KTM. We also had a move from Nhill to Quantong (near Horsham) and halfway through the year started racing at Horsham. Jacob took out 2nd for the year at both Horsham and Keith even though he only did half of the season at each. We decided to see how he would handle the Aussie National titles at Coolum QLD. He rode well at his first National Title event even though we could see his nerves getting the best of him with over 900 entries not to mention the 42 degree heat. It was at Coolum that Greg Moss saw Jacob ride and asked if we could get him to one of Moss Institutes coaching schools.
Jacob continued on the next year with his ups and downs and some big crashes none of which sidelined him but rather shook him up a bit. He was now on the Moss Institute Team under the watchful eye of Greg, he came 6th in the state and won several 2 day opens, one of the greatest wins in my book was at Colac when in the worst mud conditions Jacob lapped 2nd place in one race and as it dried out was lapping over half the field and won the western region C grade title, yes he had conquered the mud since his 2nd race at Adelaide, in the 2nd Western series he won the B grade on his KTM 65. He was now classed up to A grade and we were off to the Aussie titles at Canberra. It was there everyone saw how much heart Jacob had, I thought he was a magnet the way other riders kept running in to him he was in the wrong place a few times but kept getting up and trying.
Now in 2007 and racing 65cc & 85cc we started the year with mechanical problems and a couple of big crashes putting him out of the top 10 in both 65 & 85 A grade state titles. It has been a struggle to keep both bikes in pristine order. Although Jacob has managed to rank 3rd in Australia on the 65 in Arena cross, and has just won the 65cc A grade by 82 points and finished 2nd on the 85cc A grade Western Region series, he was 2 points in front going into the last race and we blew the motor (that’s racing).
Now into the 08 season and Jacob has been putting it together well, he has established himself as a National contender by finishing the National Summer Arena Cross two round series, with a 2nd on the 65cc & 3rd on the 85cc overall.
We headed over to SA for one of there state rounds and Jacob just out rode most of the opposition in both 65cc & 85cc, this was a practice ride leading into Victoria’s state round, unfortunately through the following week at practice Jacob had a high speed crash and dislocated his left shoulder putting him out of contention for the Vic state titles.
His recovery and great attitude has not only surprised me but also his physio and doctor, after a 9 round Western Region series Jacob finished 2nd in the A grade 65cc and 2nd in the A grade 85cc.
Unfortunately due to drought conditions in the Wimmera we were unable to make it to the Nationals in Perth but had an opportunity with a lot of local support to race in the Swann insurance international at Taupo New Zealand.
Jacob practices 3 nights a week on his motox bikes and loves riding his fast 50 whenever he can. When not on the bikes he likes to ride and build jumps for his push bike, he plays on his trampoline every day as well as being a good student at Horsham West Primary School, as you can see his physical education is well above average with his other grades looking good (I don’t know how he does it). He also has guitar lessons every Monday Night.
I have from the very beginning seen a natural talent in Jacob in his movement on the bike he just flows with and the faster he goes the smoother he gets, we often hear comments like, “Do KTM build them bikes for him?" He also won’t settle for not being able to do something he just keeps trying until he can, like his first mud ride to now and him being the best mud rider in his class, not bad when you consider we are in our 12th year of drought and he has just turned 12.
His presentation both on and off the track is also smooth, he speaks well either when having a chat or receiving a trophy and thanking the club and his sponsors. Kids at school or at the track like being with him and listen to his every word when he’s telling them the fastest way around a corner or through a rut. He beams when speaking of his sponsors and basically loves his life.
We don’t push Jacob to win but rather stick by our rules of BE SAFE HAVE FUN.
