10-year old Cameron Newberry from Vryheid is set to become an SA motorsports legend
10-year-old Cameron Newberry recently became the youngest South African rider to obtain his racing license, which allows him to compete in national racing events across South Africa and he is certainly not wasting time in making a name for himself.
THE name ‘Cameron Newberry’ may very well become as synonymous with motorsports as the legendary Valentino Rossi in future and Cameron is in a class of his own when it comes to racing on both land and water.
The 10-year-old motorsports phenom recently became the youngest South African rider to obtain his racing license, which allows him to compete in national racing events across South Africa and he is certainly not wasting time in making a name for himself.
With racing in his blood, Cameron comes from a clan of motorsports enthusiasts. His older brother, Byron Newberry, found his niche in jetskiing, placing second in South Africa and competing in the World Series no less than four times before a massive accident led to his retirement from the sport at that level. Claude Newberry, Cameron and Byron’s father laid the foundation for the Newberry boys’ passion for motorsports, as a racer himself and continues to compete in events as a veteran of both jetskiing and motocross.
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When asked which sport Cameron enjoys most, Claude proudly states, “Cameron is just happy when he has a handlebar in his hands, it doesn’t matter if it’s on dirt or in the water.”
Cameron’s passion for motorsports came about through growing up in a family of racers and his love for the sport was first evident at the age of three when he sat on a jetski at a World Series event that his brother was taking part in.
In 2015, while in Grade 2 at Michaelis, Cameron finished second in the 65cc class motocross Regionals in Pietermaritzburg and in 2016, he took part in the Offroad Enduro in Underberg where he came third in the 65cc class. The following day, the young motocross marvel raced on the MX Track and placed fourth at Highstakes in Pietermaritzburg.
Cameron has taken part in many motorsports events and his most recent accomplishments at the Ballito Cable Ski Park saw him snatching up victory at the First National of the 2018 SAJSBA season on February 24.
The event provided some action packed racing with riders from across the country, including Namibia, entertaining spectators and putting on a spectacular show, with veterans, world champions and first time racers taking part.
While his father, Claude, finished first in the Vets Category, second in the Pro Runabout Stock category and second in the Pro Runabout Open, and his brother, Byron finished tenth, third and fourth in the Ski Lites, Pro Runabout Stock and Pro Runabout Open categories respectively, Cameron took victory in the Junior Runabout category ahead of 14-year-old Senshè Smith as well as taking top spot ahead of nine other riders more than twice his age in the Novice Ski Category.
The unstoppable ten year old, now a pupil at NRS, looks set to dominate the world of racing, making a name for himself in a class of his own and putting Vryheid on the motorsports map.
