P42 Rider makes Triumph Young Guns 2013

Paddock42 rider Grant Robertson moves a step closer to Triumph and is now full swing following his selection for the Triumph Young Guns scheme for 2013.

Triumph established the young guns scheme to find the UK’s race stars of tomorrow and based on the performances of our current crop of professional riders in MotoGP & WSBK we at Paddock42 think its a great thing.

The scheme is a training experience designed to provide the necessary skills for budding racers to step up to the world of professional motorcycle racing and the beauty of it is that it is open to all amateur ACU-licenced riders aged between 15 and 20 regardless of their chosen machine for 2013. These 10 lucky riders will be selected for a number of tailored training sessions by key industry figures concentrating on the core skills needed to succeed including personal fitness, racecraft, bike set-up/development and marketing/promotion.

Following these training sessions, the ten riders will be assessed by a panel of judges (professional rider, race team manager, MSVR management and senior figures from Triumph) to whittle the field down to three finalists based on their ability on track and how they’ve put their training into practise during the 2013 race calendar. The three will then go head to head on track for the chance to win a factory supported ride within the 2014 Triumph Triple Challenge.

The ’10’ all gathered at Hinckley following their assesment for an introductory meeting and the first training session included looking at PR/Media interview techniques and how to maximise sponsorship.

The day kicked off with an insightful talk, from Triumph’s marketing department, about attracting and keeping sponsors. In their position at Triumph, the marketing team is on the receiving end of dozens of sponsorship requests every week and certainly knows a good one from a bad one!

Triumph’s PR agency Prova, then ‘lifted the lid’ on the use of social media and media relations. This session provided some tips on the use of Twitter and also how the use of video can enrich riders’ websites. They also provided guidance on how to approach the media and ensure you maximise your exposure via regional newspapers, news sites, as well as TV and radio.

Luke Wilkins (of Motors TV’s Bike World programme) and David Miller (of BSN magazine) both put the ten Young Guns through their paces in mock media interviews. Luke was also on hand to provide some insights into the dos and don’ts of broadcast etiquette. The day ended with a tour of the Hinckley factory.

The next Young Guns session takes place at Loughborough University on June 29th, when ‘the 10’ will be put through a fitness test and look at the vital nutritional and psychological aspects of racing and the team at Paddock42 wish Grant the best of luck.