Tommy Edwards and his Yamaha YZF-R15 are ready to take on the MRRDA junior four-stroke series

AMA youth rider of the year Tom ‘Tommy Gun’ Edwards is set to make the switch from dirt to tar following a successful junior career in which he won the AMA National Dirt Track title.

The 12-year-old Novocastrian has had a stellar dirt career winning multiple Australian and NSW Junior Dirt Track and Long Track Championships. Edwards also placed second in the AMA titles in 2011 and is now the reigning champion.

Sponsor Graeme Boyd, Yamaha’s Newcastle dealer believes Edwards ability to slide a bike on the dirt will give him the edge when it comes to road racing just as it did with dual MotoGP champion Casey Stoner.

“The way he slides a bike around the dirt track is bound to give him an advantage when it comes to road racing. It happened for Casey, so why not for Tommy?,” Boyd said.

Edwards is poised to enter the MRRDA junior 150cc four-stroke series on a Yamaha YZF-R15. Edwards is looking forward to practicing on the tar over the summer before getting his first taste of road racing as a support category for the World Superbike round at Phillip Island on 21-23 February.

Like most young Aussies Edward’s goal is to race MotoGP and with a US dirt track title under his belt things are looking promising for this up-and-coming star.