Off the back of a standout season, 13-year-old Oceania Junior Cup (OJC) Champion Cameron Swain has been selected to compete in the 2022 Asia Talent Cup (ATC) onboard Honda Moto3 machinery. With a big year ahead, CycleOnline tracked down the emerging Queensland talent to ask Five Questions regarding the upcoming season and a successful 2021.

Image: Foremost Media.

How did it feel to be selected for the 2022 Asia Talent cup? 

It was a pretty big shock to be honest, because I pretty much found out from Taiyo [Asku], one of my mates through PlayStation, we were online and he goes ‘Cam you are in Asia Talent Cup’ looking at the post they put up. I was getting told lots that all the other boys were already selected, locked in, so we were kind of already trying to sort out going over to Britain because of Asia Talent Cup not happening. When we found out that happened [Asia Talent Cup], we went that route because with all of the British stuff you have to pay money for teams, where the Asia Talent Cup is free. It was a bit of a shock how I found out.

What is the biggest learning curve adapting to the Moto3?

Just the late braking, and getting used to the speed. Racing R15’s at 140kph, and then going to ride the Moto3 at The Bend, straight up thrown in the deep end, just getting used to braking from 210kph was the biggest thing I reckon. Going through all of the fast corners at such a high speed, and just trying to do it so quickly as I’ve got a limited amount of time. The weight of the bike, it will just turn into corners so much quicker than the R3’s and the R15’s, they are so much more powerful and much lighter, it’s just a whole ‘nother game.

Are there any key things you can take from racing in the OJC that will help in your overseas endeavours? 

Key things would be the close racing, being bar to bar into corners, out of corners, through them, all in big packs across the line, all diving up the inside, getting used to that close racecraft is the main thing in OJC that I can take into the ATC. One hundred percent the ATC will be a step up, there’s a lot more danger again because you are going so much faster, sort of the same battling but at a much higher speed.

Image: Foremost Media.

Looking back on 2021, was there a particular race or ride that stood out to you? 

The standout one for me was Wakefield race one, on the Saturday. Hayden Nelson was… at Winton it was me and him battling and he crashed at race one in Winton, he qualified on pole, everyone thought he was the favourite on that weekend, then he crashed in race one and I didn’t have anywhere to go and clipped him and he was done for the weekend. I won both races [at Winton] and everyone was saying that if Haydo was there he was going to win, then we went to Wakefield which is his track, where he trained at the most and he was there for all the races. He still qualified on pole, but then the race came and I finally got to race him properly and won by like 2.4 seconds, on a track where I normally struggled and he was always training there. People said when we went there that he was going to beat me, but proving them wrong was cool.

Is there a certain way you physically prepare for the longer races in the upcoming season?

I do training on Zwift, to be honest it’s the most realistic, it felt pretty realistic just sitting on the indoor trainer. I do that in a hot room for almost an hour, then I go to the gym with Craig [Fusion Fat Loss & Nutrition], what I have been doing with him is like trying to lean up but getting stronger, that’s also in a hot garage, gym. It goes for around 40 minutes, just intense, trying to simulate the Asia Talent Cup, that’s what we are going to have to do, 40 minutes, I’m not used to them 40-minute races, I’m used to 15-minute races in Australia. So just trying to simulate that as much as I can.