Meet the Athlete: Michael Driscoll

In his first season of racing off-road, 16-year-old Michael Driscoll is currently battling for race wins in the Transmoto EJ class at 2017 Australian Off-Road Championships (AORC). As a new face in the off-road scene, we thought this young racer would be the perfect candidate for our latest ‘Meet the Athlete’ profile. So let’s find out more about the Yamaha Motor Australia-backed rider, Michael Driscoll…

Michael Driscoll

NAME: Michael Driscoll
AGE: 16
TEAM: Yamaha Motor Australia
WEIGHT/HEIGHT: 83kg 6′ 1’’
SINGLE/STEADY/HITCHED: Single
KIDS: No
MUSIC: Rap, Kyle & Jackie O/Kiss 106.5
MY CREW: Family, Mark Richardson, Tim Burgmann

If I didn’t race dirt bikes professionally, I’d probably be…
An earthmoving operator.

Three things people don’t know about me are…
1. I didn’t start competitively racing until I was 12 years old.
2. This is my first (hopefully of many) AORC seasons.
3. I work four to five days a week as a labourer.

The best thing about being a Yamaha Motor Australia athlete is…
Is having a great group of people in my corner plus getting to ride the best bikes on the market in the bush every week.

My most memorable race was…
Back in 2012 when I was competing in the 85cc class at the NSW Junior MX State Titles held at Goanna Tracks. It is memorable to be because I scored my first ever podium at a state level, coming away with a third Overall. Why was a third place so special to me? Well, to put it in context, two weeks prior my big brother had a horrifying crash while testing, so it was really special to me when I gave the trophy to him the day after he was released from the hospital.

My fiercest rivalry was/is with…
I would have to say the toughest rivalry was, and still is, myself. I believe that, no matter who you’re racing against, the hardest person to beat is yourself because only you know whether you truly beat that competitor or not.

If I was a series promoter, the first thing I’d do is…
Ask the racers what they would want and take on board what they have to say. Because at the end of the day, we are the ones out there racing.

A funny story about my mechanic…
There are heaps and heaps of stories about my ‘grandpa’ of a mechanic, Darren Thompson. To be honest, I don’t know how the old fart doesn’t have a walking stick yet. Darren is a real joker, and the old fella loves to tell me how he’s “going to show me how to ride a bike properly so I can pull the girls in”, once he recovers from his recent shoulder surgery. I just tell him, “Look, man, isn’t your brain too old to think about that? Plus, I don’t want to be taught how to end up head first into the dirt or worse, a tree!” But the cheeky bugger always manages to come up with a classic comeback. All jokes aside, I have to say I’m blessed to have someone like Darren in my corner. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I have a lot of respect for what he does for me.

I escape from the grind of training and racing by…
Treating myself to a tub of Peters vanilla ice cream or a feast from Maccas.