The Master has a new Apprentice

Starting in 2011, one of Australia’s most capped riders, Damian Smith, moved into the Veterans class and started the Master and Apprentice program. His aim: to impart his vast knowledge onto an up-and-coming rider and with the help of his sponsors, the PSC Husqvarna Off-Road team was born.

Coming from a successful 2011 season with the Master and Apprentice Program, tell us how you’re going to step it up for 2012?
Last year was the inaugural year of the Master and Apprentice program and we had a lot of success. This year I was keen to step it up and got everything running much earlier. We got in touch with our perspective sponsors and Husqvarna came on board offering direct factory support for 2012. We’ll be pitting with the factory team this year, which is a big bonus for us; we’ll have direct access to their mechanics and won’t have to cart so much gear to events. We’ve also brought on Pirelli tyres and Motul Oil as sponsors this year and that’s who the factory riders use so we’ll be relying on their experiences with setup.

Have you got a rider for this year’s program yet?
We put the search out for riders and have had a fair bit of interest, but they didn’t fit the bill. I ended up looking at the results from the national off-road and motocross titles to find a match. I started talking with a few people about their plans for next year and came across motocross young-gun, Jack Hanckel, who seemed perfect. To be honest, he didn’t really know what we were about so I got him to come out and test Husqvarna’s 2011 race bike, which Luka Bussa rode last year. Within a week I had my new apprentice, and we could move into the next stage.

GoPro HD Hero cameras were used to make this video.

What were the criteria for selecting the apprentice this year?
We needed someone over 16 so they can ride in the seniors. And they had to have a good riding style to work with. My hope is to help hone someone into an elite rider.

Why choose a motocross rider?
When you look at Phillips, Price and even Hollis who have a motocross background, they’ve the sheer speed sorted. If Jack continues to do the motocross it will only make him a lot better rider off-road and we’ll just work on the enduro side of things.

Having seen what your apprentice’s level is at the moment, what are three key areas you’ll be focusing on?
From what I’ve seen of his riding, he has really good style. He’s a tall guy with big lanky legs, which is a big bonus in the enduros – especially in the wet. I’ll work on teaching him the rules of national enduros and things like getting him to keep it smooth while riding.

What bikes are you and Jack riding this year?
I’m riding the 2012 TE310 again this year and because I’ve got all the settings from last year, I’m pretty sorted. Jack will be on the new 2012 TC250 and tells me it’s really good. We’ll start working on his setup and refining his enduro skills.

Good luck in the up-coming season.
Thanks