?I’m doing your year review. Anything special I must say??
?No, I got 2nd. Nothing good about that to say.?

The message from Tyla Rattray flew back across the Atlantic at warp speed and glared back at your reporter from the BlackBerry screen. There was not a trace of braggadocio or malice about it, it simply and very succinctly framed the state of mind of a champion at heart ? second place is the first loser. This is not the South Nowhereville club championship either, mind, this is the AMA Motocross series, the very pinnacle of motocross racing. An fractionally small percentage of motocross riders can evern realistically aspire to make it to this level of racing, and it says a lot about Tyla’s determination to be at the top that second in a championship run as lofty as this does not render him into a picture of contentedness.

It was ever thus. From the days that he dreamt dreams of breaking out of his local, then regional, then national constrictions, his gaze was always fixed upwards. He overcame seemingly insurmountable odds, and step by focused step closed gaps on riders ahead of him who at first seemed to be in a different league, light years away. He’s at the top of the pile now , though, and the weight of expectation lies heavy on his shoulders. When he gets on a bike, he wants to win. When he enters a championship, he wants to win. Single-mindedness in a super-fit South African package.

It is not that Tyla for one second begrudges teammate Dean Wilson his championship honours. Perish the thought. A champion heart beats in each of the two chests, and though the racing on track is super-competitive and not an inch is given, the competition always remains super fair and sportsmanlike. Off the track the two teammates are fully paid-up members of the mutual respect society. Tyla respects the Scottish teenager’s skill, commitment and drive, and the two riders get along fine on a personal level, this not being one of these rivalries where one fully expects the battle-axes to be drawn out of the sheaths at any second. The South African is hewn out of fine stone ? he always remains humble in victory and gracious in defeat., likewise his main opponent.

Let us review, then, how the season unfolded for the South African. As a major part of Mitch Payton’s plans for more additions to the already-creaking trophy cabinet over at the headquarters of the Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki equipe, Tyla was contracted to ride in the West Coast Lites Supercross series as well as in the AMA Outdoors series later in the season. Incredible as it may sound, Tyla had not yet participated in an AMA Supercross event as the season rolled along, having opted to sit out the 2009 series to first familiarize himself with American conditions, and being tapped on the shoulder (literally) by the injury monster in 2010. It was with the tiniest tad of apprehension but a whole heap of excitement, therefore, that he rocked up to Anahemin for the 2010 opener.

Things went pear-shaped almost immediately. Attempting a quadruple jump that even Superman on a confident day would stay clear off, Tyla discovered yet again the sometimes undesirable effects of gravity as he piledrove himself into the ground in a manner reminiscent of a missile touching down in Baghdad. Bent and bruised body notwithstanding, he made it into the evening’s main and despite having to grit it out, he rode to a podium finish, scoring third place in a supercross main at his first attempt. The fact that the team occupied the entire podium made for much jolliness, and but for the handy placement of his ears, Tyla’s smile might have gone all the way round his head. Finishing third on début in the world’s toughest supercross arena is no mean feat, and he retired to his bed for a painful, yet contented sleep.

After a promising start, Tyla suffered a series of problems and setbacks, and the nadir came when an injury forced him to the sidelines for Anaheim 2. As is his wont, however, the bounced back like the proverbial rubber ball. Still riding in some discomfort from a Kawasaki -sized and ? shaped imprint on his back, he was keen to turn his run of misfortune around, and this is did with his best supercross result to date. Although Eli Tomac had things his own way at the front, Tyla fended off all kinds of attacks to cross the line in second position. This proved to be the highlight of his indoor season, and after an incident-filled campaign, the scorers noted his name against the 7th spot as the final scores were tallied up.

Justin Barcia was at one stage enjoying close to a 9 second lead in the race, but the Rattattack was on the way. A leading rider enjoys a charging Rattray behind him about as much as a burglar enjoys coming across a Rottweiler crossed with a crocodile, and Tyla was proving this again on the day. He cruised to an untroubled victory, scoring his first overall win of the season.

Another second place overall at the third round of the series moved the popular South African into the championship lead, but he was realistic enough to add a quick cautionary note ? motocross championships aren’t won in June, the road ahead was still hard and long, the opposition of the finest calibre and the sport unpredictable in nature. The joy was great, but his feet remained firmly planted on the ground, and his focus already shifted to the rest of the season. A fine performance followed at Budds Creek. Tyla trailed Wilson home in the first race, which meant that his teammate had clawed back a few points. In the post-race interview he expressed happiness with his second place and lauded his teammate for the win, and then very quietly alluded to the fact that a tough second heat was coming up. He did not predict a win. He was not brash. He was not cocky. But the self-confidence simply oozed out of him, and there was, in the words of one of the classics, a fierce gleaming in his eye. He knew what cards he had in hand.

Words by Tinus Nel
Images by Hoppenworld.com

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