Scramble starts forelite bike team place

Conor Parkhill comes from something of a racing dynasty, with his father Stewart and grandfather Clifford Parkhill both claiming the title of Irish Road Racing Champion.

Now Conor, at just 15 years-of-age, is hoping to join up with a team of some of the finest teenage motorcycle racers from around the world in the ‘Redbull Rookies’ project.

The Eglinton youngster certainly has the racing pedigree to put him up there with the best young prospects in the world, having secured a podium finish as a last minute wildcard entry at the KTM European Junior Cup at Silverstone last month.

He finished second in his spectacular Silverstone debut, missing out on the top spot by around a third of a second.

When he was a mere 12-years-old, Conor was dubbed ‘one to watch’ in the Sentinel after he narrowly missed out on a podium finish in the North Dublin Asprilla Challenge championships.

Racing against riders up to 18-years-of-age, the local youngster took the field by storm, racing on a machine made from parts his father had purchased on eBay.

Since that time, he has spent the past few years collecting plaudits and accolades, including becoming the youngest ever Irish National 125cc Champion

Conor then moved on to the Supertwins Class for 2012 as a member of Ryan Farquar’s KMR Team where he is currently leading the Supertwins Class of the Adelaide Masters Series and is a close 2nd in the Irish Superbike Supertwins Championship.

In 2010, he was awarded the title of ‘best newcomer’ as he secured yet another podium finish in the Ulster Clubman’s 125cc Championship.

The Limavady High School student has followed a natural progression since he first began racing in ‘mini moto’ championships as a young child.

The natural next step for the youngster named as an “exciting prospect” by Motorcycle News would be to join up with his fellow racing prodigies from around the world.

The ‘Redbull Rookies’ consists of 24 of the fastest teenage racers from around the world, with their competitions gaining global TV coverage.

Conor is now hoping to join the team and take his racing to the next level for 2013 and has submitted an application with some of his past and recent achievements. He hopes that if he is successful, the Redbull Rookies programme will give him the platform he needs to follow in the footsteps of his fellow countrymen and Top World Superbike Riders such as Johnny Rea and Eugene Laverty.

His father Stewart explains: “You have to be a really great rider to get into anything like this. We sent in the CV and and once we go over next week we will know whether he has been successful in his application or not. The Red Bull Rookies is for up and coming young riders to give them the platform they need to go on to the next level.”