17-Year-Old 2 Stroke Prodigy Leads First Pro Race vs 4 Strokes!

Charlie Heyman has long been touted as the next big thing coming out of the UK. He's won countless amateur championships but this weekend he makes his pro debut in the MX2 class and he's doing it on a 250 two-stroke against the four-strokes. You guys know that we just couldn't miss out on a two-stroke story like this. I've been watching Charlie race since he was a 10-year-old on the 65, so it's safe to say that I'm excited to see how he gets on. After clinching the 125 British title a round early, Charlie decided to turn pro for the final race of the MX2 Championship here at Landrake. My name's Charlie Heyman and we're down at Landrake for the last round of the British Championship. I've jumped into the pro class quite early but just qualified sixth so I'm happy with that. I'd be happy with a top ten definitely but it's a weekend just to see where I'm at for next season but yeah definitely qualified sixth so I'm looking for top tens both races. Charlie will be lining up alongside seasoned veterans, GP racers and the fastest 250 four-stroke riders in the country and he'll be doing it on board a KTM 252 stroke after stepping up from his 125 that he's been competing on all season long. He has already starred on our channel already this year way back at the start of the season. He impressed us massively at the EMX 125 season opener at Masseyley Basin. Let's see how he gets on in his pro debut. The revs are up and the heads are down and the gates have dropped on Charlie Heyman's first ever pro race here on board his 252 stroke. It looks like he's got a decent start inside the top ten early on then. He goes wide at the bottom of the hill oh but he gets pushed wide he's off the track loses so much momentum up the hill and he gets swallowed up by the pack. It looks like he's sitting in about 15th position as the opening lap comes to a close. He's got the 127 of Sam Atkinson in his sights. These two actually battled for the big wall 85 crown at this very circuit just a few seasons ago but Charlie makes a smart move and he's looking to go up the inside of Jamie Law another two-stroke warrior here. Interestingly these two guys on opposite ends of the spectrum. Charlie Heyman making his pro debut and Jamie Law in his last ever professional race he retires after this but Charlie Heyman up the inside he makes the move stick making some quick passes early on in this one and now Charlie has the number 300 of Ben Franklin in his sights. So like we said Charlie Heyman making some quick moves on these opening few laps working his way back through the pack after that mistake early on oh and Jamie Law goes down there. Heyman all over the back wheel of the 300 machine of Ben Franklin now. They've also got the 24 of Liam Garland in his sights as well on the Kawasaki. Potentially a couple more victims for Charlie Heyman here. He goes sweeping around the outside using those two shot lines just hanging off the back of that 250 here. The young 17 year old absolutely flying and he makes that pass on Ben Franklin's stick and next up is the 24 of Liam Garland and up the inside he goes. So another position for Charlie Heyman then he's back inside of the top 10 now at just 17. He's manhandling this 252 stroke like a rider way beyond his years and that's what makes Charlie Heyman such a special and exciting talent. He's now got the 731 of Alfie Jones just ahead of him and these two riders I've personally seen these two riders battle it out year after year time and time again. They battled for the 65cc British Championship way back in the day and to see them here now battling on the MX2 stage at the professional level is just awesome to see. Charlie hunting down then Alfie Jones the 731 machine. Charlie takes a long look over his shoulder to see where the rest of the pack is and he's diving up the inside of Alfie Jones then a slight mistake from Jones allows Heyman to make a pass, capitalise and take over the position. So that's another spot for Charlie Heyman then well inside the top 10 now. Seventh position since Charlie Heyman as this race starts to draw to a close then. Can Heyman work his way any further up the field? Let's find out. That two stroke scene he had a flag oh that's Bobby Bruce down on the deck so that was Bobby Bruce he was in a top five position that so that gives another position to Charlie Heyman and it looks like there's some more chaos further up the field because K Kassamakers has gone missing as well he's had a crash with the JMT that was a second and third position have come together that means Kassamakers has gone missing so that's another spot for Charlie Heyman then that promotes him to fifth position on this final lap of action so in his first ever professional debut if he can fend off Alfie Jones yes he does so in his first ever pro race Charlie Heyman takes home fifth position. I got a decent start I was about sixth and made a mistake down the first big hill went back up the hill and went off track and hit a few big bumps and dropped down to about 15th but three laps in I think I got back up to about seventh and then managed to get up to fifth an old fifth for the whole race so I'm happy with that my fitness was there as well so yeah that's that's where I want to be the next one as well it's good to race with Alfie again now I've been racing with him since 2012 2013 and yeah me and Alfie then was right next to each other forwards and backwards all race but yeah it was good it was good to race with him again I want to get a bit better start so I'm out with the front runners and then see if I can hold with them for a bit but if not I know where I need to work. Charlie's impeccable results over the past few seasons earned him the attention of Dave Thorpe and secured him a place on the newly minted True 7 Honda Academy team that's been set up by Dave and the Nicholls family. Josh Gilbert was the last rider that Honda UK supported in such a way. So we've kind of shied away a little bit since we lost Josh of investing in a young rider but I've watched a lot this year I've watched the kids a lot because they're with us which has been fantastic and you know in Charlie we see someone that you know he's still young really mature rides incredibly well and I said to Honda look you know we've got an opportunity it's the first time he's going to move from a two stroke to a four stroke so from Honda's perspective it's our first opportunity to really have a to work with a young man that's just come up they love motocross True 7 have always been a supporter of motocross and it was an opportunity to just create if you like two teams but one team because everything's done in the same way the same place but with the True 7 Honda Racing Academy identity and within Charlie and Callum you know we feel that we have two young riders in there that can do really well in British motocross obviously with the bubble of the whole team with the mechanics everybody we've got we hope to be able to bring Charlie on to the next level and unlike years ago you know Honda have a little bit of a structure now through Gordon Crockard where they support EMX teams and riders so looking further ahead I'm not too worried that we're going to bring Charlie to a level and then he'll disappear out of the Honda family I genuinely feel that we have the structure now that if he performs well and there is no need for him to perform outside of where he really wants to be there's no pressure at all but we have the structure to take him to the next level with Gordon and in the Honda family and for me that was important because and I think for Charlie and his dad you know they want to be able to see that if opportunities arrive within the Honda family that you know we can keep climbing that ladder and reach Charlie's full potential it was great to see him out in MX2 he looked relaxed he didn't look stiff everything was easy for him and that's the way we want to continue and we feel you know with the expertise that we have in our workshop with the benefit of Jake and the whole team around him I think you know we can offer him a really good package going forward. So this is it then the final race of the 2022 season for a lot of the riders it all comes down to this but for young Charlie Heyman it's just another opportunity to prove himself learn and get prepared for his first full season as a professional rider in 2023 but as always Charlie Heyman will be looking to turn some heads and impress we've already seen what he's capable of earlier on this morning so let's see what he can do the final gate drop of the season and a great jump for Charlie Heyman then he takes a look over another look and he's got the whole shot Charlie Heyman the 17 year old wonder kid leads done Dylan Walsh goes down so that leaves Charlie Heyman all alone at the front of the pack a monstrous whole shot and Charlie Heyman leads look at that advantage he's got already on this opening lap of action a huge lead already for Charlie Heyman all on his own at the very front of the pack and no one was expecting this today from young Charlie Heyman this 17 year old wonder boy and he looks comfortable in the leading position on the gas on board his 252 stroke look at this kid go this is absolutely awesome stuff what a story for Charlie Heyman and what a debut I think the rest of the field needs to be paying attention to this kid we're three laps into it now and Jamie Carpenter has caught the rear wheel of Charlie Heyman so Carpenter is actually the MX Nationals MX2 champion that's the other domestic championship here in the UK Carpenter won that title a few weekends ago so that just goes to show the level the caliber of talent that Jamie Carpenter possesses and Charlie Heyman is fending him off well at the moment defending the attacks of Jamie Carpenter so far on board his 252 stroke KTM down the hill they dive Heyman using inside line Carpenter to the outside and good drive up the hill for Charlie Heyman there through the rollers through the loop section the far end of the circuit Carpenter looks like he's about ready to make a move they're not yet Charlie Heyman comes around to complete another lap in the leading position here in his professional debut remember what a ride from Charlie Heyman so far in this moto it's Landrake circuit absolutely prime here today after some rainfall earlier in the week Charlie Heyman just looking absolutely superb in his professional debut but Carpenter inching ever closer now and Carpenter pulls the trigger Jamie Carpenter into the lead then that demotes Charlie Heyman into second position for now that he defended well for at least half the moto there over the reigning MX Nationals MX2 champion so fair play to Charlie Heyman he's got to be careful now because he's got a hard charge coming up quick behind him Walsh had that first lap crash remember he's charged back through the pack well here and Charlie Heyman will be the next rider on his hit list you see there Walsh the number 53 machine on the green Kawasaki all over the back of Charlie Heyman now but Charlie Heyman once again defending well riding his own race looking poised looking comfortable not being fazed by Dylan Walsh who's a world-class talent Dylan Walsh has raced Supercross GPs and the AMA Nationals all in the past 18 months it looks like Walsh is ready to pull the trigger here up the hill they go Heyman takes a cheeky look over to see where the Kiwi is and Dylan Walsh makes the move then so Heyman drops back into third position now can he hang on to a podium spot there's a handful of laps left in this moto can he hang on to that third and final podium position we'll see he's got another hard charging GP favorite behind him that's Jorgen Matthijs Talveku the Estonian the new age Estonian Express he had a first lap crash as well and he's come back through the pack JMT as we call it he's also racing the AMA Nationals this year in the EMX 250 championship as well and he pulls the trigger he makes the pass on Charlie Heyman so Charlie Heyman drops back to fourth place then but like I said that's two top level world-class talents that have made passes on him in the dying stages of this race remember this race is probably about 10 minutes longer than any of the 125 races that Charlie Heyman has competed in so far this year Charlie Heyman will cross the line in fourth position to give him fourth overall on the weekend what a phenomenal pro debut from Charlie Heyman yeah that was bang on that's that's where I want to be and that's what I'm going to be aiming for next year but yeah that that was perfect I hold the front for a bit but the pace up the front they're GP riders the pace up the front is just a bit much for me I'm meant to be on a 125 this amazed where I am right now so yeah that's perfect perfect how awesome was that in only his second ever pro race Charlie Heyman grabbed a monstrous hole shot on board his 250 two-stroke and led for well over half a moto in front of all the GP riders pro mx2 riders that have years of experience in the class that was absolutely epic so massive well done to Charlie Heyman that was a superb ride and I think he's turned some heads here at the British Championship like I said it was an awesome two-stroke ride from Charlie there and if you want to see more two-stroke content from us be sure to subscribe to the channel because we'll have two-stroke videos coming each and every week here on 999 Laser but as always guys my name is Max this is 999 Laser till next week I'll see you at the track