Australia’s Cameron Swain joined the FIM Yamaha R3 bLU cRU World Cup this season after a wildcard ride in 2023 and the 16-year-old had a tumultuous season with no prior experience of the tracks and bad luck seemingly waiting for him at every turn, but with support from the bLU cRU staff and his extremely dedicated family he turned the troubles into trophies. In this special blog written by Cameron he shares his experiences as a rookie in the series.
This year had many tough moments waiting for me, but some awesome ones too. It was my first year racing in Europe, I didn’t expect it to be easy but in the end the difficult moments made me a stronger rider and a better person. Towards the end of the season there were achievements which made the hard work and the blood, sweat and tears from me and my family all worth it.
One of the key things in this championship is the ability to learn fast! If you’re a rookie the first time you get to see any of the tracks isn’t until the track walk on Thursday. We go through it all with the coach, Lorenzo (Alfonsi) and he gives us advice before riding. Coming from Aus all the tracks were completely new to me except Magny-Cours as I wildcarded there last year, and we tested at Barcelona before the first round. You get one practice and one qualifying session on Friday to learn the track then straight to two races, it’s hard but it’s the same for everyone. The difference for me was that some of the riders had either been able to test at the tracks or had done the championship in previous years, which made things more challenging. You have to stop seeing this as an obstacle though, because you can’t change it, and I’m pleased that over the season I managed to qualify in the Top 5 at every round except Donington and Magny-Cours, including a 2nd at Assen. I also managed to go under the previous lap record at Barcelona and Aragon. These little positives made me realise that I could be up there, but luck seemed to have other ideas…
The season started in Barcelona with a two-day test that ended OK but included a crash leading me to have some doubts about the setup, despite help from the bLU cRU technicians I couldn’t really cure my problems during the two days. Then we were straight on to Round 1 in Barcelona which started well with me qualifying in the Top 5. The fact that I was under the lap record but ‘only’ qualified 5th showed how strong the 2024 field were and I knew I’d be up against some very quick riders! Unfortunately, I didn’t get to find out what my true level was because I was taken out in both races. In Race 1 while fighting for the podium I hit the back tyre of the rider in front while slipstreaming – he missed a gear and I had nowhere to go. I went down at almost 200kph. In Race 2 I was taken out going into Turn 7, just bad luck.
After that I realised that things weren’t gonna come easy, and the level was very high. But I also learned that it wasn’t hard to find comradery in the bLU cRU Village, there was no beef between me and the riders involved in the incidents, and most of us riders were getting on well despite being from different corners of the world and not knowing each other previously. The staff also gave us lots of support and kept the atmosphere fun and easy going, that helped me to feel better after a disastrous first round.
In the next rounds I kept the good feeling around the paddock, and we continued to have fun, I even went on stage for charity at Donington – Marc Vich was singing with Mario Salles and our bLU cRU Press Officer so I decided to join them and bust out some moves! But on the track things weren’t so upbeat, I was finding it hard to get a good result and struggling for a good bike setup, that is until Magny-Cours…
As I’d been there before I had a little bit more playing in my favour and felt confident. I qualified sixth after not timing my qualifying run well which I wasn’t happy with, but then Race 1 came along and it started chucking down with rain. I felt like this would be a good opportunity for me to get a strong result as I think it evens out the competition for us bigger guys! I’m quite tall and it means I struggle for straight line speed being around 10kg heavier than the smaller guys, which on 40hp bikes makes a big difference. I managed to win the first race in France by 4 seconds and it was my first podium as well! My best race result prior to this was seventh.
I finally showed my potential, and proved to myself that I could do it. That self-belief was always there, but after several bad rounds you start to lose that confidence. I burst into tears when I crossed the line…no, scrub that, I felt the tears running down when I was on the back straight. It was so difficult to concentrate the entire final lap and when I got to Parc Ferme I just let it all out. On the TV coverage you could see I was a mess; it was the culmination of everything, all the bad moments were erased and I was overjoyed to achieve a win for my family and for myself. My mum, dad and sister were all crying with me, and even some of the bLU cRU staff too – they all saw what it meant to me to get a world-level win in the WorldSBK paddock. I could barely speak in my interview. Riders and Team Managers from other classes even came to congratulate me, some of whom I only really recognised when I watched it back, my eyes were too blurry from all the crying!
We moved onto the final round at Aragon and was keen to keep momentum going after the previous round. Aragon was a track that I gelled with instantly, so I managed to be very competitive all weekend. Third in practice then fourth on the grid I was feeling the strongest I’d been all season for the races. Race 1 I battled in the front group all race but finished sixth. Race 2 was my final chance to get a dry podium. Every rider pushed as hard as they could as it was the final race of the season making it a thirteen-rider group, but two riders had a tangle and we were down to eleven. We always have massive lead groups in the R3 World Cup and some of my mates tell me it’s intense for them watching at home but when you’re in the middle of it you just get on with it and keep your eyes on the front! I led at some stages in Race 2 but got pushed back to 12th with just six laps left. By the end of the final lap I’d pushed my way back to first place before the back straight. I was slipstreamed by four riders to the final corner but went around the outside of one in the final corner and ended the race in third.
For me this was my best race, showing I could be aggressive and never give up. I was glad to show that once we had a good setup I was able to not just be fast but also take it to everyone in the races.
It’s never easy coming from the other side of the world to compete, it makes it more challenging but I like it. I believe I showed I could learn tracks very fast and proved at the end I was as good as the strongest riders there. The biggest thing I had to learn was how to be aggressive, as the riders in Australia are not as aggressive as these guys! We got there in the end which I’m super proud about. All season I kept working so hard, but no results would arrive that I was satisfied with. I never stopped believing and when it suddenly happened, part of me couldn’t believe it. To back the win up at the final round with another podium confirmed that I was one of the best riders in the field by the end which was a big relief for me.
Another podium at the final round cemented Cameron’s success
I couldn’t have achieved any of this without the help of Troy Corser. He’s helped me learn the tracks as much as possible before getting there and helped me a lot mentally and physically. He’s amazing and I appreciate his time so much. A big thanks also goes to my sponsor Impeller Museum and Event Services who have helped me so much financially and have stuck with me for a long time. I can’t thank these guys enough for believing in me. Of course, absolutely none of this could happen without my family and I’m forever grateful for what they sacrifice and all they do for me. I aim to keep repaying them with good results and try my absolute best to take this as far as I can.
I’m already looking forward to next year and I’m confident I can do well racing in the WorldSBK paddock again with the experience I gained this year in the bLU cRU. I’ve made some great mates and discovered loads of awesome places in Europe between races, but more than anything it has cemented my desire to be a professional racer and keep the Aussie flag flying on the world stage!
Australia’s Cameron Swain joined the FIM Yamaha R3 bLU cRU World Cup this season after a wildcard ride in 2023 and the 16-year-old had a tumultuous season with no prior experience of the tracks and bad luck seemingly waiting for him at every turn, but with support from the bLU cRU staff and his extremely dedicated family he turned the troubles into trophies. In this special blog written by Cameron he shares his experiences as a rookie in the series.
This year had many tough moments waiting for me, but some awesome ones too. It was my first year racing in Europe, I didn’t expect it to be easy but in the end the difficult moments made me a stronger rider and a better person. Towards the end of the season there were achievements which made the hard work and the blood, sweat and tears from me and my family all worth it.
One of the key things in this championship is the ability to learn fast! If you’re a rookie the first time you get to see any of the tracks isn’t until the track walk on Thursday. We go through it all with the coach, Lorenzo (Alfonsi) and he gives us advice before riding. Coming from Aus all the tracks were completely new to me except Magny-Cours as I wildcarded there last year, and we tested at Barcelona before the first round. You get one practice and one qualifying session on Friday to learn the track then straight to two races, it’s hard but it’s the same for everyone. The difference for me was that some of the riders had either been able to test at the tracks or had done the championship in previous years, which made things more challenging. You have to stop seeing this as an obstacle though, because you can’t change it, and I’m pleased that over the season I managed to qualify in the Top 5 at every round except Donington and Magny-Cours, including a 2nd at Assen. I also managed to go under the previous lap record at Barcelona and Aragon. These little positives made me realise that I could be up there, but luck seemed to have other ideas…
The season started in Barcelona with a two-day test that ended OK but included a crash leading me to have some doubts about the setup, despite help from the bLU cRU technicians I couldn’t really cure my problems during the two days. Then we were straight on to Round 1 in Barcelona which started well with me qualifying in the Top 5. The fact that I was under the lap record but ‘only’ qualified 5th showed how strong the 2024 field were and I knew I’d be up against some very quick riders! Unfortunately, I didn’t get to find out what my true level was because I was taken out in both races. In Race 1 while fighting for the podium I hit the back tyre of the rider in front while slipstreaming – he missed a gear and I had nowhere to go. I went down at almost 200kph. In Race 2 I was taken out going into Turn 7, just bad luck.
After that I realised that things weren’t gonna come easy, and the level was very high. But I also learned that it wasn’t hard to find comradery in the bLU cRU Village, there was no beef between me and the riders involved in the incidents, and most of us riders were getting on well despite being from different corners of the world and not knowing each other previously. The staff also gave us lots of support and kept the atmosphere fun and easy going, that helped me to feel better after a disastrous first round.
In the next rounds I kept the good feeling around the paddock, and we continued to have fun, I even went on stage for charity at Donington – Marc Vich was singing with Mario Salles and our bLU cRU Press Officer so I decided to join them and bust out some moves! But on the track things weren’t so upbeat, I was finding it hard to get a good result and struggling for a good bike setup, that is until Magny-Cours…
As I’d been there before I had a little bit more playing in my favour and felt confident. I qualified sixth after not timing my qualifying run well which I wasn’t happy with, but then Race 1 came along and it started chucking down with rain. I felt like this would be a good opportunity for me to get a strong result as I think it evens out the competition for us bigger guys! I’m quite tall and it means I struggle for straight line speed being around 10kg heavier than the smaller guys, which on 40hp bikes makes a big difference. I managed to win the first race in France by 4 seconds and it was my first podium as well! My best race result prior to this was seventh.
I finally showed my potential, and proved to myself that I could do it. That self-belief was always there, but after several bad rounds you start to lose that confidence. I burst into tears when I crossed the line…no, scrub that, I felt the tears running down when I was on the back straight. It was so difficult to concentrate the entire final lap and when I got to Parc Ferme I just let it all out. On the TV coverage you could see I was a mess; it was the culmination of everything, all the bad moments were erased and I was overjoyed to achieve a win for my family and for myself. My mum, dad and sister were all crying with me, and even some of the bLU cRU staff too – they all saw what it meant to me to get a world-level win in the WorldSBK paddock. I could barely speak in my interview. Riders and Team Managers from other classes even came to congratulate me, some of whom I only really recognised when I watched it back, my eyes were too blurry from all the crying!
We moved onto the final round at Aragon and was keen to keep momentum going after the previous round. Aragon was a track that I gelled with instantly, so I managed to be very competitive all weekend. Third in practice then fourth on the grid I was feeling the strongest I’d been all season for the races. Race 1 I battled in the front group all race but finished sixth. Race 2 was my final chance to get a dry podium. Every rider pushed as hard as they could as it was the final race of the season making it a thirteen-rider group, but two riders had a tangle and we were down to eleven. We always have massive lead groups in the R3 World Cup and some of my mates tell me it’s intense for them watching at home but when you’re in the middle of it you just get on with it and keep your eyes on the front! I led at some stages in Race 2 but got pushed back to 12th with just six laps left. By the end of the final lap I’d pushed my way back to first place before the back straight. I was slipstreamed by four riders to the final corner but went around the outside of one in the final corner and ended the race in third.
For me this was my best race, showing I could be aggressive and never give up. I was glad to show that once we had a good setup I was able to not just be fast but also take it to everyone in the races.
It’s never easy coming from the other side of the world to compete, it makes it more challenging but I like it. I believe I showed I could learn tracks very fast and proved at the end I was as good as the strongest riders there. The biggest thing I had to learn was how to be aggressive, as the riders in Australia are not as aggressive as these guys! We got there in the end which I’m super proud about. All season I kept working so hard, but no results would arrive that I was satisfied with. I never stopped believing and when it suddenly happened, part of me couldn’t believe it. To back the win up at the final round with another podium confirmed that I was one of the best riders in the field by the end which was a big relief for me.
Another podium at the final round cemented Cameron’s success
I couldn’t have achieved any of this without the help of Troy Corser. He’s helped me learn the tracks as much as possible before getting there and helped me a lot mentally and physically. He’s amazing and I appreciate his time so much. A big thanks also goes to my sponsor Impeller Museum and Event Services who have helped me so much financially and have stuck with me for a long time. I can’t thank these guys enough for believing in me. Of course, absolutely none of this could happen without my family and I’m forever grateful for what they sacrifice and all they do for me. I aim to keep repaying them with good results and try my absolute best to take this as far as I can.
I’m already looking forward to next year and I’m confident I can do well racing in the WorldSBK paddock again with the experience I gained this year in the bLU cRU. I’ve made some great mates and discovered loads of awesome places in Europe between races, but more than anything it has cemented my desire to be a professional racer and keep the Aussie flag flying on the world stage!
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