Teenager Rocco Landers wins MotoAmerica Liqui Moly Junior Cup title
Many teenage road racers dream of winning an AMA National No. 1 plate. At 14 years old, Rocco Landers is deciding where put his No. 1 plate on his bedroom wall.
The road racing phenom from Burns, Ore., delivered a commanding performance in his first season competing in MotoAmerica, winning 14 of 16 races to claim the 2019 MotoAmerica Liqui Moly Junior Cup title.
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American Motorcyclist interviewed Landers after the last Junior Cup race of 2019 at Barber Motorsports Park to learn what helped him become a teenage professional road racing champion.
American Motorcyclist: How did you get into racing motorcycles?
Rocco Landers: My dad was a professional racer and was one of the first high-level coaches at California Superbike School. That gave me a solid foundation for road racing. I got a [Yamaha] PW50 when I was two years old and I rode that quite a bit. I raced in Italy when I was 8 and got my butt kicked over there. I went back over there in 2016 and did much better. I’ve also raced in Spain.
AM: This was your first year competing in MotoAmerica. What were your goals at the start of this season?
RL: I really had no expectations. I came into Atlanta and thought I could get a top five, maybe even a podium. We had good training in the off season, and I was first in one of the practice sessions and got pole. That’s when I knew something good could happen here.
AM: How did it feel when you crossed the finish line at New Jersey Motorsports Park and clinched the Junior Cup championship?
RL: I wanted some Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. That’s the first thought that came into my head.
AM: What are your racing plans for next year?
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RL: We’re probably going to go racing in the European Talent Cup. I may try out for the Red Bull Rookies Cup.
AM: What was the biggest thing you learned from competing in the MotoAmerica Junior Cup?
RL: I learned a lot of things, actually. I learned to ride a four-stroke better and how to move a heavy bike around. I also learned how to ride on challenging tracks, because the tracks over here are a lot different and much more physical than the tracks in Europe.