The 13-year-old from Bulli had never competitively raced before this year and is already impressing in the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship.

Nicknamed 'The Hammer' Hamod was naming bike and car brands before he could string a sentence together as a baby and began his love affair with bikes on a Yamaha PW50.

"My dad owned a Yamaha R1 and I remember I always loved to sit on it and act like I was on a racetrack," said Hamod.

"My Dad had some really good friends who had a PW50, and it all started on a 50-acre farm, I was about five-years-old, and it was a lot of fun and a really good time with a lot of friends.

"When I was younger my Dad opened a new motorbike shop and I would go in every Saturday, and it was fun to watch the bikes being sold and he would take me upstairs and I would put clothes in the shelves."

A trip to a go kart track at Kembla Grange with his Father is where Hamod's attention then turned to road racing.

"When I was 11 my dad took me to a go kart track on a 140cc and put motard slicks on it and I would ride with Jacob Hatch (ASBK Supersport 300 and R3 Cup) and Jacob Roulstone (European Talent Cup)," he said.

"They would teach me lines and the techniques on how to ride. Later on, Dad got me a Yamaha R15 and a sticker kit which I helped design, and when I got my Motorcycling Australia licence, I got to go to Wakefield Park Raceway.

"I got accepted into OJC this year and it was a really good opportunity for me to improve my riding technique."

Hamod admits his first round at Winton Motor Raceway earlier this year was "a bit scary as I hadn't actually been in a racing environment before, I'd never raced".

"I had mixed feelings, I was really excited and couldn't wait for it, but was also a bit nervous as it was my first time there."

Hamod's first racing outing was very impressive, scoring an 11th place and two 10th places in the three races at Winton, shaving nearly eight seconds off his times over the weekend.

"I was actually feeling really happy and so stoked from my results and how I did in my first weekend of racing, and my parents were really happy for me," he said.

His next outing was at a special two-day Oceania Junior Cup Training Camp run by former MotoGP rider Damian Cudlin at the home of OJC Winton Motor Raceway.

"I learnt so much from other people and Damian Cudlin teaching us at the coaching program was a real help for me.

"It was really fun and taught me a lot and really helped me with bike technique, cornering and the track as well."

At Wakefield Park Raceway for the second round, Hamod wanted to finish inside the top 15, and he delivered in race one finishing in 12th place and in race two a sensational 5th placing, while in race three he crashed out.

"It was my second round, I was so stoked with that result and had Mum and Dad on the sidelines. I was really happy as that was my first result inside the top 10.

"I was a bit frustrated with the crash, but have taken onboard what I should have done, but overall, I managed to get a good result in race one and two."

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Hamod now sits 11th overall in the Championship and is only three points away from breaking into the top 10.

"My end of season goal is to finish inside the top 10 if I can. I'm really keen for the next round and to get back on track and have that race feeling again."

Despite this being his first year in the sport, Hamod has clear goals about his future and where he wants to be.

"In five or 10 years' time I want to be overseas racing, that's my personal goal," he said.

"I like the MotoGP route of going to the Asia Talent Cup and European Talent Cup but am happy with whatever route and just want to get overseas."

While COVID-19 lockdowns have put a stop to his racing for now, he is determined to be as fit and healthy when racing returns.

Hamod will continue to hone his race skills in the bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup but will also step up into the highly competitive Yamaha Finance R3 Cup in the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul.

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