Matt’s Bio

MATT BATTISTA

Race Number: 75
Motorcycle: YZF R1 2007

2008 Competition Details:

Holder of Race #1 as WA 2007 Superbike Champion and Current holder of the 2008 WA Local Lap Record: 56:69 as of 18/05/08

Personal Details:

D.O.B. 11/07/1976
Place of Birth: Australia
Lives: Perth WA
Marital status: Married to Elyse
Children: A son Jett and daughter Tiah
Height: 164 cm
Weight: 80 kg
How do you relax: Going on holiday, spending time with his family and watching Foxtel
Favourite food: Spaghetti
Current Occupation: Parts/Sales Manager at 5 Star Yamaha
First Job: Spray painter
First Motorbike: Riding since 10 yrs old in Motocross. First production bike was a 250cc.
Racing Hero: Jeremy McGrath - Supercross/Motocross champion
Favourite Circuit: Doesn’t have one yet…
Race preparations: Trains at the gym 3 mornings a week and rides motocross Thursday afternoon.
Training hours per week: Approx 5 hours.

Career Highlights:

25 times MX State Champion.
2006 Winner of WA “B” grade level at his first entry into the Superbike class.
Outright winner of the 2007 WA State Superbike Championship.
Set new local lap record 18/05/08 Time: 0:56.6900.

Future ambitions: To win the 2008 State Superbike Championship and be in the top 10 at National Level. Ride again at a Moto GP in Australia or overseas.

Rider Background

Matt has been riding since he was 10 years old and has had more injuries than he cares to think about, but it has not stopped his passion in racing. Matt found Motocross to be “his” sport it was aggressive physically and created a motivation to WIN. Matt would not have achieved his success in the sport without the strong family support to give him the encouragement he needed. Another Win with MX was he met his wonderful wife Elyse a bonus says Matt.

During Matt’s extensive career he has succeed in winning 25 MX State Championships. With an incredible start to his career in MX he won in his first year the WA State Title and continued to follow this up with 24 more. Along the way he also picked up 2 Australian Junior Championship titles. MX gave him the opportunity to venture overseas to race in Indonesia and even raced in Motocross at the World GP. In 1997 he had the opportunity to race production 250cc although he had fun running at the top most of the time, except when he was on the ground (who in those days thought tyre warmers were important) his strength still lay with Motocross and he returned to his passion, however early 2005 he had a big crash which stopped him for most of the MX season.

Out of recovery by mid 2005 Matt had what you would call a WA wild card ride with the Steel Blue Team. He rode an R1 in the Superbike class at the last round of the season and was phenomenal achieving times of 59 secs.

Newly founded WA racing team BHS Racing who had supported Matt in Motocross in 2004 approached Matt to ride for them in 2006 on an ‘04 R1 which did not have the horsepower he needed, however he was able to Win the “B” grade series and came 4th in his first full season at Superbike level.

With a truly soft bike compared to the factory riders he managed 13th overall at his first Phillip Island ride in the National Support Race at Moto GP. Matt’s experience on MX has given him the riding ability to pick up any bike and ride it. Matt’s only fear is coming last!!

With this type of ability and dedication BHS Racing secured Matt for 2007 giving him everything that he needed to secure the 2007 State Superbike Championship and make a statement at National level.

With Winning always on his mind Matt has driven home every objective.

He is Exceptional and a Sport Star.

Summary:

Matt has achieved every team and personal objective in 2007 and is a highly competitive and motivational individual.

Matt works full-time in the motorcycle industry has a young family and also continues with his passion for motocross being a mentor to young riders traveling to various National and overseas events, assisting in riding techniques, suspension settings and marketing.

Matt always has time to give advice or help at State and National events no matter what the situation and this stretches to his fellow competitors.

Matt’s dedication to his sport and team members was no more apparent than while riding in appalling conditions at Eastern Creek in the last YMF Loan Round 2007 and sitting 4th pushed hard to drive home a position in the top 3 when he crashed out in last lap.

Unknown to him he had sustained a broken scapula, however continued to train hard on his return to WA ensuring he was fit to ride for the team at the last round of the season in front of sponsors and family.

Still in discomfort his drive and ambition ensured he took a 3 from 3 win on the day, beating his own lap record previously set earlier in the year and was the outright state winner with 14 from 14 wins for the season with maximum points 350.

Matt is an exceptional athlete and is highly regarded amongst his peers in both Road Racing and Motocross.

He is extremely focused, understands the importance of his sponsors and looks at every marketing opportunity to ensure the best for the team.

This is why we are aiming to give back to the Matt “Maulla” Battista.

A Trust Fund has been set up to allow individuals and businesses to offer donations to assist Matt in meeting the many medical bills and also the costs involved in the transition to the changes of becoming paraplegia.

Check out the About Maulla Inc page and donations can be made online via secure PayPal or EFT or Cheque/Money order via the Donations Tab to the right on the home page…or click here

www.racing.bhsengineering.com.au also has pictures and career highlights on Matt.