Part of an exciting teenage South Yorkshire duo who start 2024 with the new K-Tech Aristocars KTM team, Ollie Colmer will turn 18 in April 2024 as he starts his second full year in professional adult British racing. As part of our Rookie Report series, we caught up with the #616 to get his thoughts on his career so far, a tricky rookie adult season, and his plans for 2024 and ambitions beyond!
Words: Ben Rumbold. Featured Image: K-Tech Aristocars KTM / Kyle Lane
DH: Thanks for joining us for our latest Rookie Report Ollie! Just to remind us, or even educate those who don’t know, how has your career in the Youth classes gone to this point, before you started racing with the Adults?
OC:From the start, I was up the front as Auto British Champion, that was my first National title.
I had a few years in the 65s where I led a few Championships but injuries just messed them up, which wasn’t too good, but when I got to the Small-Wheel 85s with Revo Husqvarna it got better with two National titles. I really enjoyed that, those were some good days!
I hit the Big-Wheel scene just as Covid hit so we only did one round of the British Championship, then went straight up to the 125 that year, practising most of the year on it. With the 125 I gelled with it pretty easily, jumped on it straight away and it suited my style really nicely. I’ve always been a little short on the bike, the last couple of years I’ve shot up so I’m a bit lanky at the minute!
The first year on the 125, in 2021, I suited it really well, I was leading the British Championship, winning the first round at Culham. It was one of my best years of racing, leading the Championship, consistently winning races, but unfortunately with two rounds to go I broke my wrist at Whitby – which was a bit of a bummer!
Since then, I’ve had a bit of a drag with the 125, I did finish 2nd in the 2022 British Championship which was really great, but I wanted to be a little bit better on it for my last year in the Youth [Ollie won just a single moto in a series dominated by Charlie Heyman].
DH: Like you said, you’ve shot up in height in the last couple of years, did you have to adjust your riding style much to cope with this?
OC: Yeah, I did find it difficult on the 125 because I was suddenly massive on the bike and you have to be so tight and clean on them, it’s a bike where you have to carry speed, and it was really important for me to do that. It was tough, I got a good position in the end but that was it.
DH: How did you find it jumping onto the four-stroke for the 2023 season?
OC: With the four-stroke, to be fair I immediately really enjoyed it, I wasn’t keen on four-strokes when I was a 125 rider. I quite liked the two-stroke sound and didn’t fancy a four-stroke. When I first got on the 250F though, I got K-Tech to do my suspension, got a real nice set-up and I really enjoyed riding it. I gelled with it really well and had a good winter training on one for the first time, and really enjoyed it.
DH: You had a good Pro debut at Oakhanger as well with a good start in the very first moto, how was that weekend for you?
OC: It was a very frustrating day for me in the end! It was great to get a good start and lead some laps in my first MX2 race, but I had a few crashes, so I guess I got excited. Being up front as a rookie though, I was just thinking ‘this is mint!’
I gated about 3rd or 4th and ended up making my way to the front [passing Bobby Bruce on his way!], on lap three or four, had a few battles and it was all just crazy. I was going for it, pulled a gap and got too excited! I think I crashed about six times in that race and finished 9th.
Then the second race I fell on the first lap and hurt my insides, so I went to the hospital to get it checked out but it was just a bit of bruising.
DH: After such a promising start though, it went a bit south for you after that, didn’t it?
OC: Yeah we went to the second EMX round, at Trentino, I had a good first race on Saturday, finished top 25. Then on Sunday I had a crash with another rider and broke my pelvis, which wasn’t the greatest feeling in the world. It was in April and I ended up being off the bike for eight weeks. I came back and had some good starts in a few races but it was tough to come back from that. Returning from injury into that racing intensity is crazy!
I had a good couple of races at Schoolhouse, just a few mistakes kept me out of the points. Then in July I headed out a week early to train for the Dutch EMX250 round at Arnhem, and ended up breaking my collarbone in training. I had that pinned and plated but with the time off for that it kind of finished my season really. The surgeon is happy to keep the metalwork in for now, if anything it makes it stronger. When I did the pelvis I got treatment in an oxygen chamber and that helped it heal really well so that is like back to normal now.
DH: So tell us about your new team, it certainly looks the business so how is it all working out for you and your new teammate Reece Jones?
OC: Yes, K-Tech Aristocars KTM. K-Tech Suspension got me a really good setup in ’23 so I was happy to be in their team. Reece and me are a similar build, although he’s a bit more stocky than me – he’s a beast! We’re working as a team, he’s used my settings from this year and adjusted it to how he likes it, sharing what works and yeah it’s a good setup.
DH: What are your plans for 2024, which series are you tackling?
OC: Mainly the British Championship and as many EMX rounds as I can, I’m based in Sheffield so the Scottish is close enough, and I wanted to do it in 2023 but my injuries made it impossible. I raced it on the Youth bikes but I will consider it for this season.
The Nora Championship looks good, it’s a shame that they won’t run in Europe and a few rounds clash with EMX250 so I won’t be able to do them all. The Saturday thing with the Fastest 40 won’t affect me, that will still be a great series as it was in 2023.
DH: The Fastest 40 are doing the EMX125 race this year, are you surprised that there’s no EMX250 option as well?
OC: I think that the Youth 250 class should just go straight in with the Pro class. If they could get a full grid of 125s, everyone loves to watch them and there’d be nothing better to watch than 40 125 riders! When I was in the 125s I would be in my race but there would also be 250s, so you’re trying to fight for your championship and there would be a 250 in between you and the next 125, it just makes it difficult when the classes are mixed because the numbers are too low.
DH: And at the end of your first year on a 250F, are you feeling much better than when you started on it?
OC: Definitely, you adapt more to the bike the more you ride it, you still have to carry a lot of speed so the 125 technique helps, but with my height, as I’m just under 6ft 3 [190cm], the 250 is much better for me, I can twist the throttle and it will go, which I like.
DH: So it might not be long before we see you on a 450 then maybe?
OC: Yeah that’s it, I’ve ridden a 350 in training this winter to build my strength up a bit, and I really enjoy that bike, really like the power on it.
DH: What would your main ambitions be from here on then Ollie, are your sights set right to the top of the sport?
OC: My main ambition would be that it can be my full-time job, I’d like to be able to make a living out of it. My goal is to ride for a big World Championship team, to complete a full World Championship season for a big team, that’s been my biggest goal from day one, to have it as my living.
I’m training full-time right now. The Aristocars boss is employing me slightly, I’m trying to help him sell a few cars in the week, but he is making it possible for me to train full-time in the week at the moment.
DH: Brilliant. Just to finish things off, we know that hopefully you’ll have many years of top racing ahead of you, but what would you say is your best memory of racing so far?
OC: I would have to say that first weekend at Oakhanger, leading my first British Championship race was something else. The day obviously didn’t end like I wanted it to, but the memory of leading that race is just the best.
DH: We certainly wish you all the best for the new season Ollie. If fans out there are looking for a teenage talent to get behind, and especially if you like to cheer for the tall kid, then Ollie is an exciting prospect for the future. We can’t wait to see how he goes from here!
