14-Year-Old Alex Is What Most People Would Call a Wonder Kid, Enjoys Life at Over 124 MPH

It all started a year ago when I was still part of a major Junior Racing program for aspiring motorcycle riders. I was engaged in a week-long training session at a local track, which was supposed to be open just for the kids I was working with at the time.

The big talent is persistence

But one day, a station wagon pulled up to the paddock, and it was carrying a black Kawasaki Ninja 250R. Three people came out of the car and started unpacking. I would later get to see the rider in action, and I could tell it was a kid judging by his size.

Upon talking to his father, I learned that he was only a beginner and had little practice beforehand. Still, his speed and style were amazing, and I immediately invited him to join the training program. And from there on further, we proceeded to astonish everyone session after session.

Enter 14-year-old Alex Voinea, who has just completed his Rookie Motorcycle Road Racing season for 2022. Going up against riders who have been competing in the Supersport 300 class for several years, he managed to finish third overall with multiple podium finishes across the season.

Naturally, we were curious to know what events had set his unequivocal passion for motorcycles in motion. "My grandfather used to ride motorcycles. My father followed in his footsteps, and he still rides a Honda CBR600 F4i to this day. When I was 3 years old, he gave me a small pit bike."

All men of action are dreamers

"I started riding that, but after about a year, it broke down completely." For many years, Alex had no further contact with motorcycles other than seeing his father riding year in and year out. But he was bent on living life on two wheels, so he would ride his bike for a minimum of 18 miles (30 km) every week."

For a short period, he even tried dancing as a hobby. But his father feared the day would come that young Alex would ask permission to get a motorcycle riding license so he could ride on public roads too. So there was only one thing left to do: take the kid to the race track instead.

Alex had been helping his father with the family Auto Repair business for a few years, and he had earned his big debut on a real motorcycle. He fiddled around on a 125cc enduro bike for a bit, but his father soon realized that they needed to make one step forward.

"He surprised me with a Kawasaki Ninja 250R. We went to the racetrack shortly after, and I rode it for about 250 km on my first day. It was extremely challenging from a physical point of view."

Enthusiasm is common. Endurance is rare

"With the handlebars in their street position, I felt like I was fighting with the bike going around the corners at high speed. It wasn't easy, but I loved every moment of it." It was only a matter of weeks until Alex would be registered as an official rider and off to his first International Road Racing event.

"My first race ever was going to be a double-rounder, scheduled to take place in another country. I was slightly scared about the starting procedure. I didn't even look at the lights. I just paid attention to the guys in front of me, and I knew I had to overtake as many of them as I could."

"I finished P3 at the end of the first day and P2 for the second one." It became clear to everyone involved in the race at that time that Alex had it in him to become huge one day. He managed to get on the podium while riding an inferior bike against athletes that were more experienced than him.

Both he and his father continued to work hard repairing cars throughout the winter to raise the money needed to build a Yamaha R3 race bike. With a new bike, he was ready to take on an International Championship with riders coming in from 10 countries. "This was my first year of competing in the Supersport300 class, which is the Pro category for my age and type of bike."

The journey is the reward

"It was my first year with the R3 and also my first time out on big tracks like Slovakiaring in Slovakia, Grobnik in Croatia, and Serres in Greece. But I managed to finish on the podium at most of the races and even win one in Serbia! I won even though it was my first time out in the rain, and I even crashed in practice. At that time, I wasn't aware that trying to drag your knee on the ground in the wet is not a good idea."

Of course, racing motorcycles is not easy at all. Alex had several big offs this year, and his high side in Croatia was the only thing that stopped him from getting a podium on the first race of the weekend. "I was doing about 105 mph (170 kph) going around a corner, and suddenly I felt a vibration coming from the rear wheel. The next thing I know I was in the air, I fell on my right foot, my bottom, and then my back. I rolled over a few times and kept sliding on the dirt. As I came to a stop, I could see the people in the grandstand in front of me, but I couldn't move at all."

"And I couldn't breathe for a few seconds, although it felt like an eternity. The ambulance arrived at the scene of the event right away, and they told ordered me not to move. I was taken to the hospital, but luckily I was cleared by the end of the day. And then on Sunday I went out and improved my lap time by a second. Racing the next day was the hardest thing I've had to do all year, but nothing could have stopped me from going out."

Alex was lucky enough to have also raced at Brno this year, a racetrack that hosts the Czech Republic motorcycle Grand Prix. But the engine on his bike decided to give up much sooner than normal, and the young prodigy was left to watch the rest of the race from the side. One full year of racing has changed him for the better, and anyone can attest that this sport will make a man, out of a boy even at a young age. We asked Alex about some of the things he's learned so far, as we were curious to get some tips for future riding sessions.

"One of the most important skills I've developed is braking as late as possible. I usually set a marker in the middle of the vibrator, and I always use two fingers to apply the front brake as violently as possible. I sometimes use the front brake even when I'm leaning into a corner, but you should always be extra careful when doing so as it can be quite dangerous."

"Overtaking is always fun, and the way I do is I always get as close as possible to my opponent. While I'm right next to him I'll look him in the eye, and have a sort of stare down to see who's going to brake first. I even waved at a guy at Slovakiaring and then overtook him mid-corner. I like to have fun like that from time to time."

With all his talent and determination, Alex is still having a hard time finding sponsors to support his racing dream. But he realizes that marketing goes hand in hand with this activity, and he'll most likely be starting a YouTube channel to document his journey soon. You might remember that we have covered some of the basic aspects of sports marketing and sponsorship management in a previous story, and we'd recommend anyone to go to infinity and beyond to accomplish his or her dream.

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