From the sun-soaked circuits of the Caribbean to the high-speed tracks of Australia, Dom De Leon’s journey from stunt rider to championship-winning racer is a story of passion, grit and an unbreakable love for two wheels
Dom, you’ve been a stalwart of the St George Motorccle Club for many years now and you’ve just won not only the Unlimited F2 class but also the AMCN Most Improved award! Can you tell us a bit about your racing background?
I was born around motorsport! My dad is a 13-time undefeated Caribbean champion – but in cars, not on bikes. When I was four he bought me a Pee Wee 50, because in the middle of the race track there was a motocross track in Trinidad. I could ride around while he was racing, and it just went from there. So since the age of four I’ve been on a bike but then the track was bought by a greenhouse company so it closed. Not too long after, my brother got into road bikes but we had a massive accident where the bike caught fire and I couldn’t walk for about 18 months. Then at about 17 I started stunt riding, plus I had a drag car my dad built for me. I was more into cars than bikes, but bikes are more convenient!
At what stage did you leave the Caribbean?
I did the stunt riding thing for a while. I didn’t really have a signature trick but I loved doing the one-handed stoppies! Then at 28 or 29 I moved to the UK and did a trackday, where I was pretty fast straight away. I started doing trackdays and got into racing with some mates. We named the team Lab Rats and I was riding an ’04 Honda CBR600. I did pretty well in that first year and a team approached me to ride their bikes with Derek York sponsoring me, so for the next three years I raced for them until moving here in 2013.
So was it work or a girl that led you to Australia?
My wife! (laughs) Initially, when I started racing in England, my aim was to get to the TT. I was very quick on the road, I just had a different speed to everyone else. I experience what people call ‘tunnel vision’, where the narrow space I’m in appears slower the faster I go. My aim was to be the first Trinidadian to compete at the Isle of Man TT. I started getting my signatures at club level to move to Oliver’s Mount and then the North West 200. My now wife Emma supported me so much in my racing in every way, but she begged me to forget that dream. When her visa was finished and she returned to Australia, I told myself that all my relationships had ended because of ‘gas brain’, my passion for motorsport. But she was different. She loved that I had this passion for bikes and racing – it was only the TT road racing she didn’t like. So I travelled to Australia and proposed to her! We decided to settle here in because of the lifestyle we could have for ourselves and our kids. I do think I would have been more successful on road courses as opposed to closed circuit racing.
Tell me about the AT1 team you have put together here in Australia… how did AT1 come about?
Matt Pace is my chief engineer, technician and confidante. He keeps me focused. He does any suspension adjustments, he keeps me settled. Before a race or qualifying he keeps me on the level where I can perform at my best. But with AT1 race suits, in the UK the team I rode for had a custom leather company that would provide suits. This was fantastic because I’m not your typical MotoGP skinny guy. I’ve never felt comfortable in ‘off-the-shelf’ leathers. When I arrived in Australia I decided it was a way to give back, to design and make custom leathers.
So my leathers are built for the rider. The way they are stitched, everything, it is with the rider in mind and that keeps on evolving.
Back then if you wanted a custom set of leathers it was mega expensive. If you wanted logos, that was another huge expense. A rider wants to be safe and look good. That’s what drove me to start the AT1 business and team.
Away from the track, what do you do? I saw your kids with you as well, you look like a very close family.
I’m a mechanical engineer and building manager in the corporate world with two kids. They love racing, they always tell me: ‘Dad, you’re slow and I’m faster than you!’
They are into motocross now but they have told me they want to start racing on the tarmac. That’s where they will eventually head.
The more they ride, the less I ride… the transition is happening. This last year I’ve hardly ridden the ZX-10. I did a PCRA meet but I haven’t been training so I’ve put on some weight. So to race this Summer Night Series and lead after Round One, I was so surprised. I was doubting myself a little bit, but I still led after Round Two.
I went through the whole series not taking any risks. I’ve been comfortable this year with all the wet weather though, because of all the wet experience from my years in the UK.
So your boys will be road racers, not motocross?
I know in Australia there is much more opportunity for success in motocross than on the road, but the next step is to get the boys into flat track. Then after that we will look at road racing. The things I’ve set out to accomplish – owning a race team with four bikes, that’s ticked off. Due to cost we haven’t expanded into ABSK at the moment, but I’d love to be able to put together a team in national competition for a full season.
Australia is so different to the UK, the costs are higher simply due to distance and the time off work needed. It’s harder to do a national series here than in England, but that is my goal.
And the Summer Night Series is now my thing! It gives me the flexibility to race a full series without having a lot of time off work or high costs. I’m in training now for next year!
