Cole McCullough announces 2023 plans

Last year Cole McCullough was the latest young recruit Roger Magee drafted into his Hitachi KTM fuelled by Milwaukee Team.

The young teenager was thrown straight into the deep end during his debut season, competing across Europe in the EMX125 and 125 Dutch Masters series. McCullough certainly did not disappoint, his speed and confidence gathered momentum throughout the season, helping him to the top step of the podium at Round 3 of the British 125 Championship at the tender age of just 13. This was backed up by some great qualifying performances in the EMX125 where he finished well within the top 10 and also notched up several top 5 finishes at the latter Dutch Masters of Motocross rounds.

For 2023 McCullough will be going solo as he again has a full European calendar of racing lined up. The decision not to ride in a UK series at all has been justified by the inclusion of the Hawkstone International along with the Lierop International as his season opening races on Feb 26th and March 4th. Add the EMX125 and Dutch 125 series again, the Junior World C’ship in Romania, the European Nations, with a possibility he could also be in the frame to be considered for the MXON later this year in France, the 14yr old is certainly going to have a hectic schedule ahead of him.

Cole: ‘There has been a bit of uncertainty what Roger was going to do with his team this year so we had a tough decision to make. I would like to thank Roger personally for the opportunity and platform he provided me with in 2022 With the season just a few weeks away my dad and my trainer Stephen Sword decided to set up our own team for 2023. I already had a good deal in place with KTM, my bikes are now in Holland with my tuner Harry Nolte getting prepared for the new season Davy Dickson will once again be my mechanic this year’

In a short space of time McCullough has already got some very established brands and great companies supporting him. Cole’s #555 machinery will run under the Milwaukee KTM banner, he has also attracted some very valuable personal sponsors with Robert Woodside of Woodside Haulage, along with his uncle Adam of Lyons Bros Peugeot both coming on board. More updates will no doubt follow from the Omagh Academy pupil, who has spent the past 2 weeks training in Spain with Swordy and his mechanic. We would like to wish Cole every success in 2023.

Image: Ray Archer