It was a weekend to remember for Cole McCullough, who made history in the deep sand of Riola Sardo by becoming the very first Irish rider ever to stand on the podium in the EMX125 championship. The talented youngster’s hard work, dedication, and perseverance finally paid off as he showcased his speed and resilience on one of the most physically demanding tracks on the calendar.
The achievement marks a major milestone for both Cole and his father, Philip McCullough – himself a former racer – who has been instrumental in guiding Cole’s path. While there wasn’t so much focus on EMX during Philip’s own racing days, he’s fully embraced the opportunity for Cole to compete regularly across Europe against some of the best young talents in the world.
After a long road filled with setbacks and sacrifices, the podium result in Sardinia felt especially sweet.
We caught up with Philip McCullough to reflect on a historic moment for Irish motocross.
Cole having a different mindset…
“That bus took its time to arrive. I didn’t search for another route though, I stuck to my original plan, we kept working, kept persevering, and more importantly, kept turning up and never lost faith. Heading to Sardinia this year, Cole was in a completely different mindset from any other race we had travelled to, ever. This mindset was also very clear for me to see, when we raced the Dutch Masters the week before in Harfsen. Cole went pole in qualifying and he had the speed to win both motos, without a doubt. Unfortunately, while making a pass for second in race one, he got completely emptied by another rider. Race two he gated well, him and Levi (Townley) had broken well clear of the field after two or three laps, around fifteen secs. Unfortunately, the rear mousse disintegrated, forcing the tyre to come off the rim and ended his race.”
Philip believes several key changes played a part in Cole’s transformation this year, both mentally and on the bike…
“The change in him was due to a few factors – I was staying out in Europe with him for the next six weekends. We had got ourselves a base in Belgium now also, alongside the house he lives in just south of Milan. We had spent a full week with Tim Dane and Jan Hastenberg, testing their new engine in the sand. He was now riding with a higher level of confidence and belief than ever before.”
That belief was evident from the very first session in Sardinia…
“Sitting in pit lane before free practice in Sardinia, he said to me, ‘I’ll do 1 slow lap then put it on top’ and that is exactly what he did. Race one he rode a very smart race… okay, he tucked the front just after moving into third, but he quickly recovered back into the top five, again something we have discussed in depth, getting a solid race one result.”
Race two brought the real fireworks…
“Race two on Sunday we had done our calculations, the two KTM’s were strong, especially Katona, he was on a completely different level. Cole’s jump out of the gate was good, but the factory Fantic rider completely swerved across him, resulting in him having to brake and go into turn one almost last. His first lap was insane, he came round in fourth, passing over thirty riders in the process. After a few laps he was into second and on the tail of the leader Kubulins… Katona was on a massive charge and inevitably made his way to the front dropping Cole to third. The calculations were done, Alvisi was on a charge also, but this would only change our overall from second to third.”
That third place was enough to seal an emotional podium…
“It was very clear when Cole crossed the line and saw I had ‘P3 PODIUM’ on the board, the delight and also the weight and burden of three tough seasons had now been lifted. Cole has never questioned the pathway I have set out for him; he never deflects from the plan we made at the start of this journey. We have a very strong and close relationship. Our circle is very, very small – BC (Bryan Connelly) told me during our Hitachi KTM days with Roger Magee, ‘keep it as small as possible, and only surround yourself with good people.’”
The most successful Irish GP rider of all time, Gordon Crockard has been a big influence…
“Gordon Crockard has been so influential on our journey. Riding with Cole when the opportunity arises. He is always there for Cole at every race with advice, answering any questions Cole or myself fire at him.”
A milestone for the Dream Team Fantic squad…
“Dream Team Fantic are obviously delighted with their first proper podium for a rider in their team. I also am very grateful for our own personal sponsors who have been on this journey with us from the beginning:
Woodside Logistics Group
Carmichael Cars
Beyond Signage
GMP Industrial
Holm Networks
Bob at Goggletek
Nutt Travel
Trevor Calderwood Chilltec
Mary Peters Trust
FOX Racing Europe
Twin Air
Moto-Graphix”
Looking ahead, the goal is to carry this momentum forward through the rest of the season…
“Now we will aim to keep that little bit of momentum going, for the rest of the year. Thank you to the hundreds of genuine people from home who have sent messages of support and congratulations to both of us these past few days. It was a very proud moment for us both, seeing the Ireland flag raised again on the podium at a GP event.”
Cole’s podium marks a huge step forward not just in his own racing career, but also for Irish motocross as a whole. With the confidence gained from this result and a small but strong support system behind him, the future looks bright for the young Fantic rider as he continues to chase success on the European stage.
Enjoy some photo’s below courtesy of MX July:
