He started riding a 2-wheeled bicycle at the age of 3 and motorbike at the age of 5. When success overflowed beyond Türkiye, he won trophies at the Balkan and European Championships one after the other. The adventure of Poyraz, who runs from success to success in motocross and supermoto track championships held in Türkiye and Europe, continues with 4 Turkish Championships, 6 European Cups and 1 Turkish Second place while he is only 8 years old.
The young champion, who encountered speed, excitement and success at an early age, sets an example to his peers by maintaining balance between school and sports.
We had a talk about Poyraz’s career in motorbike sport with his father B. Ali Bor, who shared information that will guide parents about raising children immersed in sports and well-rounded.
With 16 years of career in the lubricants industry, B. Ali Bor has been working at TotalEnergies Turkey for 9 years. After specialising in areas such as industrial lubricants, motor oils and distributor sales, B. Ali Bor worked in the specialty liquids department covering mineral and vegetable solvents and continues his professional life as responsible for the commercial activities of the specialty liquids channel in Türkiye, Azerbaijan and Israel.
However, in this interview, we get to know him not as an industry professional but as a “father” and focus on his warm communication with his son Poyraz. B. Ali Bor, who personally witnessed the changes brought by sports while preparing Poyraz for the championships, gives advice to parents based on his experience and emphasizes the versatile upbringing of children.
Motorbike is an extreme sport that we are not used to children doing. How did you discover Poyraz’s interest in motorbikes?
I am riding motorbike for 25 years and I really like riding it. Since my wife is also a motorbike enthusiast, so we used to make long journeys together. Therefore, Poyraz has seen his mother and me on the motorcycle since the day he was born. With this exposure, his interest in motorbikes began at the age of 2,5. I immediately bought him a bicycle with balance wheels. When he turned 3, I removed the training wheels, and he started balancing on two wheels as if he had been riding for years. After a while, we started to receive warning phone calls from the security personnel of the site we lived in, saying that Poyraz was coming down the stairs on a bicycle. I shared these moments on social media by writing “first two wheels experience”. Since there are motorcycle enthusiasts among my friends, the video received a lot of attention. We received advice from our former motorbike racer friends that Poyraz could be successful in motorsports and that he should receive training on that. Based on these recommendations, we headed to Motocrosspark Kartepe Academy and entrusted Poyraz to Mevlüt Kolay, a former Turkish Enduro Champion, who won many trophies in European Championships and competed in World Championships. My main goal was for my son to learn how to ride a motorbike and to get this culture from the right people.
How did you get the idea to participate in the races?
Poyraz was 5 years old when we went to Motocross Kartepe. In the first training, our Coach Mevlüt stated that Poyraz had a talent for this sport and that it would be beneficial for him to participate in competitions, accepted Poyraz to his team and so our adventure began. In 2021, we met Tolga Uprak, who is a track instructor at Motoron Rider Academy in Intercity Istanbul Park, former Turkish Track Champion that has experience in World Championships, having won many trophies in European Championships. Our adventure, which started with the motocross branch under the management of Mevlüt Kolay, continues at full speed with 4 Turkish Championships, 6 European Cups and 1 second place in Türkiye, under the management of Tolga Uprak, who started training Poyraz on track races in 2021.
All races in Türkiye are organized by the Turkish Motorcycle Federation. The Turkish Motorcycle Federation is also a member of the FIM (International Motorcycling Federation) and the Balkan Motorcycle Union. A significant part of the Balkan Championships is included in the European Championships. In the first year, Poyraz was preparing for both Motocross and Supermoto Track Championships held on asphalt. Our main goal was for Poyraz to build a career in asphalt track championships, but because we wanted him to have a solid foundation, we also encouraged his progress in the Motocross.
When was the first race and the first championship?
Poyraz’s first race was the opening Motocross race of the season in June 2021, organized by the Turkish Motorcycle Federation as a part of the European Balkan Championship. In his very first race, Poyraz secured a clear victory and went on to finish first in all races of the season. Subsequently, we participated in the Türkiye Supermoto Track Championship. Poyraz consistently dominated all races of the season with significant leads. Upon completing the races of the first season as I said, we believed that Poyraz should compete against different opponents on different tracks in Europe.
Since there was no Supermoto Track Championship for Poyraz’s age group in Europe in 2022, we only participated in the Motocross Championship. Races took place in Romania, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Greece, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, with Poyraz lifting a trophy in every race he attended.
Despite being only 7 years old in a championship where the upper age limit is 9, Poyraz achieved remarkable success. This year, he participated in the Türkiye Supermoto Track Championship, which includes children aged 8-12 and involves 65cc, 6-speed, two-stroke motorcycles. In his rookie season, despite being the youngest competitor among 14 participants, he finished the season in 2nd place. Additionally, this year, due to Poyraz’s young age (9-15 age category), we competed out of category in the European Championship. We joined the 2023 season to allow him to prepare and familiarize himself with the tracks, and with impressive lap times, we became one of the favorite champions for the 2024 season.
Does Poyraz have new targets for 2024?
In 2024, we aim to train Poyraz as much as possible and have a successful season both in Türkiye and Europe. Next year, we plan to compete in the Türkiye Motocross, Türkiye Supermoto Track and also the European Supermoto Track Championships. Our goal is to become champions in these three categories. As the youngest competitor in the 65cc category this year, despite it was our first year, we had a remarkably successful season. If Poyraz becomes the European Supermoto Track champion outside Türkiye in 2024, he will likely become the youngest European Champion in the history of the championship in his category. Our long-term goal is for Poyraz to participate in races in the World Superbike Championship or MotoGP and achieve successful standings.
Motorcycling is a dangerous sport compared to other sports. Do not you ever get worried or anxious when Poyraz is racing?
The track is the safest place to ride a motorbike. There’s an ambulance at every race and some training sessions. First of all, that gives me confidence. The second one is that if you wear the right equipment while riding a motorcycle, the likelihood of causing harm to yourself is greatly reduced. Poyraz has had many falls right in front of my eyes, but we haven’t faced any negative health-related situations. We are not too worried because we carefully follow safety procedures with right equipment.
When compared to other sports, what benefits do motorcycle sports provide to individuals?
In everyday life, we have a field of vision that our eyes perceive. When riding a motorcycle, this field expands significantly. Therefore, motorcycle sports are a type of sport that broadens an individual’s perspective on life, allowing them to perceive the world from a broader standpoint. On the other hand, when riding a motorcycle, you need to think quickly, make rapid decisions, and implement them swiftly. If you fail to do so, you may have an accident or fall behind. I believe another gain provided by motorcycle sports to individuals is precisely this. Thinking quickly, making fast decisions, and implementing them rapidly, in my opinion, are the most significant skills an 8-year-old kid can acquire at this age. I also observe the development of skills such as risk management, coping with stress, not giving up in competition, and problem-solving.
Of course, there are also physical gains from riding a motorcycle. Firstly, both on the track and in motocross, you use all the muscles in your body. In motocross, when flying off a ramp, ascending to a flat surface, and taking corners, you have different body postures, and you need to scan the road very well at that moment. In fact, you are battling with nature and physics laws, this gives you physical strength and endurance. I observe that the motorcycle contributes to Poyraz in all these aspects, and I feel its positive effects, especially in increased awareness of responsibility and discipline, reflected in his academic success.
Speaking of the positive aspects of motorcycle sport; what other effects do you observe on Poyraz from doing sports and socializing in general?
First of all, this sport has given Poyraz significant physical resilience. He falls, he has accidents, sometimes he gets hurt, but he learns not to give up and his mental resistance increases, at the same time I can say that his pain threshold has increased. On the other hand, although not directly related to motorsports, engaging in sports builds confidence in the child. Again, as I mentioned earlier, I see the development of the ability to make quick decisions and implement them, and these decisions are generally correct.
I also see socializing as one of the most positive effects of engaging in sports. For example, Poyraz currently has many racer friends from home and abroad. He has 4-5 different friend groups and he communicates with his friends in English during the races in the European Championships. Thus, while developing his foreign language skills at an early age, I think making friends from different cultures improves his vision.
Are you taking any measures to ensure that Poyraz does not have difficulties in the transition from a successful childhood to adolescence and adulthood?
Poyraz is currently competing professionally (there is no World Championship in Poyraz’s age category). According to what we learnt; children perceive all sports as a game until the age of 12. Therefore, we acknowledge that he is playing, and we do not exert any pressure for success. Instead of saying, “You will be the first, you must complete the race on the podium, don’t waste our efforts” we say, “Go out, have fun, ride, enjoy.” Although he does not see it that way. Before races, he becomes much more ambitious and stressed. As his family and trainers, our aim is to ensure that he has fun in this adventure without tiring him mentally and psychologically, and that he gains the ability to use his excitement and stress positively.
Poyraz’s sport is an individual one. Naturally, he has a coach and a technical team that conducts his training, observes him constantly, and provides tactics. However, motorsports are not like team sports. Since I value Poyraz to learn working as a team, I wanted him to play basketball. I wanted him to practice with the team, play in matches, and understand what it means to be part of a group. Basketball also makes a great contribution to the development of hand-foot coordination of children. I thought that if his coordination improves, he would be able to use the clutch, gears, and braking system on the motorcycle more quickly. We slanted him to basketball in order to support his motorbike driving skills in the winter season, and he liked playing basketball very much.
Playing basketball made Poyraz realize: “It’s not enough for just me to be successful. For the team to win, everyone in the team needs to be successful.” Maybe tomorrow he will be the captain of that team, he will motivate them. These experiences contribute significantly to children. Considering all of this, we provide all the support we can to ensure the sustainability of Poyraz’s success and to better prepare him for the future world.
Considering the international travels and special equipment, it is evident that motorsport is a costly sport. How do you cover these costs?
Unfortunately, it’s a very costly sport. We currently have 3 sponsors. One of these sponsors is Motolastik, the distributor of Pirelli motorcycle tires in Türkiye. Another one is Paynatech, the distributor of Mac Valves in Türkiye. At the same time, Spormoto, the Turkish distributor of the motorcycles used by Poyraz, KTM, Husqvarna and Gasgas brands. We proudly carry the logos and names of the biggest companies of our country in their fields on Poyraz’s motorbike, racing suit and caravan. I would like to thank our sponsors, with whom we are now family, for their support.
Is there a prize money for ranking in championships?
If you are successful in races, there is nofinancial reward until a certain age. The same applies to the European Championships. Briefly, we are only collecting memories as a family for now.
What is your dream for Poyraz and other children as the New Year approaches?
My biggest dream for Poyraz is for him to earn a comfortable living doing what he loves. In my opinion, this is the greatest wealth in the world. I cannot even imagine the happiness we will experience if he wins the World Championship title on his journey. People become more successful when they enjoy what they do. We should not leave children without sports because significant challenges await them in both professional and social life in the coming years, and this challenge will increase further depending on the world population. Therefore, I think graduating from a school with a good diploma will not be sufficient for children. People with different talents and perspectives will come to the forefront. In my humble opinion, the only thing that will prepare them for the world of tomorrow in a versatile and well-equipped manner is sports.
Sports first help us have a strong body. The healthier your body is, the healthier your brain works, children who do sports socialize and I think their EQ improves. In the world of tomorrow, and even in today’s world, I believe that success is determined not only by IQ but also by EQ. Therefore, my fundamental belief and wish are that children do not live without sports and that their communication skills are strengthened in this way. I recommend all parents to guide their children towards sports, encourage socialization and spend as much as much quality time with them as possible. Let’s raise children who are as versatile as possible so that the future of our beautiful country is in capable hands.
Finally, we have arranged Poyraz’s Instagram account chronologically since his first two-wheeled bicycle ride. Those who wish can see our Instagram account with the username @poyraz.bor, observe his development and support us by following it.
Ali Bor, calling out to parents with the message “Don’t leave your children without sports,” believes that individuals who develop in various aspects and have enhanced EQ will be more successful in the world of the future.
