-- MotoGP 2012 - Jack the Lad and Arthur: Australia's racing future?

Casey’s going, so where does Australia turn for its next two-wheeled racing hero? Not too far, if two 17-year-olds have any say in the matter.

Adelaide teenager Arthur Sissis arrives at Phillip Island for the first Australian race in Moto3 history straight from claiming a fabulous hat-trick – pole position, race win and fastest lap – in Malaysia last weekend.

Okay, it wasn’t actually in the Malaysian Grand Prix: it was in a special karting race staged at Kuala Lumpur’s Sepang circuit, but Sissis and Aussie compatriot Jack Miller both qualified on the ‘grid’ for that event and Sissis beat top names including MotoGP star Andrea Dovizioso to claim a very pleasing little victory.

Later in the weekend the two 17-year-old Australians both finished in the points in the Moto3 race won by new World Champion Sandro Cortese, Miller’s third top-15 finish and for Sissis the 11th time he has been on the scoreboard in a remarkably consistent year.

For Miller the highlight came at the Sachsenring in Germany on July 8. While big names like Cortese, Alexis Masbou and Luis Salom were fighting for the podium places, almost unnoticed Miller came through to claim fourth place on his Caretta Technology Honda.

It may not sound like an earth-shattering achievement – but it’s the best finish in the World Championship’s junior class by an Australian rider since a certain Casey Stoner came third on what was then a 125cc KTM in his home race at Phillip Island way back in 2004. Miller could feel justifiably proud of finishing just two spots behind his experienced Caretta teammate Masbou.

Arthur Sissis is from half a continent away in Adelaide, but he too has got himself in among some big names in his debut season at this level, not least of all because he is a teammate to Germany’s Sandro Cortese and young English rider Danny Kent in the highly-respected Aki Ajo’s Red Bull KTM line-up.

Cortese, with four wins and a string of podium finishes, has just clinched Moto3’s first world title and Kent arrives at Phillip Island fresh from his maiden World Championship victory in Japan less than two weeks ago. That’s high-class company young Arthur is keeping.

Born in January 1995, Jack Miller has been racing on two wheels since he was eight years old. He was Australian Dirt Bike champion at 65cc level in 2003; local, state and national titles galore came quickly. But not till he made the brave decision to try his luck in Europe did Miller begin to make the world sit up and take notice. Sound familiar?

In Germany, Miller took out the national 125cc title, while his efforts in Spain also helped bring him to the attention of Forward Racing, the Italian outfit showing enough faith in the boy from Down Under to sign Miller to a two-year Moto3 deal.

Miller left his father and brother on their Queensland property to focus on his first full World Championship season, but he has his mother Sonya with him to manage his burgeoning career. “I’ll be representing Townsville and Australia everywhere I go,” said Miller on the eve of his departure. “This is another step in a very long list that will take me towards my goal of following in the footsteps of Australian legends like Mick Doohan and Casey Stoner.”

Sissis, meanwhile, has followed his own path to the top. Born in June 1995, the Adelaide youngster got his first bike at three and had to be shown the ropes by his sister. Junior motocross and speedway followed, with Australian Under-16 titles in the latter category in 2008 and 2009. By 2009 Sissis, too, was ready for Europe, but the Red Bull Rookies’ Cup was his destination.

He stayed on for 2010. Scoring points in eight out of his 10 race starts, Sissis was 13th overall that year. In 2011 he stepped up several gears to finish the season as runner-up with four victories. He might have won the title but for mishaps like a last-lap crash while leading at Brno, but Arthur still says getting a start in the RBRC was “the most important thing that’s happened to me in my racing life”.

In 2011, Sissis also made his World Championship debut on a 125c Aprilia in Malaysia, qualifying in 30th spot and moving through to finish 20th in the race. This year he’s in the thick of things with the Red Bull KTM Ajo outfit.

While Miller hit the heights with that fourth place in Germany, that’s been one of only three points finishes for the ‘Townsville Tearaway’ this year. Sissis, on the other hand, has been steadily chipping away. His stated aim was to finish as high as eighth in races if he could, or certainly in the top 10 as often as possible. Arthur has done that five times already, his best result of fifth coming as early as round four in France.