![Wagga's Eliza Dennis will compete in her fourth Hattah Desert Race this weekend and she's aiming for a top three finish. Picture by Tom Dennis Wagga's Eliza Dennis will compete in her fourth Hattah Desert Race this weekend and she's aiming for a top three finish. Picture by Tom Dennis](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/179282453/979f8e55-eecb-40cc-8637-9e5dc7c018f1.jpg/r0_0_7535_5086_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Wagga's Eliza Dennis has high hopes ahead of her fourth appearance at the Hattah Desert Race this weekend.
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The 11-year-old is competing in the 85cc two stroke and 150cc four stroke class which will see her complete six laps of the small wheel course that is expected to take roughly 90 minutes.
The Dennis family has regularly made the trip to Hattah over the past couple of years and Eliza said she was looking forward to competing.
"I'm really excited," Dennis said.
"I can't wait, it happens every year so it's a tradition and it should be good.
"I like the people, the setting up for it and the racing as it's fun, everything is great.
"I've done it three years now so I've had experience and it should be fine."
Dennis goes into the event with form on her side after performing strongly at the Queensland MX Championships over the weekend.
After qualifying on pole in the 9-12's girls class, Dennis then clean swept the four moto's to finish first overall while she finished third overall in the 9-12's boys class.
Dennis was stoked with her efforts at Queensland Moto Park and revealed it gave her confidence a bit of a boost ahead of Hattah.
"I won the girls class and came third in the boys class," she said.
"There's very good competition up there so I did great.
"It boosted my confidence a lot, I've been up there this year already before Queensland but I didn't do as good as I did."
With prior experience at Hattah, Dennis was eyeing off a top three finish this weekend.
It's a busy period for Dennis who recently competed at the NSW State Titles in Wagga before also crossing over the border to compete in the Victorian State Titles that were held at Winton.
In addition to her recent trip to Queensland and competing in Hattah this weekend, Dennis revealed that she's off to Western Australia next week to get some practice in ahead of the Australian Junior Motocross Championships that are being held in late September.
"These three weeks of holidays are helping me as I don't have to go to school," she said.
"We're going to Perth next week to train on the Aussie's track and I just went to Queensland, so I'm very busy."
![It's going to be a busy few weeks for Dennis who is off to Western Australia next week for training ahead of the Australian Junior Motocross Championships. Picture by Tom Dennis It's going to be a busy few weeks for Dennis who is off to Western Australia next week for training ahead of the Australian Junior Motocross Championships. Picture by Tom Dennis](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/179282453/7cf3990e-52c3-41f1-9578-c6ed73db51a2.jpg/r0_0_8030_5131_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
It's a fair bit of riding for Dennis at such a young age, however she said it was necessary in order to fulfil her dreams.
"When I started I definitely did not think I was going to come this way," she said.
"But I've got a dream and it's got to come possible somehow."
When asked what her dream was, Dennis was quick to respond.
"Be a world champion," she said.
At least a couple of years off from winning world titles, Dennis for the time being is continuing her development under the watchful eye of older brother Byron who is competing in the MX2 Class in the Australian Motocross Championship.
Dennis said it was extremely helpful to have his guidance and connections as she looks to establish her own pathway on two wheels.
"He's helped me a lot," she said.
"He's trained me and I've met a lot of people through him."
![Dennis has high hopes for her future and revealed that her dream is to become a world champion. Picture by Tom Dennis Dennis has high hopes for her future and revealed that her dream is to become a world champion. Picture by Tom Dennis](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/179282453/efb8ef69-8262-4ada-a7df-76d125f39743.jpg/r0_0_8192_5461_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Usually racing on motocross or supercross tracks, Dennis said it would be a bit different competing at Hattah this weekend.
"In motocross or supercross you'd never hit sixth pin," she said.
"But for Hattah you definitely hit sixth pin, you'd want seventh sometimes but you don't have it.
"It's very different."