HUNT FOR THE WILDCARD | ALL IN WITH MATT WILSON
The next chapter of Hunt for the Wildcard is here.
Season 2 follows Scott athlete Matt Wilson as he chases his spot in the 2026 Life Time Grand Prix. From the opening miles at Sea Otter to one of the toughest editions of Unbound Gravel in recent memory, the film captures the uncertainty, sacrifice, and determination required to earn a place among the best gravel races in the world.
It's a story about going all in and what it means to keep believing in yourself and your abilities when nothing is guaranteed.
One year can change everything.
Flash back to the first season of Hunt for the Wildcard in 2025: Cameron Jones arrived in the United States from New Zealand and proclaimed, “Look who they let into the country,” to videographer Danny Awang, who was there to capture it all.
At the time, Cam was a relatively unknown Kiwi racer who had once again packed up his life to chase the dream. Without a guaranteed place in the Life Time Grand Prix, he entered the season through the Wildcard series knowing he would have to earn his spot and prove he belonged.
What followed was the kind of story dreams are made of.
A breakthrough victory at the biggest gravel race in the world, Unbound Gravel, earned Cam his place in the Grand Prix. But he was never one to sit back and relax. He continued to race aggressively throughout the season, fighting for every position until the very end, and ultimately secured the overall Life Time Grand Prix title after crossing the finish line at Big Sugar ahead of his main rivals in an all-out sprint.
For Matt Wilson, Cam’s success wasn’t just another racing story. It was proof that the path was real.
The two New Zealanders have spent years racing alongside each other, pushing one another through training, sharing victories and setbacks, and chasing the same ambition: building a career in cycling. A dream that meant leaving home, traveling across the world, and putting everything on the line to make it happen.
They understand what it means to live out of a bag, couch surf, make every dollar count, and invest everything into the hope that one opportunity can change the course of a career.
“2025 was my first year over here. I didn’t really have much of a plan. I had just enough money to hang around for about three months and see what I could make work.”
— MATT WILSON
New Year, New Hopes
A year after Cam’s remarkable season, Matt found himself standing at the same starting line of the 2026 season, ready to chase the dream once again.
His 2025 campaign had shown flashes of exactly what he was capable of. Strong rides, top-ten finishes, and the ability to race comfortably alongside some of the fastest gravel racers in the world left little doubt that he belonged at the front of the field.
But gravel racing rarely rewards potential alone. Instead of earning an automatic place in the 2026 Life Time Grand Prix, Matt would once again have to fight his way in through the Wildcard series.
For the second year in a row, Matt packed up his life and made the long flight from New Zealand to California for Sea Otter Gravel.
This time, Matt arrived with the support of Scott Sports behind him and a familiar face waiting on the other side of the world. With Cam already established in the US and preparing for the season, Matt had a teammate, a friend, and a reminder that the dream was possible.
After making the journey from New Zealand, Matt wasted little time making his intentions clear. Just days after landing in California, he lined up at Sea Otter Gravel and delivered exactly the result he needed, taking control of the Wildcard standings and building momentum toward the biggest gravel race of the season: Unbound.
Unbound Gravel is more than just another race. It has a way of defining cycling careers.
Success demands fitness, preparation, smart decisions, resilience, and no small amount of luck. Every rider arrives having done the work and ready to push, but for the Wildcard riders, there is more on the line. The race within the race ultimately decides who gets to keep chasing the dream.
“You have to be a bit nervous for Unbound. If you’re not nervous, then you don’t know what’s coming.”
— MATT WILSON
Unbound — Never Say Never
Relentless rain transformed sections of the Kansas course into sticky mud that clogged drivetrains and jammed wheels. Thunderstorms, flooded roads, brutal headwinds, and endless challenges turned one of gravel’s toughest events into one of its most demanding editions in recent memory.
Like everyone around him, Matt’s race quickly became less about executing the perfect plan and more about adapting to whatever the course threw at him next.
Separated from the lead group through the worst of the conditions, he refused to let the race slip away. Fighting through peanut butter mud, hub-deep water crossings, relentless headwinds, and the afternoon sun baking the mud onto his body and bike, every stretch of road became another opportunity to put his head down and keep moving forward.
Eventually, he spotted a group of fellow Wildcard contenders up the road. Matt committed himself to closing the gap, knowing every position could determine whether he could continue battling in the Grand Prix series.
For Matt, the journey to the United States has never been about having every answer. It has always been about committing fully to the opportunity in front of him and going all in.
“Just make it happen, whatever it takes, because there really isn’t any Plan B.”
— MATT WILSON
That “all in” mindset, committing fully to the moment and embracing whatever comes next, is what this edition of Hunt for the Wildcard is all about.
More than a race recap, the film follows Matt through the uncertainty, setbacks, and moments that rarely make the highlight reel. It’s a story about leaving home, backing yourself, and discovering that sometimes the hardest roads lead to the biggest opportunities.
Just one year after Cam Jones proved what was possible, Matt Wilson set out to write his own chapter.
This is his Hunt for the Wildcard story, and we can’t wait to see where this journey takes him.
Did you miss the first season of Hunt for the Wildcard? Catch up now for an inside look at Cam’s breakout season — and you might even spot our friend Matt making a few guest appearances along the way.
