As Appeared in AMCN magazine Vol 68 No 07
I’m really looking forward to the ASBK final at Phillip Island. The racing’s gone to another level this season in all classes with many lap records broken and I’m sure that will continue at the Island.
The season started well for me there in Round 1 qualified third, with a best race result of second for fourth overall] but I felt it took me a while to get up to the speed of racing again. I was pretty green and recovering from a broken hip socket, so it was bit of a struggle. By mid-season our DesmoSport Ducati team was very competitive and always playing for the win. So I’m really happy with the way things are now and hopefully I’m doing a good job for everyone who is supporting us.
It’s been really good having former ASBK Honda crew chief] Paul Free joining Ben Henry and me. The three of us have faced a few challenges together with a new bike and we plan to continue next year with Ducati’s all-new Panigale V4 R superbike. We’re taking delivery of an 1100cc version to turn into a two-up-ride bike and we’ll also use it to work out some base settings for when we get the new bike. This may not happen until after the first couple of rounds.
Meanwhile, I don’t think I’ve ever been fitter or healthier. I remember back in 2008 after a race weekend I’d feel it for days. Of course the races are shorter than the WorldSBK events I was racing in a decade ago, but I feel brand new when I get off the bike these days.
My main fitness training is on a mountain bike. I enjoy it more than the road cycle because there’s no traffic and it’s a better all-round workout – plus concentration is needed. So it’s also good training for the racetrack. And I also love getting on the surf ski.
It’s great going racing again as a family. Before this season I was just concentrating on Oli’s racing in the 300 Supersport class, so it’s a lot different having to also think about what I’m doing, too.
My wife Kim’s been at every meeting. She says she loves being there for us but I reckon she’d rather be on a beach in Fiji but doesn’t trust the pair of us on our own! At the moment the 300 series is the best feeder class. It’s like 250 Production racing was when I started out. Up to 50 guys turn up to qualify and then you see riders from last year like Tom Edwards taking pole at the recent WorldSSP300 round in Portugal.
As well as supporting our racing, Kim works full-time with Mark Petersen on our Troy Bayliss Events program. We’re excited to be promoting Round 3 of the Australian Supercross Championship at Kardinia Park, Geelong, on 13 October, followed by Round 4 at Gilman in SA on 20 October. Kardinia Park stadium has just had a huge renovation and it now seats 36,000 so it could become the largest attended Supercross event in Australia’s history. We’ve certainly put on an action-packed program to give full value to the families we hope will come along.
Then we’re running the Moto Melbourne Expo over 23-25 November. As well as revealing new motorcycles we like to get a bit of action going. So we are running a Baylisstic Scramble Flat-track Race along with my speedway legend mate Jason Crump’s Crumpy’s City Slide.
In between all this, I’ll also be racing in the four Superbike support races at the Australian MotoGP over 26-28 October. It will be great to race in front of all those MotoGP guys from my past now working in the pits.
Looks like I’ll be spending a bit of time down south over the next two months. So come and say G’day if you see me around the place somewhere.
As Appeared in AMCN Vol 68 No 07
