I wanted to start this column a little differently and talk about the side of racing no one really sees: the gritty, behind-the-scenes work. The stuff that’s not glamorous, not cheap and honestly sometimes pretty frustrating.
I’ve had some crashes this past month. One at ASBK Round 2 where I was taken out while sitting in P3, and then two more the week after at The Bend Motorsport Park while properly testing my limits. When you push that hard, you know the risk is there.
What comes after the crash is where the real work begins. My team and I go from our regular nine to five straight into the shed every night trying to bring the bikes back to life. Making sure the frame and swingarm are straight, going over parts to see what needs replacing; brake levers, clutch levers, footpegs, mufflers, engine covers, and then there’s my job, the fairings.
Last week looked like this: Monday, fibreglassing. Tuesday, bogging. Wednesday, gym. Thursday, sanding. Friday, painting. That’s all while calling around for parts and getting fresh sponsor decals sorted after the crash damage. And that’s just from a couple of ‘small’ crashes. It’s a good reminder that racing doesn’t stop when you get off the bike. It’s 24/7.
Heading into SMSP for ASBK Round 2, I felt ready. I’d done four solid days of testing, over 150 laps, plus raced against Superbikes on my 400, finishing fifth overall. So I knew I had the pace.
Camo and I left straight after work on Wednesday, drove as far as we could, slept in the van, then finished the trip Thursday morning. We rolled into the track about 10 minutes before bump-in, perfect timing. Then it was all pit set-up, scrutineering, sign-ons, transponders, job done. Because this round was under lights, we actually got a bit of a sleep-in before the riders’ briefing. Once that was done, it was straight into race mode.
Leathers on, pre-race fuel, final checks, tyre warmers off, pressures set, and out I went. P2 in both practice sessions, but we weren’t focused on positions. It was all about sectors and where I could improve. The vibe in the pits was calm and controlled. Then the weather rolled in.
Q1 was perfect for me: pouring rain, dark skies. I loved it. I went out solo and by lap four I saw +3sec on my pit board, P1. Not long after, a red flag due to conditions. We waited hours before getting back out, and by then the track was starting to dry.
Q2 was tricky. Still wet but changing fast. I had to make a call: stay out on wets or come in for slicks. No one else was pitting, so I stayed out. It was sketchy. The track was drying quickly and my brand new wets were getting destroyed, sliding all over the place. It hurt to watch, but that’s racing when you’re chasing results. Came away with P4; I was happy with that heading into the race.
Race one under lights was unreal. Clear visor, tail light glowing and we were off. Eastern Creek always delivers great racing and sector one is easily my favourite. Finished P6. Not what I wanted but we reset and went again.
Day 2 was the tough one. I barely slept, I was that excited. I was leading early and feeling strong. Then it all changed. Sitting in P3 at Turn 8, I took the inside line. A wildcard rider came underneath me. I left room, we went through the apex elbow-to-elbow and he lost the rear. I actually stopped him from highsiding but we both went down. I got up straight away, picked the bike up and got going again, but it was rough. Half a footpeg gone, ‘bars bent, brake lever out of place, screen missing. Still finished the race. P21. No points but better than a DNF.
After parc ferme (and a hug from Camo), it was off for medical clearance so I could race again. I was fired up. Switched to my spare helmet and lined up ready to go. Got a great start but, on the first lap, the race was red flagged. A serious incident at Turn 2 meant the race was abandoned. Later I found out a friend of mine was involved, so wishing him a speedy recovery.
Not the way anyone wants to end a weekend but there were still positives. I led multiple laps, my first time doing that outside of Phillip Island, and set strong times. I also had my sponsors from Active Tree Services there for the weekend, which made it even more special.
Back home, before my home round, testing was a must. We spent two days at Tailem Bend and got a bit of everything weather-wise, one perfect day, one not so great, which actually worked in our favour. It gave us the chance to dial in the bike across different conditions. I’m really happy with the times we put down. A few more scratches, but that’s part of testing the limit. We’ve got a bit of work to do before we’re back on track, but that’s all part of it. Behind the scenes, it’s chaos. On track, it’s everything.
Wouldn’t trade it for a second.
