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Why did it take you so long
to come back from a broken collarbone?
There were complications, it wasn't straightforward
unfortunately.
Did this affect your racing at the end of last
season?
No, due to the weather the track was wet and greasy every week. It looked
grippy but it wasn't. By the time I'd had my engines altered, the season
was over.
It's fair to say that with Berwick, your home performances were well below
what you are capable of, while away from home you were doing well - in particular
on your visits to Newcastle. Have you been able to work out what the problems
were?
Berwick is an easy track to ride. I would have preferred the old Berwick
track but my big track engine didn't work at Berwick. It was unpredictable.
I still don't have an engine set up properly for big tracks. My big track
engine is probably more suitable for tracks
abroad.
How is your season progressing now that you've joined
Glasgow?
It just seems to have turned my whole season
around!
The early-season problems aside, how do you think the rest of the year
is panning out in terms of confidence and machinery?
The start of the season was nothing short of a disaster, apart from away
meetings. It was even worse at the British Final where I had listened to
too many people, the gearing was a mile out. I'm pleased I did well at the
Under 23's meting at Wolverhampton. Despite the bad start, I am also pleased
that my rolling average in the Speedway Star is 8.91 - that puts me 7th in
the Premier League averages. Really I just have to keep it
going.
How are you settling in at Glasgow?
I think to be honest I've always got on fine with the Glasgow supporters.
I think they've always treated me like a Scottish rider rather than an opposing
rider. But really I've settled in fine. Occasionally over the last year or
so when I've came up against Shane, I've asked him to adjust my carburetor
which he did. We joke about it now, but at least now we're in the same
team!
How do you deal with pressure when things aren't going well? Obviously
the supporters are the first to complain and bad-mouth a rider who's not
scoring the points - but how does that affect you as a
rider?
It costs fans a lot of money to watch speedway, and I can understand
their frustrations when teams - and riders - aren't scoring points. But at
the same time it costs promoters a lot of money to run a team, and as a rider
it costs me a fortune to keep the bikes running. I earn a living from my
main job - anything I earn from speedway goes back into equipment. But like
the fans, when things aren't going well, I get frustrated as well. I guess
the answer is to score points!
What do you think of the new promoters at Berwick?
I am very disappointed that I let them down. They gave me every possible
encouragement - as did the majority of fans. They were the nicest possible
people you could meet. It was nice to meet up with them again at
Edinburgh.
What are your plans for the rest of the
season?
British Grasstrack Champion Jason Handley said he enjoys racing, but
he enjoys it more when he's winning races. My main plan is to put the enjoyment
back into my racing. Also get a big track engine sorted out and aim for a
guest appearance or two in the Elite League. |
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