idea was there. We quickly left
them with the car, apologised for
the mess and got them to give us
a lift to the airport, so we could
get the hell out of America!
With all of that said, Laguna is
still my favourite track to travel to
because everything about it is just
awesome.
p back to contents
Bad times, there’s probably
a warrant out for you in
California right now for GTA!
When you get to the track
on a Wednesday, what’s the
usual routine? Do you eat at
hospitality all weekend or get
out and experience the local
delicacies?
The flight takes up 99% of the
time on the Wednesday then
sometimes we’ll have a short
drive, like here at Donington or
a big one like Aragon which is a
good two and a bit hours. Next on
the hit list is usually somewhere
nice to eat. I don’t eat at the
track on Wednesday because
we eat there all weekend so it’s
nice to try somewhere local or a
bit different when you have the
chance.
Thursday is spent at the track.
I’ll usually have a few media
things to do such as interviews,
signings and have a look at the
track. It’s nice to get around the
track and refresh the memory
and see if there are any subtle
changes to curbs or barriers that
you might need to know about. I’ll
always have a good chat with the
mechanics about the plan, set-up,
tires and bike development that is
on the agenda for the weekend.
This can be as simple as when to
change brake pads but it means
there will be no surprises during
the weekend… well hopefully!!
How come you choose a hotel
over a motorhome?
Most of the guys have
motorhomes. I wouldn’t mind
one but I’ve stayed in hotels now
since 2008. Apart from the fact
that you have to travel to the
track everyday hotels do have
their advantages; nice shower
84 | FreestyleXtreme
and beds, everything is there and
provided for you so it’s nice not
to have to think about anything.
But then you don’t get that ‘home’
comfort at the track like the guys
with motorhomes do so there are
definitely trade-offs.
I do have a small room in the
truck behind the pit box. This has
my kit in it, a TV, fridge and sofa
so it’s a nice place to chill and
watch TV or recorded sessions.
This is about as much personal
space I need on race weekend.
This being your home round
you’re sure to have a great
fan base, as well as family
and friends here to support
you. Does this affect you at
all or change anything in your
preparation from the norm?
A home race is always nice,
especially with friends and fans
coming so they can see what they
usually see on TV for most of the
year for real, and get up close to
it all - the smell, the speed and
the noise.
I enjoy home races, there’s
definitely an extra… not pressure