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Sunday at Monza was a very special day for you. Global
recognition of your name increased by a huge margin. How did it feel
when you finally went to bed that night ?
It really hadn't sunk
in. I know that's a much overused expression but it was genuinely the
case for me. I sat in my motorhome with my girlfriend Pippa and a few
friends and watched the races back over a cup of tea. After watching
the final lap of race two, I was absolutely buzzing so I put an episode
of Irish sitcom 'Father Ted' on TV to try and wind down before bed! The
following evening I realized why the whole experience had seemed so
bizarre. I remembered that I'd had a dream on Thursday night that I'd
won both races at Monza so in a way I'd already went through all the
emotions.
Monza was first win for an Irish rider in the WSB Championship. Did you become a celebrity back home in Ireland ?
Not
quite! I've received a lot of praise within the racing paddock but
outside of that I haven't noticed much difference. In Ireland
motorcycling is very popular because Joey Dunlop was not only a great
racer but also a great man. I only hope to follow in his footsteps.
Just eight races in to the 2011WSB calendar and you have already
two wins under your belt, it definitely looks like you are to be
considered a strong contender for the title now ?
The next few
rounds will be very important for me to get into the title fight. At
Monza I reduced the gap to Checa from 97 points down to 60 points so
it's definitely not out of reach. I believe we can be strong for the
remainder of the season. I feel great on the bike but I need to convert
that into consistent podium finishes.
When you signed with the Yamaha WSB team at the end of the last
season, did you ever imagine you’d be winning at such an early stage ?
When
I signed with Yamaha I didn't expect that I would be this fast so soon.
After testing though I predicted that I'd get my first podium in Assen
and win my first race in Monza so I was half right! I've always been
realistic with my goals and in fact quite often exceed my own
expectations.
What are your targets? Ideally would you like to spend some
time as a WSB star or do you intend moving on to MotoGP as soon as
possible ?
My target is to arrive in MotoGP when I'm ready to make
the step. I'm very happy right now riding in the World Superbike
Championship with Yamaha so I'm not looking any further ahead than this
season. I want to stay with Yamaha and grow together with them as they
have believed in me.
You and your teammate, Marco Melandri, came to the team from
very different career paths. How much information do you share, and is
having ridden 250s and World Supersport better training for World
Superbike than MotoGP ?
Both sides of the garage share
information, that's the key to our success this season. We made big
steps forward in the first few rounds because Marco and I offered
similar feedback and so the direction was clear. We may have had
different career paths but at the end of the day a great rider will
figure out the fastest way around the track on any given bike. I was
immediately fast on the R1 the first time I rode it at Magny-Cours as
was Marco on his first outing at Valencia so this proves that the gap
between street bikes and race bikes is much smaller than it's ever been.
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Two years ago Ben Spies was a rookie with your current team. He
won the World Championship in his first try and immediately went to
MotoGP. Last year as a rookie for the team, Cal Crutchlow won several
poles and a handful of races and followed Spies to MotoGP. Do you feel
any pressure trying to live up the very high standards set by the team's
previous rookies, and do you aspire to make a similarly quick
transition to MotoGP ?
My situation is rather different to Ben's
and Cal's. Both riders had ridden superbikes for a few seasons in
domestic championships and so they were expected to be immediately
quick. The team have put absolutely no pressure on me to perform as
this season has been cited as a learning year. Naturally that view will
shift somewhat after our fantastic double victory at Monza but there
will be times when we're reminded that this is my first season on a
superbike. Just look at Donington for example; I struggled there due to
my lack of superbike experience. Every rider aspires to compete in
MotoGP and so I hope to move there some time in the future when I feel
ready. I've only just completed my fourth round in the World Superbike
Championship though so I'd rather not get ahead of myself!
The next stop is Miller Motorsports Park. Other than Miller, how
much have you seen of the U.S.? What do you like about Miller
Motorsports Park, and is it similar to any European tracks ?
I've
been around various parts of America over the last few years. In 2009 I
stayed with Josh Hayes in California ahead of the race at Miller
Motorsports Park and last season I visited Las Vegas before travelling
to Salt Lake City. Miller Motorsports Park really suits my style,
particularly the fast flowing turns which start the lap. For this
reason the track reminds me of Assen but really Miller Motorsports Park
is quite a unique track. There's no other track on our calendar that
boasts a section like The Attitudes! This left-right-left complex is
hard work and it's important to be pinpoint accurate through here so as
not to touch the side of the bike on the high kerbs. I couldn't have
hoped for a better track to follow up my double win at Monza. I'm
confident of another podium finish in the U.S. and hopefully I can get
myself into the title fight over the next few rounds.
Is there a particular circuit you are looking forward to more than any other this season? If so why ?
I
really like the next circuit – Miller Motorsports Park in Salt Lake
City, but having said that my overall favourite is probably Silverstone.
I love the layout of the track and I really enjoy riding it! I guess
the results there last year also help - I won the World Supersport race
after battling it out with Sofuoglu who later took the championship
title.
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