In Focus...

Each month, this section of the website will endeavour to take a look at the different events, people and circumstances which have contributed to making motorcycle sport in Queensland what it is today, as well as those who are currently making the news.

Got an idea for an 'In Focus' story - contact us.

April 'In Focus'
Interview with Neil Gould (Chairman - MQ Speedway Subcommittee)
Whatever happened to Micky Cook
Five minutes with...Keira Smith

March 'In Focus'
Meet Jemma Wilson (interview)

February 'In Focus'
Meet Ashlea Bates (interview)
Cini's Back (Adam Cini interview)

*View archived 2007 'In Focus' articles here

Interview with Neil Gould

Neil Gould is the Chairman of the Motorcycling Queensland Speedway Subcommittee and is pictured here with 2006 World Speedway Champion - Jason Crump.

Regular Speedway Ride! eNews contributor Gavin Elmes caught up with Neil recently.

Ride! eNews: How long have you been on the MQ Speedway subcommittee?

Neil Gould (NG): On and off for the past 25 years.

Ride! eNews: How long as chairman? 

NG: The last 9 years, if I recall correctly.

Ride! eNews: What improvements and innovations have you seen in that time?

NG: There have been changes to bikes, engines and racing apparel that have improved the safety of the sport.

Ride! eNews: Do you feel your term as an MA Speedway Commissioner was worthwhile? 

NG: Unfortunately not! Suggested improvements to speedway were most times hampered by our controlling body (Motorcycling Australia).

Ride! eNews: What is your view of the introduction of 350cc racing for 14 and 15 year-olds? 

NG: It's a big step in the right direction. I would like to see our youngsters continue to ride the 350s until they are 18, and be able to race both 350’s and 500’s between the ages of 16 and 18. Being able to ride in both classes will not only give them more experience, but should boost the numbers in both classes. This will also give riders not physically strong enough to ride a 350 at 14 a chance to delay their move and be able to ride a 350 to the age of 18. They could then move onto the 500’s.

Ride! eNews: When did you first see speedway racing? 

NG: Mum and Dad introduced me to it when I was very young. We used to go to the Exhibition Speedway.

Ride! eNews: In those days there were many sections of speedway on the program. What was your favorite? 

NG: First of all it was the sidecars, and then the solos.

Ride! eNews: Did you have any boyhood heroes of the track?

NG: Not heroes as such, but I enjoyed watching Bert Kingston, Kev Torpie, Steve Reinke, Ivan Mauger and Phil Crump in the solos, and Ron Johnson in the sidecars.

Ride! eNews: How did you become involved on the racing side? 

NG: I followed Keith Sewell's dirt track and motocross career for many years. After he won the 1978 Australian Sidecar Championship at Rowley Park Speedway, his passenger retired. Keith asked me if I would be interested in being his passenger for the new season. Of course, I jumped at the chance. I had to learn the art of being a sidecar passenger very quickly.

Ride! eNews: When, and were was your first race meeting? 

NG: October 1978 at Brisbane's Exhibition Speedway.

Ride! eNews: How did you fare? 

NG: I think we won the final.

Ride! eNews: What makes a good passenger?

NG: A willingness to listen and commit to the rider, as you need to build a close relationship with him. A good passenger can read the track and make adjustments during the course of a race. If you don't trust one another, it's best not to ride together.

Ride! eNews: Who have you ridden with and on what bikes? 

NG: Keith Sewell and Bill Sewell Snr on a Z1000 Kawasaki motor.

Ride! eNews: Who were the toughest opponents of your career?

NG: There were many, such as Doug Tyerman, Doug Robson, Dave Adams, Dennis Nash, Clarry Jones and Ken Walker.

Ride! eNews: What honors did you achieve as passenger? 

NG: Won the 1979 Australian Sidecar Championship at the Sydney Showground. Won the Queensland Sidecar Championship in 1979 and 1980. Won the NSW Sidecar Championship in 1980. Second placing in the 1981 Australian Championship and 1980 South Australian Championship. Third place in the Australian Best Pairs titles for 1979, 1980 and 1981. Third place in the 1979 NSW title and 1981 Qld title.

Ride! eNews: You raced on many tracks around Australia. What was your favorite? 

NG: Brisbane Exhibition Ground.

Ride! eNews: What injuries did you receive on the track? 

NG: I had five accidents and was knocked out in three of them. I suffered crushed vertebrae, a fractured ankle, a fractured shoulder blade and bruised ribs.

Ride! eNews: What do you see as the main difference between the racing of then and the racing of today?

NG: The biggest difference would have to be the changes in the bikes. Today they are faster and safer than the ones we used to ride.

Ride! eNews: Who do you think is currently Australia's best sidecar rider? 

NG: Darren Treloar.

Ride! eNews: And our best solo rider? 

NG: Jason Crump.

Ride! eNews: Have you seen speedway in other countries? 

NG: Yes. I went to the UK in 2004 to watch the British Grand Prix at Cardiff and also watched meetings at Edinburgh, Sheffield, Belle Vue, Workington and Newport and at Prague in the Czech Republic.

Ride! eNews: What stands out most in your mind about the Cardiff G.P?

NG: The atmosphere inside the Millennium Stadium was just fantastic and the venue was world class for such a prestigious event.

Ride! eNews: I believe you visited the JAWA factory. How did that come about? 

NG: A good friend, ex-rider Vaclav Verner, lives in Prague and invited me over to watch the semi-final of the Czech Championship. I was fortunate enough to have him take me on a tour through the JAWA factory and found it very interesting.

Ride! eNews: Thank you, Neil.

NG: No trouble at all.

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Whatever happened to Micky Cook

After one National Championship, over a dozen Queensland Motocross Championships and nearly 15 years as a professional racer, Micky Cook just disappeared from the sport. It was almost as though one day he parked his bike in the garage and never wheeled it out again. He simply vanished.

It’s been nearly three years since many in the motorcycle industry have seen or heard from Mick. There were some rumours of a racing comeback at the end of the 2007 season, but again, they proved to be just that, rumours and Mick never surfaced at an event.

It was about time someone found out exactly what happened and why Mick stopped racing because his colour and spirited racing has certainly been missed in the last couple of years - regular Ride! eNews contributor did just that in March 2008.

Ride! eNews: Mick, where have you been and what have you been doing?

Mick Cook (MC): For the first six months I pretty much did nothing. I just needed some time off. People don’t realize how much work goes into being a racer and I just felt I needed to have a rest. So I sat on my balcony at North Arm and looked over the cane fields. I then got bored because all my mates have a job, so I had to go and get one as well. I now work installing mirrors in high rise units and major housing developments. I also have a daughter and things are good.

Ride! eNews: Why did you stop racing?

MC: I had just had enough. I wasn’t having fun anymore, the tracks weren’t changing, I was coming home from races angry and I just needed to get away. I was full time for over a decade and like anything, it takes its toll and I wanted to change.  I was even offered a few jobs in the industry after I finished, but I didn’t want them. I wanted a clean break and a chance to live a normal life and also for Kylie (my wife) and I to start a family.

Ride! eNews: Did walking away from a sport that you had been part of for the majority of your life come easy?

MC: No problems! The only time I had any urge to race was when they said that the MX Nationals were going to Gum Valley in Mackay. I wouldn’t have minded racing there again. But other than that, I have no real wish to race.

Ride! eNews: Do you still have a bike now and is there ever the urge to get back out there for another crack?

MC: No. I did speak with a few people last year after the Gum Valley race, but from what I see and hear, the tracks are still the same and nothing has really got much better. I still do a bit of riding, but I am really unfit. When Chris Vermeulen comes home, he has plenty of bikes in his shed and we go riding on those. It’s mainly dirt track stuff, it been a while since I hit a jump, but I enjoy it just because I am with a bunch of mates and there’s no pressure to go fast.   

Ride! eNews: Do you follow what’s happening on the state and national scene?

MC: I wouldn’t say I know a lot about what is happening in Australia. I get on the internet from time to time, mainly to see how the guys like Andrew, Burner and Reardon are doing in the USA. The other day I read where Andrew was 30 that made me realize how old I am. But it is good to see how well those guys are doing over there and what they have achieved.

Ride! eNews: So, will we ever see you back on a start line again?

MC: You never say never, but I really doubt it. I still like going for a ride, but racing is completely different. I can’t just go out there and ride, I would need to prepare and make sure I would be competitive and I just don’t have the motivation or the time to do it. I guess time has moved on and I am happy with what I am doing. Maybe in time I might be able to come back to watch a race and enjoy it as a spectator.

TIME LINE:

1991- Cook family moves from Townsville to Yandina and buys a mango farm.
1992 - Rides a Yamaha and then a Husky- gaining a reputation as a wild man.
1993 - Rides a Suzuki on a shop supported deal and wins state MX championship.  
1994 - Gets on board with Yamaha on a state based support ride- wins state titles again
1995 - More help from Yamaha and national assistance. Represents Australia in MXDN
1996 - Wins Australian 125cc Motocross championship – Represents Australia in MXDN
1997 - Factory Honda in the 250cc class- 4th in national MX
1998 - Back with Honda but struggling with alloy frame
1999 – Returns to state supported Yamaha via dealer, team mate is Andrew McFarlane
2000 – Yamaha and Serco supported
2001 - Again rides with Yamaha and Serco assist at national events
2002 – Yamaha
2003 - Yamaha
2004 - Kawasaki – wins state championship on KX250
2005 - Yamaha and then stops racing

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Five minutes with... Keira Smith

Regular Motorcycling Queensland Ride! eNews contributor Tamara Gray catches up with North Queensland's Keira Smith.

Round one of the Yamaha Queensland Motocross Championships is done and dusted, and whilst in Townsville I thought I would catch up with one of the local female racer’s from up here in North Queensland.

19 year-old Kiera Smith from Ayr is deserving of being called one of the fastest women on two wheels in North Queensland.

She finished in second place overall on the weekend at her home track – the same position she occupied at the completion of last year’s Queensland Women’s Motocross Championships. 

Two year’s ago, at only 17 years of age, Kiera managed to finish 4th overall in the Australian Women’s Motocross Championships and 2nd overall in the Go Girls Series in the same year.

Our daring northern (Queensland) counterparts who sometimes appear a little crazy to us, as they rack up the miles in their buses and transporters, who continuously load up and head to South East Queensland to race whatever women’s events they can find.  What drives them to do the miles?  Let’s find out.

Ride! eNews:  So Kiera, let’s start at the beginning.  How did you first get in to riding motorcycles?

Kiera Smith (KS): My family lived on a farm, so I started on a Yamaha MX80 when I was 12 years old but always wanted more.

Ride! eNews: How did you get into the racing scene?

KS: I started out doing dirt track at our local club.

Ride! eNews: You still do dirt track now, what is it that you enjoy about that racing?

KS: Pushing hard into the first corner and battling so close with the other competitors.

Ride! eNews:  So what was it that drew you to come give motocross a go?

KS: I love the adrenalin rush on the start line, all the different tracks in Australia I get to ride at, and the awesome people I have met.

Ride! eNews: Tell us about your favorite race meeting and why?

KS:  The 2006 Australian (Women’s) Motocross round 1, it was my first ever big meeting. The track got rained out in the first day; (I) had no expectations and came away with a good result of 4th overall.

Ride! eNews:  Do you think the two disciplines (Dirt Track and Motocross) compliment one another?

KS: Yes, definitely. Dirt track helps with starts and cornering. Motocross helps out with bike control and fitness.

Ride! eNews:  Well I can definitely vouch for those starts.  What have you enjoyed about your racing so far?

KS: The whole atmosphere like the traveling, fellow competitors and watching other riders.

Ride! eNews:  That brings me to the traveling.  I only have to drive up here once maybe twice to go racing, then off to the Nationals down south.  How many kilometers a year do you think you travel in that van of yours to go racing?

KS: I travel about 50,000kms a year in my “bus”.

Ride! eNews:  How on earth do you keep yourself amused when you travel so much?

KS: Driving occasionally (Smith jokes), watching DVDs or playing play station and sleeping but it really helps to have good company.

Ride! eNews:  Surely you have seen some odd stuff in all your travels.  What has been the weirdest thing you have ever seen or been involved in while traveling?

KS: Plenty… I have hit a lot of wildlife from birds to cows. The worst I would have to say was being hit in the windscreen by a massive tree branch whilst going through the Great Alpine Range which went for over 2 hours in Victoria on our way to Australian MX Rd.1 Newry in 2007.

Ride! eNews:  I remember that, you used a bunch of KTM stickers to hold it all together till you got it fixed!  Does your family get in and support you with travel and such?

KS: They help me out in every way possible. Although all bike running costs and riding accessories are out of my own pocket.

Ride! eNews:  You are a bike shop bandit like me.  You work at Burdekin Motorcycles in Ayr, a Yamaha dealer.  Apart from riding blue how do you find working in a bike shop helps you?

KS: Being employed by Burdekin Motorcycles helps me out with all bike maintenance and I also get support through different suppliers such as Thor, Berik and Shell oils.

Ride! eNews:  I know working all the time can make it hard to get time to train, what do you do to keep your fitness up? 

KS: Watch DVD’s Ha ha (Smith jokes). I go to the gym, cycle and ride motorbike as often as possible.  I also play touch football, water ski and wakeboard.

Ride! eNews:   I have also heard you have taken up fishing (Gray jokes).  So where will we see you traveling to this year to compete?

KS: I will be competing in the remaining two rounds of the Queensland MX Series, the North Queensland MX Series, The Central Queensland MX Series, The Go Girls Series and the Queensland Dirt Track Championships.

Ride! eNews:  Oh so I will be seeing you at North Brisbane for the Queensland Women’s Dirt Track Championships in a couple of weeks time.  I think that weekend is going to turn out to some awesome racing.  Well good luck with the rest of the year Kiera.  I will be seeing you trackside.

KS:  I’ll look forward to it…

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Meet Jemma Wilson

Regular Motorcycling Queensland Ride! eNews contributor Tamara Gray interviews fellow womens competitor Jemma Wilson.

You might have seen her at any number of dirt orientated events over the past few years.  This quiet, happy go lucky girl with an abundance of tight curly hair has in the past made her presence known over several disciplines of racing. 

Whether you’re male or female, riding Motocross or Enduro, two wheels or four, you have probably raced Jemma, and yes she probably gave you a run for your money. 

A second year law student, and part time primary school teacher, Jemma is racking up an impressive list of results in her relatively short career.  2007 saw Jemma place second behind Enduro gun Alison Parker at the A4DE, win the Women’s class at the Honda ThunderX Series and the Queensland 2 Day Enduro Championships. In 2006 Jemma represented Australia in the New Zealand Women’s Motocross Championships.

I have had the pleasure of racing Jemma, a tough and determined competitor and now have had the extra pleasure of finding out the “dirt” on this very bright multi talented young lady.

Ride! eNews:  So Jemma, how did this motorcycle journey begin for you?

Jemma Wilson (JW): I was 11 and a half when I got my first bike, an old DT 175 that Dad picked up for $300, but the deal was that I couldn’t ride it until I was 12. I just did a lot of forestry riding and a few trail rides on that until Dad saw that motorbike riding wasn’t a just passing phase for me, so I got a new CRF230.

Ride! eNews: You have come a long way since you were 12.  How did you get into the competition side of things?

JW: Dad and all his mates used to ride in the forestry every Sunday, (on old dungers) and do the occasional trail ride. A couple of the crew, including my older brother, started racing Enduro's. I went and watched the first one (you were there Tamara – at Esk) and by next race I was there with my new CRF having a crack.
 
Ride! eNews:  That’s awesome.  Describe to us what your first ever competition meant to you.

JW: It was a Suzuki EnduroX at a property at Kumbia near Kingaroy. Leading up to the event I thought that I would be so scared, shaking on the line kind of nervous. But because it was a race against the clock, and not a mass start I pretended it was a trail ride and ended up not being nervous.

All I really remember about the day was all the crashes I had. Most of them in the paddock at the start or finish in front of every one, and that I only just missed out on a trophy, 4th, as the only girl in the class. It was awesome.

Ride! eNews: So how did you progress on to racing Motocross and Quads?

JW: My first motocross was the Queensland Women’s Motocross Championships at Coolum (that one off event they used to have at the start of the year). Dad bought me a second hand YZF250 the day before the event (back to Yamaha), and I flipped off the start line in my first race. Hahaha…   Then I did the ThunderX in the boy’s class and got tenth overall for the season which I was stoked about, and I guess that that got me hooked on motocross.

As for the Quads, Geoff Udy convinced me that I should try my luck on his Yamaha Blaster 200 in the Thunder X at Kingaroy in 2006. I hardly stayed on the track, screamed and screamed the whole race (thinking that I wouldn’t be heard, apparently I was louder than the bike), got lapped by the whole field, and hit a cactus, but I thoroughly enjoyed myself. So Geoff kindly loaned the 200 to me for the rest of the season and then convinced Dad that I needed one of my own for the 2007 season.

Ride! eNews:  So what was it about competing that got you, so hooked?

JW: Originally, I wanted to race Enduro’s because it looked like a lot of fun and my Dad and brother were doing it, but also because to me it was what I was familiar with, having learned to ride in the bush. I guess what has kept me competing and encouraged me to get into the other disciplines is the people, the places I get to go and that I’m doing something that’s different, I love always learning something new.

I actually don’t really like competition or pressure, which I think is because I can’t deal with disappointment. So I never try to beat other people or win. At the beginning of the day I think that I just have to do my best, after all I can’t do any better than that.

Ride! eNews:  Speaking of people I see I have raced your Dad out there at the Enduros.  What do you think about your Dad ripping through the forest out there?

JW: Yeah Dad races in all the Queensland Enduros. He cleaned up last year in the Over 45’s Clubman Class, and this year is racing in the Over 45’s Experts. He did the A4DE last year as well and finished mid pack with no trail time lost which was cool. He does it for fun but he can get a little competitive!

Ride! eNews: You must have ridden at some pretty awesome places throughout your travels so far.  What are some of the places that stick in your memory?

JW: The Australian 4 Day Enduro last year at Coffs Harbour was amazing. The tracks were perfect; lush green rainforest trails, and great special tests. As for Queensland Enduro events the Fat Farmers ‘Green Valley’ property near Warwick is fun, and ‘Green Park’ Conondale is another of my favorites.

My favorite MX event is the Thunder X! It is the best, and the tracks are always really good. I enjoy all the MX tracks that I’ve raced on, but the stand outs for me are Mundubbera, Roma, Chinchilla and Coolum.

Ride! eNews: 2008 has begun, where will we see you at this year? 

JW: I am competing in the A4DE again this year in Victoria, as well as rounds of the Dirt Bike Promotions National Off Road Series that I can fit in. I’ll also be at all of the Queensland Enduro events, the ThunderX Natural Terrain Series and the Go Girl Series.

I’m on the Yamaha WR250F again this year. It’s a great bike. I put off changing to the WR from the YZF for a long time, just thinking that it couldn’t be better than the YZF but I wish I had changed to the WR earlier. It’s really a terrific bike, that I can use for both Enduro and MX, and it has an electric start! Yay!

I am also racing on the ‘08’ model Yamaha YZF450 Quad, which I am extremely, extremely excited about.

Ride! eNews: I know your efforts from last year haven’t gone unrewarded.  Tell us a little about your ride for this year.

JW: I am extremely lucky to be part of Queensland’s first ever manufacture's Enduro team, The Queensland Yamaha Off Road Team, alongside Kirk Hutton and Grant Siebenhausen. Yamaha, along with Caboolture Motorcycles, GYTR, Yamalube, Yamaha Motor Finance (YMF), Fox, Dunlop, DID and Ballards Off Road, have really stepped it up in the Queensland Enduro scene for this year, and hopefully other manufacturers will follow.

Another sponsor for this year is Bevan and Jo Judd from Go Girl Racing. They have supported me for the past two years and I am excited to still be a part of Go Girl Racing. Paul Baericke’s MPE Enhanced Suspension is also helping out again this year, as well as a local sponsor, Jeff Richard’s Bitsa Country Cabinet Making.

Ride! eNews: Fantastic!  Where do you see yourself in the future? 

JW: I love racing and I know that whereever life takes me, I’ll be getting there on two wheels. I want to keep competing and having fun in the sport, across as many disciplines as I can, for as long as I can. I’m looking forward to having an over 80’s class just for me. Haha. But a career outside Motorcycles is also very important to me; I really want to get into environmental law.

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Meet Ashlea Bates

Regular Motorcycling Queensland Ride! eNews contributor Tamara Gray interviews fellow womens competitor Ashlea Bates.

You will have seen this name all over the face of women’s motocross last year.  In her first year of senior competition, Ashlea Bates put on a fine display of what we can expect from the up and coming young girls amongst women’s motocross.

This quiet 17 year old from Coffs Harbour has spent many weekends here in Queensland racing in some of the popular women’s motocross events such as the Go Girls Cup, Go Girls Off Road Series, and of course the Queensland State Championships.

She can rattle off a list of stellar results from 2007 alone, such as winning the Queensland Championships and Go Girls series, 2nd in the Australian titles and 3rd in the Oceanic Cup at Barrabool. 

With Ashlea securing a ride with Husky Chix Racing for 2008 she has already managed to place 2nd at the Go Girl Racing Trans Tasman Cup earlier this year. 

You could definitely say that Ashlea has been showing potential from an early age.  In the 2002 Junior Australian Titles in Chidlow, Western Australia, Ashlea was the only girl to compete and finished an incredible 3rd against 68 boys in her class.

Ride! eNews caught up with Ashlea before our season started, whilst she was on a break from travelling all over Australia to compete.

Ride! eNews: So Ashlea, you have had an incredible season in 2007, especially on your debut in to senior competition, how has it left you feeling?

Ashlea Bates (AB): Last year couldn’t have turned out better, I’ve had an awesome year and had lots of fun made new friends and it’s just been awesome.

Ride! eNews: What was your experience racing the Australian Women’s Titles?

AB: Racing the Australian Women’s titles was a good experience for me.  I did better then I expected.  The riders were all very fast.  Australian riders are becoming very very fast.  The drives for two of the rounds were very long and boring and the weather was mostly fine but some were very muddy like Toowoomba, it was a race to see who could stay on (their bike) and not everyone made it around the track, it was that bad.

Ride! eNews: You were selected for the Australian team and rode at the Oceanic Cup at Barrabool, what did you think of that?

AB: Yeah riding for the Australian team was a dream come true, it was so awesome and I loved being a part of the team.

Ride! eNews: I have kept my Australian front number plate from the Oceanic events, did you keep yours and what did you do with it?

AB: Yeah sure did, I put it on my bedroom wall along side all the other ones I have, it’s got its own special place on my wall.

Ride! eNews: Speaking of keepsakes, what is the coolest trophy you have ever won and what was it for?

AB: That’s a tough one.  I have three best ones.  One is from the 2002 Australian motocross titles.  It’s big, heavy and the shape of Australia.  Another one is the number plate style trophy I got from the round of the Australian women’s titles at Toowoomba.

Ride! eNews: So, how did you get started off in bikes in the first place?

AB: When I was little my parents bought my brother and me a motorbike for Christmas because we had acres.  Then one day I went and watched the motocross at the local track here in Coffs and decided I wanted to give it a go so it just went from there.

Ride! eNews: What kind of racing/riding have you done through out your career so far?

AB: Well when I first started racing I just did club days.  As I got older and a bit better I started going to places within 1-2 hours drive from home.  Then after a few years our family started racing all over New South Wales and Queensland.  When I was like 11 or 12 we started doing the Australian junior motocross titles as well as racing in Queensland most weekends.  There are not many weekends that we are home.

Ride! eNews: On the topic of travel, where are some of the furthest places you have travelled to race?

AB: The longest place I have travelled to in Australia is Chidlow is Western Australia, and Cairns in Queensland. Other than that I have raced in both the South and North Islands of New Zealand.

Ride! eNews: So you have done some pretty cool race meetings, what was your favourite?

AB: The Australian and New Zealand Women’s Motocross titles.  The competition is so intense and is a really good experience, and just really good to race against the top Australian and world riders too.

Ride! eNews: So what would be your favourite track then?

AB:  That would have to be Toowoomba.  I love how wide open it is, the hills and just the whole track.

Ride! eNews: What are the highlights of racing to you, what draws you to it?

AB:  Highlights for me are meeting lots of friends, having fun and hanging out together at the tracks, all going out for tea the night before. Travelling together in big groups, hanging out the windows (of the car).  Also the sights and places you go and see it’s just an awesome sport, which I love so much.

Ride! eNews: So where do you want the sport to take you?

AB: My goal/dream is to go over to America and race there and become one of the best women’s motocross riders, and to have fun while I’m doing it.

Ride! eNews: Every girl in the country has to marvel at your performance this year, tell them a little about what it is that gets you to where you are.

AB: Well the main thing is to never lose sight of your goals, stay focused and never give up.  As my Dad says you can do anything as long as you put your mind to it.  You’ve just got to try.  In the bible in Philippians 4:13 it says you can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.  Believe you can do it and just go out there.  Give it your best shot and just have fun.

Ride! eNews: We always see your family at the track with you, they offer you great support yeah?

AB:  My family are so awesome, they back me up 110%.  They are so supportive of my career in racing, with all the work they put in, the money, the travelling.

Ride! eNews: Well Ashlea we all look forward to seeing you out on track next year.

AB: Thanks, I would just like to thank my mum and dad, brother Nathan, and sister Elisha, also my whole family and friends and everyone else that helped out.  My sponsors Husky Chix, Go Girl Racing, Dirt Angels Clothing, Fox, Shift and Monza Imports for all their help so far.

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Cini's back...

Regular Motorcycling Queensland Ride! eNews contributor Scott Bishop catches up with Queensland's man of many talents Adam Cini .

After a 12 month hiatus in the USA where he contested the AMA Supermoto Championship in the Supermoto Lites class for Husqvarna, Adam Cini has returned to Australia and is looking forward to spending another season back on home shores.

His time in the US landed plenty of podiums and he finished the championship in a very respectable third place, but when team funds ran dry at seasons’ end, he returned home and chased up some support for an assault at local race tracks.

We caught up with Adam to reflect on the past 12 months and what’s going on in the next 12.

Ride! eNews: How did the opportunity to race for a manufacturer supported team in the USA come about?

Adam Cini (AC)AC: I have a good relationship with the Paul Feeney Group here in Australia and through Paul I was able to get my foot in the door over in the US. I went across and competed in the 2006 X Games and from there was able to secure a deal to race the 2007 Supermoto season.

Ride! eNews: Run me through the highs and lows of your year in the USA.

AC: All up I had a pretty good year. It started out on the podium with a third in the first round and then I had a few crashes at the next couple of rounds. After that, we developed the bike a little better and I was able to run up the front again and qualify on pole for the last few rounds. I even managed to win a race in the Open class before the year was out, so it was pretty good.

Ride! eNews: How big is the Supermoto scene in the US?

AC: Well it is bigger than Australia, but I think it is a bit unstable over there at the moment. My team, as well as a few others, have pulled out due to lack of funds and it is hard to see it grow if manufacturer supported teams keep withdrawing from it.

Ride! eNews: After your team ran out of funds, did you look for another ride or did you simply want to come home?

AC: I would like to have stayed, but now there are only two major teams in the US and both of them retained the same riders for this year so it was hard to get a good ride. It comes down to money and I don’t have enough to fund myself so I had to come home. But I am happy to be here and be around my family and friends.

Ride! eNews: So, did you have anything to come home to?

AC: Yes, Husky were always going to support me, it was just a matter of working out the details when I landed. So when I got back, we thrashed out a deal for the year and I am now good to go.

Ride! eNews: What are your plans for 2008?

AC: I am doing the three national Supermoto Championships, the Queensland Motocross and Sunny State Motocross Series on a 450 as well as a couple of Off Road nationals and the A4DE. Then in the later half of the year, I am helping Husky develop their new 2009 bikes and plan on racing the 250F in the Australian Supercross Championship. So I have a lot on.
 
Ride! eNews: Racing all those different style of events will be tough, is there one that you would prefer to concentrate on?

AC: I am looking forward to the Supercross the most. I like racing Supercross and also the profile of those events combined with my role to develop the new bikes will be exciting.

Ride! eNews: You have proven to be good on a bike in all those events and had some good results, why is it that you haven’t been able to nail down a full time gig in any aspect of racing?

AC: I don’t really know why. I think Supermoto is where I get my best results, but that is so expensive to compete at the top level and the sport just isn’t big enough to have a major cash injection at the moment.

Ride! eNews: You must have a good relationship with Husky/ PFG group to be able to complete in so many events and also on the same bikes around the world?

AC: Yes and things will only get better. BMW just bought out Husky and they are already improving the bikes and making changes. The window of opportunity with them is pretty big, it is just up to me to make it happen and make the right decisions.

Ride! eNews: So, 12 months from now, will you still be racing, if so, what and in what arm of the sport?

AC: I hope I will be having a little rest after a busy and successful year and then back on board with Husky racing for more Championships.

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