How and why did you start?
I first started racing back in Australia when I decided it was too dangerous for me to be blasting around the streets. It was a good decision for both myself and everyone else on the road.
What are your competitive advantages?
I grew up in New Zealand racing Motocross and Supercross so I have a very agressive style. Being older now (35) I tend to think about things a lot more than I used to, rather than just ride around doing lap after lap I approach each practice session and race with a specific plan.
What are you career highlights?
Without a doubt my highlights would be winning the 2000 Aprilia Cup Championship here in the USA, in 2006 I won the #1 plate in the Utah based Masters of the Mountain series. Another highlight was when I received a wildcard to the 1999 Australian Grand Prix on the 250GP bike, it was cool to be part of the show for a weekend and be on track with rider's like Rossi.
What's in store for the future?
While I know I can still run with a lot of the privateers at the AMA level I am focuing on club racing in the near future. My priorities will be to try and win the MRA and MoM (Utah) #1 plates again, I am tempted to enter a couple of AMA Superbike races but that will depend on how things are at the time.
Why is sponsorship important to you?
Sponsorship is definitely a two way street, I have been both the rider and sponsor and have worked for an OEM (Aprilia USA) and a lot of rider's take but never give back. It isnt just about running a sponsor's stickers on you bike, it is about building a relationship with your sponsors. I am happy to say that most of my sponsors have become good friends of mine even if they are no longer sponsoring me. A lot of people think about the here and now while I like to look into the future and as I have learnt time and time again the motorcycle industry is very small.
What are you going to provide your sponsors?
While my on track results and a #1 plate are important I feel my presence in the pits is more important to my sponsors. I have always run a very open style pit where spectators and other racers are welcome to come into my area and ask questions, troubleshoot, or just chat about how the weekend is going.
What inspires you ?
I have a very competitive streak running through me, sometimes I am too competitive and I can become my own worst enemy. I am also quite a perfectionist and try to work on that 'perfect lap' which so far has still gone missing.
What is your style?
I am very agressive on the bike and the corner entry is my strongest asset, I am also very calculating and people say they can see that in my riding. Rather than rush through traffic and go nuts trying to build up a huge lead I would rather take my time and make sure I win rather than bin it trying to set the lap record. I look long term at my season goals and this comes through in my riding.
Give us some information about yourself, friends and family.
I was born and raised in New Zealand on a dairy farm and grew up racing in the dirt. At the age of 24 I moved to Sydney Australia and somehow fell into racing road bikes, I moved to the USA in 2000 with a dream of winning the Aprilia Cup Championship and did that in my first attempt. I have worked for Aprilia USA in marketing, been a test rider for Bridgestone, developed bikes for Aprilia, and moved all over the country within the motorcycling industry.
I married a wonder woman who is actually my old team mate and best friend's sister, and yes he set us up.
What is your training regiment like?
I do a lot of hiking and mountain bike riding to stay fit, I have never liked the atmosphere of a gym as there are too many attitudes in places like that and I would rather be outside in the fresh air.
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