Good time Gordy
By TMX Archives on 17th Jul 03
the Austrian GP was one of the highlights of my season so despite my lack of on-bike practice I was pretty optimistic about the weekend ahead. LAST SEASON the Austrian GP was one of the highlights of my season so despite my lack of on-bike practice I was pretty optimistic about the weekend ahead. The track and terrain in Austria is pretty much like some of the tracks at home and setting the bike up wasn't going to be a problem.Coming out of the first turn I found myself in a traffic jam and ninth at the end of lap one was far from what I had in mind. I pushed forward as fast as I possibly could, bearing in mind that none of these guys are exactly slow and seeing as the track was pretty technical in parts it was tricky going.By the time I worked my way to third place, Pichon and Everts had pulled an 11-second gap. For the next few laps I rode on the edge trying to close the distance between us. Hundredths of a second a lap was all I could pull on a perfect lap and I'd lose the advantage on the next lap after making a mistake. So I decided to settle for a safe third - I'd arrived in Austria looking for a podium result and I achieved it so it wasn't such a bad comeback ride I guess.Back at home there was a real buzz in the air about the Wednesday evening supercross series. The first one was at Tandragee Moto Park - a local circuit - and I was invited to come along and was delighted to race at home again. The track was nothing like Anaheim or Daytona but it made for some serious fun. A good sized crowd turned up on the night and it was great to see everyone having a fun night out.With lots of sunshine, racing, a BBQ and a few quid in my pocket at the end of it all it pretty much made it a night that I'll repeat again. It's a good starting point and what we need to bring on our young riders - the French and Australians are producing a lot of young talent as a result of their supercross series.The British Championships had an all-new venue in the Isle of Wight. The track was very spectacular with lots of jumps and a big whoop section. As far as the racing went I got three holeshots and three wins - can't ask for better than that. The CAS boys have all been working hard on getting me out of the gate and it certainly paid off.It was also good to see my team-mate Josh Coppins back at the front of the pack. CAS Honda had a 1-2-3 result in the Isle of Wight and, more importantly, I've regained the lead in the championship.Uddevalla, Sweden, is another track that holds good memories for me. I won there in '01 and was looking forward to repeating that performance - but that just wasn't really going to happen. In practice I had a big moment, the sort that makes you feel sooooo alive! On the face of a jump my chain broke, I really don't know how I managed to stay on my bike but I'm guessing it's all down to my human survival instinct!My knees held on to my bike so tightly the rads were bent to ***t. The chain made a hell of a mess of the engine-casings and I had to run back to the pits, transponder in hand. Yes, I was shaken up a little and didn't get a good rhythm going in practice. But fourth in a GP isn't a bad result by any stretch of the imagination - but it's not where I need to be right now.I gated well and then Pichon lost the plot and made a crazy pass on me that nearly ended in tears. Pichon isn't in control at the moment and that's made him unpredictable.Frustrated is how I was feeling during the race, I closed on Pichon but Everts and Smets are now racing at a higher level and even Pichon is struggling to get on their pace. While I was at home recovering these guys have peaked!Unfortunately, it's not a case of drinking a bottle of catch-up or bolting on a go-faster part, this will take a little time and a lot of hard work but I'll get there. My goal remains the same, try for a podium at every GP, don't count points and give 100 per cent to the chequered flag.The next GP at Namur is a legend of a circuit and I'm really looking forward to it. I'll race two GP classes - my focus is on the MXGP class but I'll be riding the 650s for fun.Desertmartin is a race that I enjoy even though it's one of the most challenging events on the calendar. People underestimate the pressure that comes with the high expectations of the home crowd. Sure I'll race to win but there are quite a few guys ready to capitalise if I make a mistake. Cooper and Nunny like Desertmartin, as do quite a few others plus there'll be a few GP guests racing just to make my job a little harder.The KWS International is at Seaforde on August 16. I'm looking forward to racing there and have been working with the organisers on some track improvements that will make for some close racing. From a spectator point of view the County Down circuit is good and you can see most of the track and enjoy the racing.So there you have it for this month, there's plenty of racing both home and abroad and I hope to see you all at the races.Gordon Crockard