Shaun Simpson on self-isolating at home with the family – 'We’re feeling absolutely terrible'
By Team TMX on 1st Apr 20
With the country now virtually on lockdown, all motocross activities have been brought to a halt which makes for strange days for pro racers who by now would usually just be hitting their stride after sticking to tried and tested programmes over the off-season.
A few days before the Government announcement, the MX Diary caught up with Shaun Simpson and discovered he was already keeping a low-profile at home in Scotland along with his wife Rachel and their 13-month-old son Angus.
Me and my wife are actually self-isolating at the moment, he said. Were feeling absolutely terrible. Were not saying that its Coronavirus weve not got the symptoms but weve both got a cold or the flu and the guidelines are saying not to be heading out and about and certainly not mingling with older people.
We really dont know what to do but at the moment were just going to have to sit tight. Its terrible times. Personally, Id like it if we were just on lockdown for a couple of weeks. That would make it simpler for me. At the moment youre still getting people cruising around normally.
Who knows when this seasons going to start again? I havent rode since Valkenswaard because the weather was terrible, then Little Silver didnt happen and then this week weve been self-isolating so Im not stressing that Ive not been out on my bike.
The 32-year-old, one of the hot favourites for this years British title, is running his own SS24 KTM Racing team this year after what ultimately turned out to be a troubled 2019 season with RFX KTM powered by PAR Homes.
By becoming his own boss, Shauns taken control of his career and is working closely with his father Willie, a former GP racer and vastly-experienced technician.
Right now, when I come in and want to make a change the only person Ive got to convince is my dad. He doesnt always go yes, yes, lets do that hell think about it and then well make an informed decision on what Im feeling on the bike and so far thats worked.
People talk about fitness these days and going to the gym and being at the next level of physical conditioning and you can be an absolute animal in the gym and on your pushbike but if you sit on your racebike and the things not doing what you want it to do you just cant ride at top speed.
You can have a guy who comes off the couch, whos a few kilos overweight but has a bike thats dialled into perfection and he will race you for the whole moto because hes feeling comfortable.
Shauns early form has been impressive if a little inconsistent with a great showing at the Hawkstone Park International where he exchanged race wins with Jeffrey Herlings and a fantastic fourth in the second moto at the MXGP of the Netherlands at Valkenswaard.
Weve had some really good individual race results but at the same time I wanted to be very consistent this year and Im already so disappointed that Ive had a non-scoring ride at Valkenswaard. But these things do happen and you must get on with it and make sure youre charged up and ready to go.
Shauns British championship campaign to win a fourth national title should have kicked off earlier this month in Devon but rain stopped play the evening before the opener.
Ill be brutally honest, I felt like Id turned up at the wrong race. Disgusted would be a harsh word but I was quite disappointed at how the event looked. It just looked like a club meeting. There was no organisation, it just looked like a shambles and the paddock wasnt up to scratch for a British championship at that time of year.
Theres only one road in and out and as I was pulling out on Sunday night I thought it was a great chance for them to reset and make some better decisions going forwards. At that time of year with that amount of people you have to go somewhere with hardstanding and a track thats going to be able to withstand whatever weather gets thrown at them.
Last year we were at FatCat and it was horrendous. The pits were flooded but at least everyone could drive in and out and the racing went ahead because the tracks they have there can withstand as much as gets thrown at them.
For an extended interview with Shaun dont miss the May issue of Dirt Bike Rider coming very soon.
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