Features 31 May 2010

Moto Talk with Brad Anderson

MotoOnline.com.au gets British MX1 Motocross Champion Brad Anderson’s take on the MX Nationals after his Raymond Terrace win.

British Motocross Champion Brad Anderson stunned with a clean sweep at Raymond Terrace. Image: Keith Muir.

British Motocross Champion Brad Anderson stunned with a clean sweep at Raymond Terrace. Image: Keith Muir.

He came, he saw, he conquered. And the bad news for Australian motocross competitors is that Raymond Terrace round winner Brad Anderson is looking for a fulltime ride down under for 2011.

The current MX1 British Motocross Champion was dominant in his Rockstar Energy MX Nationals debut in New South Wales yesterday, setting the fastest lap in qualifying and then winning all three motos for a perfect tally of 75 points.

MotoOnline.com.au tracked down the unassuming Englishman to get the lowdown on his trip to Australia as well as a preview as to what the future may hold for him.

Brad, in your first appearance in Australia you qualified first and won all three motos, so you must be pumped right now!

Yeah, I didn’t expect to come and win all three because I thought Billy [Mackenzie] would have given us a bit more of a run, but he’s just getting back into riding after an injury I guess. Anyhow, the track suited me and I’d be interested in coming to ride here next year if anyone’s interested in offering us a deal. We’ll just have to wait and see, but it would be good to come over here and race here fulltime next year.

What initially made you come over for the round this weekend at Raymond Terrace?

Just because I had two weeks off at home I was really pumped to come and do it, but then I saw the weather forecast and the conditions of the track on Saturday and I was like “oh, no”! But that rain did it mega for today, because if we didn’t have that then I think it would have been dusty here.

I just always wanted to ride here and then I had the opportunity, so I thought why not do it. Then we have Manjimup in Western Australia next week, so I’m looking forward to that also.

You mentioned earlier that you are interested in coming over fulltime next season, just like another British champion in Billy Mackenzie, and you made a huge statement today – was that your plan?

Yeah, well in the British championship at the moment it’s up and down, they don’t know what they are doing. I just needed to get away for a bit because you get sick of the same tracks after a while. A year or two over here would be great, and if I had the opportunity I would probably do it while I could.

What do you think of the Australian motocross scene from what you saw over the weekend?

Yeah, I like it. All the set-ups are great and everybody is like a big family. Everyone has been so helpful, like Brisbane Honda giving us a bike, which they didn’t need to, but they helped us out big time. It’s been a really good help for us.

Anderson was a new face on the Pro Open podium yesterday at Raymond Terrace.

Anderson was a new face on the Pro Open podium yesterday at Raymond Terrace.

Did Billy give you a rundown before you came over? Did you know what to expect?

Well I was going to come out two years ago before Billy came, and then when he got the deal over here for the season he was begging us to come out and race for the full year. I didn’t have the balls to be honest, but now I’ve seen it all and seen what goes on then there’s maybe a chance that I could come out and race against Billy again for next year.

Do you guys over there in the British championship hear much about Australian motocross or our Super X series?

To be honest once I knew that I was coming over I looked up everything and then I knew more, but we don’t really hear much about Australia. It’s kind of the same with the guys here, how they didn’t really know much about the British championship or who I was. So I did my research before I came and it seemed alright, yeah.

As far as this weekend goes, what did you bring over to fit to the brand new Honda CRF450R that you won on today?

Suspension, exhaust, clamps, handlebars, footpegs – just pretty much the little things like that. The main thing was suspension really, especially around a track like this. But yeah, it was pretty much a stock bike so what can I say.

And off to the Manjimup 15,000 next weekend in WA next weekend…

Yeah, Billy is coming over for that so hopefully we can have a big tussle. It’s supposed to be a real good track, so we’ll wait and see. Hopefully I can take three more wins and take a bit of cash home [laughs].

I guess for you it would be nice to leave Australia with another victory over your old sparring partner BillyMac again right?

I think it’s a little bit about the Des Nations, like can Brad Anderson beat Billy Mackenzie, kind of thing. So I just wanted to come over and see if I could, basically see if my speed was any good because at the moment in England I’ve been getting real bad starts. My speed’s been there I’ve thought, but I just need to put the package together again.

So it’s a bit to do with the Des Nations, I want to beat as many English people as I can and then hopefully I get the shout again like I did last year. It was just unlucky that I broke my thumb two weeks before, otherwise I would have been in there.

Well good luck with that and you were certainly on the gas today. Well done!

Yeah, thanks. It’s been a lot of fun over here so far.

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