Continued

Q You're obviously a better racer than you are a tester.

A Yeah, for sure. I just love to race. I think a lot of people put too much into qualifying and testing. You know, if guys tried as hard sometimes in the race as they did in qualifying it'd be different. So I'm hoping for sure that it'll come better once I start racing.

But so far, sure, at times (in this off-season) I would like to be closer, but a lot of places I've been pretty good, on par to some guys. I know I still got a long way to go, and a lot to learn, and need to find some more speed, but I feel like every time I'm getting better, so I'm happy about that.

Q What's been your favorite off-shore racetrack that you've seen thus far? Which one did you like the most?

A Phillip Island, for sure, without a doubt. It's probably my favorite track I've ever been on. Probably other than Peoria TT, for sure. Well, I guess it's hard to say, testing. I mean, I don't know ... I'll call it after I race it. But just the way it's on the island, you come over the hill and all you see is water, it's just a fun track. That's one thing I noticed too, some of the tracks, like Motegi a little bit, and even Malaysia, though the track was real wide, and it's smooth, and just an unreal facility, and nice, safe, it's kind of a little bit boring.

I guess, the way they tell me, a lot of the new tracks are like this, they're all designed for Formula One and they're designed for a computer, because, like, these tracks are completely flat, and they're cool, but there's nothing to them, like ...

Q Not Phillip Island or Road America ...

A Or Laguna, like there's no Corkscrew, no really off-camber banks, something like you really think, "wow, that corner's cool." It's more kind of stop and go and just, I don't know, no character to it or anything. They say a lot of the tracks are becoming like this. The older circuits are really good, but some of the new ones, in a car may be great, but on a motorcycle it's kind of boring. But still it's nice to be on some good safe runoff.

Q What's your history with Grand Prix racing? Were you a fan in the American glory years?

A Not so much in the '80s. But for sure in the early '90s, back when the GPs were on ESPN2, I used to always watch the races. I was always a lot bigger fan of GP than Superbikes. For sure, especially when the Americans were there, with Kevin and all those guys. Yeah. Really followed it close, always would read American Roadracing.

Q Did you look at the TV thinking, man, I've got to get there someday?

A Yeah, pretty much. Just like anything else, a kid who watches football, they want to go to the Super Bowl. So that's kind of like the Super Bowl of racing. I always knew that's where I wanted to be.

More later

Read the first chapter here