Scott Redding
BSB is no walk in the park for the former GP racer.
I’ve just got back from visiting Fraser Rogers, who broke his arm at Oulton Park. Oulton was a new track for me anyway, so in FP1, when I witnessed one of my best mates getting hit by another bike, it was not nice to see. We know that’s a part of racing, and I went to see him straight after practice after I spoke with the team. They let me do what I had to do and I helped him off to hospital. The BSB medical team do a great job anyway, but I went to see him later that evening because I know what it’s like to be in hospital.
Fraser discharged himself and we took him back to the track, and he hooked up his caravan! He ended up in my motorhome for the weekend and I looked after him between sessions. Racing isn’t everything to me. There’s a lot more to life than people think, and to be there for your friends is one of those things.
Being two rounds in, I’m slowly settling into BSB. Silverstone was mad for me. It was just different, learning how to attack a race weekend, and I guess we should mention the Andrew Irwin incident. He did come and speak to me afterwards and kinda apologised. I shook his hand and laughed it off, and basically said: “Racing is racing. One time I can let it go, but the second time it won’t be the same, so don’t let it happen again.” It is racing. It can happen. We know it was well over the limit, but I ain’t gonna cry about it. The shit thing is, it cost me valuable points and if I had another strong top five, I would be back in the mix, so that’s what pissed me off. You know me; I don’t mind banging ’bars and being/ getting taken out, but that early in the season and that hard was bullshit.
Oulton was a bit easier – I signed a pair of tits, so that was interesting! I knew what to expect and I’m enjoying it, I have to admit. I enjoy going out on the bike every time. I enjoy being competitive, even if it’s hard learning the tracks, but I thrive off that and I think I showed that at Oulton Park. It’s one of those tracks that scared the shit out of me, but I loved it at the same time. It’s a weird feeling and hard to explain; I haven’t had that feeling in Grand Prix racing. I can’t be greedy and have to say we did a good job there, and the team agree.
I saw a few headlines about ‘They’re all out to get me’. I didn’t say that exactly. I just said sometimes, it feels like some riders are maybe trying harder to make a pass on me than they would on other riders. I had it in practice and testing, where some would make a lunge on me and not even make the corner. That could be just the way they are with everyone. It was much better at Oulton. I felt like part of the series, not an intruder coming in.
I saw some other headlines about arm-pump. It was nothing major. I was just riding round Oulton Park probably faster than I should be riding, if that makes sense? I was fast, but I wasn’t sure how I was doing it! Places like Clay Hill for me, they’re completely new. I’ve never done anything like that in my life! You can imagine how tense and nervous I am up there on a superbike, where you cannot let the rear step out. People forget we have no anti-wheelie, no TC. There’s no room for error.
On a GP bike, you’ve got all the electronics helping, and you haven’t got walls and barriers either side. It’s just very different for me. I’m also coming back from a broken femur and very little training in three months.
All that’s left for me to say is I’m looking forward to getting to Donington Park. To be honest, I’m having such a good time. I’m laughing so much just being around friends and good people with a great atmosphere, and I’m just enjoying every second of it. I need to settle in, be a good boy and stay out of trouble!