Miller keen on conquering tricky track
TOWNSVILLE’ S MotoGP rider Jack Miller will look to escape the clutches of his Spanish hoodoo.
Miller, 23, has struggled on the Jerez track, situated 90km south of Seville, all his career.
The Ducati rider’s highest finish was fourth in his final year of racing Moto3 in 2014.
But to date he has only finished three of his six races on the tight and twisty 4.4km circuit and has failed to score any points in his last three MotoGP races.
Last year, he qualified 10th but did not finish after he was skittled by Alvaro Bautista on lap six. Frustrated, Miller shoved the veteran Spaniard and was fined ¤ 1000 ( about $ 1600) by the FIM.
Miller admitted he had done the wrong thing last year in his Red Bull blog but could not hide his frustration.
“He ( Bautista) came in too hot, I was halfway into the corner and he hadn’t even turned yet, and he just cleaned me out,” Miller wrote. “He’s been riding in the world championship longer than I’ve been riding a road bike, so he should know better than that.”
In 2016, he finished 17th and in 2015, finished 20th.
Miller, currently eighth on the world standings, is however coming off the back of a good start with three consecutive finishes this year.
He finished ninth in Texas in Round 3 – battling a shoulder injury he copped in training – after a fourth- place finish in Argentina and 10th place in Qatar.
Andrea Dovizioso leads the Grand Prix with 46 points followed by Marc Maquez ( 45pts) and Maverick Vinales ( 41pts). The Round 4 race starts on Sunday, 10pm ( AEST).