Exclusive O’Halloran interview
Fast Aussie opens up to MCN about finishing runner-up in a season that has saved his career
‘Winning is just this crazy emotion that spurs you on’
Jason O’Halloran produced one of the standout performances in this year’s Bennetts British Superbike Championship, putting injuries behind him and launching a serious title challenge. He lost the title war to Josh Brookes, but if 2020 was about realising his true potential and becoming a genuine contender then that was a battle he most definitely won.
Pre-season chaos
Covid-19 scuppered O’Halloran’s pre-season plans. He intended to make some changes, with renowned crew chief Mick Shanley originally due to split his time between WSB and BSB to become O’Halloran’s right hand man. However, the shortened, frantic calendars meant that almost every race clashed with WSB, and the duo hadn’t been able to work together during the winter due to the restrictions.
“We got to a point where I didn’t know who I was going to work with,” O’Halloran admitted to MCN. “I’m not going to lie, I was stressed and a little panicked. I’d made this decision to try and make things better and then I didn’t know what to do, the world was falling apart.” Fortunately, just before the Donington test, O’Halloran’s new crew chief Barry Stanley joined the team and the pair clicked immediately.
“It was just the perfect match because there were no egos involved, there were no butting heads. He wasn’t trying to do it all his way or someone else’s way, he worked closely with the people in the team, whether it was Tim Seed on electronics or Mike Norton from Öhlins. We just got tight as a team and got the best out of everybody.” O’Halloran also decided to try to learn more about the technical side of motorcycle racing during the off-season.
“I got my head down and learnt as much as possible. Every day was a school day. I’d train in the morning and be on the laptop in the afternoon. I’m not a guru, but I’ve got plenty of experience of racing motorbikes and once I started to get my head into it, I started to enjoy it and figured some things out. I learnt so much about my riding too and improved that from what I was doing before. It all came together and worked out in the end.”
A vital campaign
2020 was an important year. O’Halloran hadn’t been able to showcase his full potential on the R1 last year, and the BSB paddock can be ruthless.
“This was a massive year. If I hadn’t performed…I don’t even want to think about it! I’m quite switched on. I’m not blind to it, you can only have so many bad years in a row before you get shuffled, whether it’s injuries, crashes, breakdowns, it doesn’t matter if the results aren’t there.
“I had to perform. I’m sure we’d have performed better last year if it wasn’t for the injuries, but it was what it was. The most important thing for me was that I needed to win. I couldn’t go another year without winning. Podiums are great, but I had to take a step. I didn’t have to do that if I wanted to be classed as a second or third tier rider in the championship, but if I wanted to continue to be in the top group of riders I had to win again.”
First Yamaha victory
That illustrious first win for Yamaha came at Oulton Park, a round which O’Halloran dominated. The Aussie won two of the three races, topped Friday practice and secured pole. He was even more determined given that teammate Tarran Mackenzie had won at the previous round.
“It was just an awesome feeling. It was the feeling that I’d been chasing for four years, and the feeling that I had the last time I won that had kept me going for those last four years. The feeling of winning, you cannot replicate it with anything. It’s just this crazy emotion that you feel straight after the flag and it just keeps spurring you on to do more.”
Proving a point
O’Halloran won again at Brands Hatch but missed out on the title. It wasn’t the perfect ending, but 2020 had, nevertheless, been a special season for O’Halloran. He remained fit and healthy, didn’t crash and luck had, for once, mainly stayed on his side. “Realistically, there is a very small handful of people who can win the BSB title. There’s a larger group of people that think they can win it, but there’s a very small number that can actually win it. I feel I’m going into next year as one of those people.
“I’ve proved this year that I’m a winner again, and that when it comes down to it and the pressure is on, I can perform. BSB gets harder each year, but I expect to be one of the top guys again and challenge for the title.”