GixerGaz
11-01-2007, 13:16
http://www.gixerjunkies.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=6738&d=1168517776
In this exclusive interview with Crash.net Paul Bird, team owner of Stobart Honda, reveals he is quietly confident about his teams chances of lifting the Bennetts British Superbike title in 2007.
With riders Shane 'Shakey' Byrne, and Tom Sykes already signed and sealed, it is now a case of getting as much testing in as possible - which is exactly what the team intends to do...
Q:
When did the signings come about with Tom Sykes and Shakey Byrne?
Paul Bird:
It has actually been boxed off for a while really but we have tried to keep it quiet to hopefully pick a time when media wise there wasn't a lot going on and we could grab a bit of what we have lacked this year. We haven't been in the media too much so to try and time it right has been what we were trying to do.
Q: Was it a difficult decision letting your other riders go?
PB:
Not really no. It is good to have Shakey back, he has come straight back into the team and he is massive to the sponsors, it was a big pull really. Even all my family and all the guys in the team it is like ‘welcome back home.'
Q:
Does it feel like he has never been away?
PB:
He is a mate of mine and we speak weekly or fortnightly, he never lost touch. For the lads in the team it is like having one of their best mates come back to work with.
Q:
How is Tom settling in?
PB:
Good, he just keeps annoying me about a car really. He is just excited about riding a Superbike and my team are a good bunch of lads and they make you feel welcome straight away. He seems to fit in well, he has a good sense of humour, he is a young lad and he has a big opportunity this year and I'm sure he is going to do a good job.
Q:
You have quiet a bit of testing planned, can you tell me about that?
PB:
We are off to Spain for a couple of days with exclusive circuit use just for our two guys. That will be pretty good because it gives them something to work for over Christmas and New Year and hopefully keep them off the turkey and the beer and what not. It is going to be good, we always have been ultra prepared, you don't win British Superbike Championships by not being prepared. I've always believed in coming out of the blocks really quickly and it just hasn't happened for us for the last three seasons. We had three good years on the bounce and we've had three pretty average years by our standards, let's hope that this is the turning point and we get back to the fore front.
Q:
There have been a lot of big changes in this off season, with the younger guys coming through and the older riders maybe losing out on rides. What do you make of those changes?
PB:
Pretty good really. Established Superbike riders can't go on forever, it doesn't matter what discipline, Moto GP, World Superbike or British Superbike, the young guys are always going to come through. You just have to hopefully time it right where you are going to be one of the fortunate ones that get one of the young guys at the right time.
Q:
On the four wheeled side of things you have been doing a little bit of testing?
PB:
I had my first run out in a touring car; it was the day after we got back from Macau. I drove my friends MG, Jason Hughes car at Oulton Park. Unfortunately it was wet, it was ok, I enjoyed it. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, I had one little excursion into the gravel at Lodge at about 70mph but never mind! That was a bit of a red face for me. I enjoyed it and it was a little bit easier than I thought it would be. There might be a few more outings over the winter; I've got a few folk looking at possible cars that I could rent or things like that. I'm still really keen on my rallying so I might have a run out in the cars over the winter.
Q:
How does the touring cars compare to the rallying?
PB:
Totally different, when I go rallying it is mostly on gravel, we are in the forest and the cars are loose and sliding everywhere. The circuit racing is very much pin pointing, and the cars are so much harder. I didn't find it too difficult, but I found it difficult at Oulton Park when it went, it is ok watching there but it is different to drive round. I did enjoy it; I wouldn't say I enjoyed it more than rallying. To drive a rally car in forests at speeds of around 80 to 110mph is pretty exhilarating and that is probably the ultimate buzz for me.
Q:
Will you be doing the three big road races (North West 200, Isle of Man TT and Ulster GP) in 2007?
PB:
We are. We though we were going to be doing something with Honda but our focus has got to be one hundred percent to British Superbike Championship as the priority, and it wouldn't be fair to take that away from the two guys that we have got. We have a little bit of involvement like we had last year with Ian Lougher. We are going to have profile with him on the three big races and possibly some of the smaller road races as well. So that is probably all that we are going to be doing. People have been speculating that we are going to be doing a bit more than that but at the moment we are just going to have a small involvement.
Q:
Are you guys going to get any rest through the off season?
PB:
We are not doing much in January actually. We've always found that the weather in Spain at that time of year isn't great. This January is going to be focussed on the bike and work and development. We have a pretty intensive February where we are in Spain for nearly three weeks. We have a total of fourteen or sixteen days riding in February so it is going to be an intensive month.
Q:
And you are going to hit the ground running?
PB:
Let's hope so, you know, we've done it in the past. We were ultra prepared last year and at the start we were quick, but I think they tuned the speed out of each other for the rest of the year and came good at the end. We know what it takes to win championships, we've got nothing different, a great bunch of guys in the team and we have two great guys in both youth and experience. I'm quietly confident.
In this exclusive interview with Crash.net Paul Bird, team owner of Stobart Honda, reveals he is quietly confident about his teams chances of lifting the Bennetts British Superbike title in 2007.
With riders Shane 'Shakey' Byrne, and Tom Sykes already signed and sealed, it is now a case of getting as much testing in as possible - which is exactly what the team intends to do...
Q:
When did the signings come about with Tom Sykes and Shakey Byrne?
Paul Bird:
It has actually been boxed off for a while really but we have tried to keep it quiet to hopefully pick a time when media wise there wasn't a lot going on and we could grab a bit of what we have lacked this year. We haven't been in the media too much so to try and time it right has been what we were trying to do.
Q: Was it a difficult decision letting your other riders go?
PB:
Not really no. It is good to have Shakey back, he has come straight back into the team and he is massive to the sponsors, it was a big pull really. Even all my family and all the guys in the team it is like ‘welcome back home.'
Q:
Does it feel like he has never been away?
PB:
He is a mate of mine and we speak weekly or fortnightly, he never lost touch. For the lads in the team it is like having one of their best mates come back to work with.
Q:
How is Tom settling in?
PB:
Good, he just keeps annoying me about a car really. He is just excited about riding a Superbike and my team are a good bunch of lads and they make you feel welcome straight away. He seems to fit in well, he has a good sense of humour, he is a young lad and he has a big opportunity this year and I'm sure he is going to do a good job.
Q:
You have quiet a bit of testing planned, can you tell me about that?
PB:
We are off to Spain for a couple of days with exclusive circuit use just for our two guys. That will be pretty good because it gives them something to work for over Christmas and New Year and hopefully keep them off the turkey and the beer and what not. It is going to be good, we always have been ultra prepared, you don't win British Superbike Championships by not being prepared. I've always believed in coming out of the blocks really quickly and it just hasn't happened for us for the last three seasons. We had three good years on the bounce and we've had three pretty average years by our standards, let's hope that this is the turning point and we get back to the fore front.
Q:
There have been a lot of big changes in this off season, with the younger guys coming through and the older riders maybe losing out on rides. What do you make of those changes?
PB:
Pretty good really. Established Superbike riders can't go on forever, it doesn't matter what discipline, Moto GP, World Superbike or British Superbike, the young guys are always going to come through. You just have to hopefully time it right where you are going to be one of the fortunate ones that get one of the young guys at the right time.
Q:
On the four wheeled side of things you have been doing a little bit of testing?
PB:
I had my first run out in a touring car; it was the day after we got back from Macau. I drove my friends MG, Jason Hughes car at Oulton Park. Unfortunately it was wet, it was ok, I enjoyed it. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, I had one little excursion into the gravel at Lodge at about 70mph but never mind! That was a bit of a red face for me. I enjoyed it and it was a little bit easier than I thought it would be. There might be a few more outings over the winter; I've got a few folk looking at possible cars that I could rent or things like that. I'm still really keen on my rallying so I might have a run out in the cars over the winter.
Q:
How does the touring cars compare to the rallying?
PB:
Totally different, when I go rallying it is mostly on gravel, we are in the forest and the cars are loose and sliding everywhere. The circuit racing is very much pin pointing, and the cars are so much harder. I didn't find it too difficult, but I found it difficult at Oulton Park when it went, it is ok watching there but it is different to drive round. I did enjoy it; I wouldn't say I enjoyed it more than rallying. To drive a rally car in forests at speeds of around 80 to 110mph is pretty exhilarating and that is probably the ultimate buzz for me.
Q:
Will you be doing the three big road races (North West 200, Isle of Man TT and Ulster GP) in 2007?
PB:
We are. We though we were going to be doing something with Honda but our focus has got to be one hundred percent to British Superbike Championship as the priority, and it wouldn't be fair to take that away from the two guys that we have got. We have a little bit of involvement like we had last year with Ian Lougher. We are going to have profile with him on the three big races and possibly some of the smaller road races as well. So that is probably all that we are going to be doing. People have been speculating that we are going to be doing a bit more than that but at the moment we are just going to have a small involvement.
Q:
Are you guys going to get any rest through the off season?
PB:
We are not doing much in January actually. We've always found that the weather in Spain at that time of year isn't great. This January is going to be focussed on the bike and work and development. We have a pretty intensive February where we are in Spain for nearly three weeks. We have a total of fourteen or sixteen days riding in February so it is going to be an intensive month.
Q:
And you are going to hit the ground running?
PB:
Let's hope so, you know, we've done it in the past. We were ultra prepared last year and at the start we were quick, but I think they tuned the speed out of each other for the rest of the year and came good at the end. We know what it takes to win championships, we've got nothing different, a great bunch of guys in the team and we have two great guys in both youth and experience. I'm quietly confident.