Catching Up With... Wayne Garrett

Defending champion in every series, Wayne Garret has had an up and down start to his 2008 season, a more competitive field and a huge crash in England left him battered and bruised for the start of the domestic season, but things are picking up for the now moto-one Tas suzuki rider who is enjoying life aboard the fuel injected 450f. After an eventful first Irish championship round at Desertmartin we had a chat with Wayne to find out how the day and his season has gone so far...

You seem to be having more success on the 450 so far this season than the 250f?

I've been doing a lot of riding on the big bike I haven't really been doing much on the wee bike until the last week or so, at the first round of the mx2 Ulster with being hurt I never got much of a chance to practice on it. Its still early days.

How was the First round of the Irish championship on Saturday?

Yea I won both races on the big bike but in the first wee bike I was lying 2nd and had a big crash down the Stena hill and bent the bars and twisted the yokes and stuff I got 14th but just had to ride around, then they disqualified me because I got outside assistance and in the 2nd I suffered alot of leg cramp so it was just a matter of finishing the race.

Were you aware you were doing anything wrong at the time?

The problem was the stewards called a meeting because I had outside assistance but the thing they didn't specify at the riders briefing was where the work area was, and probably because who you are people like to stick the boot into you, so there was no comeback, when its the officials they are not going to change their mind so you have to go along with what they say.

The A class is alot more competitive this year are you glad to see that?

Its good to see in my honest opinion, I wouldn't say I had a slow start but getting hurt at the british set me back about 3 or 4 weeks in my preparation to where I was ready to go, they have had a long winter and maybe they are at their best now, but as time goes on it will be interesting to see come middle of July and see who is still there and whos not there, in my eyes I feel that I'm still to get to my best, I'm not to bothered at the minute we will see what happens down the line.

Now its at the back of my head, nothing was broken at the time but there was alot of pain with it, I knew I had to come back at easter but I knew I wasn't ready and it was to salvage as many points as I could, on the big bike I felt pretty good at the start of the day but as the day went on it got sorer and by the end I could hardly hold on, and then I though i've still Tuesday to do. Saturday was was the first day I felt on it again.

What was the extent of your injury?

It was torn tissue and muscle damage in the hand and my elbow, the elbow doesn't affect me to much but I still cant straighten my arm out, but you just have to grit your teeth and get on with it. Its the sort of thing you look back and thought what would I have done different but I have looked back and thought and thought and there is not one thing I would change every lap I was hitting the jump dead on, but the minute I took off the bike speared me into a nose dive whether I hit a stone or hit a bit of soil so I had to jump off in mid-air because there was no way I was ever going to land it. Its the biggest crash I've in a while.

Will you be racing the rest of the rounds in Britain?

I missed the 2nd round because I couldn't do 3 days in a row with my hand, the 3rd round we where all geared up for doing it but when I went out on the bike I knew I wasn't 100% so thought there was no point in gioing becasue if your not 100% at that level of racing your just sort of wasting your time. Now we are going to miss the 4th round at Lyng because of all the racing at home that weekend and with me not getting any points its sort of the least important , but I have to get out in the last 4 rounds and make amends for the first half.

How is it having your team-mate Irwin in the class this year?

For me it is the same we got out practicing together and when its racing we go racing, I feel I want to win more than ever, he is still a team-mate off the track but on the track I want to win no matter who it is ...

In the 1st MX2 race at Desertmartin you had your teammate and your brother in front did that make the race any different?

Me personally I would look at it when your on the track its just like having Tommy Merton there or whoever else you still have that hunger and desire to get by them no matter who they are, I don't look at them any different no matter who it is winning is winning you want to get by them at all costs.

Who will be your main rivals as the season goes on?

If you look at last year you can't count out Tommy Merton because as the season goes on he will be there, Stuart Edmonds seems to have started the season strong on the big bikes as the season goes on he may fade out a wee bit but maybe he won't. Graeme will still be there giving it his all on the wee bike. On the big bike Tommy Merton will be there.

Why are you still running number 33 instead of number 1?

A couple of years ago I choose to be number 33 and I want to make it my own number , I get the feeling if I'm number one everybody has a target to aim for with last year, I just wanted to blend in with the rest and also with England I managed to get number 33 this year so I though I might as well keep the same number as it saves hassle with changeing the bikes and race shirts, after last year too I like 33 and don't really want to change anything from how it was.

By: Jonathan McCready, Photos: Paul McCready