James Toseland Interview

www.inter-bike.co.uk was invited to Bennetts Insurance 80th Birthday Track Day competition celebration at Cadwell Park on 16^th September 2010 and James Toseland was on hand to help with the day and make sure the track day competition winners had a great time. We were lucky enough to get some time to chat with James about racing and other topic’s and here’s what he had to say:-

Answer: “It must have been about seven years now that I’ve had a relationship with Bennetts. It’s a company that wants to get involved with motorcycling themselves, personally, yes but it’s an insurance company and business is business, but they’ve always done things like this. They had one at Donington last year……. and give something back to the bikers that are involved in their company and doing a track like this is perfect for meeting with people….. getting to know people for me as well. They are nice people as well, I’ve worked for them for seven years, it’s not a pleasure you know ! (James laughs). Coming to a track day with everybody, with the competition winners…… I think it’s nice they are putting something back into it.”

Question: “A bit of leading question here, are you able to tell us anything about your likely ride for next year in World Superbike’s yet or is it still under wraps?”

Answer: “It’s not under wraps, but it’s not decided for sure. It’s going to be BMW or Honda.  I think .Honda are only going to run may be a one man team, because their budget may only stretch to one rider next year, cus Hannspree may be pulling out; so that’s a bit uncertain yet. More likely is BMW but they have so many riders now, with Ducati pulling out, with Haga…...”

Question: “I was going to ask you about Ducati, a big shock Ducati pulling out, they have been synonymous with the championship for so long?”

Answer: “You’ve got two guy’s there that are capable of running at the front of World Superbikes, Fabrizio and Haga are a big part of the show., so its not just Ducati it’s a show at the end of the day and they’ve taken two show men out of it but, which …… I mean I get loads of support in the UK as I’m British, but you know I’m very lucky to get lots of support, but Haga’s support in the UK is massive and I am sure theirs a lot of British people who are disappointed that Haga won’t be in it maybe….”

Question: "What’s been the highlight of your racing career to date, what’s been the really best bit?"

Answer: ” In truth the winning the World Championship, personally just  lifting the trophy and being the best in the world on that particular day is an amazing feeling. I’m really lucky to have actually witnessed it, cus there’s been people as fast on the day as I have been, like Haga……… and I’d never of had the chance to lift that trophy and get that feeling. Finishing second is nowhere near…..I’ve been very fortunate to have witnessed that race winning and hopefully there will be a few more World Championships to come.”

Question: “What do you think of Valentino Rossi’s move to Ducati?”

Answer: "I’ve worked for Yamaha for three years, cus I’ve got a foot in the door with Yamaha I knew that in the current climate they could not afford Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo, again, they only just stretched for this year and I knew they won’t be able to afford him  again for the year after, I knew one was going and I think with the loyalty with Valentino really wanting to stay, Jorge Lorenzo would have been going. Not because they would have wanted him too, just because they can’t afford the same two best riders in the championship, I don’t think any manufacturer can at the moment, money is tight."

" I think its great for the championship as well, I think nobody just wants to see two Fiat Yamaha’a and Honda, to see that Ducati up there and Casey moving to Honda, that’s going to be interesting as well. I think its  going to be a nice shake up to the championship…..."

Question: “If you hadn’t been a motorcycle rider what would you have liked to have been. I know you’ve got the band CRASH and you’re into your music. So is that where you would have gone?”

Answer: “Yes, I’d have gone into music, I was really serious with doing the lessons and taking the exams at that time and that was plan A. Luckily before I got into motorcycling seriously I got to a level of playing where I always enjoyed what I did, because that’s the trick along with many a thing if you can do it well enough to get enjoyment from it, then you’ll never lose it and that’s what I did with the band."

Question: “You give a lot back to charity through the band?”

Answer: “Its  great, the band’s always been great and I think it’s always helped with my popularity, I’ve got unbelievable support in the country. I think it’s down to the gigs; they can see who I am. It’s one thing watching me at 200mph with a helmet on…. I think at the gigs it’s a lot more personal they can get to meet me and talk to me and that’s really helped and that’s had a good effect."

''I’ve just watched the concert for the “Help for Heroes” and the morning after I rang the office up and said …. for the band to go and play out in Afghanistan… and we may be doing that.'''

Question: "Although we are only half way through the day, what’s been the best bit of the day so far?"

Answer: ''Riding Cadwell again since I was helicopter-ed off ten years ago. I had to erase my fears….. I went round for the first time and saw the piece of grass I landed on. It was horrendous; it was the worst day of my career…. I loved the place before hand and to come back here and just have a couple of laps round like that, I really enjoyed it. I forgot how narrow the place really was, it’s a great circuit, its lots of fun.''

Question: “What’s you most favourite track and least favourite track?”

Answer: “My favourite, I think I’ve got a couple for different reasons. Brands for the double that I did the memories I’ll always have from that weekend and that track has always been great…. and Philip Island, the setting, coming up that start finish and seeing the ocean off south Australia, wow. You just realise your doing that as a job. I went to Philip Island as my very first test with Honda as a teenager when I left school. I went professional as soon as I did my GCSE’s I didn’t do a proper job. When I was seventeen I sat in a café on my own thinking this is just amazing. I grew up in a mining village, Kieveton , I did my GCSE’s and then I was there, it was just amazing. What is nice is I still get the same feeling, 5 or 6 years on (James laughs)!''

''Least favourite, I don’t particularly like Lausitzring in Germany…. just the character, its flat, it was on the infield of the oval, they just basically shoved a track on the middle of the oval where they could.''

Images by ©2010 Guy Cope – www.copeimages.com

Thanks to Bennetts Insurance for facilitating the interview.