Brad Anderson had another great weekend in the EMX300 championship at Ottobiano, his 2-1 moto results gave the British rider the overall with fellow Brit James Dunn taking the second step on the podium.
Ando has now stretched his points lead from Mike Kras and sits 21 points ahead – the #60 Verde Racing KTM will once again run with the red plate at the next round.
We sat down with Brad in Ottobiano for a quick catch up on his assault on the EMX300 championship. And the first thing we wanted to understand was what really happened to get him to the last round in Russia.
Dirt Bike Rider: When we spoke in Teutschenthal you were adamant you wouldn’t be going to Russia for the second round. Tell us what happened to change your mind.
Brad Anderson: Originally there weren’t many interested in going and we planned not to do it because it was so hard to get a visa. But after we won the first round we looked further into it. You can say it was a bit last minute, but if I’m gonna win this championship then there’s no way I can get two races back, it’s only five rounds. So we got our heads into gear, we knew I couldn’t get a Sports Visa so we had to get a Tourist Visa. That was one of the reasons I didn’t want to go.
We did the job, I got a 1-2, but I was a bit nervous and couldn’t wait to get back out of the country and back home. It wasn’t a nice feeling but we did it and got back in one piece.
DBR: With the Tourist Visa were there any issues getting the bike in and out of the country?
BA: We rang Youthstream when we decided to go but it was too late, they had no room left to take it out [teams send bikes in crates using Youthstream travel agents]. We had to look at alternatives so I spoke to Tanel Leok and Gert Krestinov. Gert picked up the bike and a box of all my bits at the Estonian border and took it to Tanel’s place, and Tanel drove it down in his truck, and he brought it back to us this weekend. Fair play to both those lads for helping us out, probably without them I couldn’t have gone to Russia.
DBR: The GP looked like a proper mud race, what were the EMX races like?
BA: On Saturday the track was fast, it wasn’t that rough, it was quite easy going, then it rained all night and on Sunday. They changed the schedule on Sunday, if we had gone first it wasn’t too bad, it wasn’t sticky. But we went out after the first MXGP and it was just a big, wet mudder. There were ruts everywhere and it was hard to get your lines. It was so sloppy if you went off line, which I did a few times. I think it was one of the hardest races I’ve done for a long time.
Kras was leading and I passed him going up the hill but I was just trying too hard and making too many mistakes and Kras got by me, I thought there’s no point doing anything daft, I knew if I stayed second I’d get the overall so to be fair I just tried to keep it on two wheels and finish the race.
DBR: The track this weekend is a sand track and it’s really hot. How do these conditions suit you?
BA: With the British championships we’ve been riding a lot of sand tracks so I’m adapted to the sand. With the heat, I don’t really notice it until I come back in but it’s not a problem, you’ve got a bit of breeze when you’re riding.
DBR: After this weekend there’s a gap until the next EMX300 round in Lommel, what’s your plans during the break?
BA: I’ve got a weekend off this week cos I haven’t had a weekend off for a while, then it’s MX Nationals and British championships, then getting ready for Lommel.
