Backchat - Brad Anderson
April 02, 2007
Style, grace and finesse don’t belong in Brad Anderson’s motocross dictionary; twist, hang on, and race, bar bang and nail it certainly does. The 24 year old Team Emberson Yamaha rider can never be accused of being a quitter, he is simply the hard charging racer that any team could ask for, known for his aggressive riding style Brad Anderson is hoping add a Maxxis British championship onto the CV for 2006, and add to that he’s a bloody nice bloke.
MOTO: Give us a bit of your background and how you got involved in motocross?
BA: I had a BMX and a motocross bike when I was younger, dad asked me which one I preferred and I said the BMX because I could get out on it a lot more. I was about six when I became European BMX Champion. I tried the World Championships after that but I didn’t do very much there so after that I decided to try Motocross. I started racing in the 60cc class and really started to enjoy it. Riding the BMX helped bring on my motocross skill, especially when it came to jumping.
What schoolboy success did you have?
It was up and down really, I always wanted to win but was often second or third all the way through from the 80s to the 125s, it was always Glen (Phillips) or Tom (Church) beating me.
How is the training going for the new season?
It’s going really well, I’m concentrating on my cardio work a lot more rather than the weights, I feel I’m strong enough already. I’m trying to get out and ride every day but it’s pretty hard around here to do that.
You live in County Durham which is well situated in the North of England, have you ever thought about moving further south as the events tend to be staged more that way?
Travelling is part of the racing but there is so much of it to do. The houses are too expensive there compared to what I am making at motocross. If I found a suitable place down South then it would be an option for my girlfriend and me for sure, but at the moment we can’t afford anywhere like that.
What are you goals for this year?
I’d like to finish top three in the British Championship and win the British four-stroke Championship again and the KWS if that’s possible. I had a really good season last year really, I was winning the KWS before it clashed with the four-stroke Championship, we had to choose between the two and it was the four-strokes we went for which was a good move because I won it.
What happened in the Maxxis British championship?
I had a bit of bad luck; I was going all right on the two-strokes then I decided to jump onto the four-stroke at my local meeting at Whitby. I was lying in third place when I came off and burst my radiator. It was a bit of a pisser because I only had two DNFs in the year and they were in the British, but other than that I had a really good year.
Which bike did you prefer to ride, the 125 or the 250?
I really like riding the 125, but the 250 just had more power at the end of the day, it was harder to get more power out of the 125 before you blew it up. I struggled to get out of the gate on the 125 but around the corners I was quicker on the smaller bike but I think its more important to get out of the gate and get going rather than making ground up all race.
Why did you choose to ride the 125 anyway?
Roy (Emberson) asked me to ride the 125, so we went and tested both the four-stroke and the 125 at different tracks, one hard pack and the other sand and I was actually quicker on the 125. The four-stroke had a Rinaldi kit in it and the 125 was tuned so they were pretty equally matched.
What is it like to ride for Roy?
Roy is cool; I get on with him, which is the main thing. There is never any trouble when it comes to getting paid and if there is anything to say he will say it the same, as I will. If I’m riding shite he will tell me. You know where you stand with the guy.
If you could go riding with someone, who would they be and why?
Stefan Everts. His style of riding is one of the best like.
I would say that his style is somewhat different from yours?
(Laugh) Yeah, we have different riding styles. The other person would be Neville Bradshaw my old team mate, we used to practice good together and we push each other on pretty good.
If you hadn’t discovered motocross, what do you think you would be doing?
I’m not too sure, probably the army.
Describe your riding style?
Mad and aggressive. Some people don’t like it though which is a shame, but that’s just the business.
What would you change about yourself?
Probably my style. I’d like to be smoother; it’s hard to get out of that erratic style. I’d like to have my elbows higher, but it’s just the way I ride and it seems to work.
What are the last words of inspiration you heard?
Put it this way, if anyone took me out, the sound was enough to inspire me enough to get back past them.
When was the last time you got into a fight?
I try to keep myself right now, my girlfriend has calmed down a lot so I’m gonna say I don’t remember!
What couldn’t you do with out?
I couldn’t have done what I have with out my dad, well pretty much my family and my girlfriend really, they all help out and support me loads.
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