HIGH FIVES - Ray Rowson PAR Honda
April 17, 2008
Reigning British under 21 class champion Ray Rowson went into the 2008 season with high hopes of another successful year after switching from Molson Kawasaki to PAR Honda. He also decided to move up on to a 450f and race in the MX1/Open class, but a crash at the Hawkstone International meeting in early March has seen him off the bike ever since, I caught up with him whilst at the second round of the MMX Championships at Whiteway Barton.
MOTO: So Ray, tell us why you're down here as a spectator and not out on the track?
“Well, at the Hawkstone International I had a bad crash on the first lap of the first race, I went over the bars and I've cracked my T6 vertebra in my back and bruised three more above it”.
MOTO: You've already been unable to ride for five weeks, how much of a layoff are you facing?
“It’s going to be 10-12 weeks off the bike according to the Doctors - So that's what I'm aiming for, I'm not going to rush back though because it's just not worth the risk”.
MOTO: How are you managing to pass the time without being able to get on your bike?
“Not a lot really, there isn't really anything I can do, I've been told to rest right up so that’s what I've been doing, I've still been going to watch at all the races that I should be competing in though”.
MOTO: Before your crash, how were you finding the 450f after stepping up from the 250f?
“I was getting used to it, there's a lot more power to what I was used to and it kept rearing up on corners, I kept getting a bit of whisky throttle as well but I spent the winter on it and was getting real comfortable and showed I was up to pace by taking a race win and second overall at the opening MMX round just before Hawkstone”.
MOTO: Once you get back racing, what do you hope to get out of the remainder of the season?
“I just got to hope for some good results and try to finish as high up in the championship as I can to show that I would have been up there challenging for the open class title had it not been for my injury.”
Thanks Ray for taking the time to speak, hope to see you back in action soon!
Report and images by MOTO Reporter Ade Threasher
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