Roadracer Amor joins Billy in Florida
February 04, 2008
"I am not coming over to make up the numbers!" That's the message coming over the Atlantic loud and clear from Scots rider Keith Amor as he contemplates a new Ulster road racing season which as far as he is concerned will be headed by the North West 200 in May.
But what's Amor doing in America, you might ask. And the answer is he's competing in motocross which was his first love.
" Amor has joined fellow Scot Billy McKenzie and American Mike Brown in Florida to train for the new season.
"I'm having a great time," said Amor. "Billy and I go back a few years and when he asked me to join the Honda training camp in Orlando I decided it was a chance too good to miss.
"In fact apart from training I might even compete in one of the American motocross rounds. Who knows what might happen?"
But don't let this soujourn in Florida fool you.
Although he's a former motocross champion Amor has no intention of deserting road racing at this vital junction in his career.
"I firmly believe that I can win at the North West 200," he told me.
"Although I will have machines for the Supersport, Superstock and Superbike races, I'm pinning much of my hopes on the Superbike in which I'll have two outings. I enjoyed last year's race in which I was fifth behind Bruce Anstey.
"That was the day you remember when Anstey scored a treble and the Supersport was one of those wins.
"I was up against it that day but I managed to come through and I feel that the fifth place behind riders like Anstey, Steve Plater, Guy Martin and John McGuinness was something really special.
"Hopefully I can better this when the race is held next May but meantime I'm getting myself in order for the opening short circuits races in the Ulster season and this means I'll be riding in the meeting at Bishopscourt in March and then the Irish Championship fixtures at Bishopscourt and Kirkistown over the Easter holidays. I'm really looking forward to this."
Amor can reflect with a feeling of having a job well done last year on his performance in the Cookstown 100 in which he beat Cameron Donald in one of the races and Amor was also successful at the Tandragee 100.
He went on to the TT still riding for the UEL Duncan team but the break with Duncan came after the TT and as Amor told me: "There is nothing personal in this. We just decided to go our separate ways."
Regarding the TT, Amor had mechanical problems during practice but still managed to set the fifth fastest lap in the 600 cc race before finishing 12th. "I would like to do that again if possible," he told me.
"I know the opposition is always tough and the TT itself takes some winning but you never know I could get in among the first six.
"As far as a new season is concerned I'm really excited about it. I'm riding Hondas and I'll be competing in all three of the big road races - the Ulster Grand Prix in addition to the TT and the Northwest 200. I expect to get some results in all these events."
Amor first came to my attention when he won the Challenge race at the Dundrod 150 meeting which backed up the Ulster Grand Prix of 2006.
He has a healthy success rate in Ulster short circuits and although the North West 200 meeting looks like attracting its usual heavy intake of talented riders and machines I wouldn't leave Amor out of the running. He has proved he can compete with the best and perhaps he'll come back from the States as they say - rarin' to go!
Send this article to a friend
Page 1 of 1 pages
