EXCLUSIVE: Ben Currie Q&A

Current 2nd place-man in the British Supersport championship Ben Currie speaks to Motorsport Radio about all things British Supersport related as well as his own future.

It’s crunch time in the British Supersport championship now. How are you feeling going into the next phase of the championship?

Well my job is relatively easy right now; I just need to get race wins, it is as simple as that. We have had good pace at every circuit we have been to but Jack Kennedy has just been able to get that last little advantage in the final few laps of the race, which is unfortunate but we are doing what we need to do. I am giving 110% and never leaving anything on the table and I will continue to do that. If we can continue to work hard then we are still in with a chance of the championship.

What is Jack’s main advantage over you at this moment in time?

I think it is quite easy to see that at the moment, we have to ride on the edge from lap one. Jack’s overall package is a little bit better at the moment but our Kawasaki is also really fast. My strong point is in the braking areas of circuits but as the weekend goes on, I start to lose the edge on him in that area. With grit and determination, we can still win on the track, not just a race but this British Supersport championship too.

Do you feel that Jack has an advantage because he is riding a newer bike than your Kawasaki?

I honestly believe that Jack on any bike would be a tough rider to beat. His bike has a slight advantage but nothing major. The problem is that the Kawasaki hasn’t been upgraded in anyway for a long time. The Yamaha being newer is an advantage, however, having said that, I’m sure if Jack jumped on the Kawasaki, we’d both be having the same kind of battles. If I can beat Jack to the championship, it’ll be a massive credit to the Gearlink Kawasaki team for putting such a good bike together.

Talking about your future, where do you see it going?

I definitely see myself moving into the Superbike championship next year; however there must also be the right opportunity for me to make that move. There’s a lot of good riders floating about and not a lot of seats so if I can keep doing my thing then we may well be in with a shout. We have to focus on things we can control and that is our performance and not worry about what everyone else is doing.

Finally, it was a tragic start for the team at the start of the year, what with the loss of Norma. How is the mood within the team?

It is very much getting harder and harder as the year goes on. The first two races of the season, we won; it couldn’t have been a better way to remember someone so special. Since then, we have effectively lost eight races on the bounce and our main competitor has won all eight. The man with the toughest job in keeping faith is the guy putting all the money in and that is Michael. It is a tragedy for him more than anyone else. He is still very upset and it is easy to keep saying, ‘keep believing’ but positioning myself in his shoes, I understand why it isn’t that easy to carry out. He is a fighter, just like the whole team.