After a life in Grand Prix Jeremy has even taken on pure road racing in his native Ireland, scoring some impressive results in the Supertwin class on machinery backed by his friend and fellow racer Ryan Farquhar. Only a week or so ago he has at it again battling elbow to elbow with BSB star
and new Bournemouth/Quattro Kawasaki rider Glenn Irwin at the Bishopscourt Sunflower meeting.
Here we got the chance to here about everything from trying to get his knee down in the local estate to racing against the world’s best.
First up Jeremy having raced at the highest level all over the world, from the early two-stroke RGV and TZ days to first incarnation of four-stroke MotoGP etc, what would be your favourite race, venue and why?
‘Favourite race, Sachsenring 1998 finishing second to Tetsuya Harada on TSR 250, Rossi and Capirossi were 3rd and 4th. I had to slow to push a breather pipe back on to the fuel tank mid race after catching the leaders, then had to do it all again.
Phillip Island without a
doubt, it is the most incredible track to race on, fast flowing with 4th, 5th and 6th gear turns in the most stunning setting on the Australian coastline’.
Two stroke or Four Stroke?
‘Two stroke all day long, they would be beating lap records today had development continued, fuel injection would have made a significant improvement. 2002 times from Phillip Island are only about a couple of seconds off today's times, today's tyres are about two seconds a lap quicker than they were back then’.
Weapon of choice... what has been the bike you have most enjoyed wringing its neck?
‘My KTM SUPER DUKE 1290 R, I get to wring its neck regularly on closed circuits and some roads. I'm enjoying testing the 2019 KTM SUPER DUKE GT regularly in Austria lately’.
Who in your opinion are the best riders you have been on track with whether it was short circuits or your roads outings over the years? You have a reputation of being straight down the line with a no bull attitude so who would you have had respect for off track?
‘Many riders have impressed me over the years, Dajiro Kato was very, very fast. Just like Abe's first GP in Suzuka, he turned up as a wildcard in '97 and '98 in Suzuka on a
250 Honda and blew us all into the weeds and he was about 20 years old but looked like a 12-year-old, then went
on to dominate the Championship in 2001 the year I came back into the 250 World Championship with eleven wins. Also, some special memories racing with Harada, Capirossi, Biaggi and obviously Valentino. I'm still in awe of what Valentino can do after all these years. Roads – Joey Dunlop was of course a bit special, John McGuinness, Bruce Anstey and David Jefferies’.
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