First of all, congratulations for your win at Thruxton. How does it feel to have picked up your first ever British Superbike victory?

It feels great! It’s nice to see that the whole team effort has paid off. I have been working very hard all winter for this and to be where we are at this minute shows that we are a real title contender.

Some have said that it was a gamble for Padgett’s Honda to sign you at the end of last year. It must be satisfying for you and the team to prove them wrong…

Yes it is absolutely fantastic to prove them wrong. I had a lot of critics after the terrible two seasons I have had, but none of these people saw the bigger picture. During 2010 I did no riding at all apart from three world superbike rounds. In 2011 I was very much a development rider. All credit to Clive [Padgett] for believing in me and bringing me back onboard when everybody else had written me off!

You’ve had a couple of unfortunate years since you received the title for British Superbike Rookie in 2009. What do you think contributed to your return to form?

It is simply down to having a competitive package and a team who puts their ALL into racing. The Padgett’s team is a close family run team who dedicate their lives to racing motorbikes. It’s a combination of their passion and my preparation which is producing the results.

Your result seems to have been considered a bit of a surprise. Do you think there is any feeling of being an underdog rider? Not that the UK doesn’t love one…

No. To us it was not a surprise. We have been competitive throughout testing, and I had a provisional front row start at Brands in the dry after two days on track. Yes it is nice to come in under the radar and produce the results, however I am confident in my ability and I am no underdog!

Have you found yourself getting a lot more attention after your win at Thruxton?

The response from fans has been amazing. It just shows you how fortunes can change with one result. Two years of hard times have been totally forgotten by everybody in the space of 40 minutes. Not by me. Personally, I think it has made me a lot stronger as a person and a rider.

A certain amount of attention has been drawn to the fact that you didn’t have a sponsorship deal for your leathers. We think fans in particular find that strange. How do you feel about that now you have a deal with Alpinestars?

Yes I can see how fans find this strange. They see us riding around on TV and automatically think that we are superstars. In reality, I work full time and my wages go to the team to pay for my ride. It is great to have Alpinestars back onboard, though. In my opinion they are the best in the business and they have given me a lot of support in the past when things were tough.

Is your confidence high for the next round at Oulton Park? Have you got a plan of action?

Yes, I am confident for this weekend however I will not be losing run of myself. There are at least 10 riders in the championship now who are capable of winning races. All I am aiming for is to be in the showdown for the last three rounds. Then the real racing begins…

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