By Road Racing News writer Tom McGrenery, caught up with Oliver’s Mount Steve Henshaw Gold Cup top three finisher, Macau Grand Prix newcomer, WR Racing’s Don Gilbert in the paddock, following his extremely creditable run to thirteenth in today’s twelve-lap race contest.
The impromptu conversation, is-displayed underneath:
RRN: It is your first time at Macau; how do you feel about it?
DG: It blew my mind the first day we got here. Macau in itself blew my mind. And then I came to the track, and then my mind was blown even more.
I mean, obviously, you do lots of homework anyway, so we’re playing simulators, playing the games on the PlayStation and stuff, so we’ve put many, many hours into it, but nothing will ever compare to actually getting on the bike and riding it, because it’s just like a completely different place.
Even though I’ve done a lot of homework, to actually get on the bike and ride it, every reference point that I thought I had, is out the window, and I had to make up a new one. So, yeah, it’s a little bit different.
RRN: Is there a particular section or a corner where you thought ‘what on earth was that?’ the first time you went through it?
DG: Not a particular corner, but the section, I would say, the middle section, sector two and three, really. They’re the technical ones.
They’re the ones you’ve got to get right. And even still, even though I’ve just finished the race, I’ve still got a lot of work to do around there. I mean, I’m not stringing it together. I haven’t quite got that flow around there yet.
RRN: It seems like a lot of those corners on Guia Hill look the same as each other. Is it easy to lose track of where you are?
DG: It is in the first three laps. Once you’ve done the three laps, you know what you’re up against, and once you know where you’re going and what’s coming up, you’ve then got to figure out how to go around it fast.
You’ve got to figure out your lines, where you want to be on the track, where your apex is and how you’re exiting the corners, and how you’re going to set yourself up for the next corner.
So, I’d say after three or four laps, you do know where you’re going. You’re not putting yourself in danger in the sense that you don’t know what’s coming up.
RRN: On paper, this is a relatively-short-race, compared to the Northwest 200 or something like that, but it is pretty-hot. How does it feel compared to other road races?
DG: It’s probably one of the more physical races I’ve done this year, I’d say. You don’t get a lot of rest here. How long was the race, 25 to 30 minutes?
I must admit, the last three laps, I was looking for the last lap flag, because a lot of fatigue comes in, you’re sweating, it’s hot. So, yeah, I’d say it’s been the most physical that I’ve done. You have a lot of rest around the Isle of Man, but here you get no rest.
RRN: What was your benchmark for success this time and are you happy with your first time here?
DG: Yes, I’ve exceeded my expectations. So, my expectations were to come here, qualify, and finish the race. Ideally not last.
I’ve finished P13, so I’ve been sniffing around the top ten. I’ve had a really strong year this year, and I think, at the end of the day, I’m on a GSXR 1000, and it’s a 2017, she’s getting on a little bit now.
You know, she’s underpowered, she doesn’t have the electronics. I’m not making excuses or anything, but I definitely feel like I’ve got a bit more potential if I was to jump on maybe a slightly more modern bike.
So, I’m well chuffed. I wasn’t expecting to get a top 15 here, and I’ve done it, and some.
And I’ve progressed all week long. From the practice session, qualifying to the race, I’ve got faster and faster. So, you know, we just keep coming. Hopefully we get invited back next year and start where we left off.
RRN: Sounds like a call for sponsors…
DG: Well, yeah… we’re pushing for some sponsors next year, because we don’t really have an awful lot of help, to be honest. A lot of it’s funded by me. So, we’ll keep ploughing on and hopefully get a bit of help next year.
Photo credit: GCS
Words by Tom McGrenery
