By In between the hustle and bustle of Guia Circuit competition activities, Road Racing News writer Tom McGrenery was able to gain a candid chat with 2023 Senior Manx Grand Prix runner-up, WH Racing powered by Dynobike’s Marcus ‘Spartacus’ Simpson.
Their uncontrived chat featuring at one stage, a notable guest, is-projected below:
RRN: What’s your experience of riding in Macau?
MS: Last year I was a newcomer, and obviously last year we had the same issues as we’ve had this morning with the wet weather, and we also had an oil leak from somebody’s bike, so we never raced last year.
So, technically I’m still a newcomer, but I’m not.
RRN: What makes the Guia Circuit unique?
MS: The barriers, the walls… There’s no pavement to lean over. No room for error. It’s an immediate barrier or wall there, which there is in other road races, but they really invade the track here.
The top section is very tight and twisty, and the bottom bit is fast. These corners down to Lisboa are fast, so you’ve got two different sectors of the track.
RRN: Where can you lose or gain time around the Guia Circuit?
MS: The time’s definitely-up at the top. Down here is important, because there’s a lot of straight to be getting from the exits, but the main time difference will come from the top section.
RRN: What’s your benchmark for a successful Macau this year?
MS: For me, I just want to finish the race. Be cool to finish a Grand Prix race. Well, to be fair, it’d be cool to race. Being it’s the second time I’ve been here; we’ve now had another session cancelled.
Like last year, we had sessions cancelled, and now we’ve had one cancelled this year.
33 years Michael Rutter was coming here, and I think he may have missed one session. I’ve been here for two years and missed plenty of sessions. So, yeah, it’d just be nice to get a race in.
RRN: This is a relatively short race distance. How does that affect how you approach things?
MS: Well, it’s 12 laps this, and it’s got a 2:30 to 2:40 sort of lap for where I will hopefully be. That equates to over 25 minutes. The heat and how physical it is will be challenging.
But, yeah, in terms of the TT distance… it’s not the TT distance, but there’s no rest here. It’s physical, and the heat will get you.
Davey Todd, interrupting: What’s your idea of a lovely day out?
[Simpson refuses to answer.]
Words by Tom McGrenery
