Cameron Stronach
CAMERON STRONACH RETURNS TO EUROPE FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE 2008 SEASON.
After almost five weeks back in Perth Cameron Stronach was looking relaxed when I spotted him at Barbagallo Raceway on the long weekend holiday watching his brother Ben riding as an Instructor for the Race Craft school which is conducted by the M.C.R.C. (Motorcycle Racing Club)
Whilst back in Perth it hasn’t been a complete holiday for Stronach, he has been training with a personal trainer for an hour a day four times a week, and he has also been having Italian lessons which have helped him considerably. The trip home along with the personal trainer and tutor were all arranged by BHS Engineering his long time sponsors. He should return to Italy in peak fitness and he hopes the tutor will make communicating with his team a little easier when he gets back to Italy on the 8th June. He will only spend three days there before the team head to Germany for the fourth round of the Superstock 1000 F.I.M. Cup. Between the round at Monza, only the Superbikes raced in the USA, but in Germany all classes will be in attendance. Although he will not have seen the Nuremberg track in the ‘flesh’ and has no idea what it looks like, he will have ridden it a thousand times courtesy of “Play Station” so he should at least have some idea of the direction. These games are used by many riders and whilst they obviously don’t show the topography or things like bumps in the track etc, you at least know which way the track runs.
I asked Cameron what the difference was between the two weekends at Monza. “It was basically the brakes. The team was hoping that this would be the starting point for the World Championship after the times I did at the Italian Championships. We had some new brakes to try out and we just couldn’t get them sorted in time and we actually went back to the original ones for qualifying on Saturday afternoon. Then we made a small change to the front which changed the rear. At that point it was the first time during the weekend that I could push with any confidence into the corners.”
During his time back home in Perth he has ridden his motocross bike with his brother Ben, Chris Galbraith and several other friends to keep his hand in and is looking forward to going back to Italy and continuing in the Superstock Championship. The team is still planning to have a three day test at the Brno track prior to that round. “I have heard it is a very hard track to learn with lots of double and triple apex corners and some reverse camber sections, so I hope that the planned test does eventuate as it will certainly help me before the race weekend.” Cameron told me when I spoke with him a week or so ago.
Cameron is extremely hopeful of continuing to race in Europe in 2009 and will do everything in his power to continue to race against some of the best young riders in the world next year.
For those who haven’t managed to catch up with Cameron during his return home he won’t be back now until later in the year, hopefully in time for the 3 day extravaganza meeting set down for the 7th – 9th November.
I will however be continuing to write regular updates after each round, as well as bringing any news from Cameron and Team O Six Kawasaki.
CREDIT ACTION PHOTOS TO: www.osimobikers.it