Taylor Hammal made his Ulster Championship debut one to remember at Mountain Quarter as he delivered a flawless performance, going unbeaten with a 1-1-1-1 scorecard. Coming into the event, many had Josh Gilbert marked as the favourite, but Hammal rose to the occasion, showing speed, composure, and control all day long. From working his way through the pack to executing fast laps at the front, it all clicked for the DRT Kawasaki rider. We caught up with Hammal to discuss his perfect day, adapting to the 450cc, life in the British Championship paddock and much more.
GateDrop: Taylor, that’s your Ulster Championship debut in the books, absolutely perfect day, I’m not sure you would have expected that. For me, Josh Gilbert was the man before coming into the event, the big favourite, but perfect day, 1-1-1-1. Just talk me through your day…
Hammal: I probably would have thought the same as you coming here, but I enjoyed the whole day, every lap. I mean, the track was old school and I loved it. Every lap was just, I don’t know why but it just all clicked today. I mean, 1-1-1 and I won the last race too so the perfect day.
GateDrop: And it’s not like you got four holeshots and just pulled away, I think you maybe got one holeshot out of four, so you still had to work your way through, but it just looked like an easy day for you out in front… everything was under control, no mistakes.
Hammal: I mean, I only got one holeshot, but the other two races I quickly passed on the first lap and then put some really fast laps down to get a bit of a gap. I mean, one race Josh was close, but I think it was difficult to pass and stuff. He had a bit of an unlucky day I’d say but it just all came together for me.
GateDrop: In terms of confidence, can you take confidence from this and hopefully apply it in the British Championship? Obviously in the British, Josh has been getting the better of you, but I noticed the first moto last week at Landrake, you caught him towards the end, so, do you think this will do your confidence the world of good?
Hammal: Recently we put a bit of a map on there and I’ve got some different forks so for Landrake I felt a lot more comfortable on the bike. To be honest, I’ve just been enjoying it and not taking it too serious. I think that’s the key, I just go to the race and enjoy it now. But I mean, even today just getting the feeling on the bike, I feel really good and I feel like I just need to get a better start to the race.
GateDrop: And the vibes of being in the Ulster Championship paddock, first of all, what did you expect coming here and what was it like being here? It must have helped having a few English friends joining you?
Hammal: Definitely, I mean, it’s good for us to come over here, I mean, we’d never even thought about doing it but the paddock is laid back and I really like it. There’s no stress at all, it’s just nice.
GateDrop: What was your thoughts on the track? Obviously, it was very dry, no ruts and not too many bumps, but it was very old school, did you enjoy it?
Hammal: Definitely, it was quite technical. It was really bumpy and edgy so you had to be a bit careful. It reminded me of the stubblefield tracks when I was younger so I had a bit of experience with these sort of tracks, but I really enjoyed it.
GateDrop The good thing about it having less ruts than at a British Championship is because you can move anywhere you want and then it makes passing a bit easier, would you agree with that?
Hammal: Definitely, it’s a fine line when it’s rutty. It needs to be rutty enough where you can move instead of just being in one rut. Here there was a bit of a berm on the outside, but that was way wide, so there was a whole inside of the track, so you could do what you wanted really.
GateDrop: This year is your first year focusing on the 450cc, I think before this year you were swapping bikes, are you enjoying focusing on the bigger bike? Actually, you seem to suit it quite well, to be honest, whenever you made the step up from MX2, I wasn’t sure what way it would go, but you actually look more comfortable in the bigger bike, I would say.
Hammal: I’m much better on it. I mean, I was too big for the 250cc. I’m tall and I’m not the lightest, so I mean I’m really, really enjoying it and getting on well with it. I love the Kawasaki, I really like the bike and this year I just seem to be enjoying it. I’m glad to be on the 450cc, I wanted to go to it for a few years, but I just didn’t get the chance to until this year.
GateDrop: You are with Steve Dixon, how’s all that going, being with the DRT Kawasaki, maybe his side hustle, let’s say, you’re maybe not the full focus, Kay Karssemakers will be now, but what’s it like, you know, working with Steve and being involved in that team?
Hammal: It’s good, this time around, it’s the second time for me being with Steve so I sort of understand how it works. I’ve been enjoying it a lot more this time, and like you say, I’m not doing the GPs, so the team’s focus is more on the GPs with Karssemakers. In a way, I quite like it, because I just do my own thing on the side and stuff like that. I mean, if I didn’t break my ankle at the start of the year, then I might have done a couple of GP’s but I’ve been enjoying it, it’s two minutes from my house so it’s handy.
GateDrop: How’s the British Championship going this year, in terms of how it’s being run? Paul Irwin’s took it over, we can actually watch it at home, so that’s great for me. Are you enjoying the way it’s being run?
Hammal: It’s brilliant, I mean, just looking at Landrake a couple years ago, there were no spectators there, but this time, it was packed, and the racing was good, I mean, we get a lot of stick, us British riders but that first MX2 race, all the young Brits beat all the Europeans. It’s good for British motocross, and with the live stream. It seems to be a bit more of a better atmosphere, I’d say.
GateDrop: How would you sum up your British Championship season so far? You seem to like fourth place, which is actually really good, but at the same time, I’m sure you want to get on that podium…
Hammal: I’ve got fourth place at nearly every round, the other round I finished fifth.
GateDrop: That’s really good, in one way, but in the other way, you want a podium…
Hammal: Yeah I am over fourth now (laughs). I missed the first round with my ankle but I got fourth and I’m sick of it. But the guys in front… You’ve got Conrad who is at world level, and then you’ve got two GP riders so it’s not easy.
GateDrop: At the start of the year, you were involved in Arenacross… I think, was that the first time you’ve done the Arenacross? How did you find all that, and I think you went Abu Dhabi, how was that experience, something different?
Hammal: Yeah, it was brilliant. I was nervous at the first round, I did no preparation, but then, I did so bad, they sent me to France to do a little bit of practice. Then I came back and I was almost on the podium at the second round. After that, I was like, yeah, I’m going to do Supercross. It is a little bit sketchy but it is what it is, I mean, you just got to deal with it. I got to go to Abu Dhabi which was brilliant, I mean, that experience to do that, if I didn’t do Arenacross, I would never have gone, so, it’s taken me places that, I probably wouldn’t have even gone to otherwise.
GateDrop: Any plans for next year, are you confident you’ll be able to stay with the set-up you have, you seem happy here so, it would probably be good for you?
Hammal: Yeah, it’s not 100% sure, but, I would like to. I think, on their side, Kawasaki UK are happy with what I’m doing so yeah…
GateDrop: My last question is, to close that gap to the main three in the British, let’s say, you probably need to do a couple of GPs, would you have any interest in just doing a couple, it’d probably be good for you?
Hammal: I would like to, I wouldn’t want to do loads, just the ones that I’m more suited to, I mean, like I said, if I didn’t break my ankle, I probably would have done Matterley and whatnot. Hopefully next year I’m going to do a couple.
GateDrop: Next year, would you be open to coming back here again?
Hammal: Yeah, 100%.
