Interview: John Meara – winning again!

Watt Kawasaki’s John Meara really hit his stride at Seaforde producing some of his best form in years to win the first two motos in style against some tough competition.

The eldest Meara impressed last time out at Desertmartin but stepped it up even more at round three and rode with a calm head in the third moto at Seaforde despite a slick, wet surface to ensure he won his first overall of the Ulster championship season to vault himself into MX1 championship contention.

We caught up with Meara to get his thoughts on his very impressive performance.

Those first two motos it looked like the old John Meara was back, in fact you maybe looked better than ever, you must have felt great out there!

Yeah the first two races went really good. I got decent starts, I got into the lead and cleared off, I haven’t been riding as good in a long time. I was looking forward to getting off the sand and back into the hard pack, I was expecting myself to win here today. It came at a nice time for me too, to start clawing some points back in the championship.

The first one you tipped over somewhere but you were able to pass Barr and reel in Hammy and Bird and you were the first guy to beat Barr at home this season!

Yeah I think I was third and had a wee tip over and lost a few positions but was able to come back and still get the win, so really happy with the way I was riding. Martin, he was obviously riding at the British yesterday, he’s a sand specialist and there’s not many boys will touch him in Ireland never mind Europe in the sand.

To be beating Martin and these guys at home, they are all going very, very fast, there is no clear winner in any race. There are probably five, six, seven guys that can win the race so to get two race wins…. the last race with the rain, the track was very slick and I was just trying not to do anything stupid and not be the old John Meara and throw it down the track! So I’m happy with today and the way it panned out.

In the last one everybody was sliding everywhere at the beginning, Jason and Mackrel cleared off a bit and you ended up in a battle with the MX2 riders Barr, Sheridan and McCormick until that little tip-over but still took the overall..

Yeah to be honest in the last one I wasn’t riding too good, I was riding very tight. Those slippery conditions are not my forte and I had a small tip-over in front of Glenn and probably messed his result up a bit! But it is what it is, it was no fault of anyone’s bar my own, just a wee simple mistake and happy to get out of here in one piece.

Your form, you seem back to where everyone knows you can be, Edmonds just had an eighth at Canada Heights, Gibson is at the front in the AMCA, plus James Mackrel and Jason, this Des Nations decision is going to be a bit mental for Philip McCullough with everyone going well in the 450 class!

Yeah definitely, there is a lot of hype about the Motocross of Nations at the minute about who is going to be on the team but at the end of the day results are going to speak and Philip will pick the strongest team of riders I’m sure. To even have my name in consideration, I’m happy at the minute.

Any plans on doing more rounds of the British championship after today or just the local one at Desertmartin?

Well I’m going to race the British Masters next weekend, then Lyng the week after with the MX Nationals. I’d like to fit a British championship in before Desertmartin but it’s financially difficult, we will see what way the funds are and maybe Desertmartin will be the first British championship I can dip my toe into.

And the level here ( Ireland) it seems it’s went up a couple of levels this year, it’s really deep, do you feel that helps all of you guys? And with Martin here as well is it a good gauge of your speed because he is flying in the Maxxis British championship?

Yeah 100%. Martin is a phenomenal rider and the fastest man on two wheels over here and to have a wee gauge off him and to be beating him on hard pack and to be within striking distance at Desertmartin which is possible my worst track over here, there is definitely a lot of positives to be take early this season.

You seemed surprised at your results at Desertmartin when you were speaking to Andy last time, did your speed there give you a real boost for coming here and knowing you were better on the hard pack?

Oh yeah big time. Desertmartin, I go into it with the mindset of coming out (healthy)! The previous two years I had two big crashes that some would say I was lucky to walk away from. The plan of attack was to get through the first two sand races get to the hard pack and really put the hammer down from now.