Aussie Rules!
Published: 13th March 2007
Author: Words & photo Jonty Edmunds
Shane Watts pulls off a shock win at the opening round of the US GNCC series proving that talent and motivation carry as much clout as factory finery...
One thing I've learned over the years is that no two riders are motivated to win by exactly the same thing. Sure, all riders want to prove that they are the very best and that they are better than their rivals but dig a little deeper - scratch beneath the generic new season 'I want to win this year' proclamations - and what motivates one rider is never exactly the same as what motivates another, no matter what the discipline.
For some getting to the top is what motivates them. Others having reached the top simply want to stay there, to show that they truly belong there and feel that back-to-back championships is the best way of proving themselves. For some motivation comes from taking up a new challenge, competing in a race series different to the one they know and have previously championed. For others getting back to where they once were following injury or a 'good money, ***t bike' deal is what fires them up. Some want to bring their career to a close on a winning note. Some simply want to raise a middle finger to their competitors, former sponsors and doubters and say 'thanks for not believing in me'.
In winning the opening round of the '07 US GNCC series Aussie Shane Watts caused a major surprise. Free from the pressure of expectancy - that lay firmly on the shoulders of David Knight who replaced double series champion Juha Salminen as KTM's number one rider - Watts simply showed up with his bike in a trailer, rode smart and hard, claimed a deserved win and in doing so proved that there is life in the old dog yet. He also made the most of his time on the top of the podium by dedicating his win to 'all the riders that like me have to buy their bikes and spares'.
So what was Wattsy's motivation to win in Florida? Simple. A lack of 'official' support from long-term sponsor KTM. Now a competitor that has to buy his bikes and spares - just like the majority of riders the world over - Wattsy wanted to show that not only does he still have what it takes to win at the highest level but that he should still be getting 'official' support.
Shane being Shane he won the race his way, in vintage Wattsy style. Starting well and quickly moving to the front the maverick former WEC, ISDE and US GNCC champion started celebrating and waving to the crowd less than one hour into the near three-hour race. Wattsy had a point to prove and he proved it the only way he knows how - by going all out and winning the '07 series opener and having a little fun doing so.
Whether Watts can carry his race-winning form past round one remains to be seen but the relaxed and focused way he topped the XC1 class in Florida suggests that he could well play a major role in the outcome of the '07 GNCC championship.
Committed to a complete championship assault, the fire that burns within Shane is unlikely to be extinguished by one good result. Now riding no more than once during the week and then racing at weekends, Shane wants to prove to himself that he can still get the winning results all riders and teams want without a full-time nine-to-five commitment to the sport.
A rider that throughout his career has never done things by the book, Wattsy's motivation to go out and buy a bike and prove a point rather than hang up his boots is to be commended. Admittedly in doing things 'his way' and often refusing to play by the rules Wattsy has alienated himself from many important sectors of the motorcycle industry and undoubtedly made life unnecessarily difficult for a rider of his unquestionable talents.
But in spending his own money, getting back in the game and paying his own expenses Shane proved that no matter how good a rider's deal is it's a rider's motivation to do well that is the most important thing. Just like Knighter who finished alongside him on the podium despite carrying a hand injury and being only 80 per cent bike fit, wanting it - for whatever reason - is what really matters.
Wattsy, by his own admission, wants to do as well as he can this year in order for one of two things to happen in '08 - either get the support he feels he deserves or be able to officially retire from off-road motorcycle racing having given his last season his all. Aiming for a season of consistent podium finishes, despite drawing ever closer to the end of his career, Wattsy's motivation is seemingly stronger than ever...