Lady Luck can be a fickle bitch
Published: 13th March 2007
Author: Sean Lawless
at times and when you race motorcycles for a living you learn to fear her moods more than most.
Imagine, say, you're a professional motocrosser. After a couple of SX appearances and then a brief bit of R & R you've been back on it - working hard in the gym, pounding the pavement, spinning out the miles on your bike to ensure a solid CV base to build your season on. If you're good enough to ride for a big team - or lucky enough to have some money behind you - it's then off to Spain or the States for pre-season testing and knocking out some laps in the winter sun.
So far so good. Then, in your first race of the new season, it goes totally and utterly tits-up. It might be down to a small lapse in concentration, it might not even be your fault - there could be a mechanical failure or someone could go down in front of you - but one minute all that hard work over the winter is paying off, the next you're on your arse and your season's in ruins. It's happened to Stefan Everts, it's happened to Josh Coppins, it so very nearly happened to Carl Nunn at the Hawkstone International. So what's my point? I guess what I'm trying to say is that from our side of the fence it may look incredibly glamorous to be a pro racer (okay, I admit, there's nowt glamorous about Hawkstone in March in the rain) but the reality is a lot of behind-the-scenes suffering geared towards reaching a goal that can be snatched away in the blink of an eye.
Someone who has never, ever caused me any behind-the-scenes suffering (oh effortless, uncontrived link) is Sir Jack Burnicle! Apart from about four or five issues when I had yet to tempt him back from MXUK (RIP) at the start of my tenure here, Jack has contributed to every issue of DBR I've been fortunate to oversee as editor. The man hits deadlines in the same seemingly effortless way as Stefan Everts was capable of hitting the same line lap after lap after lap and now he's hit something else as well - the big six zero! Despite becoming a sexagenarian Jack's incredibly enthusiastic, boyish outlook on life continues to shine through in his consistently crisp copy where alliteration always abounds and his ebullient energy eternally engages (just my little tribute)! Apologies for not being able to make it but I hope you had a brilliant birthday bash Burnicle - and here's to many more magnificent missives!
Someone who has caused me no end of behind-the-scenes suffering (oh effortless, uncontrived link #2) is our man in Ireland Mr Stevie Mills! Having said that I like to think it's a two-way thing and over the years having consumed his sizeable supply of Havana Club and then fallen on him, demanded countless lifts from Belfast Airport and generally given as good as I've got I reckon it's honours even. Having said that I actually owe him an apology this month after deriding him in our March issue for his woefully short Blarney column. In cutting and pasting it from his email I managed to miss half of it and then had the audacity to take the Mickey Bliss out of him for his laziness. Sorry Stevie, please forgive me (although, to be fair, next time don't email it across with about a zillion return spaces inserted halfway through).
Finally this month, I'd like to draw your attention to the big market research exercise we're currently undertaking. Your opinions really do matter to us so hook up to win £1000. If you fill in the survey you'll be helping to shape the future of DBR and you could land yourself a cool grand in the process. Just like dating an ice cream man's daughter, it's what's known in the trade as a double bonus!