The Biker Place

The motorcycle racer interview series continues here with an interview with the youngest racer currently featured on the site, Bradley Perie.

The Biker Place would like to thank Bradley and his Dad, Andre for taking the time to do this interview and wish them both success in 2008.

What first got you interested in motorcycle racing and who inspired you to get involved?

Ever since i could sit up i think i’ve watched racing on TV with my dad and of couse with having some racers in the family all i ever heard was bikes bikes bikes. One day when i was 2 1/2 my dad was fixing his bike and i took a few spanners and tried taking the stabilizers off my bike, he looked at me and said “do ya want them off?” and i have been on two wheels ever since. I knew then that racing bikes was the only thing for me. I’ve never wanted to do anything else. My dad has always told me “if i want to do somthing bad enough i will succeed”. When i turned 4 mum and dad got me a minimoto and i would ride round this big carpark every sunday when the shop wasn’t open, dad would sit and watch me for 6 hours going round and round. He always belived in me.

As the youngest racer currently featured on The Biker Place do you have tips or advice for anyone looking to get involved in the sport?

I live, breathe and sleep bike racing, I suppose it shows my commitment and because im so commited my parents give up everything for the thing i love. I know it cost mum and dad a lot of money but they know im not going to pick up a football tomorrow and say “i want to be a footballer”. Look on a junior road racing web site and get your mum and dad to take you to a race meeting, talk to other young racers, we are a very friendly bunch.

We understand that motorcycle racing runs in the family, can you give us some info on your family’s racing heritage?

My grandad was a champion grass tracker before he took up real road racing and he raced the Irish roads and the I.O.M. He was great, but at Tandragee a few years ago he had an accident and we lost him, i still think he’s watchin over me when im racing. Both my uncles race bikes, ian does the Irish roads and Marcus does enduro, my dad had a road bike then took it racing, crashed a few times hurt himself and so decided to concentrate on my racing. ha ha ha. My mums cousin, Scott Wilson races in Ireland and IOM and his dad also raced bikes.

How much time do you put into training/practicing to be a competitive racer? Since racing have you had any battles or rivalries with any other particular riders?

I do a lot of cycling, it builds up my stamina, only the other day i was at a track practicing and did about 5 hours hard riding with only a few stops for fuel and a drink, I play a lot of playstation bike games i think that helps me, i learnt how to change gear way before i had a gearbox bike. I’m friends with pretty much every one but when the helmet goes on every one is someone to beat and when the helmet comes off we’re friends again.

To date what has been your most memorable moment/acheivement in racing?

When i first got the jawa gp50 i had just turned 7 and a lot of people said it was crazy letting me on it because i could only touch the floor with one tip toe. Within a few laps i was getting my knee down, that made a lot of people stop and take notice. Also winning my first race on the bike was awesome, i punched the air when i crossed the line.

And, what has been your worst/most disappointing moment in racing?

Last season i gave every race everything i had and was always somewhare on the podium but i also had a few technical problems including not having the bike till after the first meeting. At the last meeting of the season, 3rd place in the british championship was mine, all i had to do was finish the races, in practice i was fast, very fast even when the track was wet so that got me really buzzed up for the races. In the first race i led the all the way till the last corner then i ran wide and got pipped across the line. That was great but i felt like i should have won it, in race two my dad said just bring it home but i didnt come here to ride around and went with my heart and not my head and again led the race and again i ran wide pushing to hard and lost the front and went down.

Mum said it didn’t matter because dad worked out the points and said i can still get 3rd in the championship if i finish the 3rd race either 4th or above. I knew i could do it, it was what i raced all year for but when the flag dropped my bike just wouldnt clear, it miss fired for the 1st lap and i was in last place, then it cleared and i started to catch people one by one but just as i was about to pass 4th the flag dropped. I had finished 5th and it broke my heart, i never felt so sad in my life and it lasted for weeks.

Give us a little run down on where you will be competing and on what bike(s) for 2008?

The bike i’m racing this year is a conti v3, it’s a six speed proper mini gp bike putting out around 17-bhp which is a lot when you only weigh 3 1/2 stone its also a lot heaver than my last bike but i aint gonna let that stop me. I will be racing in the “phoenix british junior road racing ” conti cup and maybe do a few other rounds in another championship just for extra track time.

What are your aims or what do you think you can acheive in 2008?

Of course i want to win races but deep down i know thats a big shout as all the other riders are a lot older than me, Dad says if i can get in the top ten then that will be amaizing but i should see this year a one big learning year.

What would be your ideal career path in motorcycle racing from where you are now?

I know exactly how i want it to go, i’ll do the conti cup for a couple of years then race a 70cc and when im 12 i will do the superteen thing hopefully then i can join teams and go all the way to world superbikes, i would like to do MotoGP but us British riders never get the best bikes even when they are promised them.

Any people in particular you would like to thank or mention for getting to where you are so far?

I would like to thank my mum and dad without their support I wouldn’t be living the dream, and all my family and friends and my school “heron hill primary school, kendal” they take a great intrest in me and of course my sponsors: Wayne (Tallridge Roofing) Mike (Ormrod Signs) and the guys at Plumgarths Food Service and Saphire Motorcycles for setting up my engine.

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