When journalists talk to racers the answers we get have a tendency to be “factory formatted”. How many times have we all listened to “For sure” and then ever-present “I’d like to thank the team”.
When racers talk the relationship is different. They speak to each other with a common understanding of racing life. No matter how much access we are given to the paddock and race teams, we will never have that common frame of reference that exists between racers.
This is what makes the discussion between Taylor Mackenzie and six-time world Superbike champion, Jonathan Rea so interesting. When Taylor asks, “if you were in MotoGP would you crash more?” it is asked from a totally different perspective and gets a racers answer.
With perhaps the exception of Mat Oxley, there isn’t a journalist that could go anywhere near that question in an interview.
All the racer would be thinking is “Well, get off your arse and you ride the bike” while smiling politely and using one of the factory-formatted responses the PR department has programmed them with.
So, get yourself a glass, bottle or a mug of something and settle in for the 30-minute conversation between two racers that is on Taylor Mackenzie’s Youtube channel.
Oh yes – Please let the adverts play. It is how Taylor is hoping to fund the coming BSB season.
