Glenn Allerton reflects on PI’s success and looks to the season ahead

Glenn Allerton

Trev: Glenn Allerton, last minute, but you left Phillip Island with a lot of points, that’s a pretty good result, isn’t it?

Glenn Allerton: “Yeah, it’s great. Maybe we were over-prepared and Shane (Kinderis, Team Manager) got on a plane to France, he left yesterday (Saturday of round one), so we gathered back at the last minute and the idea is just to earn points.

“But you know what it’s like when you get there, you want to do the best you can, and when you get close to the top, you want to win. We weren’t fast enough to challenge Josh on the Ducati, but I think we were fast enough to beat the others. And we’ve done that in every race this weekend, so hopefully I can get some more direction this week.

“I have some meetings with the ride that I am supposed to be on this year, so hopefully I can get a little better understanding of what the timeframe is and if I will actually ride that motorcycle. or not, or whether we attempt to do so. something with the BMW.

“I’m not sure right now, it’s option B. But I still think we can put together a good package, it just won’t have the same structure around me.

“I will try to bring Shane back whenever I can, just for a little bit of technical guidance, but filling that void can be a bit difficult, so we will consider the options. for the week and see what we can do. The score was the goal and we did it, really happy and expecting more than we got was probably unrealistic, so we did well.”

Trev: Apparently that’s the privately funded Ducati contract you’re rumored to be in this year?

Allergy: “Yes, I am going to ride a Ducati, the real problem is the bike supply, and they really won’t land here until April, and that just puts us back too far. The first two rounds are previous.

“So… as a racer, I don’t want to miss any races, and we’ve been out all year up to this point, and this weekend is my first time riding a superbike in 2023. , so I was ‘Honestly, the first time I opened the throttle when I came out of the pit lane, I said to the boys, ‘damn, this is so fast.’ Then it took me two sessions just to get the hang of it. You know. So don’t want to admit it but it’s true. So yeah, I need more time, and then if we go the Ducati route, we need to be competitive down that path too. So a lot of work ahead.

(We understand that a deal with Ducati is now increasingly unlikely and Allerton is now likely to continue using BMW for the 2023 season in what will largely be a self-managed business)

Trev: So let’s go over it a little bit, race by race, so obviously we’re talking right after the third and final race here at Phillip Island, you’ve got quite a long fight with his old scrim partner, Herf during that race.

Allergy: “At the start of the race, the track was tight, we had to carry the front tire, we started with the old front tire and the new rear tire.

“At first, I tried to go with Josh, but he was too fast, I got ahead and had a few key moments, then a few people passed me, because I just wanted to keep trying. customary. .

“When the group went far and the rear tire was worn, it stopped pushing the front tire and I found myself in a battle with Herfoss and Bryan, then Bryan ran wide and then decided who could outrun each other.

“My plan was to take the lead because I knew he was going to try to get down inside, so I did shallow all the corners, on MG’s corner on the last lap, so if he goes he goes. down inside me, he’ll be in a shallow corner and can’t make a crest, and I’ll be able to step back below him.

“He made it on both corners for sure, but luckily I stopped the bike to turn around and finished the corner ahead of him.

“Interestingly, there was a lot of effort going into running these bikes and perfecting it. Sometimes there’s something holding you back. But to be able to fight Troy like that all the way to the finish line – it’s just… – I can’t tell you how great it feels.”

Trev: You look more relaxed, without the pressure build-up normally seen in a team that has worked hard up until this first round. I guess you didn’t come with the burden of expectation that you usually have every other season, the build-up of people relying on you and vice versa, because you’re not going to race here at all until approx. one week ago…

Allergy: “I guess you’re right, the pressure goes up, everyone puts all the effort into it, and you can put it all on your shoulders before that first race. I don’t have to deal with that so maybe that’s why I did well this weekend, I’m just comfortable, I’m basically just doing what the bike lets me do. I pushed it to that limit and that’s it. I’m happy to accept that’s what it is. Just drive the wheel out of it.

Trev: Good luck, see you in Sydney.

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