World Superbike rider James Toseland is young, talented, extremely charming and the hottest British racer this country has seen since Carl Foggerty. Having won numerous different titles on his way up to WSB and then going on to become the world champion in 2004 at the tender age of 23, James has a very bright future ahead of him. LB’s Foxy went to Silverstone for the British round of WSB to meet James, have a chat about this season’s racing with the Winston Ten Kate Team and find out what his plans for the future are.
Foxy: How are you feeling after your crash in race one at Monza two weeks ago?
James: I’m all straightened up now, I went to see the chiropractor last week and my pelvis was out and my neck was out from that crash. I knew my neck was out, obviously, because I had quite a few problems with that. During the crash it tried to take my helmet off in the gravel, and that pushed the strap right into my throat, so that was quite painful. Obviously I knew I had got problems with my neck, when I got on the table my pelvis was also out. After a few crunches and few clicks I was all back together.
Foxy: You couldn’t give me the name of him could you, because I crashed on Brands last week?
James: Course I can, he’s really good actually! He’s a really good guy. (James laughs).
Foxy: You worked really hard in race two and kept your fourth place, until Barros passed you just at the end, what went through your head?
James: Mmmm, well he passed me because we unfortunately ran out of fuel on the last lap, so I can’t actually say what I was saying or thinking on the bike but, after the first race crash to have finished fourth, I would have been quite content with that. Again, fifth, some good points but, unfortunately we lost a lot of points on the two Troy’s in front.
Foxy: James, who is your biggest competitor in WSB right now and why?
James: It’s got to be the two Troy’s. Troy Bayliss and Troy Corser are both very very fast at the moment and consistent and with the problems we had at Valencia and the unfortunate problems at Monza we’ve lost quite a few points on them. Even at Monza we were at the front, we were catching the leaders in the first race before the crash and we were right on the pace, so I’m not going to let that hinder our progress, and the bike is still capable of racing at the front and it’s just time now that we need to start getting these points back.
Foxy: You’re third in the championship James, with 97 points, and you’re 78 points short of Troy Bayliss the championship leader, what is the main thing that you have to do now to give yourself a chance of winning the title?
James: Knock both the Troys off in turn one! Win both races, so that’s 50 points back, so we’ll only be 20 odd points behind. (James said laughing) No, just joking, I mean obviously all I have got to do now is stay consistent and fast. My priority here this weekend is to obviously win both races like it is everywhere, but we really do need to start pulling some points back. 78 points is a lot of points to get back, but still not a lot at this stage in the championship. If Troy Bayliss or Troy Corser have a weekend like we did at Monza, it can all change around pretty quick, so all I’ve got to is keep my head down and get some good results in.
Foxy: You have been a prominent face in WSB for the last six years and won the title in 2004, what else do you feel you need to achieve in WSB?
James: Well, Foggy won it four times didn’t he, so that’s my benchmark. If I can win it at least four times, that’ll be my dream come true, for sure, and also I’d have a little bit more come back on Foggy.
Foxy: Would MotoGP be the next step for you?
James: Yeah, of course...
Foxy: And, if you decided not to go into MotoGP, would you consider going to AMA like Neil Hodgson?
James: No, erm well, I never say never, but my hearts in World Superbike at the moment and it has been for the last six years. If I’m coming towards the end of my career, I’m not really sure, I haven’t really thought about that yet only being 25, so I’ve got quite a few years left.
Foxy: I liked the picture of you in Cosmopolitan magazine this month, what went through your head when they asked you to appear naked?
James: Well, they first of all sold it to me because of the testicular cancer thing, so I thought hang on a minute, testicular cancer, that’s pretty serious, how am I going to promote that!? To be fair, I got away with it; I mean, Ronan Keating stood there with a pint of Guinness in one hand and only one hand covering his man-hood, so for me to have a whole motorbike covering mine, I was lucky for sure.
Foxy: Londonbikers have just had their first track day at Brands Hatch and our next one is booked in here at Silverstone next month. There are a few track virgins going, what advice would you give them for their first time out on track?
James: Just be careful at the last chicane, it is that slow that you’ve just got to discipline yourself. Every time I go through there I’m thinking, God I must look slow through here, just because of how slow it is. The rest of the track is quite fast and flowing, so have some fun on that bit and just get through that last chicane.
Foxy: And again, for londonbikers more experienced track day nutters. What advice can you give them about Silverstone GP circuit, are there any tricky bits they should watch out for?
James: Just don’t go faster than me, that would really piss me off. As long as you don’t do that I’ll be alright with that.
Foxy: I put it forward to our forum to see if any of the members wanted to ask you any questions, so I’ve got a few questions from them.
GarethRuslip: What sort of things do you say out loud in your lid when you’re racing?
James: Well, if I’ve won it’s total elation, there are a lot of yes’ and get in there, and if I have run out of fuel on the last lap, there’s quite a lot of effing and blinding.
Smiled: Have you got any advice on getting your knee down?
James: Wow, if I had a pound for every time I was asked how to get your knee down, oh, I wouldn’t try it on the road. If you’re not comfortable with it, don’t do it.
But if you really want to try it on like a track day, just hang your arse off the thing and stick your knee out as far as you can and just get it to touch, as soon as you get it to touch you can you can gauge how far the bike is over and everything. But for the first time just hang off, try and keep your body upright in the middle of the bike, don’t hang everything off, just hang you arse off, stick that knee out as far as you can just to get the feel and once it does touch, then you get a sensation for that, then it’s much easier.
Dancbr600rider: Given the physical rigors of racing at this level, how do you know maintain your physique, diet and the like?
James: Well I’ve always been into my training, my uncle was a body building champion and he used to own a gym where I used to live. So, I got into training at a very early age and I enjoyed it, I still enjoy it now. The diet and everything just comes naturally with it, I don’t like eating bad food, just because of all the training I do, I can’t afford to fuel myself with bad food and it’s all classed as one and it’s very important to be fit for the racing.
Andrew&7: I thoroughly enjoyed the safety/riding advice DVD ‘A Street, A Track and an Open road’ that he was part of recently and would ask him if he intends to work on anymore similar programs, or try something different like 'The Long Way Round'?
James: Yeah, it was difficult. I have never been a critic at all; I’m not really comfortable in that situation and when they asked me to do it, obviously Chris Walker was riding and they wanted me to comment on it, but I couldn’t really say anything bad about Chris Walker. I was lucky really because they had got someone that had never really ridden; he had only been riding in London as a courier and then Bob McMillan, who is a very experienced rider, so I could shine on Chris because he did nothing wrong compared to the other guys.
Foxy: I think Chris probably did the best on the tuition anyway didn’t he?
James: Yeah of course he did. Being critical, well I’m not too good at because I don’t like to criticise people, but commentary and everything I do quite enjoy.
Cezar: Are you still riding or ever rode a bike on the roads like us? And if you do, do you get the buzz out of it, as you are used to the emotions of racing?
James: No, I have never really ridden a bike on the road. I have done a few times, I went to Newquay on one from Sheffield and walked like John Wayne for a week after the five hour trip, I gave it up as a bad job since then. Always, the first 15 minutes are fine, nice and steady, nice and relaxing, the sun is out and then the next two hours are just superpole laps. I always get back into the house and take a deep breath as if I have got away with something, and I don’t like that. I can race with Haga, Bayliss and all then guys at over 206 miles an hour at Monza and not feel as if I have got away with one thing; it’s all in control mainly. And then when I go out on the road, I feel as if I have got away with so much so much stuff, and I don’t like that.
Chuffster: What are your thoughts on Honda’s decision not to allow the team to run traction control and do you think that this is fair as there are other teams that are running it?
James: I ran it last year on the Ducati and I know how good the system is. It’s not Ten Kate that has made the decision not to run it. Honda at the moment can’t find the budget for World Superbikes to put the system on the bike. It would make life a bit easier, but after this race we are testing a system at Brno, after Silverstone, we haven’t got it for here, but hopefully for the next race at Misano we will have tested it and done well at Brno and we’ll have it for the rest of the season.
PowerSlide: As one of the most talented young riders to come from the UK. I would love to see you competing in GP's. Did you ever consider taking the 125/250 route in MotoGP?
James: I would have done, but I never really had the opportunity. I started out on a CB500, who else has started out on a CB500, nobody have they? That was the only opportunity I had in 1997, when Mick Corrigan from the same village said that he had one that could ride on and he was going to ride the 600 that year. He said do you fancy riding the 500 and I went yeah, because my career was finished you see, after 1996 I was going to quit, we had run out of money and then Mick said do you want to ride this 500. From then to six months I won the CB500 Cup and then the 600, and then I was in the World Championship the next year, so it was all strange how it happened really.
Adam M: Have any of the mechanic’s ever thrown you dirty look when the bike comes back in 20 bits!
James: Erm, yeah, (James looks round at the mechanics and they all laugh at him) the Monza crash the bike wasn’t very well at all. The only excuse I had was no brakes, which was a petty good excuse, I think. But when I haven’t got an excuse and the bike comes back pretty messed up, I have to do some apologising, for sure.
GreatScott: Do you get the jitters when the back tyre slides about under massive deceleration and downshifting i.e. before giving it large round a sharp corner on the track?
James: Nah, not really I’m used to it. It’s what I do, a lot of people say I can’t believe what you do, you must be mad, but this is what I have been doing since I was ten years old.
Nunny: How do you manage to stay focused when you have had a bad day and things just do not seem to be going right? What does you focus on, what keeps you going/motivated?
James: My mum mainly comes to the races now and she gives me a right good kick up the arse.
Andrea: How do you manage to pick yourself up again after a really nasty crash and go full out the next race?
James: Unfortunately, not fortunately, I have the experience of doing it and it’s only that, that gets me through really. At Monza I was really badly injured on my neck but it didn’t really hinder my riding, and obviously, if something really serious like a hand injury or a back injury that I can’t ride then, then I really have to say to myself it’s not worth going out because I’m more danger to other people. There is a fine line.
That concludes our interview with James. LB wishes him all the best with this weeks races at Silverstone and would like to say thank you for taking the time out to talk to us. Thank you also to Matteo for making this all possible. Good questions LB members, James had a laugh answering them.
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