Catherine Green - Q&A

One of the most memorable moments in the 2012 BSB support classes occurred at Cadwell Park, when Catherine Green became the first female rider to win a British Championship race with victory in the Motostar event.

After making changes to her team and bike she had quietly become one of the Motostar frontrunners, but truly came of age by dominating the drying Cadwell race. Green went on to finish third in the championship...

Crash.net:
After a season in which you made team changes, had your first win and become a frontrunner dicing with hotly-tipped riders such as Bradley Ray and Kyle Ryde, looking back on it, how do you feel about the year?

Catherine Green:
I couldn't have imagined it going any better. Brad was in a class of his own this year and Kyle put in some great performances on a new Moto3 bike which was in a constant phase of adjustment.

Having one of the first 250 four strokes in the country Kyle ended up being a guinea pig in seeing how well it would fare against the tried and tested two strokes and I think the trial and error approach they had to adopt robbed him of a competitive ride at some of the rounds.

I think both that and the Cadwell round which was the one event I managed to finish where the Red Bull Rookies were absent at MotoGP meant that I could claw back some precious points but I never expected to find myself in the running for the championship podium.

Crash.net:
Did you have a target at the start of the season, if so what was it?

CG:
To finish a race on the rostrum - at the start of the year any step would've done!

Crash.net:
As well as Cadwell, what were the high points - and the lows?

CG:
The lowest point for me was Thruxton. I had to miss it in 2011 due to injury from a practice session, but in previous years I've always gone well there. In 2010 I was fighting for a podium position until the bike lost power and eventually seized so I really thought Thruxton was my best chance of realising my goal this year.

I was so excited at the start of the weekend but from the very first session the bike was losing revs. Ryan [Saxelby] later found out the stator had packed up but when I had to retire during second qualifying I could almost feel the tears welling up after such high hopes. Fortunately though that pales into insignificance when I think about the high points which started at the next round where we were equipped with a shiny new stator!

Running in second for most of the first Oulton Park race was great and although it was cut short by a technical hitch it was the first time I was able to run at the sharp end so I felt really buoyed up after that. Setting the race lap record at Donington and finishing on the championship rostrum at the end of the year were both up there too but (unsurprisingly!) standing on the top step at Cadwell was the best feeling!

I was buzzing for ages after that and it's definitely up there as my favourite racing moment since I started at EMRA all those years ago.

Crash.net:
You now have a bike which seems to let you express your potential more, tell us a little about it with regard to where you got it, power output etc.

CG:
The bike is owned and run by Ryan Saxelby who also used to compete in the British 125 Championship for several years before deciding to run his own team. It's a Seel-kitted Honda RS125 which puts out around 50bhp. It's quicker than the bike I previously rode but the main difference is the handling which is always spot on.

Crash.net:
What influence has Ryan Saxelby had on your season?

CG:
A massive one! I wouldn't have four shiny British Championship pots sitting on my shelf if it wasn't for his invaluable guidance and hard graft! His wealth of experience in tuning two stroke engines has counted for a lot in ensuring the bike is competitive.

Ryan's also extremely good at working with his riders to achieve a setup to complement their individual strengths and weaknesses and that's a skill I can't praise him enough for. He's taught me a lot this year and has made me realise there's still a lot more to learn yet.

Crash.net:
How much does a season of racing cost and does your sponsorship with Best International and Volders allow you to meet those costs?

CG:
A season of racing can cost as much as you like! As a rough guide you're looking at anything upwards of 16k. My partner Jeff and I largely fund it ourselves but the last couple of years we've been lucky enough to have a couple of friends helping us.

They really made the difference to allow us not to scrimp on tyres and they helped us make the transition to RS Racing for the 2012 season so I can't thank them enough for that.

Crash.net:
Which aspects of your bike would you change to go faster?

CG:
Assuming the odd technical gremlin doesn't decide to rear its ugly head there is nothing I would change about the bike. Just the way I ride it!

Crash.net:
Which riders inspired you/ did you admire when you first started?

CG:
Back then I used to love watching Haga on the Yam, Garry McCoy in the 500s, Jeremy McWilliams, Valentino Rossi, Colin Edwards, Troy Bayliss... too many to mention! In terms of personal inspiration to progress my own riding I had great encouragement from fellow riders at EMRA who became good friends and various instructors at track days. There was always a good crowd in the club racing paddocks and everyone was really supportive.

Crash.net:
How do you feel on the grid before a race, excited or scared?

CG:
I normally feel nervous for the short time that Ryan and Jeff are waiting with me on the grid as I know that's the last time they can make any changes to the bike if there's anything that didn't feel right on the warm-up lap then once they leave the grid the nerves go and the flag, lights and whatever simple race strategy we may have planned are the only things on my mind.

Crash.net:
Do you think there is a difference between the attitude or style of a male and female rider and if so, what are they?

CG:
Not really. I think just by the fact that you've decided to line up on the grid is more of an indicator of what kind of attitude you possess and riding style is probably dictated more by whichever discipline introduced you onto two wheels.

Crash.net:
Do you know of any other female riders coming through the ranks?

CG:
If I'm at a club meeting I always see other female riders dotted about between the various classes so I wouldn't be at all surprised to see more stepping into the limelight with some good results.

Crash.net:
What are you up to now the season is over?

CG:
The racing season requires a considerable commitment in time as well as money so I'm just catching up on the things I haven't had a chance to sort during the year. I'm currently keeping an eye out for a pit bike so I can join the others for some fun at the karting circuits during the off season and hopefully improve my slow speed cornering!

Crash.net:
What are your plans for next year and what would be a realistic target?

CG:
It's a bit strange answering questions like this because whilst I always set myself objectives for a new season it's become a bit of a superstition for me not to want to shout about them for fear of jinxing my year!

I'm hoping to stay with Ryan next year and it would be really great to see the view from a higher step on the overall championship rostrum! There are some talented riders out there who were improving in leaps and bounds during last season so it won't be easy and the increase in the number of Moto3 machines on the grid and subsequent acceleration in their development that will bring will only help to strengthen the depth of field so I think it'll be an interesting one!

Crash.net:
Have your team's nerves recovered after watching you complete the last laps at Cadwell at warp speed?

CG:
Ha! I hope so because I'll be trying to put them through similar pain next year!

Crash.net:
And finally some choices, please choose one of each of the pairs below (Green's choices are underlined):

BSB Shootout format or Traditional points system.

Superstock/Evo style restrictions for BSB and WSBK or WSBK style unrestricted regulations.

Traction control or Throttle control by the rider

MotoGP or WSBK - "I enjoy watching both, but Moto2 and Moto3 have been by far the best classes to watch this year for close racing."

Moto3 style 4 strokes or 125 two strokes.

Be able to re-join after a crash or not allowed to get back on a bike.

Settle for second in a race knowing you'd win the championship or Take a risk passing the leader on the last lap knowing you'll lose the championship if things go wrong.

2012 Fireblade or 1975 Norton Commando.

Jimi Hendrix or The Beatles

An Italian restaurant with Valentino Rossi or the 'Dog and Duck' with Guy Martin

End.