Q&A: Johnny Rea - EXCLUSIVE.

Johnny Rea has stepped up to the top flight HM Plant Honda team at the young age of twenty. He is very much an up and coming talent and 2007 is a big year for him.

Rea has had an impressive pre season and is ready to race. He spoke to Crash.net Radio at the Honda Racing launch in London and at the recent Snetterton test.......

Question:
You've had a superb pre season testing, tell us about it?

Johnny Rea:
My pre season started pretty crappy really with an injury, but everything after that has been going good. The guys at Jordanstown University have been taking care of my knee pretty well. After that we went to Almeria on the new HM Plant Honda and the bike is pretty good, I went fast straight away. From there we moved onto Guadix, I had quite a big crash there but still managed to go quite quick. That was I really, went to Albacete for that but the conditions were too bad to ride so we just did some practice starts. That has been my pre season. I'm just trying to get really fit and stay healthy and we shall see where we are.

Q:
How is the knee injury?

JR:
I had a big crash at Guadix and that set me back quite a bit, I've not been training for about three weeks to try and get the swelling down on my knee.

Q:
How are you feeling about moving into the top flight team?

JR:
You know its mega, last year I was being hounded for my signature by quite a few teams and it was a real tough decision. Then when I made the decision it wasn't tough at all, I'm glad to stay in the Honda family and really grateful for the opportunity to move into the full factory team. I'm under no illusions as to how hard it is going to be the competition is fierce and it is just going to be a mega season. I can see it being as nail biting as last year if not even more coming down to the wire with four maybe five riders this time. It's got every opportunity to be the best domestic championship in the world; we've got Chris Walker back, the fans favourite. Chris should have all the pressure in the world on him, winning World Superbike races last year and coming to BSB theoretically he should wipe the board but I can't really see that happening. I can't see anybody else letting it happen.

I think also we will see the old Shakey Byrne from 2003 come back; he is happy back in the Paul Bird stable. Having worked with Paul briefly last year he is a real good guy to work for and I think they will have fun together and that will bring out the best in Shakey. Not only that but you have the HM Plant Honda team with myself and Kiyo. I'm under no flipping illusions how hard Leon and Greg will be to beat. I've been training, I'm down to my ideal weight now, I'm super healthy, my knee is giving me some problems but I think I should be able to ride around that. I just can't wait to get to the first round and see what happens.

Q:
How are you finding the Mitchelin tyres?

JR:
For me a tyre is a tyre. The performance difference between Mitchelin and Dunlop is zilch I think. I think sometimes Dunlop are stronger than Mitchelin and sometimes Mitchelin are stronger than Dunlop. But definitely two completely different riding characteristics, different riding styles and I'm pretty adaptable with that. I've never had to spend too long in my career on one bike getting used to things. So it has been good for me from that point of view, I was able to jump straight on the HM Plant bike on Mitchelins and go pretty fast, I make it easy really.

Q:
Are you nervous about the start of the season or are you looking forward to it?

JR:
I think everybody will be a little bit nervous and I am a little bit nervous. I think it is more excitement really, I've spent so long in the off season watching videos and trying to brush up on all my little shabby areas, you know where I need to improve over a race distance, and so many other little places. I'm super fired up; we shall just see what happens. I think I've quite a lot of pressure on me this year with the Honda team, but I can't let that get away with my nerves. I was always kinda half nervous last year but a good old friend of mine Neil Thompson always told me "When I was nervous I was fast" so hopefully I can be nervous and be fast.

Speaking following the Snetterton test...

Q:
Are you happy with today's results?

JR:
Yeah happy enough, the HM Plant Honda team have worked really hard to get a decent set up. In that last session we were pretty lucky to get some good weather and everything went pretty well. I got a clear lap, got my head down and come up with something half decent.

Q:
Finishing the test ahead of your team-mate has that boosted your confidence?

JR:
Testing is testing and racing is racing. I'm not na?ve enough to think that just because I'm fastest in testing its going to mean that we are going to blitz the race. We've a pretty strong position now on race tyres, we have a good race set up and everybody is super pumped and we shall see what happened come Easter weekend.

Q:
You seem very relaxed about it all?

JR:
You've got to be. I've done my hard work in the off season by being fit and healthy and the team have done a good job of preparing the bikes and everyone is pumped in the team so I'm just sitting back and enjoying racing and it is falling into place pretty well. I just could have done with out the big crash I had in Spain after that I'm fine.