Chaz targets top privateer title.

After turning down a BSB ride to remain in the 250cc World Championship with Aprilia Germany, Chaz Davies has revealed he's targeting top privateer honours in 2005.

Chaz was offered a ride with Paul Bird's Monstermob-Stobart Honda team - which won the 2003 British Superbike championship with Shane Byrne - for this season, but was eventually convinced to stay in GPs by a late email...

Crash.net caught up with Chaz at last weekend's Autosport International show at the NEC in Birmingham, UK, to ask him about his new deal:

"I'm very excited and really looking forward to starting the new season," began Chaz, who finished last season with a best ever 5th place at the Valencia GP. "I finished on a good note last year and have got quite fired up over winter to get back on the bike and start testing. So yeah I'm really looking forward to this year - it should be good."

So what was it that swung your decision in favour of 250s rather than BSB?

"We were very keen on British Superbikes because it was a good team - one of the best teams in the paddock and one of the most professional - and then at the last minute, I think on the 2nd of January, we had an email confirming that there's a possibility that I might get better stuff on my bike (the 250)," Chaz explained.

"I'll definitely have a new chassis and I'll possibly have semi-factory tyres, so we thought 'right, go with it' - have one more crack at it and see what we can do this year."

What are your goals for this season?

"The main goal is top privateer, that's what I want to be," he stated. "It's not going to be easy because there are some tough guys out there - like Alex Debon, he's been a good bet for the last couple of years running - there's also some other quick (privateers) but I think he'll be the main man. So the plan is to beat him.

"Apart from that the goal is to try and get as close to the top ten in the championship as possible. It's going to be seriously difficult to get any better than that because there are around 14 factory bikes out there. So we'll just have to see how it goes and try and be top privateer. We can't really do a lot more than that."

And is the long term aim still MotoGP?

"Yes. That's always been my aim; it's always been the goal since I was younger," said Chaz. "So we'll see how this year goes - if it goes well and we do manage to get top privateer then the plan is to continue that onto next year with what will hopefully be a factory bike and then do some podium fighting. Then we'll see what happens from there."

Chaz finished 13th overall in the 2004 250cc World Championship.

The full interview with the 17-year-old will soon be available on Crash.net Radio...