MX Vice recently caught up with Neville Bradshaw and got his thoughts on 2011 and the coming season..
Not a bad return to racing in 2011 after the injury?
Yeah 2011 turned out pretty cool. I had a really fun year, had some great results and I believe I formed a good base to work off for 2012 with the bike.
Was you pleased with how your season ended?
Yeah the season ended pretty good. I was 2nd at the last Red Bull and 4th at the last Maxxis. The main thing is we made some big improvements on the bike at those two races that will benefit me for next year.
Were you disappointed not to included in the MXON team for 2011?
It was a pity not to ride for South Africa. They now have that stupid under 23 rule, which ruled me out as Tyla (Rattray) and Gareth (Swanepoel) had an awesome season. I hear for next year the rule has gone so hopefully I can team up with those 2 guys and do good for SA in the sand next year at Lommel.
What are your plans for 2012? Still progressing with your own team?
No for 2012 I will be riding for Evo-Tech Stevens Honda, the guys that were helping me out this year have stepped things up a lot, with a race truck and full time staff and stuff.
How has the team progressed over the Winter period so far? Are you busy testing?
I have just been concentrating on my base training doing a lot of running swimming and cycling. I’m riding once a week in the sand on a 450. We haven’t started testing yet, the first 250f should be ready to test in the next few weeks.
Same again with Honda? Are they giving you support this year?
Yep on Honda’s again, I really enjoy riding the Honda’s. As of right now we don’t have support straight from Honda.
What are your expectations for 2012?
Well I’m aiming at top 3 in the Maxxis British every weekend and winning the Red Bull championship. There’s a lot of good competition in the UK and I’m sure once again there will be some great racing in 2012.
How difficult is it to stay motivated in the winter and knuckledown with the training?
It’s not difficult at all, I really enjoy working hard and training. It’s my job, and knowing that everybody else is out there busting there asses, I know I gotta do it. Motocross has evolved so much, you can’t not train and expect to do good anymore.
Does having a young family make you more motivated to do well, compared to when you were younger?
Yeah definitely. Motocross is my job, I have to do well to make money to support my family.
Any training schools planned over the winter?
Not really. Once the racing starts and all the testing is done and everything has settled down, I will get back at the schools. I had a really good response from them, and really enjoy doing them.
What round/race are you looking forward to the most if any?
I’m looking forward to Hawkstone right now. The first few races are all sand races, so straight away you will be able to see who has been doing their work and who hasn’t.
What sponsors do you have on board for 2012?
Right now I’ve got Troy Lee Designs, Alpinestars, Rip n Roll, Evo-Tech, Stevens, Maxima, Muk Junkie, Renthal. Matt (the team manager) is still speaking to a few people to try tie up all the loose ends.
