Troy on brink of maiden Aussie title
6:00am Friday 11th January 2013 in Latest Sport News By Andy Warren
Swindon target Troy Batchelor
TROY Batchelor is determined to secure his first Australian title in style as he goes for a clean-sweep in tomorrow’s deciding round.
The 25-year-old Swindon Robins target won both of the opening two events to score a maximum 40 points, and leads Peterborough-bound Dakota North by eight going into the final round in Kurri Kurri.
Batchelor only needs to make the B final in New South Wales to wrap up his maiden national crown, but he won’t be thinking about that when he takes to the track and wants to claim the title with a perfect record.
“It would be great to win all three rounds, but I have to turn up there and remember it’s not won yet and that there are another five or six races to go before the end,” he said. “It’s not over until I get the trophy, and I won’t be thinking about any of that until it’s won.
“I’m in a great position right now but I have been here before and it didn’t end well, so I’m focused and making sure I go there with the same attitude.
“I feel pretty relaxed about it all, because nobody knows what is going to happen.
“That kind of makes it exciting, because there are a few guys in there and Dak (North) has got himself up to second and Cam (Cameron Woodward) is now third.
“The thing that wins championships is being there in every race and scoring points and making finals. You need to avoid crashing and breaking down, and if you can do that you are in with a chance.
“I just need to go there now on Saturday and do myself justice.”
The Robins hopeful practiced at the Kurri Kurri circuit last week, and is hoping the track produces more entertaining racing than round two in Undera.
“It was a pretty tough track and there weren’t too many passes all night, and it was really slick with a blue tyre mark round it,” he said.
“A lot of people were being beaten by each other and gate one seemed to work, I didn’t win every heat but I kept picking up points and that is the key to it all.
“The track was really small and similar to an English track, and you could have stuck any rider on the inside gate and they might have won it.
“The thing that did it for me is consistency, and I knew I had to do that when I got there.”
Round three is due to get underway at 8.30am UK time.
