As announced.; I was given the opportunity to have a meet and greet with Cal in Assen and do a little Q & A with Cal. Thank you to the LCR Team and Cal.
These were the questions asked with Cals replies:
1. Is testing parts for Honda affecting your race results in reducing your time to set up the bike for the race. ( you made some comments about it after FP2 in Jerez)
CC: Ï think people were saying it was wasting my time, but what I was saying was: I think we would have been a little quicker if we were not testing those items. But we were testing them, and in the end development is going faster if someone is testing them. And if you look what we are using now, Marc and I are using the exhaust, which I was testing then, I was pleased to have tested it. It is hard work because when you come in to
the garage you have to set up the bike: maybe the suspension, the electronics, the position on the bike, a lot of different things. So in the end we were loosing some time because we were only working on this one aspect. But it’s always a privilge to test for Honda; it means you’re doing a good job, your contribution is a plus, that you are competetive enough. So it’s always a pleasure to do that. It is hard work doing it in a race weekend; when you go testing it’s a lot easier, but in a raceweekend it’s difficult.
2. You live in the Isle of Man; would you ever concider racing there?
CC: You can ask Elisa ( press officer LCR Team), she can answer that question, I think it’s been asked more than a million times,… I would but I think i’ll be divorced then ! My wife Lucy doesn’t want me to race there. You know I live right beside the track, and in my head I say: yes I would love to race there. But it takes a special kind of racer to race there and I’m not that special kind. My style is completely different. But as I said if I would I would be divorced !!
3. Is there any chance the problem with the front tyre is going to be resolved this year?
CC: I suppose i’m not allowed to comment on that right now, I hope it gets better. For the Hondas yes it’s critcical for now. The allocation is not always good for us. ( I know you and Marc prefer the hardest compound, for more stability under braking) Yes but even the hardest compound is mostly to soft for us. So we have to adapt to that with our ridingstyle and Honda has to adapt. We hope the allocation gets better for us. ( Yamaha had some problems as well in Catalunya) ; yeah, it’s not jus us.
4. Are you getting the same support from Honda as Marc and Dani this year?
CC: Yes I get full support. The new deal with HRC means i’ll get direct support from HRC, maybe we will get a little more support then now, but technically we are not that far from full spec. Honda supports all their satellite teams very well, it’s not just us.
5. What was your finest win last year, the first or at Philip Island ?
CC: Look the first is your first so that will always be very special but, I would say Philip Island because it was more dominant and I really like the circuit.
6. You end your race carrreer; would you consider going cycling on a professional base?
CC: I just signed a two year contract, so no. It would be too late. But now, yes I would consider it. I think at the time I would be able to compete on a national level. ( How many K’s you’re doing a week right now?) We are racing now and travelling a lot, .so about 700 K’s right now but if we are not racing probably a lot more.
Source: calcrutchlow35.nl
Thank you to the LCR Team for the cooperation !!