Jake Farnsworth(#49) is an ASBK rider as well as an Australian Dirt Track Champion who is currently racing in the Supersport 600 category and who recently bagged a sweet podium in this year's Phillip Island Race!
Here is the exclusive interview between Motoracers and " Crazy Jake" so read on!
Tell us about your motorcycle racing story. What drew you to racing and how you started out
My father raced in Australia in the early to late 90s in the 250 production class, so we always had bikes around the house. They didn't want me to race because of the risk of injuries that my father had. Finally, at the age of 11, I convinced him, so we went dirt track racing. I raced dirt track for 10 years before I started road racing.
Can you walk us through your typical race day routine, from waking up to crossing the chequered flag?
I generally wake up quite early. 6 am. I like to get to the track early, eat breakfast, settle in, and make sure everything is sorted with the bikes. Before my races, I have a warm up routine, mental training techniques and discuss strategy with my team which changes depending on the situation. After the race I debrief with my team on where me or the bike can improve. I also place a lot of emphasis on recovery.
Racing is often a very competitive sport. Have you faced any challenges in your racing journey, and what are the more challenging aspects of being a professional racer can one expect?
I used to struggle with managing expectations and focusing on the outcome other than focusing on my personal performance on the bike. I work a lot with "always flying sports psychology" who have taught me a lot of great mental training techniques. The other big challenge is racing with an injury, you really have to dig deep and block out the pain but also be very attentive at the same time.
In high stress situations such as overtaking, can you shed some light on the mental aspects like calculating risk, strategy, understanding your opponent's intention etc through an example?
When it comes to overtaking you sort of develop a natural nack for it. You start to automatically calculate spaces and openings in real time. You race with the same guys all year so you can gather an understanding of where they are strong and what their riding style is. If I'm looking to out brake a rider on corner entry, depending on their riding style and lines you can judge whether or not you can make it work. Sometimes you need to get close so you set it up a few corners before, others who aren't so strong you can make the lunge when you feel best.
What have been your most memorable moments so far in racing and what are your plans for the future?
I won the Australian dirt track championship in 2018 and I won a state level championship in 2015. I've won 300cc and 600cc state championships and I've podiumed several times at national level. My goals for the future is to win the supersport 600cc Australian championship. Lets see where we go from there but I am definitely keen to race superbikes in the future. I also want to get paid to race. This is something very lost in our sport at the moment. We are full time athletes sacrificing everything, even our lives. We shouldn't have to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to race in a team, we are worth more than that. I would love to see and be a part of that change.
Finally, what advice or tips would you give to all the budding riders just starting out everywhere?
My main advice will always be to enjoy and have fun when you're on the bike. It's very easy to get distracted. Another big piece of advice I would give is to always think of ways to improve yourself and not blame the bike all the time. A lot of riders are always changing the bike because they are not fast but sometimes you just need to reflect and study yourself and your competitors and see where you can improve. But you must always have fun!
Thank you, Jake(Instagram:@farnsworth49) for having an Interview with Motoracers, and we wish you the very best for this season!
Faster. Better. Safer.
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