AMERICAN Brad Baker wants to make up for last year's disappointment in tomorrow's Troy Bayliss Classic.
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"This is a really cool event,'' he said while at the track in yesterday's heat.
"I've been following it for a couple of years now. I was hoping to come over last year but I was hurt racing in Spain just beforehand, so I didn't make it, which was disappointing.
"So now I'm excited to be here. I think I have the bike pretty well right and I think we'll be where we need to be.
"But there's a lot of fast guys here in Australia as well as guys from the States and Europe as well. It's going to be interesting.''
Baker will be one of the favourites for the race. Yesterday was his first look at the Old Bar Roadside Circuit when he had a brief test.
He doesn't think a lack of time on the track will be a worry.
"If it was my first time on an oil track I'll probably be a bit more uncomfortable,'' he said.
"But we raced on another track (oil) yesterday and I got the bike sorted out. Now that I'm comfortable on the bike and the surface I think everything's going to be just fine.''
Baker was reluctant to nominate just one rider who will be the hardest to beat. However, he does his homework on the opposition
"Heck, there's a lot of them really. There are four other Americans - Jared Mees, Henry Wiles, Jake Johnson and Sammy Halbert - and they're the riders I compete against back home,'' he said.
"I know they're not slouches.
"I rode with Troy Heffross and Josh Hook yesterday and they're really quick.
Josh has he's been really fast here in the past.
"Bayliss, the guy who puts the event on here. He's won here before and he's super fast as well. Mick Kirkness has also won here before and he's a great rider.
"There's a bunch of other guys who I haven't even ridden against. There's probably about 10 or 15 who could give it shot, it's going to be great racing.''
Baker hails from Washington State.
"I'm about two hours south east of Seattle,'' he said.
The weather there is vastly different to what he was experiencing yesterday.
"It's rainy, snowy and icy right now. It's cold back home,'' he laughed.
"So it would be nice to get a bit of a cooler temperature on Saturday. We rode yesterday and it was 100 degrees and above all day long and that's hotter than I'm used too.''
Baker will head home next Tuesday. This is his first time in Australia but he hopes it won't be his last time at the Old Bar Roadside Circuit.
"Yeah, I hope to be back again next year. Like I said, I wanted to come here last January and I'm looking forward to racing on Saturday,'' he said just before heading out on the track.
