My rider was a former ˝ mile and mile rider. He didn’t like the short tracks. We only got into the runoffs because he did so well at Ascot . The sad thing is that if we could have got enough points to go to the UK to race he would have done well. I guess that is life. So close but so far away!

I do have one story to tell you. One night at Ascot Frank my rider and Mike Bast had a match race after intermission. Mike came into our pit area and he was telling Frank how they would ride the best 2 out of 3 races. You know I will win the first you win the second and then we will go for it in the 3rd race. Mike told him I will go low in the first corner and you can pass me high in the next corner. He had a well choreographed race. Frank told Mike “you know Mike I have no idea where the hell this bike is going to go! Well Frank won the match race that night. Every time Mike would walk past our pit area he would look at Frank and say animal, animal .  Russ.

Compliments of Russell Smith