Fullnoise: Before we get into what you have planned for 2018, it is fair to say you had your best year to-date racing wise in 2017, Finishing 2nd to only Daniel Milner in the E2 championship.
Riley G: For sure 2017 was a great year for me, I hit every goal I had at the start of the year. I wanted outright podiums a class podium for the season and top 5 outright at season end I managed to tick all of those boxes and another state off road title also.
It was great I had career best results all season including a lot of great overall round results in the second half of the series and finished 2nd in class.
I feel I was consistent all year and it was a great effort from my Mum to travel and help with what she could at each round.
Fullnoise:The AORC was not the only place you had some great success in 2017, you also attempted the long standing 24hr reliability even in South Australia, a 24 hour race taking in four laps in a true endure format.
The win could have been yours, however you copped a penalty that took that win away. What happened to cause the penalty and how did you feel about it, will you head back to race the event after what happened in 2017?
Riley G: Last year was my first attempt at the 24hr event; it’s a great event and It was very cool to finish the race on my first try it’s a good feeling.
I had some issues on lap 2 and was handed a ten-minute penalty as I failed to stop at a checkpoint that was poorly set up.
They had put bunting up across where our previous laps worn in track had been and being dark it took my concentration to see any changes, so I missed a stop sign that was in a poorly placed spot.
After I failed to stop the sign was moved!
I tried hard fighting all of this. They had let multiple riders off for a similar sign problem on lap one in the daylight and a rider was even told by an official to ride backwards on the course and come down a correct track so he would not be penalised.
But after all of these things where admitted to from officials and clerks of course my penalty was not overturned so I feel for sure it was a bit of an unfair decision.
But hey I’m keen to go back and have another go at it the race itself is so cool I mean at 2-3am in the morning it’s pretty amazing riding along thinking how cool is this I’m racing my bike at night so yea it’s a great race and keen to try go for a win again.
