Bradley Smith smashes Jerez GP125 lap record
British young gun confident after Spanish test
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BRITISH TEENAGE racing sensation Bradley Smith is quietly confident ahead of the new 125cc season following his move to the Polaris World team. Smith has been in impressive form in training with his lap times more reminiscent of an experienced veteran rather than a 17-year old novice.
Smith shattered the unofficial lap record for the Jerez circuit in Spain last week to lead the first 125cc World Championship test session. Riding his Polaris World Aprilia RSA his ‘unofficial’ lap record was 1.146.869 minutes and Smith was the only rider to lap under 1.47 minutes over the entire three days. Current World Champion Gabor Talmacsi couldn’t quite match Smith’s pace and finished three tenths of a second down in second place.
Said Smith: “It’s a great start to the season with my new team especially as I’m still learning so much about the bike. This is only testing and there is a long way to go but we could not have asked for a better start. We won’t be getting carried away but we’re very much looking forward to the start of the season.”
Smith’s optimism is shared by his new team. “We’ve been delighted with Bradley’s commitment and attitude since he joined the Polaris World team, not to mention his form,” said Jose Maria de la Puerta, Head of Team Polaris World. “We believe there are exciting times ahead and we have ambitious plans for the new season.”
Smith joined the Polaris World team in November 2007 after making history as the youngest British rider ever to stand on the podium at a Grand Prix. “Polaris World are a brilliant team, definitely one of the best in the championship, and this is a real step up for me. We all share the same ambition to be regularly challenging for victories and I believe we can achieve that,” added Smith.
