PAUL HURRY:

1:         Firstly, I think we would all like to know if you suffered any more injuries in your ‘off’ when riding for the Hammers  at Wolverhampton?

A: Luckily not, but I ended up with a very bent bike which needed  a new diamond,  forks and a rebuilt front wheel. It was something I could have done without – just down to the heavens opening at the wrong time! This made the track very slippery.

2:         I understand that your number one Speedway bike was damaged in the incident, and that you had to finish the meeting on the No 2 machine. How many machines (Speedway & Grass/Longtrack) do you have for the 2010 Season?

A:  I have 2 Speedway machines and 2 grasstrack longtrack machines and a 350 Jawa courtesy of Mick Potter.

3:         Are you sticking with one trusted manufacturer, or trying out something new?

A:  Yes, Jawa Speedway frames and Stua Grasstrack longtrack frames with GM engines.

4:         Who looks after them for you, in terms of preparation & tuning?

A:     I do most of the preparation myself after meetings, but the engines are serviced by Peter Johns and Neville Tatum for Speedway and Brian Karger looks after my Longtrack and Grasstrack engines.

5:         You started your speedway with Lakeside in 1991, why did you choose them again for this season?

A:       I signed for them on the day of my 16th Birthday and rode for them at Milton Keynes. Going back this year it’s like home from home and with only a 20 minute journey from my home, makes it rather appealing.

6:         What are you aiming for this season? Another Masters (Making  five, one less than Wiggy) or breaking the German strong hold on the World Longtrack Crown that they have dominated for the last nine seasons. (Riss x 5 & Bath x 4)?

A: Obviously I would like to win the Masters at Rhodes Minnis but unfortunately I must go through the qualifying rounds this season to get into the World Longtrack for 2011.

7:         Talking of the Masters, I want to take you back to Sunday 14th September 1997 at Broughton. Going into the final that day you were trailing Kelvin by 4 points (90 –86) but won the final & your first Masters title. I recall Graham walking back to the pits with tears in his eyes. What do you recall of that day?

A: I knew I was still in with a chance going into the final, but basically I had to win and Kelvin had to finish 3rd or lower. I made a good start and hit the front and just kept my head down. Unfortunately for Kelvin, but lucky for me, he had a machine failure which handed the title to me.

8:         Turning to last years Masters in Cornwall, you had a win, a second, a third, and a DNF in the heats. What went wrong?

A:  Don’t really want to go there but Lewis Denham was a deserving winner on the day.

9:         Will we see much of you this season on home tracks? You have a good record at the Poacher, scoring a win, four seconds, and a third in your last six outings. As this years event does not clash with any Continental meeting, can we expect to see you ‘fly the flag’ on August 29th?

A: Hopefully I will be doing a few. I’d like to do the Poacher, the North v the South looks interesting and I think Maidstone Aces at Collier Street could be good to do. But, the one I am really looking forward to is Rhodes Minnis – probably my favourite track.

10:       Would I be correct in thinking that riding Speedway is your ‘bread & butter’ but the ‘jam & cakes’ are the international Long/Grasstrack rides that you get?

A:    Speedway is my bread and  butter. I obviously have to think of my young family, but I really do like the grasstrack scene. It’s been part of my life since I was a few days old, when my Dad was riding.

11:       What is the hardest race that you have ever ridden in?

A:   They are all pretty hard. Probably some of the big longtracks in Germany.

12:       We know, from your past performances, that you enjoy the Rhodes Minnis track, but who do you expect to be up for the title on August 1st?

A:  There’s quite a few – some of the established riders and there’s the young ones that are coming through.

13:       How much of a ‘family rivalry’ is there between the Goddens & the Hurrys?

A: Firstly, I must point out that the Hurrys and the Goddens have always been great friends and it was Don who first got me riding my Italjet round his orchard when they lived at East Malling. Actually, there were 4 families that were all good friends – the Smarts, the Frances, the Goddens & the Hurrys. They all had 4 sons within a 4 month period – Scott, Keith, Mitchell & myself. We used to have parties during the summer where us boys would have mini meetings on our italjets and of course Scott went on to be a British & World road race Champion, Keith took up trials and became an expert and a SE Champion and as you well know Mitchell and myself followed in our fathers’ footsteps.

14:       Who are your main sponsors for this season going to be?

A: Mick Potter of Potters Turf & Topsoil, Tony from the bike shop, Faversham, Hagens, Joe Hughes International and a couple of others who like to remain anonymous.

15:       Do you have any spare time for hobbies in your busy schedule?

A:    I very often – well every day when not riding- go to the gym and I do like doing trials but unfortunately I didn’t have a bike this winter.

THANK YOU PAUL – Good Luck for the 2010 Season: