Coming off a second place finish in the most recent round in Copenhagen, Denmark, Crump appears to be setting himself for an assault on his fourth Speedway GP crown.

Enjoy Motorcycling Australia’s chat with Jason Crump.

Motorcycling Australia: It’s been a topsy-turvy start to the Speedway GP season for you. How has it been?

Jason Crump: It has been a difficult start. There have been some big changes to Speedway regulations, particularly the noise regulations referring to the silencers used on the bikes.
It’s no secret we’ve all struggled with the change, and I’ve probably struggled with it more than I expected.
But after everything with the bike and my shoulder the result in Copenhagen was exactly what I needed.

MA: You suffered a dislocated shoulder in Gothenburg. How is it holding up?

JC: It’s holding up pretty well at the moment. I was very lucky that the FIM doctor for the event had treated me for the same injury previously, so when he knew what had happened he sent me straight to the hospital to have my shoulder popped back in.
As anyone who has dislocated their shoulder will tell you; the sooner you get it back in, the less damage you do.
I had a week off after the injury and was receiving treatment everyday, which helped me get back so quickly.

MA: The podium result in Copenhagen was your best of the season. Do you think it will be the turning point of your campaign?

JC: Looking forward to the rounds in Copenhagen and Cardiff I was confident, because I had done well there most years and I was in a situation where I needed to turn it around if I wanted a medal or simply to stay on the GP circuit.
It’s amazing how your confidence changes when you have a good round like the one in Copenhagen and hopefully I can build on that.

MA: You’ve been competing at the highest level for more than a decade now and have been arguably the most consistent rider in the world (Three World Championships and a top three finisher in each of the past 10 years) through that period. How do you keep yourself motivated?

JC: A lot comes down to your own drive and the goals you set. I’m very proud of my record in the Speedway GP and I have worked very hard to be at that level.
A lot of effort goes into those results and I hope I can continue to performance at my best, and maybe another World Championship.

MA: There are more Australian riders competing internationally in Speedway than in any other discipline. Do you see this being translated on to the Speedway GP scene in the near future?

JC: There are a tremendous number of young riders coming out of Australia, especially in the Under 21 bracket. You only have to look at the number of riders in professional teams in the British League, it’s unbelievable.
It shows Australia, as a country produces Speedway riders of a bloody high standard.
I think it comes back to the junior racing in Australia, like the Dirt Track and Long track, which gives youngsters a great grounding and also over the past 10 years or so these young riders have had the likes of Leigh Adams and myself to look up to.

MA: Heading into the middle stretch of the Speedway GP season your 19 points off the Championship lead. Is a fourth World Championship still in your sights?

JC: I have a lot of pride in my performance so I’d be wasting my time if I didn’t think I was racing to win World Championships.
There are a lot of points between myself and the leader, but anything can happen and we’ve still got seven rounds to go.