The past fortnight has been an exceptional one for Aussie Josh Waters. He grabbed a career-first race win in the British Superbike Championship at Brands Hatch and a few weeks later was standing on the second step of the podium at the famed Suzuka 8-Hour. CycleOnline caught up with Josh as he returned to his British base, talking all things Suzuka and his timely form revival.

Source: Suzuki Racing

What were your expectations heading into the race given that you had a solid test under your belt and a bike you knew that could run up there with the best?

The testing went well for the team so we had a good feeling coming in. This year was a special year for Yoshimura in their 60th anniversary as a company, so it was really special to be riding for them in such a special year. But also I was quite nervous, because it meant so much to them. I knew we’d be fighting, but the two Honda teams are so strong, and then Yamaha and Kawasaki had factory teams there this year, so it was always going to be tough.

Your first time on track was the Thursday session. You’re obviously sharing the track with lots of riders, was it a productive time for you?

We had two sessions on Thursday, an hour and 15 minute each. But when one lap takes well over a minute, by the time you do your out lap and your five timed laps the time is gone. I was lucky though, I got to ride in both sessions on Thursday which was good because at the test I didn’t get as much as the other boys, so they had a plan to let me ride a bit more. On Thursday night I was pretty happy with how I rode that day, and so were the team.

Your individual performance in qualifying reflected that; were you happy with a top three in your group?

I was happy with how I went. I was in the second rider group, which is just decided by the team’s nomination of each rider. But you’re riding around the track with 69 others so it’s not easy. I was happy with my time; I was third, and was 0.3 seconds off my teammmate. I was happy with that and it was good to have us all close as a team. Tsuda did an amazing job in qualifying in the Superpole and claimed pole.

There were some significant delays due to that big downpour. How did this change the plans for the team?

At the test I rode in the wet, and the team were really happy. When things changed and they said it was going to rain they decided to put me in. But then there were delays at the start and I didn’t end up doing the first stint, Tsuda did, and then I was on second after that.

What were the conditions like for your first stint on the bike?

It was dodgy. Some places were still wet, others had a dry line. It was quite hard to pass because there was a dry line and you were on dry tyres, where some others were on wet tyres still. You don’t want to do anything silly, but then you don’t want to go too safe. I was happy because when I got on the bike we were in fifth, and by the end of the stint I caught second. For me, I was happy with how I progressed.

Talk us through the middle stint and then the role that the safety car played later on?

It bucketed down at the end of my stint. I stayed out for one lap on dry tyres on a completely wet circuit, because it’s hard to tell whether it was just going to be a sprinkle or a downpour. It was a downpour and a half (laughs). We pitted then and I think there was maybe an hour or so later the safety car was out. We kind of got screwed over there, as you’ve only really got a 10 second window and we ended up losing nearly a minute and a half more sitting there at the end of pit lane. That’s just part of the luck side I guess, that made it that little bit harder to challenge for the victory.

And we understand you were battling a bit of an issue with your headlight in the final run home? What can you tell us about that.

Yeah, I didn’t know. I definitely put it on when we left. It would have near been 30 minutes all up under a safety car and it was on the whole time. Where the button is, they thought maybe I’d knocked it went I went down a gear or something. But I don’t use the clutch so I know I definitely didn’t touch it. They were a bit worried! And I just had to keep checking it was on all the time. But in the end the last stint was just about riding smart. We weren’t going to win because Honda had a huge gap.

Source: Suzuki Racing

Honda performed well and had that necessary little bit of luck on their side; was the gap to them always going to be too hard to bridge?

Their pace was so fast and we didn’t exactly lack anything, but you’re only maybe making 10 seconds back in a stint over the course of an hour. It’s just so hard to make that time back when you’re putting in normal laps and they are too. Add the traffic in where you catch people at different parts of the track and then that takes any little advantage you might have made back. If the lappers are in a big bunch you find yourself losing time very quickly. But each lap is different, that’s all part of it.

You’ve finished second here before and your ultimate goal is obviously the win, but all in all, it’s a successful outcome for you isn’t it?

It was pretty cool. Like I said, this was my third year with Yoshimura, and to get asked back on the 60th anniversary is pretty special. I think Nob Aoki has down the most Suzuka 8 Hours for Yoshimura, and I think I’d maybe be second or third in terms of actual races there. It’s for sure something I’d love to do again. I’d love to win with them, because they’re great people. It will be a lifelong dream of mine to win it. But it is a race where you need a lot of things to fall into place. You need a little bit of bad luck for your rivals and a little bit of luck on your side.

We had a handful of Aussies competing this year, many from the domestic series. It must have been good to catch up?

Yeah it was awesome, just hanging out with all of the Aussies. That’s something that I really enjoyed, just hanging out with my mates that I used to battle with, and just the fun that we have talking crap [laughs]. It was good fun. I had to leave at 5am on Monday morning and I think I was up to half-past two or something!

And the result caps off a dream fortnight for you doesn’t it, sitting alongside your first BSB win there at Brands Hatch?

I got on the plane quite happy, for sure. My win in the BSB was in the wet, and it’s different to the dry, but qualifying in the dry was at Suzuka, and we were all on the same or similar tyres there so it made me feel good because I held my own in both the race and qualifying. It’s been a good few weeks.

Everyone approaches their racing differently but to me you’re a guy who really rides the highs and lows. These last few weeks have to be a great confidence booster don’t they?

Yeah. I’m feeling better. It does make me feel better to be just riding like I am. Riding in the second BSB race in the rain felt like I’d ride at home, and I didn’t get out of control or anything. That’s how I used to do it back home, and people said to me that I looked like a different person riding the bike. The result in Japan was good and I wasn’t miles off my teammate or anything which was good.

Thanks for the chat and congratulations again.

Any time, thanks for the support.