Motorsport: Love meets Swedish match

NO FEAR: Sam Love in action during the Norwegian Road Racing Championship.PHOTO/SUPPLIED

A nasty crash has probably cost Tauranga rider Sam Love a chance to win the prestigious Norwegian Road Racing Championship.

Love, 26, went into last month's third round of the event in third place but close enough in points to first and second riders to be confident of going all the way to the winner's podium.

But disaster struck in race one when he tried to make up lost ground and crashed, with his bike landing on the inside of his left thigh.

"The race was held at Karlskoga Motorsation in Sweden, which I have never ridden before," Love said. "It is a terribly bumpy tight circuit which is apparently the home testing circuit for Ohlins Motorcycle performance racing suspension for that reason.

"There were 49 600cc bikes competing. I qualified in third place on the front row of Premier class, which I was very happy with considering I had never ridden there before. I led for two laps before I made a mistake and ran off. I rejoined in about 10th place and pushed hard to try to fight my way back forward, but in doing so crashed."

The following weekend he was back racing in the Nordic International Championship at the Scandinavian Championship, but his injured leg severely hampered his performance.

"The best riders from Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark were to race two qualifying and two 18 lap races over the one weekend to decide the best rider in Scandinavia," Love said.

"With my leg still injured, I struggled to grip the tank and keep control over the bike throughout the whole weekend, but I did the best I could. I qualified fifth for the first race but had an uncharacteristic terrible start and fell back to eighth in the first corner. The 18-lap race gave me time to fight back to finish sixth.

"It was a wet track for Sunday morning's qualifying and I was very happy to get up to fourth as I'm not so comfortable in the rain. I got back to my normal lightning fast race starts and took the whole shot in race 2. Unfortunately, I missed a gear into turn one, the revs were too low and I had no power on the exit. I lost two places but continued to try pull the leaders back.

"I struggled with power in my left leg on the many direction changes and fell further back to take another sixth place in that race."

Love is back in action next week in the last round of the Norwegian Championship at Valer and despite the odds against him, he has not given up hope.

"I am currently sitting fourth and if the top riders were to crash it is still possible for me to win the championship. Later in October there is a round or two of the European championship which I would like to compete in. But I will need some big sponsors or fundraising to compete in that."

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