Mike Collins is 30 and considers himself too old to take up motorbike racing as a career, but would not mind taking up semi-professional work as a relief rider.
The Australian, who has just finished his first season racing at the Dubai Autodrome, says he hits the track for fun and working on the bike is an enjoyable hobby.
Collins though tells Sport360° that much more needs to be done, including having more race series to promote the sport and attract both fans and competitors.
Q: At what age did you take up motorsport? And what inspired you to take up the sport?
A: This is my first season racing, so I’m a late starter at age 30! I was enjoying track days on the bike and wanted to take the next step up and compete. It’s one thing to look fast, but racing shows you where you truly stand.
Who has been you role model, if any, in the motorsport discipline that you have opted to take up?
To be honest, I have never really idolised anyone, but I have a lot of respect for all the road racers. John McGuinness, Michael Dunlop, Ian Hutchinson etc… Those guys make circuit racing look like a drive to the supermarket!
Do you indulge in motorsport for leisure, to be competitive, or just as a hobby?
A bit of all three. Riding is fun, working on the bike is an enjoyable hobby, and you can’t help but get competitive when you line up on the starting grid!
Motorsport is an expensive sport to indulge in. How do you go about financing yourself? How difficult has it been to find a suitable sponsor?
I’m self-financed. It is quite hard to get sponsorship, particularly bikes, considering the small target market and lack of exposure the sport has. Hopefully, as Dubai grows, things will develop and sponsors will be attracted to the series.
Would you make a career out of motorsport? In essence, would you go professional? If yes, how do you intend to go about this?
No, I think I’m a bit old now to make a career change, but there’s always hope for some semi-professional work as a relief rider I guess!
In your opinion, are there enough facilities available here in the UAE to advance your current skills?
With only the one race series in the UAE there’s no other choice. The racing in Qatar is getting great numbers and exposure so that could well be an option for next season.
Also, in your opinion, what needs to be done to encourage and popularise motorsport in the UAE, both with the Emiratis and the expat population?
I believe that the majority of people in the UAE do not even know that most of these events are on, so better use of conventional and social media can help to promote the sport across the country. Also, giving people a taste of motorsport in the form of track days then encouraging them to step up to racing. The bigger the field we can get for races, the more action the fans get to see, and things grow exponentially from there.
