The 10th edition of The Tough One heads to Hawkstone Park on Easter Saturday with David Knight weighing in as one of the prerace favourites. After missing out on Hell’s Gate the Manxman is back in Hard Enduro mode and he’s looking to win…
“I’m not going to lie – I’m excited, nervous and just generally looking forward to The Tough One. I’m getting butterflies in my stomach just thinking about it and it’s been a long while since that’s happened. At last I’m finally getting back to Hard Enduro and it’s great to have it happen at Hawkstone Park this weekend.
“The Tough One has generally been kind to me over the years. I’ve raced it six times and won it five. In my book that’s a pretty good track record. But I want to win it again.
“There’s a strong entry of riders heading to Hawkstone Park on Saturday but I feel like I’m one of the main guys to beat. I’m a racer at heart and I always expect myself to win – no matter where I ride. Saturday will be no different. In my eyes Graham Jarvis and Jonny Walker are the two main riders to beat but I’ve beaten them already this year at the Eddy’s Xtreme championship. Granted conditions are completely different this time around – there’s more pressure too – but I’m confident in getting the job done.
“Looking back it was difficult to miss Hell’s Gate. At the time a lot of things were going on. I was stuffed with the flu. I hadn’t prepared for the race and was still in SuperEnduro mode. Finishing out the SuperEnduro series was my priority and because Hell’s Gate fell in between the final two rounds of the series something had to give. At the time it was a tough call to make but by ending that championship as runner-up I know it was the right one. Sherco and myself put too much effort into SuperEnduro to throw away a good result like that.
“After a couple of quiet months it’s great to get back racing again. I’ve ridden Hawkstone Park a couple of times over the years and although I’ve never raced a Hard Enduro event there it’s a track I’ve always enjoyed. I think knowing that I can do well but also not knowing what to expect is what’s exciting.
“There’s a bit of everything at that place – the motocross track for one but in the woods there’s plenty of big hills to mix things up. Plus with some man-made stuff thrown in the track will be tricky. However it’s racing flat out for three hours in rough sand that will really make it hard. You’ll have to dig deep to win this one but I’ll give it my best shot.”
{youtube}RWw0Aotdx8s{/youtube}