Broc Pearson
Broc Pearson has one of the most coveted rides in the paddock aboard the DesmoSport Ducati (DSD) Panigale V4 Rand 2023 could be a make, or break, year for the young man. With the set-backs he has endured on the way to the Superbike class he sure knows the difference between a good and a bad year.
There were times when his dream, his health and in fact his life hung in the balance with a couple of massive crashes leaving him with some debilitating injuries.
But Broc has shown the resilience and determination that is in the genes of top line road racers in their quest to be the best of the best, to fight his way back that culminated with a win in the 2021 Australian Supersport Championship.
Broc joined the DSD Team last year as team-mate to Bryan Staring. He missed the Wakefield Park and Hidden Valley rounds but still managed to finish the title in 11th place and took out the “Rookie Of The Year” award.
For 2023 the weight of team expectations falls heavily and squarely on the shoulders of the very tall Queenslander as the sole rider in the team after the exit of last year’s third place rider, Bryan Staring. No matter how hard he tries to deflect the pressure, it will surely be lurking in the garage somewhere…
After the ASBK SMP Test, Broc and the team ventured to Phillip Island for a run at the first round of the Hartwell Club Championship and came away with two wins, a second and a third as well as a new PB. A great foundation for the season opener in a little over two weeks time.
We briefly caught up with Broc as he rushed about in a hurry to head to the airport on conclusion of the Hartwell round.
MB: Two Days in Sydney and a few days here in completely contrasting conditions, sum it up for me after getting plenty of seat time of late?
BP: “Sydney was really good. We made a lot of progress with the bike and with my riding, so I was really happy with that. To be inside the top five was pretty promising to fire up the year, I am pretty happy with that.
“And now we’ve come down to Philip Island to do some racing and get some laps under the belt prior to the first round . I was probably hoping to go a little bit faster but there was a lot of laps led this weekend. I didn’t win every race, Herf won a couple but the ones I didn’t win I was pretty much pipped on the last lap.
“All of my lap times have been done on my own which is good because everyone knows the difference a bit of a draught makes around here at the Island.
“It was crucial for us to get down here and make some improvements. It’s the fastest I’ve gone at the Island based on the times off the transponder, so you can’t complain but when you get a little bit closer to the front but you’re never really satisfied. We’ve got a little bit further to go but I am confident the boys are doing everything they can and I know where I need to improve.“
MB: Before I ask you where you need to improve, when you said you found some things on the bike obviously you cant do much to the engine but was it mainly elecroincs or more suspension?
BP: “Definitely electronics. We are taking a different route this year we are trying a few different things electronically and we are making good progress with that, but we are pretty much doing a lot of mechanical changes as well. Here at the Island I haven’t done a huge amount of laps so a lot of mechanical changes this weekend, but we are going in a good direction.”
MB Did you follow anyone very much at the Creek?
BP: “Not really no. It’s a good thing to do all your laps alone in regard to your fast times but it does make you wonder where you’ll be at come race time. I was with a couple of guys at one point that were in front of me but I think in those sessions I had a new bag and they had an old bagso the draught wasn’t really working there and here the same sort of situation. Nah, I am happy to do al my laps alone and need to improve and come race.“
MB: So what have you personsally got to improve on?
BP: “Probably just a bit of line selection and things like that. Definitely I still have to work on my style of riding a fair bit. I’ve still got that old style side which doesn’t really suit these new days.”
MB: You mean to get off the bike more?
BP: “Yeah get off the bike more. I definitely have to adapt to that but just a bit of my line selections and things like that. Another thing that you don’t really get the opportunity to learn as easily when you are out front. I think I spent a whole of one lap behind Troy in two days here at the island. These guys have a lot of experience and things like that, so learning a different way but nevertheless I am still learning.”
MB: So what’s the muscle memory be like when you are getting back on the bike and you are changing your style have you fot to remind yourself, ‘hang on, I’ve got to this’ or is it becoming a bit more natural?
BP: “Definitely becoming more natural because I am becoming more comfortable on the bike. But in short, it’s easier to do it at the test days rather than race weekends. The race weekend your mind set is pretty consumed with other things so I need to work on that at these sort of days and hopefully come race day it comes more natural.”
MB: Do you think there is a podium in you for round one here in a couple of weeks”
BP: “Yeah. I actually think there is. Being honest, I am always true to myself, because I never want to get to a race weekend and wonder what’s going on. I wouldn’t count myself out of a podium. I think a podium would be a great result. I think a top five is a good result but I think we could land this thing on the box.”
MB: Thanks. I know you gotta plane to catch!
2023 ASBK Calendar
| 2023 ASBK Calendar | |||
| Round | Circuit | Location | Date |
| Test | Sydney Motorsport Park | NSW | Feb 1-2 |
| R1 | Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit | VIC | Feb 24-26 |
| R2 | Sydney Motorsports Park | NSW | Mar 24-25 |
| R3 | Queensland Raceway | QLD | Apr 28-30 |
| R4 | Hidden Valley Raceway | NT | Jun 16-18 |
| R5 | Morgan Park Raceway | QLD | Jul 14-16 |
| R6 | Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit | VIC | Oct 27-29 |
| R7 | The Bend Motorsport Park | SA | Dec 1 – 3 |
