Brady Kurtz: I really enjoy riding in important matches (interview)

INNPRO ROW Rybnik won the first final match of METALKAS 2. Ekstraliga ABRAMCZYK POLONIA Bydgoszcz 50:40. The Rybnik team built an advantage before the return clash, which will take place this Sunday in Bydgoszcz. The leader and hero of the hosts was none other than Brady Kurtz, who once again this season at the stadium on Gliwicka Street, did not find any conqueror. The Australian told ekstraliga.pl if the advantage will be sufficient and how much he likes the Rybnik track.

Błażej Kowol (ekstraliga.pl): You win this match 50:40 and head to Bydgoszcz for the return match with a 10-point lead. Do you think that will be enough to advance to PGE Ekstraliga?

Brady Kurtz (INPRO ROW Rybnik): I hope so! It has to be enough; there won’t be more opportunities for a rematch this year. Seriously speaking, I think it’s a good result. Winning in the final with a significant advantage is really a tough task. 10 points is a cushion we can build upon in the return match.

Would you take this result blindly before the return match, or is there some disappointment?

We should be satisfied with such a result; it is really solid. Of course, you always want more, but you can’t always achieve that. So it’s our task to finish what we started in this clash in Bydgoszcz.

You scored 14 points and a bonus in this match – another complete set of points for you this season on the Rybnik track. What’s the recipe for success?

It’s hard to say definitively. I really like this track and racing on it. Ashley Holloway and my entire team have done a great job this year. The results come as a result of the hard work we put into preparing for the current competitions in the winter, during the preparation period. Everything works as it should.

Did you change anything in your preparations that it’s so good?

I work hard every winter to prepare for the upcoming season. In fact, the biggest change I made was just before the last year’s play-off phase, which brought good results. I managed to build a foundation on that and continue good racing.

This must have been a tough week for you, and it’s not over yet – two matches in England, one in Sweden, and now Poland once and on Sunday again. Do you feel tired?

It’s been a long week for me and exactly the same ahead! Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday – 3 finals in 3 leagues within a week! But I can’t complain about it. We’re riding to win, and reaching the finals is a big deal and the last step before achieving something bigger.

Does having so many finals mean that the pressure associated with such events decreases?

I think so. I think you might be right. I really like riding in important matches. It doesn’t affect me at all that it’s a final. I always try to do what I have to do – regardless of the importance of the match.

Did the track change much during the event? At least the slower times suggest so.

The track always changes in some way during the event. The Rybnik track is a wide track. When you ride wide, after the surface has already been worn out, you cover about a hundred meters more than in the first phase of the event. For this reason, the times are different. But I think the track was really well prepared.

You missed the first meeting in Bydgoszcz between both teams due to injury. Will the lack of familiarity with that track this year be a big problem for you?

I think it’s an obstacle. Especially since the rider replacement used for me at that time did not bring a good result, but in fact, no one was able to find the right setups for that track. I hope I’ll be able to lead the team and fulfill my role as the team leader. I’ve had a lot of successful matches in Bydgoszcz. It’s a track that suits me extremely well – probably one of my favorite away tracks. I will try to use that in the rematch.

After the match, you thanked the home team fans for a long time. Was this a kind of ‘last dance’?

I’m not sure yet. First, we have to win on Sunday, and then we’ll see.