Maraschino & Harvey

Reed Harvey

MOTOGP CHAMPIONSHIP POST RACE INTERVIEW - Valencia

"Now i've got a crowd favourite. Young gun, Reed Harvey! Give the boy a warm welcome" Phil green introduces me.

Paul, my manager wipes my forehead with a towel and hands me a bottle of water. I've only been off the track for 3 minutes so i'm sweating like a dog.

What a hard race.

"Reed Harvey riding for slipstream racing placed 4th from a 19th pole position. Folks, this guy jumped from second last to 4th position in his first year of riding in motoGP! Reed tell everyone how old you are"

"Haha thanks Phil, wasn't easy I tell you. I'm 23" I cough.

"One fast 23 year old folks. What are your plans now, Harvey? I mean people have had their eyes on you from that first race back in Malaysia 9 months ago. You're a strong contender and I certainly know you're giving top dogs Rossi and Marquez a run for their money. I mean, no one expects a young Aussie kid to almost place in their first championship! Are you moving up in CC? You look more than capable of managing a much heavier, faster, bike?"

"I appreciate you're support Phil, and yeah, i'm moving up to a Honda rc213v, i'm very excited to be on the first class category now, it's just happened so fast" I explain.

"Well you deserve it after that performance. I mean wow. What a shock! So which lucky team is providing you with that monster of a bike, it sounds like you've already tee'd it up" Phil asks.

I look at my manager Paul, giving him the 'Am I allowed to tell?' eyes and he nods back.

"Agh! Maraschino racing team have signed me" I smile softly.

"Oh my god, did you hear this Valencia?! This is enormous! You've heard it here first! I cannot wait to see you with Maraschino, what a fantastic pairing. You are going places kid, what a force to be reckoned with. With Maraschino behind you, you're going to be unstoppable! This isn't just huge for you, it's huge for the guys at Maraschino, they haven't fully established since the loss of John, may he rest in peace. I have no doubt that you can bring them back up to the top where they left off!"

"That's the plan. John maraschino has been my idol since I was a little boy, it's an honour to race with his team. He was a legend and I wish to continue his legacy" I explain.

John Maraschino was a top dog rider for as long as I can remember. John and Graeme Maraschino were brothers, one the rider, one the team leader.

John died in a racing accident 3 years ago and Maraschino racing went off the face of the earth. Their team supported smaller teams in moto2 and moto3, but they want to get back on the saddle, rejoin and dominate motoGP like they had for all those years. It's been in the works for a while now, they contacted me mid year and told me they could take me places, and I believe them.

A fresh start for them and new opportunities for me.

I will live with them on their site for the year and be completely invested in the team.

I cannot wait.

"When do you start with them, Reed?"

"Well they have a headquarters in the form of a ranch farm thing in Melbourne back in Aus, so i'm leaving for there tomorrow and that's going to be my new home"

"A farm? With a race track ?" Phil laughs.

"Yeah sorta, they built one down a few blocks away so i'ts like a 15 minute car awayout and maybe a 2 minute bike ride ahahah" I laugh/

"Stay safe kid, we want to see you do great things which we've already had a taste of. Best of luck to you and the boys at Maraschino kid. See you in round one"

"Thanks Phil, great to be here" I shake his hand, walking away from the stand to get  of this sweat-soaked race suit.