Smart attack on glory road

Ten years ago, Scott Smart was a bit of a black sheep in the family.

Not that anyone was particularly bothered. In fact, he admits, everyone was actually quite relieved he had decided to turn his back on the family business.

That's what happens when the family business has a tendency to make you break your collar bone five times.

But, as Smart soon discovered, there are some traditions you simply cannot avoid.

"I was the first one in the family to do 'A'-levels and was doing a degree in physics and everyone was really pleased with how I was doing," said the 29-year-old.

"But away from that, I was riding bikes and getting faster and faster on the roads.

"My dad came to me one day and said he would put me on a track to see how I would do but I had to promise that I would stop riding on the road."

He laughs. "I think dad - in hindsight - said he thought I would never be any good at it."

But he was.

In his first appearance at Brands Hatch he finished third and then second and was soon hooked enough to ditch his university studies and become a full-time rider.

The British Superteen title followed soon after and he was voted the MCN Young Rider of the Year by a telephone poll.

Now he is riding high in the Think! British Superbike Championship for Hawk Kawasaki and chasing a top three finish after adding a second win of the season at Knockhill last weekend.

Scott's dad is Paul Smart, the former Imola 200 winner and his uncle is "some has-been" as a page on his website reads, or the late twice world champion Barry Sheene, as he is better known.

"My dad was the first one to win a big race for Ducati," added Smart junior.

"People always said it was all right for me because I must have the best backing and lots of money behind me, which wasn't necessarily true, but it did help you get publicity.

"I have never had any help from Barry, mostly because he lived in Australia, but I'm sure that if I went to him and asked, he would have been quite happy to do so.

"But the thing with my family is that we are all very independent. Stubborn, even, so I didn't. And it feels good knowing I have carved out a name for myself.

"When I was starting out, just about every time I was mentioned in the press or whatever, I was always 'son of Paul Smart, nephew of world champion Barry Sheene'. But now people know my face for who I am."

Part of Smart's identity has come about through a media career spanning Eurosport, Sky and Channel Five, which spiralled after being hi-jacked in the paddock for a three-minute link.

On the track, Smart has clocked up a wealth of experience in the last ten years, riding everything from 250ccs in the British Supercup and European Championships to a Honda NSRV500 V-twin in the 500 World Championships in 1998 for Team Millar Honda. He is now on board a brand new Kawasaki ZX-10R.

"The deal with Hawk Kawasaki has been really good," said Smart.

"A couple of years ago, I was running my own team in the Supersport championships, but I realised I just didn't have enough man hours to make it work - I was the manager, mechanic and rider.

"I enjoyed running my own team because I'm always very particular about my bike.

"The mechanics at Hawk are very good at getting them absolutely immaculate, just the way I like them because they are the kind of anal-retentive people like me who like to get the bike so it's clean enough to eat your dinner off."

It was a different kind of passion that brought him north from his home in London to Sutton on Forest two years ago - a love affair with partner and fellow industry worker Judith Wade.

Next up for Smart is a trip to Mallory Park on July 16-18, where he will be hoping to build on his race win at Knockhill, which he engineered out of a gamble to risk slicks in a field of wet and intermediate combinations and hoping the track dried out.

It did. Not that a spot or two of rain would really have dampened his spirits. Apparently, it's in his blood.

Updated: 10:32 Saturday, July 10, 2004