Cameron Donald: The TT Bar Fight | The TT Podcast – E48.1

This week, Chris Pritchard and Lee Johnston speak to TT presenter and legendary rider Cameron Donald.

Cam talks to us about striking the balance between family time and his passion for racing, his early years and why he had to wait before he could get started racing.

They discuss the emotion, excitement and surreal feeling of being on the startline, both as a TT rider and a presenter, and what he said to Michael Rutter the first time he met him.

CAMERON DONALD PART TWO – OUT NOW ON TT+
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Ladies and gentlemen boys and girls welcome to the TT podcast the greatest podcast in the world unofficially and the podcast where we talk to one person from the world of the TT to discuss their lives their Journeys and their Ambitions with the greatest motorsporting event in the world and it

Really is isn’t it Lee Johnston with o do name another one the M’s Grand Prix it’s a close second but other than that nothing nothing nothing even comes to close today’s guest I’m excited I had a I had a sleepless night worrying about this one like I’ve done with a few but

This one is I’m excited about this one the first time I ever met cat so the guest is if you didn’t know Cameron Donald of course you did because it’s in the title and it’s in the thumbnails um he said hello to me as if as if we were mates

Obviously he watched a bit of the podcast or he knew me from something so when he saw me like double Tu and went I am mate you’re all right I was like oh my God he knows long illustrious career does preced you absolutely yeah but

We’re we’re in TT royalty uh I’m in a little yeah a little bit of a fanboy moment not let’s get out of the way now what so he doesn’t realize I’m sure he’s going to realize the moment he walks in and he goes I’ve got a lot of questions without like sitting asking

Them but like Boyhood questions you know what I mean so yeah I’m excited let’s get him on Cameron Donald welcome to the TT podcast I’ve been waiting for this one this is the first time I’ve done a bit of Fanboy you said that in the group on the way come on stop no it’s true though is it yeah I’m slightly nervous about this one

I don’t even know where to start but tell me about your your TT podcast experience Have You Have you listened to any yeah I have listen to a lot of them yeah especially before the TT when they first came out I remember listening to them and we had such a break in racing

And I remember I’d listen to them work in construction quite often i’ leave home like 5:00 and have an hour an hour and a half drive so it’s perfect listening get into it and I remember because my best mates Trevor work with you know he was listening to him too and

We’re off say how much does it get the adrenaline pumping you know austal’s a long way away and the thought of coming back over getting back to the TT yeah it definitely did and it was good just hearing everyone speak and you hear a lot of stuff that you haven’t heard

Before so no generally it was really really good good that’s not to throw you under the bus and just in case You’ not listen to any but the point being obviously we we start the podcast with the same question to everyone that’s raced or or is currently racing and it’s

All about the tap on the shoulder about what it feels like especially what what we tend to find is like going through no man’s land is kind of where the race starts for a lot of people and the nerves kind of dim down a little bit

Because the focus is on the race but for you what was it like rolling up to the start line getting that hand on that shoulder and then eventually getting that tap it’s a surreal experience it really is um I’ve often said if you could bottle the emotions that you

Experience in that short period of time it’s it’s incredible um it really feels like the world stands still it’s only moments but sometimes it feels like in in hindsight or retrospect it feels like a long period of time you remember every detail the people fussing around mechanics packing up looking at the

Strain in other people’s faces that at the time you don’t pick up on but when you look back just that look when you look at a fellow competitor in the eye and you give each other look like you know what you’re about to do and look up

At the the flags waving on the back of the grandstand and I’d always look out for the Aussie flag and think okay this is it it’s game time you know but it’s um gets the gets the hair standing up now just just thinking about it that

Makes me nervous I’m like I don’t even know why I’m that nervous I’d often get a flash of like why am I still Plumbing or concreting or what am I even doing here you know that was probably before that moment that moment when you walk up

It’s like you know so what is when you are walking up are we are we nervous are we composed and ready or cuz from what I’ve researched and and learned all your racing career especially you’ve been an intense fell that has always gone to win

You’ve not just rocked up to turn up and and take on the course you’ve gone you you’ve come to win which is I think you the majority of the field are I mean everyone thinks like that don’t they but not as intensely though I was definitely

W up like a spren yeah but you have to remember he hasn’t drove 20 M down the road the the man’s come from the other side of the world he hasn’t come here to oh I’ll have a mosy round today you know in any I I say this about Irish people

Like go to England to race like it’s harder for us to go and compete because you have to get on the fair it’s a it’s a lot of hassle that sounds pathetic s beside he come well he was nearly Irish for quite a while he come and come and

Lived there and but the commitment to do that for for anyone or anybody that you rid for or raced with or anything they couldn’t deny that you’ve you give up a lot to to get there so that’s maybe was the basis of a lot of the it could have

Been but yeah definitely I know I was intense probably too much more than good at times but because I think it’s wasted energy but yeah wound up like a spring sharp as it just focused you know all the hours you know on the push bike in

The gym in the pool on the motor you know it all comes to that all the circuit knowledge rehearsal the laps everything there okay this is it this is the time and um yeah it’s a beautiful beautiful feeling really terrifying you know onite but at the time you just you

Know you’re so sharp you’re so focused and you’re just so ready to just head down that road get the job going it’s a strange thing to think that there’s not many people that would ever experience that in their lifetimes like literally ever and you you get to feel that on a

On a daily basis for two weeks and that’s kind of when you’re really in my eyes I don’t know if I’m right in saying this but that’s when you’re really living right you’re actually living absolutely and it’s something that I you know the emotion the feeling I still

Feel now when I’m up there doing the commentary job I still it’s overwhelming almost at times and I thought it was something that only a TT racer could feel and I remember being up in the grand stand when I was injured and I think it was pity Andrew pit was over

And and Glenn Richards Too come over for a look both Aussie competitors racing world and British championship and they were like whoa this is heavy and I’m like you guys can feel this and they were like yeah and then lucky enough when Mark Weber came over chatting to

Him he said the feeling on that grid was like nothing else that was incredible and there’s an at the time a current F1 driver saying that you know and you’re like it’s an understanding though I think you know like if if you’ve got an understanding of any comp whether it be

Cycling you know anything if you have an understanding of there’s a lot relying on this and then that’s maybe something where there is no risk involved like for one’s pretty safe it’s not you you know what I mean it’s still things still happen but they have an understanding

How they feel in sport that’s pretty safe you bring them to somewhere like this and they go this is this is like different it’s nearly the more knowledge you have the more you you will feel that I think bring someone like I bring my Ms or whatever she obviously understands

But she’s never been in that pressure environment for themselves to understand and maybe something that’s not as dangerous and then all of a sudden you Heap what the actual risk are involved and these people that are very good at their job all of a sudden go maybe not

For me this and on the other side of the coin I’ve had friends here this year at the TT that have never been and like even a mate misses that never never done Motorsport but got them up on the edge of the grid and even they were saying

Afterwards like that’s heavy like wow the the feeling you know what they’re feeling nerves as well the excitement you know yeah it’s a really special place that it’s quite incredible that small area and the amount of emotion in the air and what’s going on at that time

Yeah I suppose you don’t feel the the range of emotions in many other places where there is all that excitement about for what’s about to happen but also with that mind on the fact that can now this is dangerous this is I remember the first time I was up there 2018 I think

And like I was shaking I was like why are these boys what what is going on this needs to stop right now this is just I think it’s if you’ve got any any OB observance in your you know you can see if you get home you can tell when

Your Miss is in a bad mood you know what I mean you can tell when someone stressed out if you look at mechanics or team owners or sponsors or anything and everyone is in that similar sort of situ if they’ve got any care or either care

To win or care to worry or you know these things it looks like a similar [ __ ] themselves expression you what I mean and sometimes I don’t know about you but I’d go I would feel okay you’re obviously nervous but I don’t I’m not I don’t suffer like some people are like

Nion sick and I would feel okay until I get there and then I look at a lot of people and go holy [ __ ] they’re all like proper cing themselves they’re not even getting on the bike and I’m like then I think should I be more nervous than what

I am or what you know that that that that pen of of nervousness up there is but I suppose you’ve got the the sweet release of letting your clutch go and you being in control and yeah you knowing what’s exactly happening all the time whereas they sit there and go that

That that was something I really wanted to ask cam because you’re the first person like I’ve only done a few but the first person on here that I see as seen as being a proper doer if that’s the right word so I want I wanted to know what

It’s like now you know you’ve stopped how how does that feel and and you know do is what happens I think this is a personal question I want to know from my own isn’t it interesting you say that okay CU straight away I thought of you because it’s a of emotions I’m happy

Now with a family and I’ve got when I say a family it’s more my focus is so split with so many other commitments and a huge thing is living on the other side of the world that it makes it easier to stop racing as far as it’s not it’s a

Long way away it’s so hard racing from austral I mean it’s hard for anyone to put a deal together to put the bites together but it is a little bit harder being a bit further away so it was so hard each year to put the package

Together to go racing it kind of makes it almost easy easier to stop but yeah when you come back it is hard you go through a range of emotions when when you’re cuz you’re obviously a job here now but you’re first year back or and not racing but being here that was yeah

It’s like a blur it was it was good though the media job helped me because I was new to it so I was out of my depth I probably still am but I was nervous and I could sort of put all that energy into something else and I’ve said to a few

People I probably wouldn’t have come back for a couple of years I probably would haveed myself then I would have come back and sat in the Hedge and and had a beer and probably enjoyed it but for the first year or two after whether I would have come back and been involved

I think if it wasn’t media I would have wanted to be involved with mentoring or another writer um which I have worked with other writers but I would love to do that or be more involved with the running of a team or being part of it and um I remember speaking to Philip

Neil about it at the time and you know options there or looking at maybe doing something like that also very aware you have to be very careful as an extra quite soon how you went about that but I’ve got to jump back to this story okay

Postco we come back and we hadn’t seen everyone for years and we came back and so many people kept saying you’re looking well you’re looking fit you’re looking fit and I had trained a lot leading up to that just in life fit of them now I just I felt really good

Myself and I’ve been riding a lot Offroad and was this that and I started thinking you know everyone’s had two years off like and I’m looking at a few other others that hadn’t got had let themselves go a bit and I’m like you know what you know I just started I did

I got this wave on the first day this big wave I started putting the plans in place I got another super sport bike did a few track days did a bit of club and I’m gone through the whole thing and this is as true as we sit here that

Night I’m back to my room flicking through social media and there’s a slow speed picture of you coming out of up out of b y it’s and it’s like your will off the ground touch like and I was like Goosebumps now thinking about it and you

Know what I did I looked at the results that day and you were like p8 or something you weren’t even and I went catch yourself on like that was the moment that I thought like I just forgot how hard you pushed around here that was the defining moment I looked at and I

Just went wake up to yourself cam like seriously because up until then you start thinking your Romance of how good it is and how it easy is and that just brought back to home riding around here is like a bar fight it is brutal and it

Wasn’t like you were P1 plus 2 seconds or 10 you know what I mean you were just in the mix you might have ridden that sector faster than anyone that lap I don’t know but all I knew was wow I’m going to be riding that hard to and I’m

Not in the top you know what I mean it was anyway that’s a long story short I’m like yeah bam it’s it’s strange that you could still come here though and you could probably you know top 10 he trying to you’re trying to fry his head again

He’s just got it’s too late now 2022 it’s it’s gone now 20 yeah but to to actually retire from from racing the TT you have to start racing the TT and to start racing the TT you have to have a a bit of a legacy behind you of actually

Racing so where if we go all the way back where did we start racing flat track for years track track and I didn’t start till I was 15 I started late road bikes from when I was you know four or five but lucky I always say I’m so lucky

I started late I think cuz my brothers both started Motocross real young both went to a grade Juniors and I by the time I 15 17 they were burn out they discovered girls and parties and I mean we all did but I guess they you know live that life TR racing near every

Weekend and they loved it we all loved it that’s that’s really common and like even a lot of English school boys and stuff and you only have to go to the track and see the way I’m not saying this is what your parents were like but

See the way some of the parents you can think why would the kid want to do that the parents is Hing abuse like you start writing because it’s fun do you know mean see a seven you’re old and they’re out there throwing stones just you can’t even fathom what like oh Dad’s saying

Yeah your bike’s faster than their and blah it’s just so I was lucky M have was like it cost us a fortune I’ve never gone down that racing path right at the time cuz my next brother Up’s almost 10 years older than me so I’m like begging

To race and he was like you can race when you start working I dropped out of school at 15 and started working and to to go and race yeah oh pretty much I hated school but but it was honestly it was both and then you know bought of

125 motorcross Bike second hand and D was like just straight up you know if you knuckle down and you work I’ll match you dollar for dollar we’ll go racing that’s fair but he’s like the minute you start carrying on you know if I catch out getting drunk smoking dope carrying

On like your brothers probably you know it’s it’s it’s off so I was just like and I grew up my hometown it’s it’s a lovely spot but it was pretty tough when I grew up a lot of rednecks lot of my mates were pretty wild and if you

Weren’t drinking and getting up to mischief pretty much weren’t welcome in the group and and racing to me gave me that release like I go to a party and people be like we’re getting up to this we’re getting up to that and i’ just be like no I’m riding tomorrow I’m racing

And even all my rough head mates were just like C’s it gave me credit it takes them a whale to like that my friends are quite not s the Rednecks but they’re quite similar and once they got the gist that you were half decent or then that

Was like something cool for them to talk about go oh Cam doesn’t drink he’s RAC and it’s like this weird you’re like but not and I was so focused I don’t care if they didn’t if you know they started treating me different I would have just

Bowled anyway but the fact that I did have support from my mates helped you know and like sometimes I felt like in out all my mates play footy Aussie rules everyone plays footy probably a bit like soccer over here um and if you’re not into that and you’re not in the footy

Club and you’re not locally you’re sort of just not part of it but racing I always wish there was a track closer to home so people could see what I was doing but yeah that that’s sort of anyway I started late so that I think

That gave me a focus and it gave me an appreciation for the opportunity I had so I didn’t waste it did you have that same intensity as a as a as a kid then or was it was it not until you started to be competitive on a bike that that

Edge started to come no I think it was intense two older brothers too made me very competitive like I remember you know the XR 100 down the padic doing time trials and just trying to beat them you know they were my idols and even much earlier than that I just and

Growing up watching them was a great you wanted to be as good as your brothers and you wanted to beat him especially if he was 15 and you were five like that was he was like God you know what I mean like I from my little boy Jesse’s five

Now and anyone that’s like 10 12 year old they’re the coolest you know what I mean doesn’t care what that or anyone they’re the that is like the cool person in their in their brains would I have that as a brother that is racing would

Have been like it did help me and even my older brother sat down when I started racing I remember seeing you down saying mate knuckle in here I wish I had you know like I remember him saying getting drunk going out whatever you know it’s going to feel the same at

40 or yeah I think at the time he was saying 30 but you can’t start racing if you’re thinking about World Championships when you’re 30 you know do it now and I had some good you know a few little things said to me that sunk in at the time but no always intense

Still probably intense at times ask C about that it’s strange that you say you got into racing late at 15 nowadays we we we consider that late it’s not really it it bugs the heck out of me and that’s why I reckon all my personal opinion is age should be even raised they’ve

Started to do that but you know and I see it at home all the time with these kids on Moto 3 bikes and like you just think just put them on dirt track you know like there’s only 10 15 bikes out there in Moto 3 they should be heading

Into turn one 15 AB breast learning that Cutting Edge racing doesn’t even matter that it’s not on the bitchman they’ll adapt to that but you need to learn that that Ary Bary that at home we don’t have the numbers in Road in circuit racing to

Do that so I just think you know and the same with you know you can’t do a tract unless you got someone there with a laptop to run the bike you know it should be just tip gas in the tank go out and ride around to you’re exhausted

I think that’s the key for young and not get too serious too soon but it’s the way of the world you can sort of see that in Spain now because that’s all fair enough they are all in motor 3 teams there’s obviously money getting put in from the government and

Everything but all them same kids are R racing around a car park racing around flat track racing motor doing obviously the weather is a lot better than England but they don’t care what they’re on as long as they’re on that seems to be the thing and you just

You have you see them you think they’re you see them on the track on the bike and their leathers and helmet you think oh they’re their average and then you see an interview after and it’s a child I mean at 13 you are you are a child you

Know what I mean and they’re pumping all this information into them and everything and you can’t expect them to and they say oh he’s not good enough in two years time you might suddenly click might you know what I mean there’s a lot of factors in like if if you seen cam at

14 he like compared to a 14y old now you have said oh he’s not going to make it because he had the St you know what I mean it’s all relevant there’s so many factors yeah and the cream should always rise to the top right yeah but it’s not

Like football you can’t go and kick it again the wall nowadays like he said if you don’t have the laptop you don’t have the bike the tires it’s it is pointless you know what I mean you need the the kit to to make it unfortunately and we’ve definitely gone past the point of

If you’re good enough you will make it that doesn’t matter anymore and and I feel for the riders that don’t start till they’re later like I always look at bis you know a lot of people don’t realize first race 23 yeah he first ever race at 23 what a beautiful story will

We ever see that happen again highly unlikely it’s the way of the world but I feel for you know I coached a lot of guys and you see some guys at 20 and you say mate you should start racing you’ve got a huge amount of natural ability and

Most of them it’s the boats already sail to a point yeah yeah to a point how do you change it I don’t but I just think too especially in the Moto 3 the whole thing we should like I don’t I think we should be racing on bitchman thinking

About it before 15 or 16 that’s just my but you know that’s that’s the way of the world as I said it’s all um but that’s what I love about the TT too it requires a little bit more maturity um you know I’ve had a good chat to Y young

Joey yesterday Joe yley Yardley pronounce it correctly um yley and is it y I’ve got interview yley yley sorry I listen to a couple different interviews and everyone was doing it different had to ask he’s better in Australia what a great lad and so young but then when

We’re chatting he’s actually 26 you know and he’s probably lost a couple years of Co but um still very that’s young at the TT yeah you know it’s it’s young but it’s also a good age because it’s an age where you start to know what it’s all

About I think you need to know that for here yeah so so in terms of going onto the roads and starting your road racing career the plan was always to go World Championship or at least you wanted to go world Championship absolutely that was my always wanted Super Sport World

Super Sport World Super Bike even at that time I’d already realized that I probably didn’t have the the tools to go to mod ogp as far as the backing already people you know you had to be racing in Europe or you had to take a lot of money

Um and then got the opportunity to do Macau and that was my first opportunity to do a street race and that was how much how much like Aussie Championship had you done before going to ma uh quite I’ve done I started off 125 GP I did several rounds but then I did

Years of 250 production back in RG days and that was absolute Cutthroat I mean the second year um when we were challenging for the championship it was W an West that won so it was a good year even then though yeah he used to fly around they tested every track before he

Went there like in Australia sometimes that’s 3,000 he still aren we still racing know so still what you said about C still doing over here and there and could you go to Mak on a 600 still then yeah and 600 was quite big so and then I was racing 600

Super sport in Australia I think I’d raced in New Zealand was my only overseas race but yeah know we’re challenging we’re in the top five Aussie titles so we’re going good um and then yeah got the opportunity of maau so yeah Jo dropped had so how did how did the

Opportunity of maau come about and was Road as in road racing road racing was that on your radar at all then was it not on M account not even remotely on my radar it was not on my radar full stop end of story no street racing in

Australia love the TT always watched the videos dad was an older guy from my age he rode and raced bit of Club racing you know on British bikes pop Michael they all have pommy bikes they all talked about the TT all knew about it but I never even thought about it and also

It’s 2003 when I first 2001 when I first went to M 03 I whenever it was it was pre YouTube like I I hadn’t seen any footage of the track no footage so what was explained to you did you think it was just said it was a closed Public

Road and I was like oh yeah that sounds basically someone R came up and said do you want a holiday do you want a ride your back that was that was all the young you know when you’re an aspiring racer to do a race overseas was just

Like wow you’re making it turn up this R six and just go wow this is and then you know in the padic with at the time like DJ and cuz you can’t even walk people don’t realize it you can’t even walk the track cuz it’s like Mayhem the start and

Finish Line’s five Lon wide like a it’s there’s no path no you so you physically cannot the first time you get rout unless someone some Crazy Taxi Driver brings you around for a lap and there’s like traffic jams and there’s no reference at all so my first run right

Well obviously I seen some on boards and stuff which is different to cam but like you’re literally bombing down and the the first two corners are absolutely flat out like it’s the place is man I was like I went over a week and a half before the race to test the bikes in

Mainland China there was a two-day test at zohi so I was actually over in Macau for the week before and I had a scooter so I actually did it would have been a massive yeah but I got to do a lot of laps and as I said but I just kept

Thinking but I was young and full of bravado and the thought of there being no runup I was like oh well just it didn’t it didn’t phase me it phases some Riders and it’s not that I’m any more Brave or but I did ride on the street at

Home and I like the the excitement of riding around the street so it was just but I clicked and had a win in super sports so and of course with all the TT teams there you start speaking to different Riders and mechanics and people and you just you all it’s not

Like here in Mak you all stay in the same Hotel the same that so you end up you end up talking to people you would never talk to or like supp there’s a load of Irish Lads there and he’s straight in the mixture me I know it’s

All the story a bunch of time and being on the bus heading back so everyone gets the bus there and back and I’m sitting next to this at with all due respect at the time some older bloke and I’m sitting there I’m like ah so who are you

Spaning for and he’s like spaning you cheeky and it was R and was then he was all then but he was to you know he was just a he just had this to moan about I might have thought he’s someone’s mechanic you know like he was probably

40 F then but I didn’t like it’s just anyway it was such an eye opener and that’s but I also and I always think of DJ at the time because he was the man here then and and Archer bald and those boys and just thinking so then you go

Home and you start getting a couple of TD TT vhs’s and all of a sudden although just go on to DVD but it’s like they make sense I met that guy I wrote I saw what that guy did and then you start cuz you’re RAC you’re like oh my super sport

Time compared to oh the TT that’s when it started oh is it thought the thought of it dude you can you can literally see the process oh I’ve went there I was quicker than him and I if I if I can do that there L as your I’m I can just go

Win a TT why that’s how it sounds arogan say it out loud but at like 23 or whatever he was that’s exactly what I was and where I was 1 plus two n and that’s what we’re doing but if you are there or thereabouts in the mix and you

Potentially beating a few of these Riders then there’s no reason why you couldn’t think like that though no and BTS Billy Baron Northern Irish guy had a he bought the ex I can’t I think he bought Flanigan Suzukis uh at the time um and he BTS transport he’s had a privateer team you

Know with really good bikes from the roads in Northern irand you know that backgrounds just live and breathe racing and uh he asked me to come over at Macau I’d done Macau a couple of years and I was always running at the front and Super Sport had some good battles with

Plato with Callum Ramsey different and uh he cler was a British Super Sport Rider then you know I it was it was a a level it wasn’t just Road Racers M now people see that as but he was he was the best superport Raider in England it was Tam Hond had Lu you

Are now I’m a podcast never mind but no I had a win over finished he finished seconding to us that was great like that again that was another thing where I’m doing the maths and I’m like but I was speaking to I remember Jack Valentine at

The time about trying to get over on the Triumph he was very helpful he spoke to me about it te and he actually spoke to me about it and he said let’s try to get you in British superport he was brilliant but even at the time it was

Like look you’re going to have to bring ties you’re going to have to find someone to live do this the dollar was like almost 3 to one at the time and I’m like that’s a lot of money you know I just I couldn’t do it how so how are you

Funding that then what what well I was Racing for Chinese teams in I started doing Asian Pacific championship Super Sport really competitive series paid rides yeah yeah only a little bit but still Yes paid right after being a privateer yeah and then um Billy said come over and do a couple rounds of

British super BX I came over and did Melo and thron the TT happened to be on at that time I didn’t even know it was on that date Billy’s like we’re all chartering a plane mards come over fly land in the field and we’ll go and watch

The Senor and I I remember oh man the plane trip was terrifying but the um we were going to die I really did no one told me we’re Landing in a freaking padic no one told me that the plane’s coming and gone through rain and I’m

Yelling out where are we Landing oh M up there when he says Charter to play in this is like some gu nearly paddling in the front it’s not a bra jet little push pull s with a few of the northern Irish Lads and we um landed but anyway that

Day we went down and we watched the first race in bagary um I know I did I was telling a bunch of Aussies that I just did a bus trip with this morning that spot on the stone wall is where I sat and the first bites came through now

Correct me if I’m wrong but that year there was a 600 production race in the morning um and anyway Bruce was one of the first bikes to come through so what year is this 0607 that that was um why I came here in 05 as a newcomer so that was 04 04 right

And Bruce came through was one of the first bikes and you know to think and I remember turning to guys I said I have to do this I have to do I said Billy I’ve got to do this got to do this it was just like the speed watching the

Branches shake like nothing like maau and the dust come up off the air and just that I was just like yeah I have to do this and got to The Paddock and tracked down Paul Phillips at the time and just said hey this is who I am this

Is what I’ve done if anyone’s got a seat that’s what started the ball rolling but it was that moment that I was like I have to ride the is of man and winds none of that it was just I just want to do it once Mom Dad I’ll just do it once

They just want The Medallion what they my M’s like oh yeah just once and then of course the rest is history so before you came to the TT you hadn’t done the Nationals and stuff in irand was the TT so you did the TT first then because

When you came this is I I remember this like I remember everyone talking about he’s like this cam Donald’s rocked up and he literally smoked everyone literally you were going to new tracks and you were in irand yeah yeah yeah it was it was a beautiful time I was I

Intended to go I was meant to race the Dutch and German Super Sport Championship i’ done a deal with the team was and I was coming over to test uh before the end of the season and do a smaller race in um Holland somewhere and

It just so happened so done the TT as a newcomer loved it amazing experience uh blew my mind but I still wanted to go World Championship I was still trying that like all Races you get knocked back and you get messed around and then um I got the opportunity to

Come over actually and do the all Grand Prix for a team in in Ireland asked me to come over Richard Brit left the team there was some Hondas there they were good bikes is that the dmmr like I have these posters on my wall you know I mean this was like that

Was like the first factory looking team mean it look trailer he was from rally so I think he had a background with we knew Motorsport and it was a goodlooking show and I come over with my mechanic and the idea was he basically said come

Out do you want to do the allstar I’m like yeah absolutely and he’s like I’ll give you a couple thousand pounds I think, 1500 quid or something it was for me I had to get myself to Europe to so I could get that covers aare my mechanics

I said do you want to bring someone with you keep your company so my mate my mechanic we come over and we did the olar I think we won the newcomers and we got a podium in something else so we did good like as a newcomer to the oler took

To it really well fortunate to get there on new bikes but I’d never seen the place um and there’s a lot of it’s It’s a technical track there’s a lot of out the b is blind and really fast so it’s late about four four I’m right thinking

About four miles little bit longer six or seven yeah something like that but that was another huge experience blew my mind racing was strong at the time the padic was huge teams were there but then while I was here the deal over there fell over they wanted me to bring like

Pay for my tires before I flew over and starting a changeing story on the phone and I’m like I’m not coming unless had another Aussie Kev curtain racing World Super Sport for Yamaha Germany I rang him I said to these guys and he’s like mate if they’re already playing those

Games this the German and Dutch Championship yeah so with all due respect everyone involved I was just like no I’m out you’ve you’ve seen what I’ve done I’ve already been over there to meet you so all of a sudden I’m like what am I going to do next year and

That’s when the opportunity with Yu Duncan Wilson Craig Robinson concrete came up and my career went from going that way to just that way were you happy with it going that way you made your pece with realizing I was but I was a very motivated young riter with a lot to

Prove and that’s why probably when I got on the Irish roads always when I look back I get goosebumps cuz man did I do some he was awesome that if someone says to me what think of Cam Donald or whatever I don’t know what age I was

Young but like that’s what I see is him on that red and yellow and white you the bike and everything you know what I mean he literally just turned up and you imagine how pissed off all these Irish Lads were this young T good looking Aussie rocks up and smokes them all of

The tracks they’ve been riding on all the yeah you had Richard you had like five probably with Fara Arie ball Richard finan like and these were these nowadays it’s a bit different so guys from British Championship coming they’re sort of like the top TT guys but then the guys that

Won in National you obviously had R and stuff that were doing British Championship but these National Irish Road Racers were on the win and or on the podium also at the TT so they were they were doers on good good bikes not Factory bikes probably but yeah good

Bikes so you weren’t rocking up like no disrespect to Irish Road racing now but it’s not at the level what it was then it was strong there was a lot of sponsorship the the events were going strong the clubs were strong you know there wasn’t all these insurance issues

And whatnot but but I remember I was young and like I remember tangri oh you did well at Cookstown but tangri takes years to learn blah blah blah blah blah but I remember Phil melum saying it’s a mini TT Nile tangri you’ll go good at so

I was just like every time someone would say is your learning year deep down i’ just be like yeah you and I think back I think what were you thinking it should have been but you know that’s one of my proudest results to go to tandree and

You win the Grand Final and took a couple of seconds off the lap record as a newcomer was just like and I was just like imagine how deor that was but I was taking a lot of chances and but we got away with them and but it was great you

Know we had great rivalry too Miss myself and finegan and those other go we had a lot of fun and even you know he was at Hometown Hero at scaries and to beat him down there meant so much to me he was the first person to come up and

Pat me on the back and say come back to my place for beers like the it was like a family racing over their crowd I’d never experienced passion for racing like it knowledge for racing like it and support it was just you know the rid it

Was a beautiful thing it still is do you think it’s it was the chip on the shoulder of have knowing that you’ve traveled all the way across the world you’ve made much more of an effort like Lee said earlier to get there to get on

That start line so you had a little a little more to prove than those boys in some ways yes on the other side of the corner it was easier for me that I didn’t have anyone ringing up saying do you want to come over Sunday or Mom

Saying come up for Sunday lunch I was here on my own or with my partner at the time girlfriend from Australia at time and we were here to do one thing and it was race and I was just so and I think that was a huge benefit to me CU I see

Other Riders especially locally you I didn’t know people coming up I had plenty of people coming up want to say hello in the padic but you know I didn’t have my neighbor or my boss or have to worry about work I mean TI I was just

Like here and I had so in some ways yes it was hard that’s why I see Riders from Australia I think they either come over here and Excel or struggle some get homesick some but I just found that for me it was the best way to focus and

That’s why I always try to travel light when I race and just keep it about the racing so yeah yeah it’s it can work both ways was there any of those um Irish circuits that you got on and you were like actually this is a little this

Is a little too sketchy um because they are I mean people that haven’t seen these people might have only seen the TT as a road race but some of these Irish roads are they’re smaller than what you’d class as a B- road back in the UK right they’re Farm tracks the first

National I did was for and I saying I drove down there in the racet trck with my mechanic and we actually this is a true story I’ve said it many times we were lost pulled up and said to this farmer where’s the RAC trck and he goes

You’re on it lad and we’re like now where’s the the you know for he right and he goes you’re on it and we’re like yeah like it was just like and I’ll never forget after that we went to the mid Anum and like Donnie mechanic I’m

Back in the pits I’m like things handle like a shopping troller with three wheels it’s doing this it’s doing that and he’s like where’s it doing this where’s it doing that and he’s like right when practice finished he’s like take me for a lap in the car he hadn’t

Done a lap yet mhm and we did a lap and he just sat there quietly we got to the end he said like what are you supposed to tr want to get a kx500 that’s the only that’s going to handle around like it was just like mate like yeah you’ve

Got no hope yeah just especially if it’s a from a track background yeah he never little Ripple in the here and it’s given me a little bit of chatter and they like oh we can dial that out you know I mean you got three massive jumps in into a

Corner you’re like what do you want me to do did it ever get to you did any of those I I’ve never done none of them none of them not one no cuz you’re not that stupid Noe no I honestly I I left the same as cam thinking I didn’t think

Maybe I was going to be in World Championship but I like I wanted to go and do BSB and yeah and Excel on that and then just things I actually went road racing accidentally I got offered I obviously as a kid growing up I’d been

To watch all and it was amazing and my dad like was at me and at me he’s like this is noten know you can race you can go do British Championship you’re not going Road like he was really good friends Richard Britain who was from our town and and I

Think the older I got and a few people like um Mickey ly Eugene’s and Michael’s dad said oh you know leave be good at road racing he doesn’t crash a lot and he’s you know he’s fast up and dad was like don’t ever say that to him or

Anything out loud you know what I mean and the the team I’m with now we went they said oh in I think it was TW 2012 do you want to come and do the Northwest because they were running Gary Johnson and I was like oh yeah what this is

Meant like it didn’t C me him which was the big thing sort of thing and I went and I just my dad bless him there was somebody else at that time that was a newcomer as well a kid that raced in Bri Championship from home and he was

Obsessed with doing the northest he was like can’t wait to go and I was like I’m not really bothered you know what I mean it was pretty La Daisy went out in the first lap and my dad blessed him he was praying that I was going to come in and

Go scared the life out of me whatever this other kid come in and went it’s not for me dad and my dad was like oh come on I him I was like this is me is this is like the best thing ever and he and he was like yeah the other lad just

Didn’t even go out there and a bless him and he was just like well just you know this will do sort of thing and I hadn’t even told him then that I’d like spoke to Paul Phillips who was going to go do DT and I was like it’s already sorted

You know we can’t pull out now i’ sort of like got all the things in motion and and yeah went and then went to do the older stuff that year as well same year it was me and Dean Harrison I really I’ve often thought of yourself with that it wouldn’t be easy

Especially being from northern irand I mean it was a HomeTown for me for a long time and the people are like family and still got some of my dearest friends live there it’s I remember I mean I was teammates with Michael LV in

The you know F Taz and you know he CED a lot of flack like he get people de he don’t have the balls to go Road R Car Park races and it used to kill me that because you’re like I know too I was still saw myself as a short circuit

Racer that was just doing some road racing I didn’t see myself as a road racer then and I still had aspirations for British championship and other yeah but you people forget you were like I can you were in Bri championship in Superstar and you were bang at the front

You know what I mean you weren’t it’s like and that was really rare then so like all the other people we mentioned they couldn’t do that Archie ball couldn’t do that rich Britain couldn’t do that far couldn’t do that finegan couldn’t do that so all the people he

Was beating there then he was going like you were the first sort of person bar um like we said David Jeff will been the last or rter maybe but rter wasn’t doing other road races at the time so you were the first person to be fit to do both

Again before maybe now me or uh Pikman or you know because even now still there’s not a lot of people that do like Michael and stuff doesn’t want to do both yeah I find it I mean I just think there’s nothing better if you’re cutting edge in that Championship just for your

Skills but as I said that I felt for the local Riders because they did cop a lot of flak and I thought that’s it’s so unjustified you know and it’s so it’s not fair it is it is I remember like when I won my British Championship no

One at home really cared and then a couple years later I won the Northwest and I was like unb oh unbelievable like he’s won and it was like a super twin race or something my first race it wasn’t like that’s still a and everything but I just I remember saying

That to my dad I was like the the appreciate it was just a completely different thing do you know what I mean to to do that so it is what it is yeah um but uh yeah I remember thinking that too you know if Michael

Went to the Northwest at if he wanted to do it he’d kick ass he was a brilliant Rider but he didn’t want to do it fair Jews each to their own you’ve got to want it and that’s we always talk about the TT how would this one go how would

That one go back in the day How would if he wanted it he’d smoke him probably at the time with his ability but you got to want it you’ve got to really want it and all the money in the world might won’t make you want that as much as we

All and some end up on the roads because it is easy to get sponsorship and it can send you in that direction at times it doesn’t matter when you’re out with that helmet on you’re not thinking about the prize money you’re not thinking about paying the bills Monday you are just I

Think that’s in every type of well especially M about racing because in other sports can almost if you’re good enough at it maybe like footballers or whatever and you think oh I’m not really enjoying it but I’m making a few quid it’s easier than working and everything

You can’t do that Mite racing because the second you get hurt you go and people like men come up to me all the time at wh trctor and I have a kid that’s pretty good they go oh Jimmy he’s and me and he’s at I go has he had a big

Crash yet no not yet I goes come back I says see how K Jimmy is when he’s L there when he wakes up out of being a knocked out whatever and the first thing he thinks is like is the B okay how long will it be and all the stupid questions

You ask that’s if that’s not in you it it doesn’t matter how good you are whatever the second that happens all of a sudden all the motivation is not worth Cameron we’re going to take a pause in the conversation right there still loads to come from the legend that is Cameron

Donald and here is a little teaser of part two and they never put pressure but I mean your teammates Bruce ansty like at the time which is that’s a whole story in itself the most irritating thing in the world this man sleeping and then smoking everyone you’re like

Everything that logically works in your bra to make you good is the opposite to Bruce you’re like what go to Fain tie testing you know and you’re sitting on the plane going home and you’re like what do you think of that one what you and he’s just like no way I didn’t

Really take much and you’re just sitting there going what like what and he was like and I used to think at the start it was a game and the first place you can watch that podcast is right here on TT plus unless you’re watching on YouTube

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