Although Australian Ben Attard netted five podium finishes last year, many fans still don’t know much about him, and that—considering his funny, rude, and slightly twisted nature—is something of a shame. It’s also one of the reasons we asked Ben to take a crack at the literary life, though we admit we weren’t holding our breaths awaiting that first submission. (Asking a racer to slow down and type is far from a sure thing.) Much to our surprise, Ben’s first installment showed up less than two weeks later, and he’d even aptly named his own column: “Attardtude.”

The Attack Kawasaki rider should have some good stories this year: Back for his second season with the Kawi factory-support squad, he’s already proved himself a Supersport contender and will be working to tame the Superstock version of the new ZX-10R. He also has a new teammate—Damon Buckmaster—and we’re hoping that by providing this creative outlet for Ben, it’ll spare Damon some of the abuse ex-teammate Josh Hayes had to suffer in ’05.

The 2006 season should be an exciting ride for Attard, who plans to check in regularly via these online columns. (And if he starts flaking out, well, we think we can take him. Or at least take applications for a new columnist.) If you have a question for Ben, e-mail it to laurel@roadracerx.com; to learn more about him, check out his new website, benattard.com.

*************************

It was December 11, 2005, at the Daytona International Raceway. The second day of our three-day Dunlop tire test had been ruined by weather, but it was the perfect opportunity for journalists to track down the riders and get the inside scoop. While a group of us huddled in the Attack pit, Laurel Allen (senior editor of our favorite mag) made a comment about my weird sense of humor.... “Kind of out there” is how I believe she explained me. So after throwing me under the bus in front of everyone, she suggested I try to put something together for the magazine. I like her style.

Now, before I go any further, I ain’t going to lie: My English results at school didn't really impress anyone. What you’ll get here is exactly what everyone close to me gets daily.... No sugarcoating goes on in my world.

For me, racing in the United States as a professional rider for Attack Kawasaki is a dream come true, and definitely one that I never thought would be reality. There have been so many steps and people who have made that possible, and I have not forgotten any of them—and they know it. My career in the U.S. has been steadily improving, and so has my support. I feel at home with Attack Kawasaki now. It did take us a while to gel and get going, but by the end of 2005 we had built some good momentum and been on the podium five times.

At the moment I’m home in Australia for a little winter break. I recently purchased a house 20 minutes north of Brisbane, and I love it. I was never really into the whole garden/lawn scene until the day I signed the contract on my house, but now I spend at least an hour daily in the garden making sure everything is looking the goods…. I hope that isn’t a sign of old age! I looked for days trying to find the perfect house; finally, I saw it. I still remember telling Mum within 20 seconds of walking up the driveway and seeing the landscaped gardens with a hot tub in the middle that I was going to buy it. I signed a contract within the hour, and luckily the inside was just as trick as the outside.

But most importantly, I am really looking forward to the racing this year. Kawasaki, as we all know, has produced the best 600s for the past two years, but with Yamaha and Suzuki bringing out all-new models, it’s definitely going to be an interesting year. I still think the Kawasaki is going to be the bike to be on and the target to beat, and I’m up for any challenge that gets thrown at me.

The all-new ZX10R is really impressive. I’ve only had two days of testing on it so far and it blew me away in most areas, especially the power. I will never forget clicking third gear out of the chicane and aiming for the Daytona banking on the rear wheel, getting the front down just in time to peel into NASCAR 4, and then tapping fourth and fifth gear around with the rear wheel spinning…. And then getting clocked at 182 mph on a stock motor with a pipe. That bike is a missile! Just thinking about it in total Superstock trim excites and scares the s*&t out of me. I have adapted to the big bike quite well and was on the race pace straight away, but I think that comes down to the fact that the bike is so stable yet just as nimble as my ZX6RR. I am totally confident that this new 10 will be just as successful as its little brother.

Soon I’ll head to my cozy apartment in Murrieta, California. There is always something going on there or something to do; I am rarely bored or homesick. I train with Michael Byrne and Andrew McFarlane—both professional Aussie motocross/supercross racers who also live in Murrieta—and we are guided in our training efforts by Australian motocross legend Stephen Gall, who definitely keeps us busy and on track.

Well, that’s it for my first column.... Hopefully Laurel will invite me back. See ya here on roadracerx.com or in the pits at Daytona!

-Ben