Mike Faria confirmed that he will be coming over to Kings Lynn to take his place in the Overseas Final of the World Championship. Mike has qualified for the Overseas Final on many occasions but has never made it through to the next round, the Inter-Continental Final.
Mike competed in the Overseas Final last in 1995 and 1995 when he rode for the Monarchs. He struggled in the 1995 Overseas but appeared to have won through in 1996. Unfortunatly because the riders involved in the 1996 Overseas Final refused to use the controversial 'solid block' pattern tyres, the results were declared null and void and the FIM seeded riders through to the Inter-Continental Final who were not involved in the dispute.
Mike qualified again for the Overseas Final in 1997 when he won not only the American Final and also the US National Championships beating most of the top European based American riders. On that occasion he was unable to get things together to compete in the Overseas Final.
Lst year, Mike was injured but he bounced back this year at Auburn to add yet another American Final to his long list of trophies. He added in Speedway Star:
"I'm on top form now, I'm on a little rise or whatever. I've been doing 29 years of racing and it's on a lift right now. I wnt it, for some reason, I really want to win."
"I want to go back to England and I want to go there and do something. I'm going to call a few guys over there that I stay with and see if I can rent a bike, and be ready for Kings Lynn."
"I refuse to grow up and I refuse to quit. That's why I wish I was in the British League a bit longer, but that's another story. I wouldn't mind returning, but it's the points thing and the way the British League's been changing. One minute I was in, I wanted to do a four year contract with the Scottish Monarchs and then they changed Leagues."
"When I first went over there in '95, It was really good, I liked that league. We were racing everybody instead of the same ten, I thought that was good. We were travelling all over to different race tracks. Then they went to the Elite League and I think that was too hard and expensive for a lot of guys. I hope everything's working out over there and I'll be going over to see what it's all about.
Faria made it clear that he was serious about the Grand Prix:
"I want to qualify. I've made it through the American Final, but I've never got past the Overseas. If I can qualify from the Overseas, I will try something, I will talk to somebody, I'd like to do it."
"It's just an accomplishment in your career as a racer. I've got US National Titles under my belt, I've got American Finals under my belt, but I've never passed the overseas. Then one time I did qualify we got the tyre deal, they threw us out. It's part of racing I guess, I was happy until I heard that. But I've got another shot and I'll go for it. I think I've still got it, I think I still want it."
It is unlikely that the other non-UK based American qualifiers will attend. Mike Faria will be joined by Josh Larsen (2nd) at Kings Lynn. Jim Sisemore (3rd) and Bert Bast (4th) are unlikely to travel, this will give a reprieve to Sam Ermolenko (8th) and possible even to Chris Manchester (14th).
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