COTY Garcia says he’s happy to be the quiet man in Glasgow’s pits – but hopes his silence will end up being golden.
The Argentinian teams up with Danny Ayres at reserve for the Tigers, with the larger-than-life Englishman becoming a cult hero among the fans.
While Ayres loves to get the grandstand fans off their seats to celebrate, Garcia prefers a gentle wave to the terraces.
However, much like his team-mate, he’s already put in some stunning performances for Glasgow and plans for more of the same as the Tigers begin their bid for a gold medal when facing Redcar in the first round of the KO Cup.
Garcia said: “I am quite quiet through the meeting. I’m not too emotional – because sometimes that can have two roles. When everything goes well, it’s really good – but if you have any mistakes or problems with the bike, it can go the wrong way. But it’s really fun to see Danny through the meeting and how he is with the fans.
“I am really happy so far – obviously I want more and I am a little disappointed about my meetings at Sheffield and Somerset. I sent my good engine to get serviced and used my second engine, but had problems with the ignition. I jumped onto the third engine but it was bad. It was a shame because I was riding hard, but I couldn’t score much.
“But I came to Glasgow with a three-point average and I’m a little bit higher than that now, which is great.”
Garcia’s last outing at the Peugeot Ashfield Stadium saw the Tigers hammer Scunthorpe 71-19 – their biggest win in recent history.
“I’m excited about coming back to ride at Glasgow’s track.”
But he insists he wasn’t shocked by the result, saying: “We know that we have four top riders and they are doing a really good job. Obviously everyone has had their problems, like at Sheffield and Somerset, but it’s early days in the season. The next time we’ll know how to ride there, so we will learn from our mistakes.
“Plus with Glasgow’s track being the grippiest in the Premier League, that sometimes gives a home advantage. Not everyone can ride here.”
Redcar are in Glasgow on Sunday then host the Tigers next Thursday, with Stewart Dickson opting for the same team line-up as previous weeks – meaning Nike Lunna stays at No 2 partnering No 1 Richard Lawson, and Richie Worrall and Ben Barker continue their partnership at Nos 3 and 4. The meeting starts at 3pm.
Garcia says he can’t wait to get back to racing, no mater who he’s facing.
He said: “I’m just excited about coming back to ride at Glasgow’s track. It doesn’t matter what meeting it is, because sometimes you can put extra pressure on yourself. You must go and enjoy it.”