Welsh gamer crashes
Real Moto GP apparently harder than video games
Welsh schoolboy Chaz Davies today became the youngest British rider ever to take part in the Moto Grand Prix motorbike racing championship, at the tender age of 15. And apparently he's been using video games to practice. "I spend hours playing the bike games on my PlayStation because you can learn all the tracks", Chaz told BBC Sport. "I have only been to five of the tracks on the circuit, so the games help me get the experience of others. Lots of the young riders use it to gain knowledge of the track. It could make a real difference when you get there." This morning THQ were crowing that this was proof that the realistic circuits included in their Moto GP games help riders to prepare for the championship. Although unfortunately the Moto GP that Chaz is presumably talking about is the PS2 version developed by Namco, that THQ were telling us not to confuse with their own game of the same name just a few months ago. Obviously even THQ's poor PR bods are having difficulty keeping track of all these Moto GP games... THQ are also likely to be blushing this evening as the story they pointed us to has now been updated with news of Chaz's debut in Suzuka, Japan. The poor lad finished almost 40 seconds off the pace after losing control of his 125cc Matteoni motorbike and crashing during the first qualifying session. He does get a second chance to qualify tomorrow, but all that racing around authentic real life circuits on his PlayStation doesn't seem to have done him much good so far. Chaz was reported to be setting his sights somewhat higher before qualifying, telling reporters that "there are more than 30 riders in the championship, and I am hoping for a top 15 place". If he finishes in the top 15 he'll unlock the special glow-in-the-dark helmet. Related Feature - Moto GP balls-up
