MCE: Did you watch any bike racing this weekend Justin?
JE: I'm afraid I didn't get up to Snetterton for the MCE BSB (I'll catch it on ITV4 during the week), but I did watch Valentino Rossi's comeback in the MotoGP. What an incredible guy.

MCE: I caught some of the highlights - looked like an exciting race?
JE: It was fantastic, although unfortunately Randy de Puniet had a pretty awful crash and broke his leg. He's one of the most exciting racers in the championship. It's great to have both de Puniet and Rossi back now - I just wish there were a few more bikes on the grid; just 5 or 6 more would make such a difference.

MCE: I think a lot of people out there would agree with you on that one. How about the MCE BSB? How does that compare for excitement?
JE: To be honest, it's such a different kind of racing, I don't think you can compare it - and I'm probably slightly biased after my weekend at Mallory Park!!

MCE: Oh yeah? Why's that?
JE: It was absolutely fantastic. Riding bikes is really a social thing for me, so I normally go out riding with a few friends, but when I suggested going to Mallory, nobody was up for it. I really wanted to go, so I hopped on the Triumph and headed out alone. Luckily, despite my terrible luck, I remembered to tick the right boxes on the Club MCE website before I went!

MCE: What do you mean?
JE: Well, my wife and I had a horrible year last year - unfortunately we lost one of our two daughters, which, as you might imagine, was a pretty hard time for both of us, and since then I feel like we've been plagued by bad luck. When it comes to things like the Club MCE benefits, it just never seems to be me that gets picked. I'm always the one looking down thinking: 'How do the lucky buggers get that?' Happily, I'm pleased to say my luck seems to be changing. I went up to Mallory on both the Saturday and the Sunday and, thanks to MCE, I got involved in the action on both days!

MCE: Excellent - what did you do?
JE: Actually it was more a case of what DIDN'T I do! On the Saturday I got a chance to do a lap in the pace car - the Nissan GTR. I've never been around a circuit before, so it was a fabulous experience. Mallory's only a short track, so we got round in no time, but it was long enough to get a feel for how flipping quick those cars are! It was weird - I was really excited but the driver was so calm and collected. He just chatted as I sat there gripping the sides of my seat!

MCE: They're great drivers aren't they? MCE BSB only uses qualified racing drivers, so they really know what they're doing. I think they're quite impressed with the Nissan GTR themselves.
JE: Yes, so they were saying.

MCE: So did you watch the racing after that?
JE: I did, but not straight away. Before the racing I got the chance to meet my heroes! Courtesy of MCE I did a pit walk, where I saw more or less all of the riders and their teams. Mallory's a really friendly circuit and it's incredibly open and welcoming. Just as an example, as I walked past Suzuki's stand I saw a sign offering free refreshments for Suzuki owners. I told them I used to have a Bandit and was welcomed in with open arms. They had a TV on showing the racing and John Reynolds was there chatting to everyone. It was great! With the MCE pit walk you can go more or less anywhere you please and I saw Brookes, Kiyonari (before his double-victory), Laverty - almost everybody. What's more, when I got down to the last garage, Ian Hutchinson was there. It's not every day you get to meet someone who's right at the top of his game but, with his recent record-breaking TT wins under his belt, Hutch is a true hero of mine. What really strikes you when you meet him is what a quiet and gentle guy he is! He just doesn't come across as someone who would be so destructive on a bike. He was totally relaxed about meeting the likes of me, chatting away and signing my hat. In fact, my hat is now smothered in autographs!!

MCE: Sounds brilliant!
JE: It was - but the best was yet to come… When I went back on the Sunday I had an even more amazing experience.

MCE: What was that then?
JE: Well, first of all I got straight back into the pits again. It's great to have access behind the scenes, which of course I'd never have got without MCE. But this time, more or less as soon as I was in the pits, I was called through for the grid walk. Here the riders made their final preparations and lined up for the race, while their teams busied themselves with the tyres and making minor adjustments to the bike. Of course they're not quite as chatty when they're on the grid, but you can still get really close and wish them luck. Their intensity only goes to make the experience more special.

MCE: Sounds like you got stuck right in!
JE: There's more. I then got to watch the race from inside the control tower! Watching Fred Clarke do his commentary was so funny. If he'd walked past me in the street I'd never have recognised him, but as soon as he started talking he seemed so familiar. Seeing him work also made me realise how difficult it must be - there's a lot going on. I don't know how he does it!

MCE: Wow - watching from inside the commentary box? As far as I know, that's a first!
JE: Not only that, after the second race, one of the MCE guys asked me if I'd like to present the trophies!! Of course I jumped at the chance. They told me what I needed to do and I just got on with it... Then I got soaked with champagne for my troubles!!

MCE: Your mates must have been gutted they missed it!
JE: They were. The whole weekend was truly an experience I will never forget. When I got home, one of my friends called me and said: 'What are you doing on Eurosport?!'. Luckily they got the whole thing on tape and now I've made sure that all of my friends have seen it - several times. I think my wife, Claire, has had enough of it now but Lauren, my daughter, is still quite excited to have such a famous Dad!! My friends are pretty gutted they didn't come along but I just tell them they need to get a different bike insurer!!

MCE: Let's hope they take your advice!!