HEADING into the great sporting unknown, teenage Wagga motorbike ace Brandon Demmery has taken to the PlayStation to prepare for his first crack at racing in Europe.
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A week away from jetting to France for a series of motorbike events, the 16-year-old schoolboy has been doing his homework on the Magny Cour circuit, which is 250 kilometres from Paris.
"By using the PlayStation you don't too much of any idea, but it's a start," Demmery said yesterday.
"It let's you know the direction, and the type of corners to expect, that sort of thing.
"Magny Cour is a relatively long track compared to Australian tracks, but they're all fairly standard."
Counting down to his first excursion to France, Demmery admits he is thrilled at the opportunity to expand his motorbike racing horizons.
"I haven't been to Europe before," he said.
"I'm pretty excited.
"We fly out on September 25."
For Demmery, racing on a famous French track is the latest step in his emerging motorbike career.
The young racer is already regarded as a rider with the potential to follow the path of Australia's ex-world MotoGP champion Casey Stoner.
Currently showing tremendous talent on the Australasian Superbike Championship, Demmery is close second on the national point-score list after a mixed weekend of results at a meet at Goulburn.
Demmery, who has previously competed in Malaysia, started the Goulburn series with a one point advantage over Kyle Buckley, but finished two behind his serious rival.
Significantly, Buckley and the Wagga gun will revive their racetrack duel in the final round of the series at Eastern Creek raceway in November.
Beforehand, however, Demmery has an even greater challenge - racing "tough" French riders on their explosive home circuit.
"I know hard it will be," Demmery said.
"They'll be tough riders and will all want to be out in front."
Demmery is adamant a minor wrist problem will not impact on his speed or competitiveness in France.
"It's only a ganglion," he said.
"It'll be 100 per cent by the time I race."
DEMMERY'S DELIGHT
Magny Cour circuit
Where: 250km from Paris
Length: 4.411km
Width: 10.4m to 18m