 He is known as "The Rain Man" because of his ability to ride well in the extreme wet, which he attributes to a dirt track racing background.In 2001, he was a 500cc rider for the Dee Cee Jeans Racing Team, scoring minor points in 12 of the 16 races to place 18th overall.In 2002, he had a year away from motorcycling as he could not gather enough sponsorship to secure a factory Aprilia ride.