Arthur Sissis: Home podium still my 'career highlight'

Australian racer Arthur Sissis says he still has fond memories of his ‘career highlight’ at the 2012 Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix despite his world championship career failing to progress to the premier class. 

In just his 17th Moto3™ race and first on Australian soil, the-then 17-year-old Sissis stormed to a podium finish at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, finishing third in a field that contained current MotoGP™ race-winners Miguel Oliveira, Alex Rins, Brad Binder, Maverick Vinales and fellow Australian Jack Miller.

As the featured guest on the latest episode of the In the Fast Lane podcast, Sissis reflected on his whirlwind world championship career, where he shot to prominence before walking away less than two years later to return to speedway racing, where he was an Australian junior-age champion.

"I was crying on the bike, and I didn't like to show it," Sissis told the Australian Grand Prix Corporation's official podcast.

"I don't even remember what I said in parc ferme … the only thing I remember from the after-party was (Marc) Marquez lifting me on his shoulders and screaming 'first podium, first podium' … that was a good memory."

"It was always my dream to be in MotoGP, but it didn't turn out that way. All the guys now in MotoGP that I see – Rins, Oliveira who was my (Moto3) teammate, Jack, Vinales … I was racing against them all and beat them sometimes, so it's a bit hard in that way.

Sissis, now riding a Yamaha for Unitech Racing in the Australian Superbike Championship, revealed he turned down a chance to return to the world championship after parting ways with Mahindra midway through 2014.

"I got an offer to ride a Moto2 bike for the last three races and declined it, and that was probably my biggest regret. To get back into the GP paddock, it's so hard," he said.

"My confidence was right down the bottom. Getting sacked by Mahindra, you think no-one likes you in that paddock and you just feel distanced away from it. Speedway … everyone welcomed you, it felt a bit comforting."

The podcast is available on Spotify, Google Podcasts and Apple Podcasts platforms.