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Jun 9, 2008 at 07:45 AM CDT
View Comments: 12
DaveySkills: Firing On All Cylinders
Posted by: r2k
David 'DaveySkills' Kelly is one of the fastest racers in the world, but he is also one of the coolest, calm and collected players and is a protected player among 3 others for the Birmingham Salvo. I find out from the man himself about the past and present of his CGS career.
Name: David Kelly
Age: 19
Alias: DaveySkills
Location: Liverpool, England
Favourites
Music: I mainly like indie music, but I also listen to some electro, hip-hop, rock and pop too.
Song(s): Interpol - Obstacle 1, Radiohead - Idioteque
Player(s): I guess you mean CGS players? I dunno, everyone! Group hug!
Sport(s): Extreme Ironing
Game(s): Halo2, Sonic, PGR, Forza
Food(s): Chicken
Drink(s): Fosters, Sambucca =P
Hello Davey, last year you were one of the top ranked CGS drivers among many others and now you are back again. Personally how do you feel the 2007 season of the CGS went for you?
Daveyskills: The 2007 season went really well for me. From getting drafted in Birmingham to the final game against Chimera in the world finals I couldn't have expected myself to perform any better than I did. Although I made a few mistakes in some of the matches I feel as though I kept my cool and made a good recovery.
What have your previous achievements been before the first year of the CGS?
Daveyskills: I hadn't really been competing all that long prior to the CGS. My first ever competition was the 2nd Xleague PGR3 Invitational, which I managed to win pretty convincingly :P. I'd also just competed in WCG an I managed to win the UK final an progress to the world final in Seattle which would take place 2 days after the CGS draft in Birmingham.
Before the CGS 2007 Combine I found out that you weren't going to show up at all, despite arguably being the best PGR3 player in the UK, Why was this the case?
Daveyskills: I was thinking of not showing up at all because as I have just mentioned I was trying to compete in WCG at the same time as the CGS, and at the time I was not aware of how big the CGS was, that combined with how my practice went in the few times I had tried CGS rules online, I sort of made up my mind to go with WCG because I knew more about it, I was well practiced for it and I had already qualified for the finals. However after talking with a few friends, they persuaded me to go down to the CGS and see what I could do.
You did eventually show up to the Combine in Birmingham with a lot of other talented players that wanted to also get a spot into the 2 UK teams, could you compare the CGS Combine to the other tournaments that you participated in?
Daveyskills: In short…No. The CGS is like no other competition I have ever been to. Every other event I have been to has a pretty basic format; if you win you proceed to the next round, and if you lose you're knocked out. But in the CGS if you win, you will probably impress a GM or two, and if you lose, then it doesn't really matter as long as you proved to a GM that you are smart about what you are doing, you were thinking ahead an you weren't just smashing and crashing into everything and everything that moved. So with that in mind I see the CGS combine as more of a prolonged interview, where you can go and talk to the General Managers and let them get to know you as well as showing them your skills on the track.
Could you remember the feeling that you got when you were drafted by ODEE in the Sky Studios and how did your parents feel about it?
Daveyskills: I remember just before the draft was about to begin all of the racers who attended the CGS were backstage talking amongst each other speculating and trying to predict who would be drafted and I remember almost everyone said that I would probably get drafted. So that kind of eased my nerves a little, even though they obviously had no influence over either GM I must have done something right over the course of the combine to make an impression on all of my fellow competitors.
I then remember standing on stage and watching ChrisyB become the first official CGS UK player for the London Mint, I wasn't really thinking or feeling much at the time, I was just overwhelmed by the lights and the cameras I guess. Then it was ODEE's first pick, and before the presenter read the name out on the card I was just thinking to myself that it would be a CS:S team because that's where a lot of points could be made or lost, but when the presenter announced that he would be picking a PGR player my heart started to race just a little an I thought to myself, 'Could it be me?' Then my name was called out and I was relieved at first, then later after the draft it kind of hit me…I'm a professional gamer!
When I got drafted my Mum and Dad were very happy for me. My mum told me when I left school that she didn't care what career path that I was going to take aslong as I was happy with what I did, an ofcourse I got money for it. So when the first pay check when into my account they knew that all of those hours playing videogames had not gone to waste. :P
Your match for the UK Regional Championship against London Mint, you had Neo Jake as your partner against the team of NT 101 and Stune. Most of us saw that race which you did win, tell us how that felt and could it of gone any better you think?
Daveyskills: The race for me went pretty much exactly to plan. I can't remember the exact starting positions but I do remember it was on the track called 'Trafalgar Tour' based in London, which at the time was my favourite track, an I knew from previous races that I was the fastest out of everyone attending the draft on that specific track. So if I got spun out in the race, I had a good chance of catching Stune or NT 101 back up over the course of the race, but as it turned out I didn't have to. Somehow in the first corner mayhem myself and Neo Jake managed to gain 1st and 2nd place (with me being in 1st). Then from that point on I just raced like I was at home because I knew that if I made a mistake I had my team mate protecting me. Then Neo Jake made a mistake or two and fell back into the clutches of Stune and NT 101. From then on in he had a scrap on his hands, and with it being 2 vs 1 it was not looking good for him. However he did well holding up both Stune and NT for quite some time. Then on the last turn of the race he got unlucky and went from 3rd to last.
With the Regionals out the way, you headed out to LA with Birmingham Salvo at the time to compete in the World Finals, what was your first impression when you saw the World Final's stage that you would eventually be playing on?
Daveyskills: I was very impressed when I saw the stage in LA, it was much bigger than the one in London, but after the initial few minutes of taking it in I didn't think about it again, I just concentrated on my practice, trying to get everything right so that when I was on stage I wouldn't have to think about what I was doing, I would just do it and it would work.
Also in the CGS there is a side tournament, which is the Individual Championships. When you won the race against London Mint, you were automatically entered into this where you had to race against the pair of each winning PGR team that was in the World Finals which included Ch0mpr and Jason X. What were thoughts about this individual tournament and did you relish the chance to go up against the number 1 North American pair?
Daveyskills: Knowing that I had a chance to compete against Ch0mpr and Jason in the individuals made me try even harder whilst I was practicing. I wanted to show the world that although they were without a shadow of a doubt the best PGR team in the CGS, they were not unbeatable. So in the first race of the individuals I and Neo Jake came up against Madness and Kinetic of the Stockholm Magnetik. I remember before the race Madness was smack talking to me an Neo about how we could never 8-1 (get 1st an 2nd) him and Kinetic because we weren't good enough, I just laughed it off, but just before the race I looked over and said to him with a cheeky smile '8-1'. Me an Jake then proceeded to demolish them 8-1 in the race with me getting taken out by Madness, then catching back up to him and spinning him =P. Although it was only friendly banter between us, Madness made me want that 8-1 even more so I tried my hardest and I made everything work.
Jake and I then proceeded into the next round, where we were matched up against Ch0mpr and Jason, when I found out it was like a dream come true! As the race was about to start, I noticed the starting positions, and I saw that Neo Jake was in the perfect position to nudge Ch0mpr off his line and mess him up in the first corner, so I told Jake to try an deal with Ch0mpr an leave me to deal with Jason. Unfortunately Jake messed up his start and let Ch0mpr get away and he flew straight into me in the first turn of the race. I was in dead last with Jason in 1st, Neo Jake 2nd and Ch0mpr 3rd. Halfway round the first lap Neo Jake made a small mistake which allowed Ch0mpr to get close enough to take him out, which he did, but in the process allowed me to gain 2nd place and I began to hunt down Jason X. I managed to close the gap between us, an Jason X realised this so on the 2nd lap he slowed down and held me up in a narrow part of the track until Ch0mpr caught up and they tag-teamed me into the wall. They ended up winning 8-1 an they proved to me why they were the best PGR team in the CGS.
In the World Finals, the Birmingham Salvo managed to get 3rd/4th place. You beat Rio and then Singapore but had to go up against number 1 North American side of Chicago and a rematch with Ch0mpr and Jason X. Could you generally sum up this whole World Final and what it meant to you?
Daveyskills: The World Finals were amazing, just the fact that I got to stay in LA for 3 weeks was enough to make it a memorable trip, but the fact that I got to meet so many new people who all had a common interests was pretty awesome. That as well as all the photoshoots and the interviews it was insane! I loved it and I can't wait to go back.
The CGS 2008 is here and already rolling, but there was a change of racing game this season, Project Gotham Racing 3 was put to one side and out came Forza Motorsport 2, what were you thoughts about when they announced this was happening?
Daveyskills: At first I was very happy. I had always played Forza Motorsport as well as PGR, but PGR was my main game. However about a month before the CGS announced the change in game I decided to take a break from PGR and have some fun on Forza, so when the CGS did announce Forza as their racing game for 2008 I was very happy indeed. Then the whole thing about the rules came into play, using the same arcade rules that they used for PGR on a completely different game took a lot of people by surprise, including myself, and it took a while for me to adjust collisions system in Forza, but now I have got to grips with them I don't think twice about anything I do whilst practicing for the Finals in LA.
The UK Combine this year was also merged into the EU combine which meant, not only would you be racing UK players but now the EU players, did you like this idea?
Daveyskills: I thought that it was a pretty cool idea, it made the competition a lot more fierce on the racing side of things. With the likes of Yggdrasil, Bryce, FinPro and Madness thrown into the mix it made for some pretty interesting results.
It was a sure thing that you would be protected, many including myself thought that, but did you think at the time who your partner could be now? Maybe a return of Neo Jake or someone new?
Daveyskills: The thought had crossed my mind prior to the event, but I dismissed the rumours of my protection and just carried on practicing with whomever I could. It was pretty interesting seeing the results of who I was practicing with though. I think the best team I was a part of was me and Yggdrasil, we pretty much dominated people without any tactics or practice. :P
You have 4 new players in the Birmingham Salvo which are wez, wilzOOO, Sarah Lou and importantly Picaso who is your new teammate for this season, what are your thoughts about Picaso and the others?
Daveyskills: Well I haven't really talked to the CS:S lads that much at all, but they obviously know how to get the job done and they seem like pretty cool guys. Sarah seems cool as well, talked to her a bit after the draft and she appears to have the advantage over her sister, which is good!
I've got to say it was a bit weird meeting Picaso at the draft because, for those who don't know Picaso was #1 at Forza Motorsport 1, so I always looked up to him and just seeing his name in 1st place on a leaderboard made me try that little harder. So when I met him in Birmingham it was a little strange at first, but Dean is a cool guy and I'm sure we'll do well in the UK finals.
You will be flying out once again to LA for the World Finals, but your first stop is the Regional Final once more against the London Mint who have retained NT 101 and Stune, what are your thoughts coming into this?
Daveyskills: I'm not really thinking of anything apart from winning! If we win we get to stay in LA and compete in the World Finals and I can't imagine losing and being the first team to be sent home. That being said, Stune and NT are immense tacticians so I'm expecting them to have some trickery up their sleeve, but with Picaso's speed and my skills we should be able to get a victory against them.
If you had a choice to play any of the Forza 2 teams, who would it be and why?
Daveyskills: I think its too early to say at the minute. I'd want to play the number 1 pairing, but from what I've seen its pretty even stevens for now. Ask me again at the end of the US season and I'll give you an answer :P!
Thanks Davey, any shout outs to give?
Daveyskills: Shout out to Mr. Lewy C, Pauly B, Swotchbock, Woll Smoth and everyone who has ever beaten me in a race, you all school'd me when I was more like Daveynoskills :P
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r2k
Posts: 153
Location: Birmingham
Staff Member
RattlesnK
Posts: 250
Location: Brighton
Pro Gamer
nice interview, davey ROXS! 
www.birminghamsalvo.com
www.birminghamsalvo.com
NT_101
Posts: 73
Location: Bristol
Pro Gamer
Nice read Davey...
Dont forget to apologise to the wall after you hit it in turn 1 :-)
See you in LA.
101
Dont forget to apologise to the wall after you hit it in turn 1 :-)
See you in LA.
101
-SwitchbacK-
Posts: 3
Location:
Beast interview Dave, thanks for the shoutout
(L)
Last modified on 6/9/2008 at 11:45 am EST
(L)
Last modified on 6/9/2008 at 11:45 am EST
Stune
Posts: 826
Location: Dorchester
Pro Gamer
Nice interview. Look forward to playing you in LA Davey
iCamv1
Posts: 1226
Location: Prospect
Pro Gamer
haha good read davey...good luck you guys will do great
iRacer
Myspace.com/llxcamxll
iRacer
Myspace.com/llxcamxll
Ch0mpr
Posts: 675
Location: Isla Vista
Pro Gamer
haha... I remember when we were hanging out in your apartment and then I said something about Interpol, and you were like "wtf you know who they are!?"
good times
good times
ChriSSyB
Posts: 565
Location: Ipswich
Pro Gamer
Davey you legend 
"Life is full of choices, the only thing you have to do is make them"
"Life is full of choices, the only thing you have to do is make them"
MESSY
Posts: 148
Location: London
Pro Gamer
Davey looks sooo cool on stage, keep it up!
Daveyskills
Posts: 134
Location: Liverpool
Pro Gamer
r2k
Posts: 153
Location: Birmingham
Staff Member
#10
!!
burn =P
# Head of News for Birmingham Salvo
# Team Advisor of Team Dignitas
!!
burn =P
# Head of News for Birmingham Salvo
# Team Advisor of Team Dignitas
YggdrasiL
Posts: 514
Location: Cahors, France
Pro Gamer
Nice article dude, cyu tomorrow rofl
PS : Cool guy indeed =)
Last modified on 6/12/2008 at 6:46 pm EST
-Berlin Allianz-
PS : Cool guy indeed =)
Last modified on 6/12/2008 at 6:46 pm EST
-Berlin Allianz-
Interpol woot! but...
Evil > Obstacle 1
tbh! hehe
Last modified on 6/9/2008 at 9:20 am EST
# Head of News for Birmingham Salvo
# Team Advisor of Team Dignitas