Hi all, I hope you are ready for my third race report of the season and what a cracker this one is to say the least, some hard close racing and some brilliant results. I will not give too much away as I will let you find out during the course of the report. I hope you enjoy the read, and feel the passion I have for my motorcycle racing.
This time round we headed off to the prestigious Mallory Park circuit, a famously known track for its fast sweeping first right handed turn, Gerrads, this is not a corner to get wrong as many have found out, just ask my Dad. The forecast for the weekend was heavy showers all the way through but with a surprise beam of sunshine beating down on the Leicestershire circuit in the morning on Friday test day, we got under way with our program. Friday test day went well, however I did take a tumble in the third session of the day whilst testing a new set up. Then rain come in to play but I still felt prepared for Saturday’s morning qualifiers. Yet again I was competing in two classes, Aprilia RRV450GP and the Doodson Supertwins.
Saturday morning also managed to stay clear determining a dry track just in time before my first session of the day. Qualifying went well for me in both classes taking 3rd in the Supertwins and 4th in the Aprilia RRV championship with two tenths covering the top five in the RRV championship, and both front row starts.
A dry Doodson Supertwins race one got underway, and what a battle it was, but unfortunately no one could fend of young Josh Daley who was not taking no for an answer, I managed to shake off the rest of the field consisting of David Allingham, Tom Olliver and Callan Cooper to cross the line in 2nd place. The Pace was very fast and yet there was still more to come in our lap times.
Unfortunately the heavens opened shortly before the first RRV race of the weekend forcing the rest of the day to be called under wet race rules. Race one of the RRV’s and I was disappointed with myself, as I received a poor start dropping me way back in the field, fortunately I was able to claw back in to fifth position but I was just not able to close the distance between myself and the leading pack, whilst battling at close quarters.
Race 2 of the Doodson Supertwins, having worked on my starts and this time I held my position but I was unable to find the Grip and feel that the leading 3 were able to find in the tricky wet racing conditions. I held my position for the rest of the race to eventually cross the line in fourth place. Still a consistent result.
After debriefing with my team we decided to opt on a new wet set up for the final race of the day. And boy what a difference it made for the final RRV450GP race. Bagging a good start saw me in second place behind David Allingham on a drastically drying track. Lots of close hard racing and a few near crash moments were experienced on the closing laps I lost touch with the leading group dropping me back in to 4th place. I kept my head down and I was able to bridge the gap slightly but it wasn’t quite enough. I was happy with my performance in that race, and it put me in the right state of mind for the next day.
Yet again the sun came out to play on the Sunday morning, drying the track just in time for the first race of the day. Having practiced a few new lines in specific areas of the track during morning warm up, I was feeling really confident for the day ahead.
Race 3 of the Doodson Supertwins was a similar story to the first race on the Saturday but this time I got my first chance to lead a race, doing so for 3 laps, it was an epic battle between myself, Tom Oliver and Josh Daley, managing to drop down in to 55 second lap times, half a second shy of last year’s lap times. Still not able to hold of Josh Daley I managed to cross the line in second place just ahead of Tom Oliver by one thousandth of a second. Some epic racing with many close shoulder rubbing, encounters and green paint left on my right shoulder from the inside of raised hairpin painted slabs. It was great fun and hoped for much more of that to come.
Race three, Aprilia RRV450GP got underway in wet conditions and another great battle commenced. I sat in second place for the majority of the race as Harry Coomber had edged away with his ferociously fast wet pace until a hard Charging David Allingham come from last place to 3rd forcing me to put a fight for second, bumping and barging our way I was able to maintain my 2nd place across the line. This race was so much fun and I just wanted more of it.
Race four in the Doodson Supertwins is possibly my favourite race of the weekend. I worked my way in to second place after a bit of a tussle with Tom Oliver and Callan Cooper and that is where I sat for the remainder of the race up until the last lap. David Allingham was leading and I felt very confident, as I had worked a plan in my head. Knowing I was stronger than David in a certain section of the track. I was feeling very good. I waited for the last lap flag to appear and I made my move, going round the outside of David at the very fast first turn to take the lead onto the back straight, I then took a defensive line around the rest of the circuit fending David off, and I was able to cross the finish line in the lead and took my first overall win by one hundredth of a second. This is an amazing and a great feeling to have experienced. That was the race craft I have been lacking and I had started to learn. Now I was just hoping I could transform that in to my maiden RRV450GP win with one race to go of the day.
The RRV450GP’s final race of the weekend and it was my last chance of the weekend to make it really count. To be honest I do not have any real recollection of this race as so much happened throughout the race I really don’t know where to begin, yet again, I really cannot put in to words how manic this race was, It was insane and it felt like I was not able to keep the same position for no longer than half a lap. All I do know is that there was one man no one could beat all weekend, which was Harry Coomber, taking his fourth win of the weekend with me in Second and David in third place.
I apologise that I cannot go in to further depth about this race, but a regular race in the RRV450GP championship is always a dogfight such is the level of competition in this class. All I can say is watch the races on TV or on line; you do not want to miss them. I hope you have enjoyed the read and I have wetted your appetite to come and join the team and I at the next round of the Thundersport GB calendar at Oulton Park in Cheshire on the 25th and the 26th of May.
This was another amazing race weekend for me, like the previous years I absolutely love my racing this season, and I am learning every time I swing my leg over the bike, and I cannot keep the smile of my face. I am now currently lying 3rd in both championships, which I am over the moon about and I hope to keep progressing throughout the season. I would just like to say a massive thank you to everyone who get’s me out racing and for their support. I wouldn’t be able to do it without you.
